what to feed kids when backpacking

Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park, Canada.

Trail Foods My Family Devours

By Michael Lanza

One big lesson I’ve been reminded of many times in the backcountry (and have written about before at this blog, including in my “10 Tips For Keeping Kids Happy and Safe Outdoors”) is that a grumpy child is usually just a hungry child. But the challenge facing many parents who take kids out hiking, backpacking, floating rivers, or on any other outdoor adventures, is figuring out what to feed their children when there’s no kitchen or refrigerator handy. Here’s the approach we’ve used with our son and daughter through several mostly successful years of numerous wilderness trips.

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Hannegan Pass Trail, North Cascades National Park.

Ask Me: Tips On Food For Backpacking With Kids

Hi Michael,

I just discovered your site, The Big Outside, while looking for information on backpacking with kids. We have been car camping with our kids since they were tiny but will try our first actual backpacking trip with them (now ages 8 and 10) later this summer. Do you have any recommendations for food? I would rather not go the (dehydrated meals) route for taste and expense reasons. Ideally I would find a resource for ideas that were homemade but did not require the purchase of a food dehydrater—perhaps I am limiting my options too much?

Thanks,
Anne
Cupertino, CA

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