Hiking is a sport that every youth craves for. Be it a day trip or for few days, hiking has been popular since the past. However cool it sounds, hiking needs a proper planning. Not only the routes, a person needs to know what to carry and what not to. Most of us, especially the newbies, do several common mistakes during packing, both in terms of clothes and food. Food is a very essential part of packing a bag for hiking because most of the destinations have little or zero availability of basic essentials. The first and foremost thing one must remember is to pack light because you have to carry the weight on your back and walk for hours.
Some Of The Common Mistakes One Does While Packing Food For Hiking:
Packing Too Much Or Too Less
Both over-packing and under-packing lead to problems mid-way. Plan each and every meal and carry food accordingly. And yes, do not finish all the food at a time. Try to keep some food till the end of your trip. By the word some, we mean some, not a lot, as it will make the bag heavier, resulting to you putting extra energy to take yourself ahead.
Packing Less Variety Of Food
One should always pack different types of food, especially the ones which do not take much space in in your bag. Avoid carrying bulky food. Try to make every meal different, which will not make your trip monotonous. Do not forget to carry enough variety off savouries to curb your on-the-go cravings and hunger.
Not Packing Nutrient Rich Food
This is a very common mistake people do. When they are asked to carry variety of food, they mostly go for the tit-bits, keeping their nutritional values out of the mind. But that's wrong. Hiking oozes out huge amount of energy, hence proper nutrition is a must to sustain. Do not pack heavy foods, rather pack foods with higher nutritional values, which are easy to prepare.
(Also Read: Healthy Tiffin Ideas: Pack This Healthy And Light Flatbread For Your Next Travel Plan)
5 Must Carry Foods For Hiking
Water And Energy Drink
It is very essential to keep yourself hydrated. One must drink sufficient amount of water before the hiking starts and in between the walk, keep on sipping little amount of water in every half-an-hour, instead of gulping one whole bottle down. Carry powered energy drink; mix them with water and drink.
Home Made Granola
Granola is a power-house, stored in mini packs. These are must haves during the trip. Make your own granola with roasted oats, seeds of your choice, dry fruits, maple syrup and a pinch of sea-salt.
(Also Read: How to Make Granola at Home)
Fresh Fruits
Carry fruits like apple, banana, guava and oranges that will not only curb your hunger but also keep on providing the nutrients needed. For longer hiking days, carry the fruits in airtight packs. This will help the fruit last longer.
Sandwich
The easiest to pack and the quickest to make food is sandwich. Carry bread, your choice of veggies, cheese and sauces in small packets. Whenever you feel hungry, place them together and eat. Just make sure, you wrap the ingredients properly and carry a plastic knife along.
Dry Foods
One must not forget to pack some dry foods like biscuits, cakes, soup mixes and instant noodles. When you run out of fresh food, these dry foods come to rescue. So keeping a back-up is a must. They are easy to carry and eat.
Other than these, do not forget to carry disposables, tissues, hand sanitiser, soap-papers, trash-bags, basic cooking utensils (if needed) and portable water filter and purification tablets.
Now, forget all the worries, pack your bags and go for a hiking. Happy Tripping!