Top 10 Ultralight Backpacking Foods
By Erik The Black
The best ultralight backpacking foods are: lightweight, non-perishable, high in calories, require minimal prep and taste good enough that you want to eat them after a long day on the trail. Here are ten of my favorite high-calorie hiking foods. They provide, on average, more than 100 calories per ounce, making them ideal for ultralight backpacking.
1. Nuts & Trail Mixes
Nuts and trail mixes are one of the very best ultralight backpacking foods. They are high calories, lightweight, non-perishable and they contain a perfect ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
- Nuts & Chocolate Trail Mix (152 cal/oz)
- Tropical Fruit Trail Mix (143 cal/oz)
- Turtle Chex Mix (130 cal/oz)
- Peanuts (166 cal/oz)
- Almonds (160 cal/oz)
- Cashews (162 cal/oz)
2. Dried Fruits
Dried fruits are one of the most nutritious ultralight backpacking foods, even though they are not super high in calories. A great source of natural energy, plus micro-nutrients, fiber and antioxidants.
- Raisins (85 cal/oz)
- Dried Cranberries (100 cal/oz)
- Dried Apricots (68 cal/oz)
- Banana Chips (147 cal/oz)
- Dried Apples (69 cal/oz)
- Prunes (71 cal/oz)
- Dates (79 cal/oz)
3. Nut Butters
Peanut butter has been a backpacking essential for decades. With the recent popularity of gourmet nut butters and now single-serve packaging options, this classic ultralight backpacking food has gotten even better.
- Peanut Butter (166 cal/oz)
- Honey Peanut Butter (168 cal/oz)
- Almond Butter (179 cal/oz)
- Maple Almond Butter (168 cal/oz)
- Cashew Butter (172 cal/oz)
- Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (153 cal/oz)
4. Pasta, Rice & Dried Potatoes
These are the “staple” carbohydrates of most backpacking diets. They are cheap, lightweight, non-perishable, available in stores everywhere and only require boiling water to cook.
- Macaroni and Cheese (100 cal/oz)
- Knorr Pasta Sides (109 cal/oz)
- Knorr Rice Sides (108 cal/oz)
- Instant Mashed Potatoes (110 cal/oz)
- Couscous (107 cal/oz)
5. Shelf Stable Protein Sources
Protein is one of the hardest macro-nutrients to pack because high-protein foods are usually heavy and require refrigeration. But, there are a handful of high protein ultralight backpacking foods you can pack on the trail.
- Beef Jerky (116 cal/oz)
- Slim Jim Meat Sticks (140 cal/oz)
- Salami/Summer Sausage (95 cal/oz)
- Foil Pouch Tuna, Chicken, Spam (35-82 cal/oz)
- String Cheese Sticks (80 cal/oz)
- Whey Protein Powder (111 cal/oz)
- Quest Protein Bars (88 cal/oz)
6. Hot & Cold Breakfast Cereals
Oatmeal is the standard hiker breakfast, but it gets boring after a while. Cold cereal (with full-fat powdered milk and a 1/2 scoop of protein powder) is a great way to add some variety.
- Instant Oatmeal (107 cal/oz)
- Granola Cereal (120 cal/oz)
- Honey Nut Cheerios (111 cal/oz)
- Cap’n Crunch (114 cal/oz)
- Frosted Mini Wheats (100 cal/oz)
- Lucky Charms (116 cal/oz)
- Grape Nuts (103 cal/oz)
7. Crackers, Chips & Salty Snacks
Junk food is a long-distance backpacker’s secret weapon. Few foods can compete with good old fashioned American junk food when you compare calories, weight, flavor and price.
- Sandwich Crackers (141 cal/oz)
- Goldfish Crackers (131 cal/oz)
- Cheez-it Crackers (142 cal/oz)
- Fritos Corn Chips (160 cal/oz)
- Cheetos (162 cal/oz)
- Caramel Popcorn (122 cal/oz)
- Pretzels (108 cal/oz)
8. Candy, Pastries & Sweet Snacks
Candy and other sweet snacks provide a great source of energy in the form of simple carbs. When you start to bonk, no other ultralight backpacking food gets you to the top of the mountain faster than a shot of sugar.
- Snickers Bar (134 cal/oz)
- Peanut M&Ms (147 cal/oz)
- Welch’s Fruit Snacks (100 cal/oz)
- Grandmas Cookies (134 cal/oz)
- Fig Newtons (100 cal/oz)
- Pop Tarts (112 cal/oz)
- Honey Buns (125 cal/oz)
9. Energy Bars
Energy bars are made from slower-burning complex carbs and more nutritious ingredients than candy bars. Whether they actually provide more or better energy is debatable, but I still like them.
- Clif Bar (103 cal/oz)
- PowerBar (103 cal/oz)
- Kind Bar (133 cal/oz)
- Larabar (118 cal/oz)
- Granola Bar (127 cal/oz)
10. Freeze Dried Backpacking Meals
Sometimes its’s all about convenience. When that’s the case, you can’t beat the commercial freeze-dried backpacking meals. Just add boiling water and eat right out of the pouch.
- Mountain House Chili Mac (121 cal/oz)
- Mountain House Beef Stroganoff (130 cal/oz)
- Mountain House Breakfast Skillet (140 cal/oz)
- Peak Chicken Alfredo Pasta (170 cal/oz)
- Peak Peach Cobbler (140 cal/oz)
- Backpackers Pantry Pad Thai (112 cal/oz)
- Backpackers Pantry Chocolate Cheesecake (136 cal/oz)
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