Food

What kind of food is best to take camping and hiking?

Camp food needs to be nutritious, provide energy and of course, taste good. But you also want it to be easy to prepare. Unless you have an cooler - in which case most food types can be taken along - you should stack your camping food list with items that are long-lasting and won't spoil. You also want foods that you can easily boil or fry over a camp fire or stove. For hiking trips, you need a regular supply of energy while you move. Rather than waiting for one big meal at the half-way mark or finish, opt for foods that you can snack on continuously over the course of the trek. Pack high-energy, dense foods - like nuts, muesli bars, dried fruits and protein balls - so you can obtain more energy per gram of food you carry. One solution that suits both camping trips and hiking adventures is freeze-dried food. Mountain Designs offers a great range of rehydrated camp food from premier brands that is tasty, nutritious and requires very little preparation.

What camping meals are easy to prepare?

Freeze-dried food is probably the easiest camp food to prepare, you simply add hot water and wait patiently for a few minutes for the food to rehydrate. These are handy because they easily pack into your gear, require no refrigeration, and you can take a variety of meal types and flavours in pre-determined portion sizes so you have some choice. If you go for fresh food, some easy camping breakfast options include cereals or porridge, wrap tortillas or toast with a spread like peanut butter or jam, fruit, eggs, muffins or pastries brought from home, or muesli bars. For lunch, try sandwiches, wraps or tortillas, tuna or salmon in pre-packaged pouches, cheese, dips, processed meats, vegetables and salads. Dinner could include rice dishes, pastas, roasted or boiled meats and vegetables, or any of the lunch choices for a no-cook option. Canned foods are also useful for minimising food preparation - the only downside is that they can weigh more than soft-packaged food. It's useful having a book of camping recipes on hand that you can refer to at meal time. Having a list of camping food ideas makes choosing a meal and preparing it much easier than just trying to think up something on the spot, especially if you're tired at the end of a long day on the trails or the weather is rough and camp life a bit tougher.

How can you heat food without a flame?

Having a few camping food hacks in your armoury is always a good thing. When it comes to freeze-dried food, one simple tip is that you can still enjoy a hot, satisfying meal without the need for pots, burners or fire. A foil cooking pouch uses internal plastic heat pads to generate the heat required to help cook a freeze-dried meal. Really all you need is some water and about 15 to 20 minutes so you can leave the cast iron frying pan and stove at home.

What are the benefits of freeze-dried meals?

The benefit of freeze-dried meals is the minimal preparation they require - simply add hot water and wait for your meal to rehydrate. Because of how quick and easy this is, they make great meal options for adventures where you're constantly on the move and not setting up camp for long periods of time. They are also convenient as they are easy to pack into your gear, require no refrigeration, and you can enjoy a variety of flavours and meal types in pre-determined portion sizes. This allows you to plan how much you want to take, and removes the potential hassle of dealing with excess food once you've eaten. Mountain Designs stocks freeze-dried food options from premier brands that meet the low weight, high nutritional needs of even the most demanding adventurers.

What vegetarian and gluten-free meal options are available?

Our range of freeze-dried food products includes a number of vegetarian and gluten-free meal options. So whether you want a roast, pasta dish, curry or hotpot, you can find a delicious meal to suit your taste and dietary requirements.