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Enjoying a sunrise from Bondcliff, New Hampshire’s White Mountains
If you are transitioning to a no cook backpacking meal plan, creating breakfast options that don’t require a stove can be the first step to get you there. Many hikers vary quite a bit on how they get their first meal of the day. Some like a leisurely morning at camp while others prefer to eat quickly to hit the trail early. Some even begin hiking before breakfast.
I typically eat while I look at my map and see what lies ahead for the day. Sometimes I like to get started down the trail right away, especially if it’s cold so I can warm up without having to add layers I’ll take off shortly after I begin to hike. After I’ve warmed up I’ll stop and have some breakfast. I never eat a hot breakfast during a backpacking trip as there are many quick and easy options available without a stove.
The biggest hurdle will be for coffee drinkers. I personally don’t drink coffee and know many that do at home, but simply don’t need/want it on the trail. For those that need a caffeine fix, here are a few options:
Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee
PocketFuel Cold Brew Coffee Engery Gel Shots– Bonus, they’re vegan!
Clif Shot Bloks– up to 50mg of caffeine per serving
Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
Make a coffee infused morning milkshake- mix chocolate protein powder, Nido powder, and instant coffee in a plastic bottle. It’s just like a fancy Starbucks drink, right?
Once you’ve figured out a plan for your coffee obsession or have decided you’re a-ok without your java, you’ll find that there are many great options for stoveless breakfasts!
Chocolate Protein Shake
- 1000 Calorie Granola
- Chocolate Protein Shake- Mix Carnation Instant Breakfast with some powdered whole milk, chocolate whey protein, and ground flax.
- poptarts
- smoothies– Packit Gourmet sells great smoothies. I plan on making my own smoothie powder in the future
- Bars- favorites include: PROBAR, Kind, Larabar (I love the Uber variety), and Raw Revolution
- peanut or almond butter on tortilla with honey.
- meusli- add freeze dried fruit, nuts, and dried milk
- dried fruit can be a great addition to breakfast
dried kiwi ready for the trail!
I like to really fuel up in the morning by having a big hearty meal that provides a lot of calories to get in big miles before lunch. Breakfast is one of the best times to get in your calories as there are a lot of great options to do so. Beef up an average meal with Nido powdered milk or nuts to keep you full. Powdered fruit is easy to make and adds a lot of nutrients to your meals as well!
Do you have a favorite no-cook trail breakfast? Share it below!
Last modified: May 1, 2015
I can’t imagine starting the day without a cup of tea, so I don’t think I’ll ever leave my Jetboil behind. When I backpack, though, I don’t otherwise cook a hot breakfast. My usual backpack breakfast is peanut butter and raisins on a soft tortilla.
I am not a regular tea drinker so I can definitely do without. Have you ever considered transitioning to a smaller system like esbit or an alcohol stove?
Well, I still cook suppers. I like the Jetboil’s design anyway. I used to use a Pocket Rocket, but it was unstable; I had to be really careful that vibrations from boiling didn’t cause the pot to tip over. That’s never a problem with Jetboil. And the weight cost was not as much as it might seem at first, since the Jetboil replaced not only the stove but also the pot.
I totally get it, but personally can’t bring myself to bringing that whole system. It takes up a lot of pack room too.