By Jordan Bowman
TheTrek.co
July 20, 2020
Let’s face it: thru-hiker food generally sucks.
Food that is cheap, portable, lightweight, and durable enough to last through trail conditions is typically chock-full of preservatives (namely salt) and seasoned with the simplest ingredients (namely salt). Packets of tuna or salmon, while full of protein, are glorified cat food. Freeze-dried meals, though typically a step up in quality, can cost three times more than standard meals.
And while these foods provide you with the necessary sustenance to power up and down the Appalachians, their “charming” flavors wear off quickly. After constant subsistence on ramen or Knorr sides, most thru-hikers look forward to towns not so much for relief from hiking, but for relief from the bland foods they consume day after day—if I never eat another packet of instant oatmeal, I can die a happy man.