Trail food

Food on a trip differs from food at home on several points: you have to carry it, you burn more calories than usual, you must be able to prepare it with limited equipment, and you have to keep it edible from a few hours to several weeks. This is a short guide to what works and why.

For recipes for trail food, see the food category. This article is about choosing provisions for the packing itself.

Calorie needs on a trip

An adult moving at a moderate pace over terrain burns:

• Still (low activity): 2,000–2,500 kcal/day
• Ordinary hike (5–8 hours of activity): 3,000–4,000 kcal/day
• Intense mountain trip (climbing, long day): 4,500–6,000 kcal/day
• Extreme activity (avalanche rescue, long ski tour, expedition): 6,000–8,000 kcal/day

Rule of thumb: +50% above home level for an ordinary trip.

Weight-to-energy

You want to carry as little as possible for as much energy as possible. Comparison:

• Oil, butter, margarine: ~900 kcal/100 g — the top, but not to eat on its own
• Chocolate, peanut butter, butter: 500–600 kcal/100 g
• Nuts, seeds, dried fruit: 400–600 kcal/100 g
• Freeze-dried food: 350–500 kcal/100 g (after preparation)
• Bread, pasta, rice: 300–400 kcal/100 g (dry weight)
• Fruit, vegetables: 50–100 kcal/100 g — too heavy
• Tinned food: 200–400 kcal/100 g, but heavy packaging

For a long trip, fat-dense food is the standard choice — chocolate, nuts, cheese, butter, peanut butter.

Freeze-dried versus ordinary food

Freeze-dried (Real Turmat, Trek’n Eat, AlpineAire, Adventure Food):

• Weight: 100–180 g per meal (after preparation: 400–500 g)
• Price: 80–150 kr per meal
• Preparation: Boil water, pour over, wait 5–10 min
• Variety: large — from Pasta Bolognese to Rendang
• Shelf life: 3–5 years

Ordinary food (packed yourself):

• Weight: variable, but often 200–400 g per meal
• Price: lower (typically 30–60 kr per meal)
• Preparation: depends on what it is
• Variety: anything
• Shelf life: shorter

For a weekend trip, ordinary food is often more pleasant and more economical. For a long trip (weeks), freeze-dried is standard for the main meal, supplemented with real food for variety.

Classic Norwegian trail food

Niste:

• Slices of bread with toppings (cheese, leverpostei, mackerel, kaviar)
• Crispbread with toppings (a light alternative)
• Polarbrød (a Norwegian classic — robust, packs well)

Energy along the way:

• Chocolate: milk chocolate, filled bar, Kvikk Lunsj (the classic)
• Dried fruit: raisins, dates, apricots
• Nuts: almonds, peanuts, cashews, dried pine nuts
• Trail mix (your own blend): nuts + dried kernels + chocolate pieces
• Energy bar: often heavy, check the calorie density
• Dried meat (Big Horn, Stryneost): salty, keeps well, high calorie density

Main meal:

• Pasta (short-cooking type) with sauce in a bag
• Couscous (3 min preparation)
• Quinoa (15 min preparation, high protein)
• Freeze-dried for those who want minimum work

Drinks:

• Coffee/tea (instant for the trip)
• Cocoa for cold days
• Squash powder to make the water more drinkable
• Energy drink for a shorter, intense day

Packing

One bag per day — saves rummaging in the pack and prevents overeating. Mark each bag with the day.

Fat first: oil, butter, peanut butter — pack them in sealed containers (not in a cloth bag, it leaks).

Chocolate and dates tolerate the cold best — firm, high energy, do not freeze hard.

Fruit and bread freeze and turn cement-hard in the cold — suited only to summer or close to body heat.

Pack in a dry bag for winter and wet weather.

Maintenance

Check the shelf life before each longer trip. Freeze-dried keeps for 3–5 years; ordinary food 1–4 weeks (depending on type).

Food category → · Cutlery → · Cookware →

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Text: Snuitide (2026).