I’ve discussed planning for enough food when using freeze dried meals. The meals usually are not real meals.
The classic ones are 220 calories or so a serving.
When you are on a long trail needing four thousand calories a day it is important to realize that 220 calories is less than a snickers bar.
Now, recently there have been improvements and some have more calories.
That is still less per serving than a large order of fries.
While this is better, it still falls short.
In planning it becomes important to not rely only on the the serving size from the “meal” for all the meal’s calories—especially if you are out longer than a week.
There is nothing like thinking you have a full meal and then realizing you have had 20% of the calories you needed that “meal” to provide.
[I add the “longer than a week” caveat because on many trips for the first week many backpackers have depressed appetite, which then comes back with a vengeance when they experience “hiker hunger”. ]
The key is to plan meals around calories and grams of protein and not around things labeled as “meals.”
Many backpackers do this by adding butter, oil, or peanut butter to meals for extra calories and then additional food (such as cookies, bagels, candy, chocolate bars and the like) to eat as a side or desert for the extra needed calories to make the meal complete.
BTW, from the PCT Survey:
Favorite Backpacking Meals
- Ramen 46.7%
- Peak Refuel Meals 38.9% (I like them).
- Idahoan Mashed Potatoes 31.8% (I like them, Happy6 doesn’t. You can make them with beef jerky mixed in).
- Knorr Rice Sides 29.4% (note, I’ve come to prefer the Knorr rice to the Knorr noodles).
- Ramen Bomb 26.5% (maybe some day I’ll try this).
- Couscous 25.0%
- Mountain House 23.6%
- Annie’s Mac & Cheese 18.2%
- Backpackers Pantry Meals 18.6%
https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-resupply-guide-2026/