Outdoor outfitters such as REI and Backcountry Gear sell prepackaged prepared meals in vacuum sealed containers. Dehydrated and freeze-dried food options are perfect for campers who want to do the minimum amount of cooking and food preparation. Most meals require only boiled water. Available meals span a huge range of food choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks including wild rice and mushroom pilaf, chicken stew, lasagna with meat sauce, blueberry cheesecake, biscuits and gravy, lemon cream pie, Minnesota minestrone soup, chicken cashew curry and hundreds of other options. Prices range from $3 to $10 per meal for about four servings. Choose prepackaged food for your camping trip if you want ease of packing and preparation, minimal weight and the least amount of planning and preparation for camping meals. Buy more meals than the packages recommend, as portions tend to be smaller than you will want to eat.
Always carry a few energy bars in your pack, jacket pockets and vehicle to make sure they are there when you need them. An energy bar such as Powerbar or Clif Bar can give you extra energy immediately to hike or play a little longer. Make your own energy bars with oats, honey, granola, nuts, dehydrated fruit, juice, bananas, powdered milk or soy milk and a food dehydrator or purchase them from a grocery or camping supply store. Bring along at least two energy bars per person per day on your trip.
Purchase or make your own smoked and/or jerked fish and meats. Make jerky from your favorite meats with recipes that predate the advent of refrigeration. Websites such as "Nature Skills" provide pemmican and jerky recipes to prepare meats that will store for many days and even weeks without refrigeration. Research meat curing and jerking methods in camping books from the turn of the century and primitive skills websites to find techniques and flavors that suit your tastes. Smoked fish and jerky deliver quality protein and fats to energize you for hiking long distances with heavy packs.
