Hi! Welcome to Bites from the Backcountry. 

Do you do multi-day hikes and like to eat? Are you thinking about backpacking for the first time and are not sure where to start with your food? Are you tired of wasting money on freeze-dried meals that you only finish half of because they are gross? Well, look no further; that’s why I started this blog. 

I’m Dani, and I’ve been eating food for most of my life. In fact, I do it many times a day. Walking? I’d have to ask my mom, but almost certainly sometime before the age of 10. Adventuring? In the sense that involves the food I review on this site – going on about 12 years.

The Backpacking Origin Story:

I was not an athletic kid. I wasn’t even an athletic adult until my mid-twenties. But everything changed when I found my love for hiking, and especially backpacking. There is something about the peace and sense of separation that backcountry camping offers that I can’t find elsewhere. 

When my now-husband Evan finished his healthcare training in 2014 (he was a chef prior to that, which made my love for food even more appreciated), we wanted to do something big to celebrate. However, we had just spent the prior years on an extremely tight budget, so it had to be something frugal. Insert the camping idea. 

He grew up in the Yukon and had heard about the Chilkoot Trail. For those of you not familiar with it, it was part of the Gold Rush adventure. When people landed in Alaska, bound for the Gold-rich Dawson City, they still had to climb a big pass, build a boat (with the materials they had carried over said pass), and then sail said boat up to Dawson City, Yukon. Now that we have more modern ways to get to Dawson, the Chilkoot Trail has become a Canadian heritage site and is dubbed ‘The World’s Longest Museum’. It runs for 54km from Skagway, Alaska, to Bennett, BC. It has a fascinating history intertwined with the trail. If you haven’t heard of it, I’d recommend checking it out. (https://www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/historyculture/chilkoot-history.htm) 

So, we decided to take a road trip up to the Yukon (with a family stop first) and then tackle the Chilkoot Trail. I knew nothing about backpacking. I knew how to camp somewhat, but only the traditional car-camping type. So, at the beginning of the summer, I began a crash course on gear (from all the discounted sites we could find – remember, very limited budget), permitting systems, overcoming my fear of heights, bear safety, leave no trace, and, of course, trail food.

Current State

That trail and that experience changed my life forever. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done up until that point. But I fell head over heels in love with the trail. Almost every decision we’ve made since then has been driven by this need to see more of nature. The places that we’ve lived (and moved), the way that we train our muscles, the type of dog that we adopted, the holidays that we take – almost all of them have a sense of adventure ingrained into them. 

Since that trip, we’re mostly weekend warriors, but we’ve done week-long trips along the West Coast Trail (twice), the Wonderland Trail,  and sections of the Great Divide Trail. We’ve also been fortunate to hike some of the most sought-after premier hikes in Western Canada, including the Rockwall Trail, Skyline, Iceline, Skoki Loop, Berg Lake, and Mt. Assiniboine. But some of my favorites are those random weekends where you just get to explore.

The Food Stuff

Over these years, we’ve seen a lot change in the activity’s popularity and in the ever-changing gear technology (and have updated many of those original discounted pieces). The food choices have also become more varied and more inclusive. It used to be the choice of Backpackers Pantry and Mountain House. If you wanted to get really crazy, you could also make your own food (which is a whole other topic and one that I LOVE – I’m sure more information to come on that). However, now when you walk into an outfitter store, there are dozens of different brands, and ones that cater to many different dietary preferences – vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, halal, etc. There are still the big names, as well as some that have risen to become big players (hello Peak Refuel – one of my personal faves), but there are also SO many wonderful smaller cottage brands. No longer are you required to only eat Lasagna and Meat Sauce or Shepherd’s Pie (not mocking those ones – both are classics); YOU NOW HAVE SO MANY OPTIONS. 

And, like any situation with many options, it can be overwhelming to decide what to choose first. Even with the limited options we had when we started, I had a hard time understanding what to choose and what I would like. What if I didn’t like it but was forced to eat it when on a backpacking trip? Would I have enough calories?

The Blog – what to expect while you’re here:

So, if you’ve ever had similar issues or questions, welcome. If you hike and like to eat, welcome. If you like to hike and eat for substance (not enjoyment), welcome. If you like doing other things outdoors and want freeze-dried meals, welcome. If you just like to eat, welcome. If you just want to follow along with someone trying as many backpacking meals as possible and seeing the wins and the failures, welcome. 

This blog will evolve. I will try as many brands as I can find within the time and budget I have. I will share options with you to make your own food or enhance pre-made ones. I will explore how to choose options from grocery stores and dollar stores that don’t require you to spend money on pre-packaged meals (and try them). I will give you an overview of how to plan your food for adventures. I will make lists and highlight battles between the same dishes from different companies. And maybe even film a few (If you’re an OG Alberta YouTube hiking viewer, you may have found Evan and I previously on our Adventure Happy page). 

I’m always open to trying different things. So don’t be a stranger.

Disclaimer and PSA:

I am unsponsored and doing this out of my own pocket in my spare time, on my 9-5 that keeps me in shelter, so there will be limits to what I can do and how frequently. I’m Canadian first, so I may try more Canadian brands, but I will try to give a good selection of different brands. And most importantly, these ratings are incredibly biased – they are based on my own likes/dislikes for food. Backpacking food can be extremely subjective, depending on external factors like how far I’ve hiked, how hungry I am, how sweaty I am, the elevation it’s cooked at, the outside temperature, and who I might be with.

Please pull on some hiking shoes and come share a meal with me.