Trail Foods
Simon Kenton Council

Trail foods are simple to make and carry, do not spoil easily, and provide energy without a lot of empty calories.

Apple Sandwiches- Slices of apples with slices of cheese between them. Dip the apple slices in lemon juice to keep them fresh looking.

GORP "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts" Mix - Equal handfuls of raisins, nuts, and other bite -sized ingredients - small crackers, non-sugary cereal, other dried fruits, coconut chunks, etc. Avoid chocolate, sugars, and excess salt.

Hikers Nosebag - Sort of a sack lunch for the trail. In a plastic bag put an apple, 1/2-cup raisins, and 1/4lb. chunk of cheese, 1/2 cup of M&M's or other chocolate. Nibble as you go. Use dried apples for more portability.

Honey Bars - Made ahead of the hike and worth every second of it! Try this as a den activity: combine 1/2 cup each or raisins, figs, dried apricots, and peanuts or almonds. Grind/chop/blend them together. Add 1/2-teaspoon lemon juice and just enough honey to bind it all together. Form into bars and wrap in aluminum foil. Carry in plastic bags (these are quite sticky if they leak, so double wrap them!) Substitute ingredients at will.

Birdseed (Sweet version of GORP). Mix equal amounts of sugary cereal, chocolate candies (M&M's do not easily melt on a hike!), and roasted or honey-roasted nuts. Add graham cracker bits for more crunchiness.

Healthy Snacks - Look in your grocery or health food store for dried fruits (banana chips, papayas, etc.), yogurt-covered nuts or fruit, and other treats. Some carry bags of mixed treats perfect for trails.

Trail Lunches - Not as cheap as other options, but a fun meal. Combine at least one thing from several categories: Meat/cheese - meat jerky, hard sausages, pepperoni, hard cheese, protein bars (health food stores); Breads - Melba toast, pilot biscuits, granola bars with lots of grains, hardtack, other hard/dried breads (not the ones that would mold or go stale); Fruit candy, fruit leather or snacks (make sure they have lots of real fruit in them); Dairy - yogurt - coated nuts or fruit, hard cheese; Sweets - M&M's or tropical chocolate, hard candy, most granola or fruit snacks, etc.