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SALT LAKE CITY — Spring is causing Utah weather to warm up fast, forming temperate conditions perfect for backpacking. That said, new backpackers should exercise caution about what kind of food they bring.

Careful planning is a necessity when it comes to planning for a backpacking trip. It’s important to have meals that will provide nourishment, fuel, revitalization and a good taste. This article illustrates how to best plan your meals and snacks for backpacking:

How much food should you bring?

Always err toward bringing more food rather than less; long hikes burn a lot of calories and running out of food can become a very big problem. A good goal is to pack 1.5 - 2.5 lbs of food per person per day, according to REI.

What to pay attention to when meal planning

Nutrition: A Twix or Snickers may taste amazing on a backpacking trip, but you will be much happier and your pack will be much lighter if you only bring snacks that will sustain and fill you for longer periods of time. REI recommends nuts and dried fruits to provide complex carbohydrates and proteins yielding more stable energy. Seek to find a good balance between proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins.
Weight and bulk: On a backpacking trip, especially a multiday one, every pound counts. Do what you can to minimize weight and bulk to ease the journey for yourself. Food, being one of the most essential and space-consuming things to bring, should be optimized for ease of transportation. Use labeled baggies to help optimize space!
Calories: Fighting off fatigue and headaches can present a challenge on backpacking trips and eating enough food is a big help. REI recommends consuming between 2,500-4,500 calories per day when backpacking, depending on your size and activity level.
Ease of preparation: Unless you’re a backcountry chef, don’t try cooking anything too complicated. Freeze-dried meals are great, but bring extra food just in case your stove malfunctions.
Availability of water: Be careful about bringing meals needing water for preparation in locations where water is scarce. Additionally, consider seeking camping spots near water sources.
Fuel: Bring enough fuel to cook all your meals. Options like pasta and quinoa can take deceptively long to cook, according to The Clever Hiker.

What kinds of meals can you bring?

Fresh foods: Bring a few fresh fruits and veggies to enjoy during your first day on the trail. Bear in mind most fresh food will keep for about a day.
Freeze-dried/dehydrated food: These convenient options are easy to cook and are filling, with a lot of nutrients. They make the perfect backpacking meals due to their usefulness and minimal size, but they are also more expensive.
Dry foods: A cheaper option would be bringing dried foods which can be cooked like pasta, instant rice, quinoa, and soup mixes. They’re light, don’t take up a lot of space, and generally provide a lot of calories.
Canned foods: Consider bringing these only if the trip is short and the need for familiar food is really high, REI said. They may be tasty, but cans add weight and inconvenient to pack.

Food storage in bear country

Many people don’t take the time to properly store their food when backpacking through bear country, which can not only put you and your party in danger but also could result in a loss of food at an inconvenient time during the trip. Learn how to properly store your food and avoid bears from The Clever Hiker.

Leave No Trace

As always, follow the Leave No Trace principles when backpacking and enjoying food in nature. Don’t just have fun in the outdoors, work to keep it nice for others. Dispose of all waste from cooking, limit the impact of cooking fires, and don’t feed the animals.