True fact: the longest hike I’ve done was just five days, and I had a car to take me from mountain to mountain (and restaurants and supermarkets in between), so I’ve never actually had to pack campfire provisions beyond s’mores and red wine. However, even if you’ve only done a day hike, you know your food options beyond granola bars and those gross gel shots are slim. Sandwiches get hot and mushed, and there are only so many combinations of fruit + power bar that you can stomach before you crave something real to eat.
Fortunately, Patagonia has expanded its Provisions line to include packets of Tsampa soup, a “high-altitude power food” based on the Tibetan staple of roasted barley that the company’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, ate when he started hiking the Himalayas in the mid-‘70s. (You can watch the ‘inspiration’ video here, but be warned of gratuitous shots of food falling in slow-motion.)
It’s true, most dry soup mixes suck, but if anyone can get it right it’s Patagonia. The best part is you don’t have to worry about whether the ingredients are certified-organic and non-GMO (sorry, Campbell’s). And you can always spice it up with some of Patagonia’s sockeye salmon or a hunk of parmesan cheese—both hiker-friendly staples.
If you’re only headed out for a day on the trail, you can cook it up at home before and keep it a Klean Kanteen, or bring some enamelware camping supplies from Best Made Company (below) or L.L. Bean’s more expansive line to cook it up on the trail.
