Trail Meal | Crackers and Stuff

One of my favorite ways to have breakfast, lunch, snack, or even dinner out on hiking trips is to have crackers with stuff on them. Yes, it is not the most original or exciting way of eating, but it can be a quick and high-calorie meal that requires no cooking. Let’s discuss all the different toppings and kinds of crackers you can easily keep in your backpack.

Some crackers are better than others and can be a great lunch or a crumbly mess in your backpack. In different militaries all over the world, there are staples in every MRE or equivalent. Backpacking food and military food often share items.

Crackers with stuff on them are an easy and relaxed slice of home that you can enjoy with a nice view out in the mountains, next to the trail, or stuck inside your tent on a rainy evening, without the need to light up your stove. A spork or knife is all you need to get dirty, which is easily cleaned. Crackers can also be crumbled into soups, stews, or other hiking meals to thicken them up.

Types of Crackers

Not all crackers are as sturdy to take out on the trail, but any cracker can do in a pinch when resupplying in a less-than-stocked grocery store or gas station. Since I am based in Europe I have the most experience with brands and crackers you can get over here, if you have a favorite brand in the US or elsewhere, then please share it with everyone down in the comments.

Dinkel Crackers – DM housebrand

A popular chain of drug/grocery stores in Germany and surrounding countries is DM, they also offer some products that are interesting for backpackers. The crackers they have are one of them, they come in a number of different flavors, and at the time of writing, I see them in sesame and regular. These crackers come in a pack of 100 grams or a pack of 20, and for the whole thing, you’re looking at 426 calories, without any toppings.

You can also get them in a bit more sweet variety, which are the buttercrackers or cookies. These are a tat sweeter but can be combined with any toppings you like. They come in a box of three sets of 5. All of them clock in at 712 calories without any toppings.

Hartkeks or ships biscuit

Knäckebröd

A Nordic favorite and a personal favorite is knäckebröd, which is a cracker that is great to take with you out on hikes. And it can be topped with whatever you want. Take some shelf-stable cream cheese with you for a nice treat for my favorite way to eat knäckebröd out on hikes.

Zwieback

Zwieback or little toasts are also a good option for taking with you, they are however a bit more fragile and bulkier than many other options on this list.

Rice crackers (chickpea, pea, etc.)

My wife also likes to take puffed rice crackers or any other rice substitute, such as chickpeas, on hiking trips. These circular crackers are easy to take and hold up pretty good in a backpack. They can also be easily topped with sweet or salty ingredients.

Hunt around in your grocery store and see what you can find that is shelf stable, chances are you already have a favorite cracker or some in your pantry you can take with you on your next hike.

My favorite combinations

Everybody’s taste buds are different, but to give you some idea of what kind of toppings you can easily find and take with you.

Crackers and Liver

By far my favorite combination of Crackers and stuff is the combo with a small can of shelf-stable liver pate. If you love liver, like I do, you can eat these until you run out of crackers and liver pate. They are just awesome.

Crackers and Sausages

Any type of shelf-stable or dried sausage you can also easily throw on a cracker. Things like salami, fuet, summer sausage, canned ham, etc. Slice some up with your knife and put them on your crackers.

Crackers and Cheese

Cheese is another ingredient you can take with you on hiking, as long as you stick to certain harder or aged kinds. I will cover this in the future in a dedicated article. So follow the blog for more updates!

Crackers and Jam

For the sweet tooth, you can combine crackers and jam or Marmelade. Often in grocery stores and hotels you can pick up little containers of jam that you can easily take with you on backpacking trips. Ideally measured out for a serving. These little cups don’t require you to take a whole jar. You can also find jams in tubes that are a bit easier to take with you. Also nice to put into your morning oats for some more punch.

Crackers and Peanut butter

Peanut butter is another staple among hikers since it packs quite the calorie punch. You can often find them in smaller packages, or else a small plastic jar can be had. Glass for obvious reasons should be avoided, since its weight. Peanut butter can also be found in a tube shape, depending on the region you are in.

Crackers and Butter

Butter will actually last quite alright as long as you can put it in a Ziploc bag or container to avoid a mess in your backpack. Another score you can find in hotels or Amazon is the little cups of butter or margarine that are easy to squirrel away. Combine the crackers and butter with another topping and you have a great lunch.

Crackers and Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is another item you can easily find in the shelf-stable form, and is a great way to bring some flavor into the mix. You can even add some cream cheese to your noodles or pasta for an added kick. A popular brand is the La vache qui rit, but you can also find them in a store brand most of the time. These little triangles of cream cheese are an excellent way to bring some more punch to dishes or eat on a cracker.

Crackers and Honey

Also available in little cups in hotels, grocery stores, or restaurants are the cups of honey you can take with you and add to the crackers. Also great to put into your morning oats.

Crackers and Nutella plus Banana

If you have any favorite toppings or brands of crackers in your area, then please share it with everyone in the comments!

Happy Hiking and Hike for Purpose!