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TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

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Entries in this blog

Food

10 Best Freeze Dried and Dehydrated Backpacking Meals

Let’s be honest; not every backpacking trip provides the time for us to prepare a nightly gourmet meal, and not all of us are ready to embrace, or perhaps we have yet to have a discussion with, our inner hidden chef. While I like to create backpacking meals from scratch at times and when I can, if you’re like me, after a long day on the trail I simply often find myself wanting a sufficient amount of calories that taste great, and I want that meal as quickly and as easily as possible with minimal
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Food

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Food

Backpacking Fruit Crisp Crunch Breakfast / Dessert Recipe

This crunchy fruit crisp makes a sweet ending to a strenuous day of hiking. However I prefer it as a sweet beginning and this is one of my all-time favorite trail breakfasts. For a quick-start morning you can add boiling water to the fruit the night before and allow it to rehydrate overnight. Save on clean-up by using the zip top bag as a bowl liner, adding water directly to the bag and zipping it closed to rehydrate. Add the topping in the morning and then you’ll be energized and ready to hit t
Karen Garmire

Karen Garmire in Food

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Food

Savory Breakfast Potatoes Backpacking Recipe

Unplanned happenstances often create some happy discoveries. I made a quick and easy breakfast on one trip. Wanting a quick meal at the end of a five-day excursion, I just had some odds and ends in the camp box. I took some leftover mashed potato flakes, some cheese, milk, butter and mixed them together with a can of green chile. As I ate my quick dish, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The dish was a heartier and a more savory version of grits or polenta. And it seemed
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

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Food

Cool Ginger Blueberry Cherry Tea Backpacking Recipe

While I’ve shown how to make dehydrated juices in earlier cuisine recipes, here’s the easiest of all…and you only need dried fruit and a pinch of salt (to add those essential electrolytes). I chose blueberries, cherries and ginger because they are especially high in micronutrients critical for the vitality of backcountry exercise. Cool Ginger Blueberry Cherry Tea First the technique: just add a ¼ cup dried fruit and a pinch of salt to your water bottle. Using a wide mouth bottle is bes
Cinny Green

Cinny Green in Food

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Food

Crispy Nut Crackers w/ Pepper & Salt Backpacking Recipe

Crispy food has enormous sensory appeal, and this gluten-free cracker also offers great nutrition. We all know nuts are full of omega-3s and minerals as well as protein. Himalayan salt has 84 minerals and trace elements making it important for electrolyte replacement. The high levels of piperine in freshly cracked pepper are an anti-inflammatory. This nut cracker delivers great taste as well as all these benefits. After a spicy bit of cracked pepper, a touch of coconut offers a lightl
Cinny Green

Cinny Green in Food

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Food

Backpacking & Hiking Recipe: Electrolyte Trail Mix

In the world of sports nutrition, the word “electrolyte” refers to minerals dissolved in the body’s fluids that are lost in perspiration. Those little packets of sweetened electrolyte powder or brand name drinks allegedly offer all you need to replenish lost electrolytes during endurance exercise. But real food is often the best nourishment and includes both what you know you need and what you don’t know you need. For electrolyte replenishment on the trail, it is so easy to create a trail m
Cinny Green

Cinny Green in Food

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Food

Southwest Style Backpacking Pudding Recipe

New Mexico is called the “Land of Enchantment” for several reasons. The natural beauty is as striking as anything found in Rockies or the Southwest. The history is deep. And an intoxicating blend of different cultures greets any traveler through this land. Another enchanting aspect of New Mexico? The food. And what delicious food there is to be had for any hungry outdoors person post-trip. Hatch chiles are delectable. Mole sauces delight the palate. And fresh sopapillas warm from the oven with f
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

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Food

Backpacking Food: Core Food, Staples, & Meal Ingredients

Stay fueled. Here are some versatile items that we like to always have in our food bag to add extra calories, flavors, and variety to backcountry meals. The possibilities are endless, but by carrying these ingredients you can take any off-the-shelf backpacking meal to the next level or add calories and taste to your own creations. Dehydrated or Freeze-Dried Vegetables A great way to add flavor and variety to your meals, as well as have a few servings of veggies during the day or with d
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Food

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Food

Chocolate Cheesecake Smoothie Backpacking Dessert Recipe

After a cold day of backcountry skiing, a sheltered spot is found for a campsite. A snug spot located in the trees, it has an excellent view of both Mitchell Lake and the Continental Divide above. The shelter is soon erected, warm and dry clothes are changed into, and the stove is fired up. Dinner is cooked and consumed. But it is not quite ready to be called a night. The sun is setting and the alpenglow on the mountains is delightful. The stove is fired up again. A drink is quickly made. A warm
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

0
Food

Garam Masala Beef Jerky with Lentils Backpacking Recipe

Strips of jerky make delicious snacks as well as fabulous stews. Jerky is remarkably simple to create: slice, marinade, and dehydrate strips of meat. The key to texture is in the cut of meat and thickness, and the key to flavor is the marinade. In Backpackers’ Ultra Food I have several marinade recipes that are designed to compliment certain ethnic dishes, such as curry and Mexican spice. Each jerky can be adapted to more specific tastes. More or less spicy; different dishes; crispy or chewy. Ho
Cinny Green

Cinny Green in Food

0
Food

Strawberry Cran-apple Juice Backpacking Drink Recipe

Have you ever been on a long hard trail, sweating like a prize fighter, wishing you could have a cool drink of real juice? Well, you can! It’s simple and (almost) fresh. Last month’s seasonal soup recipe introduced the notion of dehydrated “bark”. Bark is created by spreading any blended ingredients, such as soup, on a solid dehydrator tray (or on baking parchment paper on a mesh tray) and drying it until crisp. Apply this technique to blended fresh fruit and your backcountry refreshment dr
Cinny Green

Cinny Green in Food

0
Food

Spicy Squash Soup with Crispy Lamb Backpacking Recipe

For those of you who live in areas where you can camp year-round – or those of you intrepid enough to dig snow caves and hunker down, this squash soup makes a rich seasonal meal that’s spicy enough to heat you from the inside. The topping of crispy lamb with cumin and sunflower seeds adds a taste sensation bold as a winter camper. Soup “bark” is dehydrated pureed soup. The liquid is poured on solid trays then dehydrated until crisp (see dehydrating your own backpacking meals). It often tast
Cinny Green

Cinny Green in Food

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Food

The Backpacking Food Cache: Versatile Recipe Ingredients

Grandma Magnanti was an amazing cook. The stereotype of Italian American Sunday dinners that lasted for hours was a reality during my childhood. A multi-course meal that started at noon and ended at about four was common. And the food itself? Often a modern “foodies” delight with now-gourmet dishes such as stuffed artichokes, dark and savory greens sautéed with olive oil and garlic, fried zucchini flowers, and a simple but packed-with-flavor macaroni course such as ziti (to name just a few dishe
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

0
Food

Build Your Own Trail Chili: Backpacking Dinner Recipe

Double down to beat the winter chill with a steaming bowl of hot chili. The beauty of this recipe is the ability to tailor it to suit a variety of diets and taste preferences. It’s naturally gluten free. Choose a non-meat protein option for a vegan or vegetarian variation. Tone down the spice by choosing poblano peppers or mild canned green chiles and omitting the jalapenos. Pour on the heat by using Anaheim peppers, extra jalapenos and a full two tablespoons of chili powder. Makes tw
Karen Garmire

Karen Garmire in Food

0
Food

Quick & Easy 3 Day Backpacking Meal Plan (with Recipes)

It’s Wednesday, the weekend weather forecast looks good, and the boss just said you can have Friday off. Now all you need to do is pick your trail, grab your gear, and you’re in for the perfect long backcountry weekend. The only thing that’s standing between you and the trail is food. You know that good food can make or break a trip, and you’re determined to make this a good one. Ah, the food dilemma. You could drive to the nearest outfitter and stock up on three days of freeze-dried meals,
Karen Garmire

Karen Garmire in Food

0
Food

Savory Cranberry Nut Couscous Backpacking Recipe

Dishes that are a bit lighter tasting can be desirable at many times of the year and especially in warmer weather. The palette does not crave cream, cheese, and the other heavy foods associated with winter. Instead, a touch of citrus might be wanted. A bit of mint on the tongue. And perhaps something a bit tart and a little sweet to balance the flavors out? This recipe is a unique (and fresh!) take on couscous, and the brightness of the meal goes well with spring and summer seasons. T
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

0
Food

No Bake Banana Pudding Backpacking Dessert Recipe

Still hungry after that freeze-dried dinner? Dessert is a great way to boost spirits at the end of a long day, but sometimes it’s just too much hassle. Don’t settle for that spare granola bar before climbing in your sleeping bag, check out this seasonally-inspired solution that doesn’t require too much backcountry culinary prowess but still tastes great. As you might expect, this backpacking dessert hits the spot at all times of the year, but it seems particularly appropriate for fall
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Food

0
Food

Mediterranean Couscous and Chicken Backpacking Recipe

In the American West, forest fires have sadly become a common occurrence. Often, the lightweight backpacker’s favorite of an alcohol stove is not allowed for various reasons. When these open flame bans occur, a person has to use a canister or a white gas stove instead. There is another choice. A choice that works well with not only open flame bans but also with the hot weather often found in conjunction with these stove bans: Going stoveless. Going stoveless is another tool to have in the backpa
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

0
Food

Banana Nut Rice Pudding Backpacking Dessert Recipe

Another winter backpacking trip. The pack is heavy with gear and clothing, the climbs are steep and the breaking of trail through the fresh snow takes longer than expected. But a wonderful day is had skiing deep into the backcountry. The skies are a bright blue. And the winter sun reflected on the snow covered peaks. Beauty surrounds everything. Soon, a suitable campsite for the evening is spotted. A sheltered area among the trees with a view across the frozen lake. Camp is quickly made. The sto
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

0
Food

Hungry Hiker Backcountry Pasta Salad Backpacking Recipe

Although this recipe is heavy on the weight, it is absolutely huge on the flavor and was one of my favorite meals from my backpacking trips this summer. It serves two hungry hikers – the amount of pasta used is double what is typically suggested, so you might reduce this if you typically have a small appetite. However, since there is no thick and meaty sauce involved, the pasta makes up for this. This backpacking pasta salad meal offers plenty of freshness that is typically lacking in
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Food

0
Food

Tex-Mex Style Backpacking Couscous and Cheese Recipe

After many hours of bushwhacking through pick-up-sticks and talus in the Ferris Mountain Wilderness Study Area, I was hungry. The mile an hour pace through this rough terrain certainly made me want a hearty meal. But also one that would cook quick. And would go down easy. I had just the meal in my food bag. Something would be just what I needed after a rewarding, but tiring, day. I’d have a TexMex-style dish in the backcountry. Some cheesy bean goodness with a bit of a spice kick. A long da
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

0
Food

Pad Thai Noodles with Jerky & Avocado Backpacking Recipe

This is a great meal in the shoulder-seasons as it warms you up and the citrus from the lime offers fresh flavors and really enhances what might otherwise be a fairly mundane dish. Clean up is easy, too, as you only need one pot for this dish. This has become one of my preferred dishes for dry camps since the water required is minimal compared to most pasta or rice meals or freeze-dried dinners. It also offers options for tailoring it to your tastes, since the type of jerky you use can change th
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Food

0
Food

Spicy Thai Noodles with Peanut Sauce Backpacking Recipe

This high energy quick prep meal loaded with protein makes spicy Thai noodles with peanut sauce a good choice for dinner at the end of a long day of hiking. There’s very little advance prep for this recipe that uses a simple sauce of just three ingredients, but still has the feel of a home cooked meal. Spicy Thai noodles can be made at a fraction of the cost of similar commercially freeze dried meals and is a much tastier option. This meal can either be made backpacker style, or for s
Karen Garmire

Karen Garmire in Food

0
Food

Creamy Beef and Mushroom Soup Backpacking Recipe

This is one of my favorite recipes. I love everything about this soup from the easy five minute home prep to the uniquely satisfying earthy aroma of mushrooms simmering in a rich broth at the end of a perfect day in the woods. Ingredients are easy to find in any supermarket. Dried mushrooms are sold in one ounce packages, typically in the produce section or readily available online. Beef broth powder (or beef soup mix), found in the bulk food section, combines with whole milk powder (Nido m
Karen Garmire

Karen Garmire in Food

0
Food

Curried Chicken Ramen Noodles Backpacking Recipe

For cold weather backpacking, nothing hits the spot quite like a soup. The broth heats up a person from the inside and is welcoming. And if the dish is on the spicy side? Even a little more heat to warm those winter or even early spring nights. Here is a meal that is quick to make, fills the belly and has a bit of heat to keep a person warm during cool weather backpacking trips. This recipe takes ramen noodles to the next level, and especially hits the spot on cold weather backpacking
PaulMags

PaulMags in Food

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