Easy and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Backpacking

As you already know if you've read our other easy backpacking recipes, it is very important to eat nutritiously and drink plenty of water while backpacking. We've already mentioned a few meal ideas for breakfast and lunch, as well as a few energizing backpacking snack suggestions.

Dinner is the backpacking meal that most backpackers settle down and truly enjoy. Once you have set camp for the evening and settled in, a hot and hearty meal will revitalize your body and get you prepared for another day of active hiking.

Backpacker's Sushi
Cook 1 cup instant rice with boiling water.
Cut nori (seaweed rollers for sushi found at international grocers or sections) into quarters
Place a spoonful of rice on the nori and add a spoonful of tuna from foil packet
Roll the sushi and dip in wasabi, horseradish, or soy sauce (take-out packets)

Seafood Pasta
Cook 1/2 package pasta (fettuccini, tortellini, etc)
Heat a little bit of olive oil, salt, and garlic with salmon or tuna (foil package)
Toss with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Variation: chicken (canned) and sundried tomatoes

Just Add Water Backpacking Feast
In a small sandwich bag combine:
3/4 cup instant potatoes
3/4 cup dry stuffing
Dried cranberries
Beef or turkey jerky pieces
Powdered gravy mix
At camp, stir in boiling water and let stand before eating.

Country Chicken and Rice
Combine 1 cup instant rice with 1 1/2 cups boiling water
Stir in one packet onion soup mix
Add 1 small can of chicken
Stir until warm

Fiesta Trail Chicken
In a small sandwich bag combine:
1 cup instant rice
1 packet tomato soup mix
Spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, etc.)
At camp, add 1 1/2 cups boiling water to dry ingredients and stir in a small can of chicken.

Other dinner ideas include:
Small canned hams that require no refrigeration
Fresh vegetables for first night dinners (broccoli, corn on the cob, green beans, etc.)
Soup cups
Canned foods (ravioli, Spam, beanie weenies, beef stew, etc.)

Salty foods are good for replenishing your body to avoid dehydration. Eat foods that are high in calories and protein. If you packed canned foods, look for products with easy open lids. Otherwise, remember to pack a can opener, like the versatile Leatherman Juice S2 Multi-tool.

The most energizing and replenishing snacks for the trail is gorp, or modern versions of trail mix. Try these gorp recipes for variety.

Chocolate Lover's Gorp
2/3 cup dried apricots
2/3 cup dried cherries
2/3 cup dried blueberries
2/3 cup almonds
2/3 cup peanuts
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips

The Trail is on Fire Gorp
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet
Brown 2 cups puffed rice cereal and 2 cups raisin bran, stirring constantly
Spread the cereal on a baking sheet and cook at 250 for 30 minutes.
Toss cooled cereal with:
1/2 cup Spanish peanuts
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried dates
1/4 cup dried jalapeo slices
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp sugar

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