One of my favorite ways to have breakfast, lunch, snack, or even dinner out on hiking trips is to have crackers with stuff on them. Yes, it is not the most original or exciting way of eating, but it can be a quick and high-calorie meal that requires no cooking. Let’s discuss all the different toppings and kinds of crackers you can easily keep in your backpack. Some crackers are better than others and can be a great lunch or a crumbly mess in your backpack. In different militaries all over the world, there are staples in every MRE or equivalent. Backpacking food and military food often share items. Crackers…

Vermicelli pasta is great for converting into trail meal recipes since it cooks fast and can provide a lot of filling power in a small package. A staple ingredient in any Dutch vegetable soup, vermicelli can also be adapted easily as a change of the ever-popular Instant Noodle Soup. Read on for the recipe! Vermicelli is a small pasta that can be found in almost any grocery store in Europe, and can be a great plus cheap way to make some trail meal recipes out off. In this first recipe that I’m making with the ingredient, I explore a soup, since that is what I am most familiar with when…

A good way to use up old stale bread in Germany is to throw it in a soup, since seeing that around here I thought that was also a good one to turn into a Trail Meal recipe for hiking and camping. Read on for the recipe! Brotsuppe or Bread soup is one of those dishes that takes care to use up every leftover and scrap, since I’m Dutch I did not grow up on German Brotsuppe, so I don’t have a long history with it. It does however appeal to my Dutch cheapness. You can find it with a lot of ingredients or the most basic, and the core…

Keeping your gear clean and organized is a daily task when out on hiking trails, there are many different ways to clean your pot and eating utensils. Here are some of my favorite options to clean your pot. Cleaning cooking pots is always a challenge, whether at home or in the backcountry. You don’t have a magical machine in your backpacking loadout that does the work for you, and neither can you carry all the washing-up tools you normally use. Some hikers don’t feel the need to clean their pots at all when all they do is boil water in their pots. For homemade trailmeals however, it is more necessary…

Meat is a basic source of protein and the star in many dishes, here is a list of different meats that you can take easily into the backcountry for your next backpacking trip. In this article (or website in general) I don’t get into the politics and ethics of eating meat. I choose to eat meat, and that’s all there is to it. If you do not, that’s excellent. I also have recipes on this site with vegetarian and vegan recipes, and I invite you to share your favorite source of protein in the comments. There are many different types of meat that you can take with you on a…

Crackers, Knackebrod, and other forms of those products are an excellent substitute for bread while on hiking trips. You can dunk them into your soups and trail meal stews or enjoy them sweet or salty. These crackers you can make at home and carry with you on your next adventure! As with a lot of different options, you can quite easily get these types of crackers in the supermarket. If you are like me however you can also choose to make them yourself. That way you know what you put in them and they can be enjoyed just a tad more. Ingredients For these Herb and Olive Oil crackers you…

Eggs are great, and a good source of protein that is often badly needed for any long-distance hiker. The egg stands in front of many houses out in the country are often my favorite stop along different hiking trails. Here is how to cook fresh eggs while saving both Fuel and Water. Boiled eggs are a great no-mess way of cooking eggs out in the woods. As frying an egg is often impossible due to the need for fat and an ultralight frying pan. Both items are often not in a hiker’s backpack. But leaving your stove burning for longer results in more fuel loss. With this method, you still…

Related to my earlier recipe for Dutch Instant Stamppot, Sauerkraut Potato mash or “Zuurkool” in Dutch is a winter staple. This recipe uses some ingredients that last a long time in a rucksack in any condition. Read on for the full recipe! Sauerkraut is a food preservation technique that goes back a long way. Famously it goes back to the exploration days on ships to combat scurvy. And as a staple for many militaries on a campaign, the same as the hardtack or sea biscuit is known for. With modern packaging and clever use, you can take Sauerkraut quite easily on hiking and camping trips. This recipe shows a classic…

Hot drinks make you feel more human, just like a hot meal. When thru-hiking, section hiking, or just an afternoon stroll. Having a hot drink is a welcome addition to any situation. Let’s cover some of the drink choices for your next hike! Everybody has their favorite hot beverage of choice, there is little reason not to take your favorite drink out with you hiking. Almost all drinks require little preparation with modern drink mixes, the only downside is that they do require a bit more fuel on a daily basis. Since most often you will have to boil more water or boil twice a day. You can avoid having…

A good breakfast option that is slightly different from your standard oats is a pudding with a cult following all over the Netherlands and Germany. The go-to dessert, or get well-soon dish from your mom, Griesmeelpap or Griessbrei is easy to make and tasty on the trail. Let’s get into the trail meal! Semolina is used for everything from Couscous to many different pasta types. And in the Netherlands and Germany for sweet pudding. In Germany, there are also the traditional soup dumplings made from Semolina, and even more delicious in my opinion, Griesschnitten. Which is basically the same recipe as today. Only with a bit more Semolina to make…