How to Pack 4,000 Calories Into 2 lbs of Food (Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan)

A common rule of thumb among lightweight backpackers is to pack food that provides at least 100 calories per ounce. For this meal plan, I wanted to take it to the next level. One day of food includes over 4,000 calories and weighs just 32 ounces (over 125 calories per ounce.) These kinds of calorie-dense foods are ideal for long-distance backpackers and thru-hikers who pack 5+ days of food between resupply stops (or anyone who wants to minimize their food weight.)

4,000 Calorie Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan (Packed)

A full day of food packed into an 8×10 ziploc bag. This little bundle provides over 4,000 calories and weighs
just 2 lbs, 3 oz. The net weight of the food is 32 oz (wrappers and packaging add 3 oz to the gross weight.)

4,000 Calorie Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan (Contents)

Here are all of the contents laid out. This is enough food for four meals with about 1,000 calories each.
Despite appearances, it’s actually a balanced diet too (50% carbohydrates, 35% fat and 15% protein.)

Breakfast

995 calories, 7.9 ounces (126 calories per ounce), Cost: $3.85

4,000 Calorie Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan (Breakfast)

Breakfast includes: Granola with Blueberries, Almonds, Sugar, Cinnamon and Whole Milk Powder,
Instant Coffee (with Cream and Sugar) and Fig Newtons Cookies.

Breakfast Contents:

3 oz Granola
0.5 oz Freeze Dried Blueberries
0.5 oz Sliced Toasted Almonds
0.2 oz Sugar + dash of Cinnamon
1 oz Whole Milk Powder
2 oz Fig Newtons
0.7 oz Nescafe 3-in-1 Coffee
395 Calories (54g carb, 16g fat, 9g prot)
50 Calories (12g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)
85 calories (3g carb, 7g fat, 3g prot)
30 calories (7g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)
135 calories (9g carb, 8g fat, 7g prot)
210 calories (41g carb, 4g fat, 2g prot)
90 calories (16g carb, 3g fat, 0g prot)
Cost: $1.00
Cost: $1.00
Cost: $0.60
Cost: $0.05
Cost: $0.50
Cost: $0.40
Cost: $0.30
Water Required: 16 ounces (2 cups)
Total Dry Weight: 7.9 ounces
Total Calories: 995
Total Carbohydrates: 142 grams
Total Fat: 38 grams
Total Protein: 21 grams
Macro-nutrient Ratio: 55% carb, 35% fat, 10% protein
Total Cost: $3.85 (bulk price)

AM Snack

1,050 calories, 8.3 ounces (127 calories per ounce), Cost: $5.75

4,000 Calorie Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan (AM Snack)

AM Snack includes: Pilot Crackers with Peanut Butter and Jelly, Orchard Bar, Beef Stick,
M&Ms Candies, Crystal Light and Electrolyte Drink Mixes.

AM Snack Contents:

250 Calories (40g carb, 8g fat, 4g prot)
180 Calories (6g carb, 14g fat, 7g prot)
70 Calories (18g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)
115 Calories (2g carb, 9g fat, 6g prot)
185 Calories (25g carb, 7g fat, 5g prot)
235 Calories (34g carb, 10g fat, 2g prot)
10 Calories (2g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)
5 Calories (1g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)

Cost: $1.50
Cost: $0.45
Cost: $0.45
Cost: $0.50
Cost: $1.25
Cost: $0.60
Cost: $0.50
Cost: $0.50
Water Required: 64 ounces (2 quarts)
Total Dry Weight: 8.3 ounces
Total Calories: 1,050
Total Carbohydrates: 128 grams
Total Fat: 48 grams
Total Protein: 24 grams
Macro-nutrient Ratio: 50% carb, 40% fat, 10% protein
Total Cost: $5.75 (bulk price)

PM Snack

1,005 calories, 7.8 ounces (129 calories per ounce), Cost: $3.95

4,000 Calorie Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan (PM Snack)

PM Snack includes: Trail Mix, Beef Sticks, Hard Candy,
Chewing Gum and Gatorade Drink Mix.

PM Snack Contents:

2.3 oz Trail Mix
1.8 oz Beef Sticks
2 oz Hard Candy
0.5 oz Chewing Gum
1.2 oz Gatorade Mix
355 Calories (23g carb, 25g fat, 9g prot)
225 Calories (4g carb, 18g fat, 12g prot)
245 Calories (50g carb, 5g fat, 0g prot)
50 Calories (12g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)
130 Calories (32g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)
Cost: $1.50
Cost: $1.00
Cost: $0.50
Cost: $0.35
Cost: $0.60
Water Required: 32 ounces (1 quart)
Total Dry Weight: 7.8 ounces
Total Calories: 1,005
Total Carbohydrates: 121 grams
Total Fat: 48 grams
Total Protein: 21 grams
Macro-nutrient Ratio: 50% carb, 40% fat, 10% protein
Total Cost: $3.95 (bulk price)

Dinner

990 calories, 7.9 ounces (125 calories per ounce), Cost: $4.30

4,000 Calorie Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan (Dinner)

Dinner includes: Ramen Noodles with Freeze Dried Chicken and Veggies, Hot Cocoa and
a Protein Shake made from Whole Milk Powder, Whey Protein and Instant Pudding Mix.

Dinner Contents:

375 Calories (52g carb, 14g fat, 10g prot)
135 Calories (0g carb, 6g fat, 20g prot)
55 Calories (10g carb, 0g fat, 4g prot)
145 Calories (26g carb, 3g fat, 3g prot)
135 Calories (9g carb, 8g fat, 7g prot)
120 Calories (3g carb, 1g fat, 25g prot)
25 Calories (6g carb, 0g fat, 0g prot)
Cost: $0.25
Cost: $2.00
Cost: $0.35
Cost: $0.35
Cost: $0.50
Cost: $0.60
Cost: $0.25
Water Required: 32 ounces (1 quart)
Total Dry Weight: 7.9 ounces
Total Calories: 990
Total Carbohydrates: 106 grams
Total Fat: 32 grams
Total Protein: 69 grams
Macro-nutrient Ratio: 45% carb, 30% fat, 25% protein
Total Cost: $4.30 (bulk price)

19 Responses to “How to Pack 4,000 Calories Into 2 lbs of Food (Ultralight Backpacking Meal Plan)”

  1. Rob Reply

    I’m confused how you’re calculating the macro ratios. We’ll use breakfast as an example…

    142g carbs, 38g fat, 21g protein

    So carbs are 142/(142+38+21) = 71%; fats are 38/(142+38+21) = 19%; protein is 21/(142+38+21) = 10%

    But you claim a macro-nutrient ratio of 55% carb, 35% fat, 10% protein.

    Other meals have even stronger discrepancies.

    • Rob: Carbs and protein have approximately 4 calories per gram, but fat has 9 calories per gram, which should explain the discrepancies. The ratios are based on the percentage of total calories (and for simplicity rounded off to the nearest 5 percent.)

      Carbs: 142 x 4 = 568 calories (57% of 994 calories)
      Fat: 38 x 9 = 342 calories (34% of 994 calories)
      Protein: 21 x 4 = 84 calories (8.5% of 994 calories)

  2. gebert Reply

    erik… you are my guru. how much water do you use to cook your ramen? and how long in the cozy? and, have you tried the new starkist flavored chicken chunks yet?

    • @Gebert: 2 cups of water for Ramen. I add the chicken and veggies to the cold water so they can re-hydrate while the water is coming up to a boil, then add the noodles and seasoning packet and let it cook for 2 minutes. It doesn’t require any cozy time after that, just a couple minutes to cool down and its ready to eat. I haven’t seen those flavored chicken pouches yet but they do look good. The Ginger Soy would prob go great with Ramen.

  3. Gene Reply

    I like having a Snickers bar for dessert. It has very good caloric density and is very satisfying!

    With even better numbers, are Fritos at 160 calories per ounce. I usually crumble them into my dinners. I get the 1oz Fritos bags and poke a needle hole in them so that they don’t inflate at high altitudes.

  4. Julie Reply

    Great ideas! Thank you, Eric. I make and dry my own foods for backpacking, but this gives me some excellent ideas for variety.

    Where can you find dried whole milk???? All I can find is dried skim milk, which is completely a why bother… for many years I used a product called Touch of cream, which was delicious, but I cannot find it anywhere now.

  5. Retro (trail name) Reply

    Great menu, going to hike section of PCT from Hwy 80 to Belden next month and will try. Could you break down the powdered measurements to teaspoon or tablespoon?
    Thanks

    • Retro: Here are the measurements for the powdered ingredients roughly converted:

      Powdered Milk and Whey Protein Powder: 1 oz = 3 heaped tablespoons (the scoop that comes with the protein powder also holds 1 ounce)
      Sugar Free Pudding Mix: 0.2 oz = 1 heaped tablespoon
      Sugar: 0.2 oz = 1 rounded teaspoon

  6. Krishna Reply

    Hi Erik! Thanks for sharing this list! I am a vegetarian – so taking out all the meat and chicken content from your list – it still makes very good sense! I usually get by 2000 calories per day. I make my own food (dry it and vacuum seal it) specifically for the evening meal. Ill add your variety (looks very tempting) and see how many cals I can get by. One example of night meal is Chenna – Batura, my favorite – like to squeeze 8 days of food in my can.

  7. joe Reply

    Do you know who makes the compartmented snack trays?

  8. Heather Reply

    Eric, the pudding mix was a brilliant addition, for flavor, texture, variety – Kudos for coming up with that!

  9. David Reply

    Love the whey protein powder pudding, do you have any trouble getting it to thicken? Or, do you care? Noticed you didn’t add olive oil, I usually add cheese and/or olive oil to all my re-hydrated entrees?

    • @David: The instant pudding works really well. For a milkshake consistency add 8 oz of water to 1 oz whole milk powder, 1 oz whey protein powder and 0.2 oz sugar-free instant pudding mix in a ziploc bag, shake vigorously for about a minute and then let it set up for 1-5 minutes (the longer it sets the thicker it will be.) For a thick pudding consistency use the same four ingredients, but increase the pudding mix to 0.5 oz and reduce the water to 6 oz.

      You can change the flavor using the protein powder, the pudding mix or both. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

      Strawberry Cheesecake (Strawberry Protein + Cheesecake Pudding)
      Banana (Vanilla Protein + Banana Pudding)
      Chocolate Peanut Butter (Chocolate Protein + Vanilla Pudding + 1 tsp Peanut Butter Powder)
      Double Chocolate (Chocolate Protein + Chocolate Pudding)
      Chocolate Caramel (Chocolate Protein + Butterscotch Pudding)

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