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Best Hiking Snacks To Fuel Your Next Adventure

Emily packing trail mix in her backpack which is one of the essentials for your hiking pack

Wondering what some great hiking snacks are to fuel your next adventure? We have constructed a guide of some of the best hiking snacks that will help keep your energy high as you tackle a fun activity. While it might seem like you can bring just about anything, there are snacks that are better suited for hiking to help sustain your energy and keep you hydrated.

When searching for the best hiking snacks you want to strike the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and sodium to keep you fueled appropriately throughout the hike. For example, carbohydrates give you energy quickly, while fats will help you sustain your energy and proteins will keep your belly full. And having sodium will help regulate your hydration along the adventure. So let’s dive into the best hiking snacks to fuel your next adventure.

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Protein Bars:

(Larabar, Clif Bar, RX Bar, Kind Bar)

Emily holding a Larabar which is one of the best hiking snacks to fuel your next adventure
Larabar Snack

Bars are a great hiking snack to fuel your next adventure because they are lightweight, fast fuel and durable. Often the carbohydrates in the bars are easy to digest quickly and the nuts provide adequate fats and proteins to keep you full longer. 

Depending on the bar, many are high in calories, so one bar can keep you fueled for most of the adventure. And to be honest, there are a lot of super delicious bars that are also nutritious, so it’s a win-win in my book!

Some of our favorite protein bars are: Larabar, RX Bar, Clif Bars, & Kind Bars.


Jerky:

Jerky is filled with protein which helps you stay fueled longer. Plus it’s pretty high in sodium which helps your body regulate hydration. It’s that perfect tasty salty snack along the trail.

One of our favorite brands is Chef’s Cut, you can get all different meats from beef, turkey, pork, & chicken. One of our all-time favorite flavors is honey BBQ. They also have tasty meat sticks too!


Trail Mix/ Nuts & Dried Fruit:

Hiking Gear Shop

Trail mix is a classic hiking snack and for a good reason. It provides a nutritious and quick energy boost from the carbohydrates in the fruit or granola as well as sustainable energy from the fat in the nuts.

Plus a little goes a long way, it’s a high-calorie snack, so you only need a little bit to help sustain your energy. Making it the ultimate lightweight snack. Bonus if you find a trail mix with seeds. Seeds are a great source of fiber, and can help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.


Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bars:

Emily holding the Chili Beef Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bar
Chili Beef Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bar

Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bars are probably my absolute favorite hiking snack. If you like jerky, then you gotta give these a try. They aren’t the cheapest hiking snack to pack along, but it will be one of the tastiest, I guarantee it!

They are tender bars packed with meat, veggies, and delicious seasoning. There are seriously so many different flavors to choose from, so I suggest just getting the variety pack!

The health benefits are rather similar to jerky, but also have added veggies which obviously adds a whole other level of health. Check out our full Wild Zora review.

Use code TWOROAMINGSOULS or click the link below to get 15% off your next Wild Zora purchase:


Soley Fruit Jerky:

Emily eating a soley fruit jerky which is one of the best hiking snacks to fuel your next adventure

Soley’s are another one of our favorite hiking snacks to fuel our adventures. They are fruit jerky made with 100% real fruit, never with added sugars, preservatives, or made from purees or concentrates. I will add it has an interesting texture which some people have complained about, but I think they are fantastic!

Our favorite Soley flavors are Mango and Pineapple.


Honey Stinger Stroopwafels:

a bite out of a honey stinger waffle with mountains in the background which is one of the best hiking snacks to fuel your next adventure

These might be one of the most delicious hiking snacks to fuel your next adventure. They literally taste like cookies, but are somehow packed with a natural source of energy and antioxidants from the honey. And a natural mixture of carbohydrates that is better tolerated by the body to help prevent fatigue and enhance overall performance.

Our ultimate favorite stroopwafels are the Salted Caramel from Honey Stinger. Other great brands are GU and Daelmans.


Tuna & Crackers:

Fish on the trail??? It might seem a little strange to bring tuna on a hiking adventure, but fish is a good source of protein, fat and a single 3-ounce container can provide 50% of your daily dose of Vitamin D. And of course, it is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Starkist Tuna has a great shelf life, so it is ready to eat on the top of a mountain or a legendary viewpoint. Pair it with your favorite crackers and you have one of the best hiking snacks to fuel your next adventure!

You could also try some funky flavor variety packs. Or switch it up to salmon or oysters.


Banana & Peanut Butter:

Jake and I love a good banana with some peanut butter. Bananas are high in potassium which can fight off muscle cramps. And again peanut butter or nut butter is high in fat and helps keep you full along your adventure.

Plus there are easy packets of peanut butter or nut butters, so you don’t have to bring the whole jar. The only negative is you have to pack the banana peel out with you, but it’s rather lightweight, so just pack along a ziplock or compostable bag for any garbage. 

Our favorite nut butter packets are: RX Nut Butters


Cheese & Crackers:

While you may not want to bust this out at the end of a long 15-mile hike, for shorter hikes cheese and crackers can be the ultimate snack. Cheese is a good source of calcium, protein and fat. And who doesn’t get excited about cheese?!

If you are on a short hike, then the type of cheese doesn’t really matter as much. But if you plan to have this snack many miles into a hike, then you might want to stick with harder cheese which can last longer without refrigeration. Such as Gouda, Parmesan, Mimolette, etc. Or aged cheeses which can last a few hours without refrigeration without going bad. 

And you can always pair this with a hard salami or pepperoni for that extra protein & sodium. 


Hummus & Veggies:

Another delicious hiking snack Jake and I love to fuel our hiking adventures are hummus and veggies. Again, because most of these items have a shorter duration of being unrefrigerated, it is best to have this as a snack on shorter hikes or earlier in on the adventure.

But I think we all know veggies are the best foods for us to consume every day with great sources of fiber, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and more! Also, hummus is a great plant-based protein. 

Some of our favorite veggies to dip are snap peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and carrots.


Energy Chews:

While energy chews are not particularly my favorite hiking snack, they can provide that quick energy boost you need out on the trail. Energy chews are designed to release energy quickly and replenish glycogen stores.

And these are great if you are just looking for an energy boost, but not particularly hungry. This snack isn’t super high in calories but can get you that extra energy you need to reach your destination. 

A few good energy chews are: Honey Stinger, Clif Bar, Pro Bar and GU.


Other Best Hiking Snacks Essentials:

Reusable Bags or Container: If you are packing a snack that isn’t already pre-packaged, consider using a reusable bag or container to help reduce unnecessary waste.

Insulated Lunch Bag: For some of the hiking snacks that might be best kept cold, you could always add an insulated lunch bag to the mix. That way you can enjoy a cold snack at the top of the mountain or at your end destination. Because let’s be honest, after a long hike in the hot summer heat, a nice cold snack might be just what you need! And well, if you are hiking later in the day, a nice adult beverage might be an added cherry on top! 😉


Leave No Trace/Erase A Trace: 

ALWAYS pack out your trash. That includes any fruit peels or core or anything you might accidentally drop on the ground. 

You might think, oops, I dropped a nut on the ground, it’s fine a squirrel will love it. But ultimately this is bad because then the little critters get used to this snack and will likely come back for more.

Have you ever been on a trail and a squirrel basically runs up your arm to jack the pile of trail mix out of your hand? Well, that is most likely because they once got a taste of some of our snacks. It’s never a good idea to feed the wildlife.

Our foods tend to be higher in calories and much more processed than their food. And this can be harmful for humans as wildlife becomes more aggressive.

Like we always say, what’s better than leave no trace? Erase A Trace. Help out by picking up any trash you see along the trail. I hope no one is maliciously leaving trash behind, and it might be an accident. So if you see a wrapper or maybe water bottle, pick it up and properly dispose of it. We always try to bring a small trash bag with us, so we can get rid of any extra trash along the trail.  

Enjoy your time out on the trail with these best hiking snacks to fuel your next adventure! 🙂


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