HIKER FOOD

Meals and food planning for long-distance trails.
"How to eat while walking," learned from walking 4,265km.

After walking the PCT for five months, my perspective on food has completely changed. My criteria for judging food is now "how many calories are in it per gram" rather than "is it tasty?". Chocolate is a no-go because it melts. Pasta is unsuitable for the desert because it requires water. Nuts are great, but you get tired of them.

These kinds of details are something you can only understand by actually hiking. In the TRAIL GUIDE, I wrote about the food situation by section, but here I will write more specifically about "what, how to choose, and how to eat." I have also included recipes. I will introduce not only things that can be found in American trail towns, but also ingredients that can be brought from Japan and things that can be used on Japanese trails. I think it will be useful not only for trails, but also for weekend hikes and camping.

01

The basics of hiker food — the concept of calorie density

kcal/g is all

The most important number when choosing food for a long trail is "calorie density"—how many calories are in it per gram. If you want to keep your pack light, get the same calories from lighter foods.

ingredients Calorie density Memo
olive oil 9.0 kcal/g The best. I put it on everything. I refill it into a small bottle.
Peanut butter 5.9 kcal/g Spread it on a tortilla. It's heavy, but very satisfying.
Nuts (mixed) 5.5–6.5 kcal/g The mainstay of trail food. Macadamia nuts have the highest density.
chocolate 5.0–5.5 kcal/g It melts in the desert. It works from Sierra onwards.
Instant ramen 4.0–4.5 kcal/g Cooking time: 5 minutes. Drinking the soup will also help with hydration.
oatmeal 3.8 kcal/g Breakfast base. Mix with powdered milk.
Couscous 3.6 kcal/g It cooks faster than pasta (just add hot water).
Dry pasta 3.5 kcal/g The main component of dinner. Requires water and fuel.
Toreiru Yokan 3.0 kcal/g It won't melt at 40℃. It can be eaten with one hand.
Dried fruit 2.5–3.5 kcal/g A sugar boost. It's heavy, but the calorie density is relatively low.
Kaki no Tane (rice cracker seeds) 4.7 kcal/g Japan's proudest and strongest energy food. Contains salt, carbohydrates, and is lightweight. Convenient small packets.
Jagariko 5.0 kcal/g Crush it and add hot water to make mashed potatoes. It can also be used for cold soaks.
Instant rice 3.6 kcal/g Soak in hot water for 15 minutes, or in cold water for 60 minutes. You can also do a cold soak in a food canister.
Freeze-dried miso soup 3.0–3.5 kcal/g Perfect for replenishing electrolytes. Lightweight and useful on trails abroad.
Curry rice / Curry roux 4.0–4.5 kcal/g Instant curry made with instant rice and curry roux. A lifesaver on tiring days.

High calorie density does not necessarily equal good.

If you ask me if you could walk for five months on just nuts and olive oil, the answer is no. You'd get bored. Your mental health would suffer. It's important to have room for "something you want to eat occasionally, even if it's low in calories." I always included dried fruit (low in calories but sweet) and chips (bulky but provides salt). This is an expense for mental health.

02

What I ate every day on the PCT — A true food log

Morning (no cooking required, leave in 5 minutes)

We don't use fire in the morning. We only eat things that we can pack up while we're folding the tent.

  • One cup of instant coffee (dissolve it in a bottle filled with water the night before).
  • Granola bars x 2 (approx. 400kcal)
  • I'll eat the rest while walking.

Total: Approximately 500kcal / Preparation time: 5 minutes

Some people cook in the morning, but I was of the opinion that "mornings should be kept as short as possible." Cooking would delay packing and cause me to miss the cooler hours. This was especially true in the desert section, where I started walking at 5:30 a.m.

Energy food (60-70% of total calories)

On long trails, snacks are the main source of calories. Since you eat them while walking, they must be "ready to eat straight from the package."

  • Trail Yokan x 2-3
  • Mixed nuts (200g per day = approximately 1,200kcal)
  • Dried mango or raisins
  • Potato chips (small bag) — also serves as a source of salt.
  • Snickers or M&M's (at temperatures where they won't melt, from the Sierra Nevada onwards)
  • Kaki no Tane (small packets) — Brought from Japan. It's the perfect snack for trail running: provides salt and is lightweight.

Total: Approximately 2,000-2,500 kcal

The key to trail food is finding your own "trail mix." Try different things at first, and after about two weeks, you'll settle on a set that you won't get tired of. Trail food that you can bring from Japan (such as kaki no tane, toreiru yokan, and dried miso soup) is a reliable ally even on overseas trails.

Evening (cooked meal, the only hot meal)

It's the highlight of my day. I use the stove and kettle to make the only warm meal of the day.

  • Couscous or ramen (base)
  • Tuna pack or chicken pack (protein)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil (adds approximately 240 kcal)
  • Spices (red chili flakes, garlic powder)

Total: Approximately 700-900 kcal / Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Adding olive oil can increase your calorie intake by over 200kcal. It also improves the flavor. This is a tip I want to share with all hikers.

Cooking styles include cold soaking (rehydrating with water) using a Food Canister 500 , and steaming while keeping food warm with an Iso COZY . Cold soaking eliminates the need for fuel, and with Iso COZY's heat retention cooking, you can significantly reduce fuel consumption by simply turning off the heat immediately after boiling and letting it steam. By using Iso COZY, I was able to buy gas canisters only once a month, whereas other hikers had to buy more in every town.

Town Meals (Reward for Zero Day)

The first thing I do when I arrive in town is eat. I leave the rest to Hiker Hunger and just eat. This is what I used to eat often in towns along the PCT.

  • Pizza (I'm used to finishing a large pizza by myself)
  • Burger + French fries + Milkshake
  • Mexican food (burritos, tacos) — a staple in California.
  • A motel with a breakfast buffet is a godsend.

With town meals, calorie density is irrelevant. I eat whatever I want, as much as I want. My body, which lost 10kg in 5 months, is now saying, "Give me more!"

03

Trail Recipe Collection

Everything here is something I made on repeat during the PCT. Three shared rules: cook time under 15 minutes, ingredients you can buy at a town grocery store, finishes in one pot.

Recipe ① Tortilla Wrap

Time: 0 min (no cooking) | Calories: ~500–700 kcal | Weight: ~200g

Ingredients:

  • Flour tortilla, 1–2 pieces
  • Peanut butter or Nutella
  • Dried fruit or banana (if you can buy one in town)
  • Honey — if available

Instructions:

  1. Spread peanut butter on the tortilla
  2. Add fillings and roll up

Perfect for lunch or a "dinner on the go." No fire required. Tortillas keep longer than bread — easily a week at room temperature. I ate this almost every day in the desert section. Peanut butter + honey + banana is "the classic trail combo."

Recipe ② Overnight Oats (breakfast upgrade)

Time: 5 min the night before + 0 min the next morning | Calories: ~600 kcal | Weight: ~150g (dry)

Ingredients:

  • Rolled oats, 80g
  • Powdered milk, 2 tablespoons
  • Nuts, dried fruit
  • Honey or sugar

Instructions:

  1. The night before, put oats + powdered milk + water in a container and seal
  2. In the morning, mix in the nuts and dried fruit and eat

Holds to the "no fire in the morning" rule, but more satisfying than a granola bar. This saved me on cold mornings in and after the Sierra. Only on days when there's time in the morning. Putting it in a sealed food canister makes for the perfect overnight cold-soak container.

Recipe ③ DIY Trail Mix

Calorie density: ~5.5 kcal/g | Daily portion: ~200g

My base blend:

  • Mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, macadamia): 50%
  • M&M's or chocolate chips: 25%
  • Dried cranberries or raisins: 15%
  • Pretzels or small dried fish (the salty slot): 10%

Pre-portion daily servings into Ziploc bags. Remix it every time you resupply in town. The blend can be tweaked endlessly to taste, but the trick is including all three of "sweet, salty, fat." If everything is sweet, you'll be sick of it in three days.

Food Canister × Iso COZY recipes

From here on, these recipes use the Food Canister 500 and Iso COZY. The food canister is a 500 ml container (67g) that supports both cold-soaking (rehydrating with water) and hot cooking, and shares the same diameter as a 110-size canister, so it fits inside virtually any cookpot. The Iso COZY is an insulating cover (50g) made with supercritical-foamed PE and aluminum-coated PE, enabling retention cooking by simply steeping with boiling water. Together, they cut fuel use dramatically.

Recipe ④ Ramen Bomb (Food Canister)

Time: 5 min (hot water) / 1–2 hr (water) | Calories: ~600 kcal | Weight: ~150g

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet of instant ramen
  • 3 tablespoons instant mashed potato (or crushed Jagariko)
  • Curry powder (to taste)

Instructions:

  1. Crush the ramen and put it in the food canister
  2. Add the instant mashed potato (or crushed Jagariko) and half of the seasoning packet
  3. Pour in hot water, seal, place in the Iso COZY and wait 3 minutes (or 1–2 hours for cold soak)
  4. Add curry powder, pepper, or the rest of the seasoning to taste — done

A staple recipe many hikers ran on the PCT. The mashed potato soaks up the soup and gives it a chewy texture. Using Jagariko gives it a flavor familiar to Japanese palates. The biggest appeal of the cold-soak version is that it uses zero fuel.

Recipe ⑤ Alpha-Mai Curry (Food Canister)

Time: 20 min (hot water) / 60 min (water) | Calories: ~500–600 kcal | Weight: ~130g

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack of alpha-mai (dehydrated rice), 100g
  • 1 cube of curry roux (or 1 teaspoon curry powder)

Instructions:

  1. Put the alpha-mai and curry roux in the food canister
  2. Pour in hot water, seal, place in the Iso COZY, and steam for about 20 minutes
  3. Done. With water, it cold-soaks in about 60 minutes

The classic way to eat alpha-mai brought from Japan. Individually wrapped curry roux is most convenient. The Iso COZY's heat retention means you can kill the burner the moment you boil water and still get a proper steep. A lifesaver when you start craving Japanese flavors on a foreign trail.

Recipe ⑥ Freeze-Dried Retention Cooking (Iso COZY)

Time: 10–15 min | Calories: depends on product | Weight: depends on product

Ingredients:

  • Off-the-shelf freeze-dried meals (Montbell Risotta, Onishi white rice, Satake Magic Rice, etc.)

Instructions:

  1. Pour hot water into the freeze-dried meal's pouch
  2. Place the entire pouch into the Iso COZY and let it steep
  3. Even slightly under the stated time, the heat retention rehydrates it fully

The Iso COZY fits the package sizes of the major freeze-dried brands — Montbell Risotta, Satake Magic Rice, Onishi Foods, Backpacker's Pantry, MOUNTAIN HOUSE, and more. You just drop the whole pouch in, no fuss. In cold conditions the water can cool down before freeze-dried foods fully rehydrate, but the Iso COZY's insulation keeps them warm and properly rehydrated to the end.

04

How to create a food plan — Days x Weight x Calories

Step 1: Determine the number of days for the interval.

First, determine "how many days it will take until the next resupply point." For the PCT, you can find the distance between towns using the FarOut app or the Halfway Anywhere resupply guide.

Distance between towns ÷ Daily walking distance = Number of days required (+ 0.5 to 1 day buffer)

Example: Kennedy Meadows → Kearsarge Pass = approximately 145km. At a pace of 30km per day, this would take 4.8 days → carry enough food for 6 days (because the Sierra Nevada is at a high altitude and your pace will slow down, so carry extra leeway).

Step 2: Set a daily calorie target.

The daily calorie expenditure on a long trail is 3,000 to 5,000 kcal. This varies depending on pace and weight, but this was my experience.

  • Desert section (30km/day): Approximately 3,500kcal
  • Sierra (25km/day, large elevation difference): Approximately 4,000kcal
  • Second half (35km/day): Approximately 4,500kcal

It's impossible to get all your calories from food from the start (it's too heavy). In reality, it's more like "getting about 80% from food, and the rest from body fat." Weight loss is unavoidable.

Step 3: Choose ingredients based on calorie density

Once you've determined your target calorie intake, achieve it using "the lightest foods possible."

Calculation example (for a daily intake of 3,500 kcal):

meal ingredients weight calorie
morning Granola bars x 2 80g 400kcal
Trail food 200g of nuts + 2 pieces of yokan (sweet bean jelly) + small bag of chips 320g 1,600kcal
night Couscous + Tuna + Olive Oil 220g 670kcal
spare One Snickers bar + dried fruit 100g 550kcal
total 720g 3,220kcal

720g per day x 6 days = 4.3kg. This is the weight of the food that fits in the pack. Adding meals in town and bonus calories (snacks bought in town), you can easily get over 3,500kcal. You can get an idea of ​​the total weight of the pack when you add water.

Step 4: Packing and Handling

  • Divide the food into individual Ziploc bags for each day (take out the "Today's Food Bag" in the morning).
  • In sections where a bear canister is required, we will check in advance whether it will fit within the capacity.
  • The seasonings (salt, spices, olive oil) are placed in separate small packets.
  • I'll pack a little extra food for the last day (as insurance for the contingency day).

This calculation is repeated for each section. Since I refueled more than 20 times on the PCT, I performed this calculation 20 times. It's tedious at first, but after about three times, you'll develop your own pattern.

05

The reality of grocery shopping — what you can buy in an American trail town

The options vary depending on the size of the town.

The supply towns along the PCT range from "large towns the size of a Walmart" to "settlements with nothing but a gas station."

Large towns (e.g., Big Bear Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Bend): They have Walmarts and supermarkets where you can find everything. Nuts, pasta, tuna packs, olive oil, dried fruit. You can buy everything according to your grocery plan.

Small settlements (e.g., Agua Dulce, Belden): Only a small store or gas station. Your options are limited to instant noodles, chips, and candy bars. You'll need the ability to "make do with what you have."

A great ally for Japanese hikers

This is a list of items available in American supermarkets that are suitable for Japanese tastes.

  • Maruchan Ramen - The soy sauce flavor is relatively decent.
  • Idaho Instant Mashed Potatoes - Surprisingly tasty. Butter flavor recommended.
  • Knorr's Rice Side or Pasta Side — Creamy flavored rice/pasta
  • Starkist Tuna Packs — American canned tuna is mainly sold in pouches and is lightweight.
  • Justin's peanut butter in individual packets - conveniently packaged.
  • Tortillas — They last longer than bread. They can be used in anything.

The presence of a hiker box

Many hostels and stores in trail towns have "hiker boxes." This system allows hikers to freely take any unwanted food left behind by other hikers. Being able to replenish your food supplies here can significantly reduce your expenses. I've benefited from this many times myself. Conversely, if you have any unwanted food, you can leave it there. It's a culture of give and take.

Food procurement for trail hiking in Japan

When hiking or trekking in Japan, the sources of food are completely different from those overseas. Convenience stores are overwhelmingly dominant.

  • Convenience store – The ultimate supply base for stocking up on supplies on your way to the trailhead. You can find all kinds of trail food, including rice balls, bread, nuts, chocolate, CalorieMate, rice crackers, dried plums, and more.
  • Supermarkets and drugstores offer items like instant rice, freeze-dried foods, instant ramen, and freeze-dried miso soup. Drugstores also offer good value protein bars and nuts.
  • Mountain huts – Manned huts often sell instant noodles and drinks. However, the prices are two to three times higher than in the lowlands.
  • Outdoor shop – They have a wide selection of freeze-dried foods and instant rice. It's recommended to stock up before you leave.

Food canisters are especially useful for hiking in Japan. They're perfect for rehydrating instant rice or freeze-dried foods bought at convenience stores with hot or cold water. When combined with an Iso COZY stove , they can also be used for thermal cooking, saving fuel.

TIPS: MIYAGEN's food-related gear

Trail Yokan was the trail food I ate every day during the 4,265km PCT. It doesn't melt even in the 40℃ desert, and you can open the package with one hand and eat it straight away. The inspiration for its development came from my experience on the PCT, where I realized I wanted a Japanese trail food that I could eat while walking.

The Food Canister 500 is a 500ml container that allows you to cook, store, and eat all in one place. It can be used for both cold soaking (rehydrating with water) and hot water rehydration, and is perfect for cooking freeze-dried foods and instant rice. Many of the recipes on this page can be made using the Food Canister.

Iso COZY is an insulated cover specifically designed for food canisters. By pouring hot water into the Iso COZY and placing it inside, you can keep food warm while cooking, saving on gas fuel. A major advantage is that it keeps meals warm for longer periods during cold-weather mountain hikes.