A good meal at the end of a long day of walking makes all the difference, but knowing what food to pack when heading out on a multi-day wild camping adventure is incredibly important.

Because you’ll be carrying all of your kit and the opportunities to stock up are scarce (or non-existent), you’ve got to strike the right balance between light-weight and energy rich to keep you on your feet. We share some of our best choices to consider before you head out into the wilderness below.

We strongly recommend you carry a lightweight camping stove with you on all wild camping expeditions, as not only is a hot meal extra satisfying after a long day out, but many of our recommended meals require boiling water as part of their preparation.

Before you go:

• Eat really well! - Get plenty of vitamins, protein, and complex carbohydrates in the days before your trip. Your wild camping diet will focus on giving you the most energy in the lightest possible load, so might not have as much variety as you would usually have.

• Figure out your measurements - If you are rehydrating anything (like freeze-dried camping food or porridge), measure out the needed amount in your camping mug and commit it to memory so you can easily do it again when you’re at the camp.

• Think about what you enjoy - Make sure you’ve got food that will make you smile at the end of a long day of walking!

• Make sure you have a couple of reliable lighters and matches

Main meals:

• Dehydrated/freeze-dried camping food - Available in all sorts of flavours and to suit different diets, these tend to be energy-dense options that can be prepared quickly. They can be a little on the expensive side, so make sure you shop around.

• Pasta in sauce - Pasta is a fantastic, easily prepared staple. Look out for packets of freeze-dried pasta in sauce, available from supermarkets, which are lightweight and can be packed tightly in your bag.

• Couscous - Like pasta, a staple that can be prepared in flash.

• Noodles - Same as above. ‘Straight-to-wok’ noodles can be thrown straight into your pan, and be squashed down in your pack without damaging them.

• Microwaveable rice - Can be cooked as quickly on a camping stove as in the microwave!

• Pre-cooked sausages (or vegan sausages) - Great for adding a bit of protein to your carbs. A great choice is Pepperami - shrink-wrapped, easily squashed down in your pack, and lasts for ages!

• Small tins of tuna or corned beef - Make sure you bring portions that are good for one meal, as you won’t want to put a half-eaten tin back in your bag.

• Dried mashed potato mix - Lightweight, reliable, and really fills you up!

• Breads - Pitta or naan are great choices as they’re already flat, so it doesn’t matter if they get even more squashed in your bag!

• Cheese (or vegan alternative) - Shrink-wrapped cheese like halloumi is a good choice, but is often enough for a couple of meals, so make sure you have something to safely store leftovers in.

Breakfasts:

• Powdered milk - Carrying fresh milk is impractical when camping, so prepare milk with boiled water.

• Porridge - Sachets of porridge are a great, warming start to the day, and take up very little space in your pack. You could add some nuts or dried fruit too.

• Cereal bars - As good for breakfast as they are throughout the day!

• Dehydrated/freeze-dried camping food - Breakfast-style options are often available.

Snacks

• Flapjack - A camping favourite! Energy dense, delicious, and easy to make your own before heading off - pack yours full of fruit, seeds, and nuts, for a real boost.

• Dried fruit

• Nuts

• Fruit cake or malt loaf

• Cereal bars

• Fresh fruit - A bit of fresh fruit can be a real treat out camping, but be prepared for it to get squashed in your bag. Apples might be the safest bet. If your bag is really full or heavy, make fresh fruit the first thing you ditch. Your wild camping diet is all about high energy, low effort foods - you can eat plenty of fruit when you get home!

Don’t bring!

• Anything that will go off - It’s just useless weight in your pack.

• Uncooked meat or soft cheese - Same as above.

• Anything you wouldn’t want to eat if it got squashed - Because the chances are your food will get squashed!

• Fresh vegetables - The calorie content of vegetables tends to be low, making them a bad choice for long days out walking with limited bag space.

Make sure you check out our full Wild Camping Kit List for more must-takes.