5 Best Foods For Hiking

Fill your bag with the best foods for hiking to ensure that you stay properly fueled during your trip to the great outdoors. It's important to have your nutritional bases covered with calorie-maximizing foods that won't spoil in your bag if it gets hot, so take your cues from our collection of foods below – and make sure you're prepared in ALL arenas with our Day Hike Essentials Guide, too! Before we get to the food€¦ stay hydrated! Drink up before you hit the trails and make sure to have plenty of extra water on hand.

1. Fruit – Dried & Fresh

Some fresh fruits are too heavy to bring along on a hike, which is where dried fruits come in. We've explored the health benefits of dried fruit before, so you know to watch out for added sugar content. Otherwise, dried fruit is easy to pack and store; raisins and dates are two of our favorites. Plenty of fresh fruits are perfectly decent to pack and store, as well, however; at the top of that list we put apples and oranges.

2. Nuts and Seeds / Trail Mix / Granola Bars

You can't make a list of the best foods for hiking without including nuts, seeds, and granola in their many various forms. Not only are these foods incredibly compatible with backpack storage, but they also provide plenty of calories, protein, and healthy fats to fuel you all day long. Just don't forget to avoid the highly processed options when it comes to granola bars.

3. Meats / Jerky

Vegetarians and vegans, don't despair! These days, plenty of non-meat options are available so you don't have to be left out of the jerky fun when it comes to these best foods for hiking. Beyond jerky, salami and tuna are some good options for meat that doesn't need to be cooked or refrigerated.

4. Tortillas

No, we don't think quesadillas or tacos would make for the best foods for hiking. But you can do so much more with tortillas than that; think sandwiches and wraps! Bread is too bulky to bring with you in a backpack, but tortillas are compact and just right.

5. Nut Butter

No matter how much trail mix you have, you won't regret bringing along a jar of nut butter too. Peanut butter, of course, is the ruler of all nut butters, but almond butter and cashew butter are great options as well if you don't mind spending a tad more. Ready to eat with no preparation, good by itself or spread on a tortilla, filled with calories, healthy fat, and protein – there's a reason nut butters reign supreme when it comes to the best foods for hiking. No matter where your boots take you, you'll want to make sure your bag is filled with the best foods for hiking. Step it up a notch and blend into the woods when you rock any of our new bags in Realtree camo: the Innovator 500, Innovator 300, and Innovator Mini!