What Are Backpacking Food for Teens?

Backpacking foods shouldn't weigh you down.boy with backpack image by sonya etchison from Fotolia.com

Backpacking foods are those that you would bring on an outdoor expedition, typically camping, hiking, or biking. Backpacking foods are meals that can easily fit in your backpack without spoiling or weighing you down. For a teen backpacking trip, you want to pack portable healthy foods that taste good and will help you stay energized.

Light Foods

First and foremost you want to pack foods that won't weigh you down. You might think packing canned soup for every meal is good plan until you realize how heavy your pack becomes. Dehydrated soup packets are a better idea because they are light and only require you add water. If you're not planning on preparing meals, then snack mix, beef jerky, bagels, chips, and sandwiches are all light foods to pack. Peanut butter is a good spread for crackers or sandwiches because it will help keep you full, which is a consideration for teens who have to exercise. Ramen and small baggies of pancake mix are good ideas for extended trips because they are light and usually only require you add water.

You don't want to take anything that will spoil over more than a day while backpacking for a few reasons. You obviously don't want spoiled food, but you also don't want to carry an empty ice chest after you've emptied the contents. Meals Ready to Eat, or MRE's, can be purchased at any army surplus store and can keep for years until they're opened. The only thing worse than a hungry teen is a sick and hungry teen, so it is best not to keep perishable items past the first or second day of a backpacking trip. Baby carrots and snap peas are good on the go foods if your teen will eat them, as are dehydrated fruits.

Backpacking foods shouldn't be bulky because you'll need as much space in your pack as possible, especially for overnight outings. Power bars and candy bars are good food items to pack. They are small and will help you keep your energy up. It is, however, a good idea to pack extra snacks so teens can trade with friends. Extra chips, crackers and fruit bars are good items that don't take up much space. Take care to avoid unnecessary packaging on some products. With dried boxed foods, for example, the box only serves as an aesthetic package for sealed bag inside so can be removed. Remember that teens will lose some space in their pack after unpacking once or twice, even if they are putting less back in.