Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Ask questions and share your experiences with hiking & backpacking gear, and share trail recipes and gadget tips. Please see classifieds forum for buying/selling stuff.
Chazz
Posts: 321
Joined: May 26th, 2013, 12:53 pm

Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by Chazz » July 27th, 2016, 9:38 am

I'm headed out in about five weeks for a seven-day PCT section hike and am looking for lunch ideas.

Things already on the menu:
- Triscuits with cheese and pre-sliced, shelf-stable meats (two days)
- Pita chips with freeze-dried hummus and jerky (two days)
- sub sandwiches (first day, should stay cool enough during transport)

I'm trying to stay away from anything with peanuts as there will be so many peanut-containing snacks (PB-filled pretzels, trail mix, peanut M&M's, etc) that I don't want to over-do that flavor.

I need one more no-cook, lightweight but high-calorie idea to keep the menu fresh enough that we don't get food exhaustion from eating the same thing over and over.

Aimless
Posts: 1922
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: Lake Oswego

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by Aimless » July 27th, 2016, 11:01 am

In my experience string cheese lasts more than a week unrefrigerated, if the packaging is unbroken. Cheese was 'invented' as a way of making perishable milk last for months, or even years. Same with jerky. There's no problem with it staying edible for a week. So, you could definitely add to the number of lunches that incorporate these items.

If the problem is simply one of finding more variety, because the idea of eating the same thing more than twice in a week doesn't appeal to you, then you could try eating canned sardines. The packaging makes for messy, smelly trash that you must pack out, but they are fairly lightweight. There are pre-packaged tuna salads, too. Similar problems with trash, though.

User avatar
AAdamsPDX
Posts: 243
Joined: August 6th, 2014, 3:47 pm
Location: Portland, OR
Contact:

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by AAdamsPDX » July 27th, 2016, 3:39 pm

Our favorite lunch on the JMT last summer was freeze-dried yogurt with granola. At home I ground the yogurt bites into a powder and put enough yogurt and granola for a serving size in a Ziploc. In the field we added just enough water to bring the yogurt to the right consistency.

Honeyville Farms usually stocks the yogurt but I see they're out of stock now: http://shop.honeyville.com/freeze-dried ... s-665.html
You can also find freeze-dried yogurt bites in the baby food isle. These were harder to grind into a powder by hand, but the blender made quick work of the job.

Pick a high-calorie-to-weight granola (not hard - most of them are up there!) and you have a yummy lunch. Assuming you like yogurt and/or granola, of course! :D
"The world begins where the road ends." ~Eddie Vedder
http://www.hriggsphotography.com/

User avatar
sparklehorse
Posts: 828
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: over the hill
Contact:

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by sparklehorse » July 28th, 2016, 8:12 am

I must not be prone to food exhaustion, because I can eat the same thing day after day no problem. For backpacking I like keep things simple by sticking to bagels and peanut butter for lunch each day. Fresh bagels keep well for at least 4 days, longer if the daytime temps aren't too warm. Unlike bread, bagels travel well in your pack. If I wanted variety I might take some Nutella to mix things up. Jerky and M&Ms round out the meal nicely.

G
.
You have to milk the cow a lot to make a bit of cheese.
~Henri Cartier-Bresson

Smugmug / Facebook

User avatar
CampinCarl
Posts: 573
Joined: June 17th, 2011, 7:41 am
Location: Salem

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by CampinCarl » July 28th, 2016, 8:38 am

salmon (from a pouch) on tortilla, babybel cheese, whatever other ingredients you can think of or get from google.

Chazz
Posts: 321
Joined: May 26th, 2013, 12:53 pm

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by Chazz » July 28th, 2016, 12:16 pm

I like the idea of smoked salmon with some sort of shelf-stable spreadable cheese on cracker, pita or tortilla. The yougurt and granola suggestion is also great though I think it may overlap with several granola-based breakfasts.

User avatar
UTurn
Posts: 332
Joined: May 26th, 2013, 7:22 pm

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by UTurn » July 28th, 2016, 2:59 pm

Tortillas with almond butter and I bring along honey sticks from Bob's Red Mill to put on top. But honestly, when backpacking everything tastes so good because I'm working hard. I think about what is lightest in weight that provides the most nutrition.

amarkey
Posts: 4
Joined: August 1st, 2016, 10:47 am

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by amarkey » August 12th, 2016, 9:15 am

Those package tuna pouches are a good lunch on crackers or by themselves. They have flavored ones and Hickory Smoked ones are my favorite.

Chazz
Posts: 321
Joined: May 26th, 2013, 12:53 pm

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by Chazz » August 12th, 2016, 9:36 am

I found these recently: https://www.amazon.com/Justins-Almond-B ... B01684FR18

1.15oz packets that you can squeeze onto tortillas, pita chips or whatever you have. High calorie density and will last a long time on the shelf.

User avatar
retired jerry
Posts: 14399
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm

Re: Lunch ideas for a 7-day trip

Post by retired jerry » August 12th, 2016, 11:56 am

beef jerky

dried fruit - raisins, dates, figs, fig newtons,...

Post Reply