We like to eat. A lot. Although we don't do as much backpacking as we did when we were younger (and in better shape), when we do plan for a long-distance hike, getting our backpacking meals together is always the most time-consuming part of our journey.
For our most recent hiking trip, we decided to try something different - prepackaged backpacking meals for the entire journey. We chose Trailtopia backpacking meals for this hike because they have lots of high-protein options for vegetarians. Plus, they sounded really yummy.
We ate Trailtopia meals for every breakfast and dinner, plus a few lunches and desserts during our four-day hike. Some meals were better than others, but none were terrible. Keep in mind, that we are new to the world of prepackaged backpacking food, so we're basically comparing the Trailtopia meals to the ones that we usually prepare from scratch.
Here are our thoughts about Trailtopia's vegetarian backpacking meals, but first a brief overview.
Trailtopia is a family-run company that began in 2013 after the founder, Vince Robichaud, embarked on a backpacking trip in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains. He made his own food for the trip and was happy enough with the results to launch Trailtopia Adventure Food.
The company currently creates 16 dinner options, 4 lunch options (ramen), 9 breakfasts (oatmeal or eggs), and 9 desserts. Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian meals are available. All meals are created in a from-scratch kitchen in Rochester, Minnesota.
Single-serving dinners start at $6.99 and double-serving dinners start at $9.99. Oatmeal packs are a single serving and run for $2.99. Ramen noodles are $3.99 and serve one.
Reducing our pack weight was a huge factor in our decision to choose prepackaged meals for our trip. Trailtopia meals are lightweight! The meals vary in weight from 2.1 ounces for a single serving of oatmeal to more than 7.8 for a two-serving dinner. A few of the dinners are 5 ounces, so if weight is super important to you, check the weight on the product before purchasing. We are not ultralight folks, so the difference between 5 and 7.8 ounces was not a huge deal for us.
All of the vegetarian meals are made with hemp seed protein. The hemp seeds look a bit like cooked quinoa, and to me, they didn't have a noticeable flavor. Because getting enough protein is important when hiking long distances, I was happy to see that Trailtopia's vegetarian dinners averaged 16 grams per serving, which is on par with their meat offerings. Breakfast oatmeal comes in with 6 grams of protein and the ramen averages 12 grams per serving.
Malinda is hoping we'll share some of our Trailtopia dinner with her!
Now for the fun part. Here are the meals that we tried during our recent backpacking trip and what we thought about each one.
I admit that we loved all the desserts we tried. It must be my sweet tooth coming out!
Waiting for our Trailtopia dinner to "cook."
If you are thinking about trying Trailtopia dehydrated meals on your next backpacking trip, you might as well learn from our mistakes. Here are some tips for making the most of your Trailtopia meals.
This is a great spot to make dinner!
Our favorite Trailtopia meals by far were the Garden Vegetable Pasta and the desserts, but we would eat any of the dinners we tried again. Next time, we will probably do a combination of Trailtopia meals and our own stuff. The dinners offer the most convenience. After hiking all day, I love being able to quickly rehydrate my calories and not clean-up.
We will likely make our own breakfasts to save money and reduce trash. And we prefer our lunches to be cold anyway.
All-in-all, we really appreciated how fresh and flavorful the vegetarian meals from Trailtopia were. We're not total converts to prepackaged meals, but we're definitely swinging in that direction. You can buy Trailtopia Adventure Food on their website and from many online retailers including Moosejaw, which has a great selection of Trailtopia meals.
Want to read more about our camp meals and food prep? Check out these posts!
Tara is a freelance writer and travel blogger with a passion for outdoor adventures. She currently blogs at Back Road Ramblers and Vermont Explored, where she shares travel tips, adventure destinations, and vacation ideas for the wanderer in everyone.