What to pack into our backpacks when being away from home? page

[Sonnenblume]

In the summer we (my husband toddler and myself) use to spend whole days away from home and take bike trips with the toddler in the bikeseat or hike or just spent the day ar a nearby lake. It is very difficult to figure out what to take along to eat. Apples or nuts are a good snack but just not enough if you leave after breakfast and won`t be at home until dinner, especially our daughter will be hungry and needs to eat! Many food choices don`t work in hot wheather, meat and fish won´t remain fresh, the same applies for ripe fruit and many vegetables. It is always possible to buy some baked goods or sandwiches on the road but this is what we want to avoid...I definitely need some advice, especially as we are going to be an vacation and plan to be very active.

[Dragonfly]

A small soft-sided cooler with an ice pack works really well at keeping cheese and cooked meat chunks cool all day. If you want to, you can freeze a plastic bottle of water to use as your ice pack to save space (drink it later in the day!) I do this regularly when road-tripping & it works well!

[ErikaE]

Jerky. Jerky, jerky, jerky. It's very dense and very satisfying. I get mine from an organic, no-hormone meat place at the local farmer's market. They even have 2 beef varieties that are no-sugar-added. I feel pretty lucky about that, I know such good options aren't available in lots of places but just get whatever looks the least processed and junky, it's so much better than not having any good protein sources when you're on the go.

When the husband and I go hiking/traveling, for each day we'll be away from home I take a half pound of jerky for each of us, plus a giant ziploc filled with almonds, walnuts, and (in lesser quantity because a little goes a long way) a mix of dried berries. I buy all those things in the bulk section of our grocery store, they are pretty good about carrying things without much preservatives, added sugar, etc.

You can also pack, or depending on where you're going, stop for while on the road, many fresh veggie snacks...bring a jar of almond butter and get celery to go with it...or munch on raw carrots and radishes (tastier than they sound once you start to appreciate the flavor of real foods! plus hunger is the most amazing seasoning). Veggies stay good for at least a couple days even without ice or a cooler!

[kobilakes]

So what backpack do you have anyway? Do you recommend one that allows carrying the toddler on the back as well.

I have a Gregory backpack but they don't have the toddler types.

[keevelish]

The tot goes in an Ergo on my back and the backpack goes on my husband.

We take a tiny soft lunch bag and stick a cold pack in it. Never have had issues with things not staying cold.

Jerky, of course. Nuts.

[Barefoot Paul]

I second the Jerky recommendation. That and some source of fat and you should be golden. You could bring along a small bottle of coconut oil with the jerky. If its warm enough and the oil melts dip the jerky in it... You could also bring dried fruit. I went on a week long backpacking trip and that is exactly what i brought. Dried fruit for variety, jerky, and coconut oil. I was much more satisfied than my friends who brought MRE's :/ I actually ended up carrying some of their food and a ton of their garbage. Keep in mind that your body is now much more efficient at burning your fat stores, so you don't even really have to eat that much or anything at all.

[dado]

A first aid kid

[jenni]

We do this too! We usually pack up our bikes on our food runs and take advantage of the bike trails in the city. We never know how long we are going to play, so I usually pack hard boiled eggs, pre-cooked bacon, fruits, cheeses, and Lara bars. If we were taking an all-day trip, I would take an ice pack as others have suggested and include some leftover chicken, roast, etc. Whatever was in the fridge.

[LizardGurl]

I use an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack and take a big ass salad with meat and lots of veggies (dressed with Olive oil and vinegar). I pack the dressing separately and toss when I am ready to eat. I'll also pack nuts and jerky in case I get hungry, but these are usually not needed. This is my SOP for hike days. I'm usually out from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

LG

[MakeItSo]

Seconded on the jerky -- have you ever tried Tanka Bars?? Completely primal and double tasty!