Long trips and hiking: get your water and food ready before you go
Long trips and hikes take more effort than a normal day, and some routes have no shops or places to refill water.
The US National Park Service (NPS) lists water and extra food among the essentials for hiking. Plan both before you set off and the walk becomes much easier.
Plan around these 5 things first
- Duration: how many hours, a day trip or how many nights
- Group size: what each person carries and what is shared
- Route difficulty: distance, climbs and pack weight; the harder it is, the more effort it takes
- Weather: hot, humid days mean more sweat, so plan more water than on a cool day
- Refill points: whether there are water sources on the way, how far apart, and whether the water must be filtered or treated
Drinking water
- The NPS advises drinking water often, before you feel thirsty
- How much you need depends on you, the route and the weather; work it out from your plan and add extra
- If you will use natural water, bring water treatment supplies
- Watch for signs of dehydration such as dark urine, headache or dizziness
Day hikes: what to bring
- Enough water for the whole route, plus extra in case you are out longer than planned
- A lunch that is easy to carry and eat straight away
- Snacks for breaks along the way
- Spare food, as the NPS advises packing an extra day's supply
Overnight trips: what to add
- Count every meal for each day, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, then add one extra day of spare food
- Bring water for both drinking and cooking
- If you plan to cook, bring cooking gear; if not, choose no-cook food as the NPS suggests
- Carry water treatment supplies if you need to refill from natural sources
Easy-to-carry food ideas
| Examples | Good to know | |
|---|---|---|
| Main food, day 1 | Sticky rice with fried pork or chicken, rice balls, sandwiches, boiled eggs | Cooked food spoils quickly in hot weather, so eat it on the first day |
| Main food, later days | Bread or crackers, easy-open canned fish or tuna, instant porridge or rice (if you have hot water) | Choose items that do not need refrigeration |
| Snacks | Nuts, trail mix, granola bars, dried fruit, and thick-skinned fruit such as bananas or oranges | The NPS suggests salty, easy-to-digest snacks such as nuts, trail mix and granola bars |
Storing food and portioning meals
- Pack food into zip bags or boxes by meal and label each with the day and meal
- Eat perishable food first and keep dry food for later days
- Use sealed containers or bags to keep out water, ants and animals
- Keep food out of the sun and heat as far as you can
- Carry all rubbish and packaging back out with you
Optional extras you can mix with water
Drink powders and individually wrapped snacks are easy to carry as extras on the trail. For example, 2 scoops (25 g) of Nutritional Protein Drink Mix with water provide 90 kcal and 9–11 g of protein depending on flavour; a 35 g protein bar provides 140 kcal and 8 g of protein; and 1 scoop (13.5 g) of CR7 electrolyte powder mixes with 240 ml of water. All figures are from the labels of the products sold in Thailand.
If you like, mix with UHT boxed milk (cow's or soy) instead of water; energy and protein go up according to the milk label, but that does not make it a meal replacement.
Do not rely on shakes or protein bars as your only food on a trip. Use them as extras alongside main meals and enough drinking water.
Read next: What to drink in hot weather: water first, and signs of dehydration to know ›
Read next: Exercising in hot weather: what to know ›
Read next: Emergency food and water supplies: floods or evacuation ›
This article is general information, not medical advice. Water and food needs vary with your body, the route and the weather. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or take medication, talk to a doctor before a long trip or hike.
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