Food for trekking tours
Everyone has to rely on their own experience here. At the outset, almost everyone starts off with tinned noodles and then progresses to trekking food and dried meat.
The meals should be as nutritious as possible, but also satisfy your personal taste. The biggest challenge, however, is finding the right amount for every need, since the weight of the backpack is a key issue, especially when you're out on a trek for several days. Instead of tins, ready-made packaged products, potato mash or trekking food is recommended.
At the same time, you should be aware before setting off on the tour where you can stock up on food if necessary, or indeed whether you might even be able to source something to eat out in the wild. All this information is important for planning your route and your starter ration of food.
Nutrition
A key issue on trekking tours is the high consumption of calories, so regular intake of carbohydrates is recommended. You should also make sure to eat several small portions throughout the day instead of binging on a few big meals. Especially at great heights above sea level, this can quickly lead to nausea and headaches.
Special trekking food may be a major benefit on multi-day treks. By dehydrating the various products, the food loses up to 90% of its actual weight and also keeps for much longer. This results in a nutritious and small product, which is also ideal to carry in a backpack.
Without this type of food, you have to calculate about 1 kg per person per day; if you use trekking food, that weight can be reduced by half.
Packaging
Especially in warmer climates, the food should be packed airtight in plastic bags. It is best to pack ready-made meals in separate bags. This has three significant advantages:
- The food can be prepared quickly.
- The rations are clearly defined.
- It's easier to keep track of the individual meals