Backpacking Foods
So, my two best friends are going backpacking in Peru this summer for a month and a half, and I would like to send them off with some delicious & nutritious foods. Does anyone have any suggestions? So far all I have a recipe for a protein-rich granola.
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10 Comments:
Spiced nuts, roasted chickpeas, jerky, fruit leathers
jo_wang at 10:01PM on 04/14/09
If they haven't asked for snacks, I would send them off with something else (a travel journal, extra batteries and memory cards for the camera, some piece of equipment you know they need, etc). They will likely be able to pick up lots of fresh, local, and unique treats when they arrive in Peru. And they may only want to carry a few days' worth of food at a time.
But if they want you to make them snacks, find out Peru's import regulations before you make anything. Many countries will not let you bring in produce, even dried, so check before you head into the kitchen. It would be a shame if all your lovingly prepared treats were confiscated at the airport.
ProfessorChaos at 10:14PM on 04/14/09
ProfChaos is right - your best bet might be to send yummy plane-friendly snacks so they don't have to blow much cash eating in airports on their way there.
joyyy at 10:24PM on 04/14/09
I definitely thought of the whole confiscation thing after I posted this. So I think one thing I might do is make a little recipe book of backpacking recipes and whatnot. They're trying to stay on a tight budget, and I don't think any of them can cook.
FerBer at 11:01PM on 04/14/09
you might want to think about medical fly back insurance, I know it's not food related but, if something happens it may be the most important thing they've ever been given. I would definately set them up a picnic type food for the trip out though maybe include nuts and other munchies as well as tasty sandwiches that arent to offensive smelling to others.
huneybumper at 8:32AM on 04/15/09
Definitely check into the import regulations on certain foods. I had to argue for an hour in Sydney, because I had a gift for a colleague of wild rice. It turns out that rice is not allowed to be imported into Australia, so I had to prove to him that wild rice isn't actually rice. It ended up going to a google search for an explanation. It's probably best to avoid that stuff.
Having said that, I agree with ProfessorChaos, frankly. Peru has an abundant supply of wonderful foods that I would encourage them to try first. However, if nothing else, when I travel overseas (12 days and a wake up until my first vacation in six years!!!!), I usually try to pack a few Luna Bars, or Genisoy Bars, or things like that. Just in case I get stuck somewhere where there isn't anything, or in case I am just starving on a train. Luna bars are my favorites, but there are heaps of kinds out there that are nice, too. Plus, they don't really melt, expire, go rancid or anything like that.
Traveller at 11:54AM on 04/15/09
Oh, but ask them what they like if you want to buy them any sort of bars - I know I can't stand that stuff and it usually gets given away when the bf's mom sends us "healthy snacks" - bags of different bars that neither of us will bother eating.
Also, feed them well as a send-off and when they return. They'll be busy packing/unpacking/decompressing from it all.
joyyy at 12:40PM on 04/15/09
I do a ton of backpacking and take something called Fitnutz peanut butter with me. It's awesome- you just add a little water, and tastes soo good! You could even put it on any of those bars that need the extra flavor.. :)
CUTIEPIE at 10:30PM on 04/15/09
my friends and I love wasa crackers/ graham crackers with almond butter. another friend loved to take tortillas (they don't take up too much room in your pack). Maybe if you gave them some different nut butters - sunflower butter, almond butter, cashew butter. You get kind of tired of eating peanut butter with everything but you need the high calorie stuff.
prunesaregood at 11:30AM on 04/16/09
One of my favorite foods to take backpacking is instant mac&cheese. Small, lightweight, easy to cook and delicious. Instant oatmeal, dried refried beans, and powdered soup are also great. Basic condiments (like ketchip/mustard/mayo packets) are also really nice to have. If you're not sure about what to send them along with, you could buy them empty, reusable squeeze tubes. They sell them online for super cheap and are really convenient for self-filling with small amounts of hot sauce, jam, whatever.
Some of the weirder things I like to take are Spam singles(Basically one thin slice of Spam in a foil package) and pre-cooked Indian food(the kind that comes in the silver foil packages and just requires heating). These things are perhaps less than practical to send a long with them, but would be awesome to receive in a package mid-trip perhaps.
grizzlybear at 3:02AM on 04/19/09