5-Day Backpacking Meal Plan

By Erik The Black

Here is a complete 5-day backpacking meal plan similar to what I eat on my hikes. This meal plan includes three meals and four snacks a day, providing around 3,500 calories a day from 2 lbs of food. This is a good starting point for most backpacking trips up to a month long. After that, you may need to eat more (as much as 5,000 calories a day) to keep your energy up and stave off weight loss. The easiest way to add an extra 1,000 calories is to double up on the snacks. Hope this gives you some good backpacking food ideas.

Day 1 - Backpacking Meal Plan

3,524 calories (34 oz dry weight)

Five Day Lightweight Backpacking Meal Plan - Day 1

Breakfast:

Lunch:

  • 2 Medium Flour Tortillas – 300 cals (3.4 oz)
  • 2 String Cheese Sticks – 160 cals (2 oz)
  • 2 oz Salami – 220 cals (2 oz)
  • 1 Gatorade Packet – 130 cals (1.3 oz)
  • Subtotal: 810 cals (8.7 oz)

Dinner:

Snacks:

Day 1 Total: 3,524 calories (33.8 oz)

Day 2 - Backpacking Meal Plan

3,524 calories (33 oz dry weight)

Five Day Lightweight Backpacking Meal Plan - Day 2

Breakfast:

Lunch:

  • 12 Triscuit Crackers – 240 cals (2 oz)
  • 2 oz Salami – 220 cals (2 oz)
  • 2 String Cheese Sticks – 160 cals (2 oz)
  • 1 Gatorade Packet – 130 cals (1.3 oz)
  • Subtotal: 750 cals (7.3 oz)

Dinner:

Snacks:

Day 2 Total: 3,524 calories (33.1 oz)

Day 3 - Backpacking Meal Plan

3,668 calories (34 oz dry weight)

Five Day Lightweight Backpacking Meal Plan - Day 3

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Day 3 Total: 3,668 cals (33.5 oz)

Day 4 - Backpacking Meal Plan

3,324 calories (33 oz dry weight)

Five Day Lightweight Backpacking Meal Plan - Day 4

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Day 4 Total: 3,324 calories (32.5 oz)

Day 5 - Backpacking Meal Plan

3,865 calories (33 oz dry weight)

Five Day Lightweight Backpacking Meal Plan - Day 5

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Day 5 Total: 3,865 calories (32.5 oz)

Affiliate Disclosure: If you order from the links on this website, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Related Posts

Top 10 Backpacking Foods

Top 10 Ultralight Backpacking Foods

Ten staple backpacking foods that are lightweight, shelf-stable, easy to pack and easy to prepare on the trail.

Backpacking Recipes

1,000 Calorie One-Pot Backpacking Meals

Sick of the same old trail food? Here are some of my favorite original backpacking meal recipes for you to try.

DIY Backpacking Pot Cozy

How To Make A Backpacking Pot Cozy

This easy DIY project will help you conserve fuel and simplify trail cooking (and it doubles as a carrying case for your pot.)

Ultralight Backpacking Gear List

Example Lightweight Backpacking Gear Lists

Not sure what kind of gear to pack for your upcoming hike? Here are six example gear lists to help you get started.