Storing food while backpacking overnight can be a tricky balance between convenience, nutrition, and weight. Whether you’re out for a single night or on a multi-day trek, you need to make sure your food is stored properly to ensure it doesn’t spoil and that you have enough energy to make it through your journey. Here are some tips for how to store food overnight while backpacking.
Choose Wisely:
When selecting the food for your trip, look for items that don’t require refrigeration and have a long shelf life. Canned, dried and dehydrated foods are ideal because they can last for months without spoiling.
Foods like nuts and seeds also provide plenty of nutrition and won’t spoil quickly. Avoid any foods that require refrigeration or will go bad quickly.
Protect Your Food:
Keep your food safe from animals by storing it in an animal-proof container. This can be a bear canister, a hang bag designed specifically to keep animals out, or simply putting all of your food in an odor-proof bag and storing it away from camp. Make sure the container is sealed tight so no animals can get into it.
Keep Food Away From Heat:
Food should be stored away from direct sunlight or any other source of heat such as campfires or hot rocks. Heat has the potential to cause the food to spoil more quickly, so keep it away from any source of warmth.
Store Food Away From Your Sleeping Area:
It’s important to store your food away from where you sleep as well. Not only does this keep the smell of food out of your sleeping area (which can attract animals), but it also reduces the chances of someone accidentally knocking into the food during the night.
Conclusion:
Storing food overnight while backpacking doesn’t have to be complicated if you use these tips.
Choose wisely by selecting foods with long shelf lives, protect them in an animal-proof container, keep them away from sources of heat, and store them far away from where you sleep at night. By following these simple steps you’ll ensure that your meals remain safe throughout your trip!