It's almost August! Can you believe it? We are here as your friendly reminder to soak up as much of this warming sunshine as you possibly can before the end of summer sets in with back-to-school shopping, chilly mornings, wearing socks again, and shorter days.
Recently, one of our own Jems went for a long weekend backpacking into the Cascade Range and, of course, took a fair share of Jem. We know they're in glass jars and you'd probably lose a few grams of weight if you went with a squeeze pack but with the Cascade Tange mountains being next door to Jem's headquarters, it was a no brainer and worth the extra weight.
Not everyone is into carrying all your things around for days in the hot sun into the unknown wilderness, and we get that. So here's a list of backpacking food (sans the obvious, dehydrated meals) or summer snacks we think anyone could go for:
Backpacking Food Ideas or Summer Snacks
- Avocados! Pack them in a cup so they stay intact
- Crackers –– light and salty, and they go well with...
- Cheese! High in protein and if you pre-slice it's easy (just keep it near your water bladder or bottle so it doesn't spoil in the direct sun)
- Jem! Bring carrot sticks, celery or chocolate bars to go with. We try not to eat meal bars or squares of sugar for energy...
- Bee pollen! We like to eat it in handfuls, but some people make granola with it
- Powdered green tea (matcha) or instant coffee packs for all day long energy
- Wine! Pour your favourite bottle into a bladder beforehand and relax
- Nuts –– pistachios are the obvious call, but any nut will be loved when you're getting sleepy and needing an extra boost of energy. If they're raw, they're heavier so bring what you eat, eat what you bring.
- Miso soup is the best to bring because it's magic in a pouch for warm or cold weather. Remember the mountains get cold year round ––so warm soup is warranted–– notice the glaciers in the photo? :)
- Hard boiled eggs and oats are great for breakfast (especially with Jem!)
- Want to avoid buying dehydrated meals for breakfast and dinner? Learn to dehydrate your own ingredients! We learned from a ton of blogs online. If you want direction, leave a comment!