--- title: "How to Eat in the Backcountry — Without Blowing Up Your Stomach" description: "These are the supplements and foods that can give you more energy and (hopefully) less gastrointestinal disaster. Here's how to eat in the backcountry." date: "2026-08-20" modified: "2026-08-20" authors: - name: "Diana Helmuth" job_title: "Contributor" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/diana-helmuth/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/adventure/how-to-eat-backcountry/" categories: - "Adventure" - "Adventure" - "Big Game Hunting" - "Camping" - "Elk Hunting" - "Hunting" - "Sheep Hunting" - "Trail Running" tags: - "News" --- # How to Eat in the Backcountry — Without Blowing Up Your Stomach ![woman boiling water over two backpacking stoves in the alpine]() *Alex Robinson* I’m the author of *[How to Suffer Outside: A Beginner's Guide to Hiking and Backpacking]()*. I wrote that book’s nutrition section when I was 29 years old, and it shows. I am now 38, and some things have changed – including, but not limited to, my relationship to fiber, caffeine, and iron. I have also developed a strong distaste for what I call “frilly” outdoor meals: anything that takes more than 10 minutes and four ingredients to prepare. There are many different opinions about how to keep your body performing well while hiking through the backcountry all day. Backpacking is a pursuit that tests your ability to plan as much as your physical stamina. Precision is key. You don’t have to calculate your macros (although it does help), but you should plan and label every single meal and snack. Packing too little food means you’ll be physically uncomfortable and likely more tired (also known as “hungry.”) Packing too much food means you’re committing the greatest sin a backpacker can ever commit: carrying useless weight. To be clear, I’m not here to tell you what you should take, or eat. Most people who spend a lot of time in the backcountry are out there because they really hate other people telling them what to do. I would never presume. Instead, this article contains advice, tips, and tricks I have learned over 20 years of “weekend warrior” and “summer adventure” style backpacking, including things I wish someone had told me when I was younger. It’s not a complete guide, but hopefully can get you started on how to think about your own approach to eating when you have limited options, high physical demands, and (unfortunately) tastebuds. ## It’s Not the Size of the Supplement. It’s How You Use It ![Helmuth wears Aarn.]() *The author on a backpacking trip along the PCT. Alex Robinson* [Robert Pirsig]() wrote "The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.” The same goes for your body. I used to have this idea that putting myself in extreme environments warranted the extreme usage of supplements, including those which I had never tried at home. This is a phenomenon that a lot of people experience, and it would be nice to name it. Your body is still your body at the river, at altitude, in the canyon. It just needs more of what you know makes it go. And the keyword there is “know.” An extreme environment is a bad place to experiment with new supplements, even though it seems logical to want to offer your body additional support. *How* you take a supplement matters just as much as taking it at all. Certain supplements do not mix well, blocking each other’s absorption, or refusing to absorb at all if too much (or too little) of a certain food is present in your stomach. Memorize how to take your supplements before you head out, and don’t be ashamed of scheduling alarms. For a deeper dive into these and other supplements for backcountry athletes, I strongly suggest "Nutrition for Outdoor Recreation” by Marisa Michael. The supplement industry is as massive as it is unregulated. Michael offers a superb breakdown of various supplements, how to determine purity, and when to use them. I call out these few items below as I think they are often abused, misused, or overlooked. With those disclaimers in mind, let’s talk about some common supplements that can help you physically perform better in the backcountry. But I would like to caution that your doses and relationships to these performance-enhancing vitamins likely won’t change just because you are in the backcountry. Consider taking the same amount you would take after, say, a long run, or a challenging day at the gym. And if you don’t know what that amount is – find out before you’re in the middle of nowhere. ### B Vitamins and Iron B12 is a classic, affordable stamina booster that I often take at home and in the backcountry. I also recently learned that if I take two probiotics at the same time as a B12, my lower intestines begin a detailed re-enactment of the Battle of Fort Sumter. And I’m really, really glad I learned what not to mix it with when I was in the comfort of my own home, not surrounded by mosquitoes, 20 miles from the nearest flush toilet. I also learned, two years ago, that no amount of sunscreen can save you if you have been pounding B6 supplements for a year. Say, for example, to help fight iron deficiency anemia, which 30% of women will experience at some point in their lives. In fact there are a number of herbs, vitamins, and prescription medications that can make your skin especially susceptible to sunburn, including some SSRIs, hypertension medications, and cholesterol-lowering medications. Be sure to cross check what you’ve been taking for the past several months before you start living outside for a week or more, as it may mean you should get a higher SPF, stick to long sleeves, or take other precautions you would not normally have thought of. Taking B vitamins along with iron can be especially helpful for adjusting to altitude. Your body is running on oxygen fumes; iron and B12 are gas. If you are already iron deficient, taking high doses of iron will make a critical difference in your ability to acclimate. If your iron is already normal, supplements can still be helpful as your blood oxygen catches up. An iron blood test is a good idea before any supplementation (it’s hard to do in the span of a week or so, but it is possible to overdose on iron – proceed with some caution). ### Caffeine I love coffee, but the afternoon crash makes me feel murderous. Despite knowing this, I went on a trip in the Ansel Adams wilderness where I threw back caffeinated drink drops like they were Tic Tacs, and then had the audacity to be surprised I didn’t sleep for 72 hours. The 10,000 foot altitude probably didn’t help, but the bigger issue is that I thought I simply needed more caffeine than normal, because of where I was and what I was doing. Perhaps a little extra might have helped. But not unregulated shots. Not all caffeine is created equal. Additional nutrients present in tea, especially Yerba Mate (the favorite drink of the Guarani, many of whom live and hunt in forests year-round), can help smooth the rough edges that coffee can sometimes impose. Powdered tea crystals are a great way to get the benefits of tea without having to pack out teabag trash. **Read Next: [The Best Instant Coffee for Backpacking: Buzzed & Reviewed]()** ### Creatine We need to start remarketing this stuff. It is to my detriment that I associated creatine strictly with gym rat dudes who are trying to make their biceps grow bigger than their faces. But this is one of the most powerful stamina boosting supplements out there, with promising data emerging on brain health, too. It’s tasteless and odorless – but like many supplements, can cause gastric upset. Try taking some before you go outside. Then, (and I can’t stress this enough) take the same amount you tested when you’re out there. Space out doses if you experience stomach issues, or reduce the quantity. ### Glutamine and Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) BCAAs are well known in the muscle building world for improving recovery, but glutamine by itself often gets overlooked. This is a shame, because it’s (literally) cheaper than dirt and vastly reduces your likelihood of muscle soreness – such as, from hiking uphill for 9 hours while carrying 40 pounds on your back. Put a scoop in your evening hot chocolate and thank me later. ### Protein Powder The backcountry is truly protein powder’s time to shine. Backpackers are in constant motion with caloric needs that can range from 3,000 to 5,000+ per day (sidenote: the backcountry is a terrible, terrible place to start a diet. You basically will already be on one, no matter how hard you try not to be). Magically airy, calorically dense protein powder helps you reach your caloric goal, or at least, helps you feel full while failing. However, it is critical that you do not try a new protein powder for the first time in the backcountry. For all their shiny virtues, protein powders can be very rough on people’s systems (turns out compressed bovine milk with a multi-vitamin sprinkled on top is not many stomachs' idea of a nice time). Many protein powders have recently come under scrutiny for containing high levels of lead and arsenic. Turns out when you compress whole foods, you also compress the trace amounts of toxins that were hiding in them. Check for purity before you invest in a good one. ## Foods for Lazy Backpackers Desperately Trying to Care About Their Macros ![Four testers eat some of the best backpacking food.]() *Backpackers enjoy a dehydrated meal feast. Laura Lancaster* I have a confession. I hate planning for meals in the backcountry. When I hit camp after hiking all day, the last thing I want to do is cook. I want to eat. Many people opt to eat nothing but freeze-dried meals, whose labels boast that they need nothing more than 8-16 ounces of hot water to go from unidentifiable crust powder into Beef Stroganoff, Venison Casserole, or Creme Brulee. Clap if you believe. (My one personal exception is [Nomad Nutrition](), who make freeze dried meals that are simultaneously tasty, plant-based, and nutritionally complete; a real miracle). I admire people who avoid the overprocessed nature and high expense of freeze-dried meals, instead crafting their own meals weeks ahead of time out of whole ingredients. (Think granola, fruit leathers, and dehydrated vegetable soups). I also have no idea how they have this kind of time. In the past, my desire for rapid meal prep, and the knowledge that it was basically impossible to eat too much salt or calories, led me to consume a diet of mac n cheese, trail mix, and m&ms for multiple days – and then wondering why I felt so crappy. (“Surely, it must just be the altitude”). I thought protein was only something men had to care about. While I do think our society has a tendency to act like protein is the second coming, turns out, lining your stomach with protein actually does smooth your blood sugar and help you feel full longer. The outdoors is a place to indulge in as many carbs as you want, sure, but in my experience what you really want in the backcountry is the exact opposite of what everyone tells you to eat at home: fat, and tons of it. It sticks to you longer, has the most calories per gram of weight, and doesn’t make you crash. The catch is that you can’t just take a half gallon of cookie dough ice cream into the backcountry. Bad-for-you fats are pretty hard to obtain in dry, low weight at high quantities, so you’re backed into eating good-for-you fats anyway. Nuts. **Read Next: [The Best Backpacking Food, Tested and Reviewed]()** If, like me, you are lazy, and just want to get to the point of feeling full without too much fuss, here are some favorite meals I have come to enjoy over the years: ### Oatmeal with Trail Mix Fiber, carbs and high-quality fat all rolled into one. If you want to make it a supermeal, grab protein oatmeal, or add extra water and stir in a scoop of protein powder. Then toss in a handful of trail mix. Don’t knock it till you try it. ### Mashed Potato Soup (with Optional Salami) This is an old favorite from a high school friend. Mix a package of instant potatoes with a half packet of stuffing mix and some cut up salami. Put in extra water, boil, and wait. Flavor scientists spent countless hours making chemicals that would make those powders taste delicious. Appreciate their effort. ### Whole Cheese Back in ye olden days, the staples of a long distance journeyman usually included cured meats, tooth-cracking bread, and hard cheese. Today, we know a lot more about food poisoning. But you can, still, go to the store, buy a hunk of parmesan, aged gouda, or a similarly tough little nugget of dairy, and take it on the trail for about 4-5 days without much consequence. I’m convinced biting into an entire hunk of manchego at the foot of a waterfall you spent the last four hours climbing uphill towards is actually a ring of heaven. ### Freeze Dried Coconut Milk (Add to Any Meal) Not water. Milk. If you are struggling to get more fat and calories into your diet – especially if you can’t have dairy or meat – this is the stuff you want. Put several tablespoons into your morning beverage or lunch water bottle, or into any meal where you think “this wouldn’t taste that bad if there was a little coconut.” The high fat will help keep you full and the electrolytes will help restore you.