Wherever you hike, a day trip in the Ardennes or a multi-day trek through Sweden or Bosnia, snacks are important!
They are the fuel to be able to continue if it has been raining all the time or if you still have to complete that climb. But what do you take with you?
Here, just as with breakfast, lunch or dinner, tastes and needs vary from person to person. I indicate below what we have experience with.
Sweets
Chocolate is the number one! A nice bar brings a very pleasant feeling especially after a long day of hiking (the endorphins are released!). Chocolate is heavy but brings a lot of fun so it will certainly go with you in the backpack.
Sweets that you can suck on for a long time such as chewing gum, mentos and smints are also welcome. It is nice to have something in your mouth while walking. Also think of sugar such as Dextro Energy (available in different flavors). It immediately gives you an energy boost. And for the enthusiast: liquorice.
Savoury
Trailmix is number one among the savory snacks. Trail mix is actually a mix of sweet and savory. They are salty peanuts or nuts combined with raisins and chocolate or other things you like. You add the chocolate in the form of M & M’s, Smarties or chocolate raisins.
In warm countries I would leave out the chocolate, you can buy trail mix ready-made, but it is cheaper to mix it yourself: a bag of peanuts or nuts, a bag of raisins and anything else you want to add. We count on 125 grams per day for two people. Then you can each take a few hands.
(Candy)bars
Furthermore, we always take a set of bars such as gingerbread bars, evergreens, cliff bar, eat natural or sultana. The average weight is 50 to 70 grams. Another option are candy bars such as Snickers and Mars. You also have them in small, light variants.
Soup
A soup also gives you a lot of energy. The bouillon bags (various flavors) from Opkikker are super light (3.3 grams) and very tasty. Cup-a-Soup is considerably heavier but is available in more flavors. The disadvantage of a soup is that you need boiled water. You can take a thermos flask but it is quite heavy. When we feel like it’s time for a soup, we stop and switch on the burner.
Dried meat
Dried meats like Beef Jerky come in a variety of flavors. It contains almost no fat and is low in calories, but it is high in protein. It is a tasty spicy snack that you can chew for a long time. A bag contains 40 grams, we put the contents of several bags in a ziplock or the daily amount in a small bag. Beef Jerky is for sale at the supermarket and sometimes at the Action for a more reasonable price.
What else?
A piece of fruit, a boiled egg or a piece of sausage. Dried fruits such as dates, apricots and figs are also delicious. For the chip lovers: Bits from Doritos, these are small bags (of 30 grams) with salt. You buy 8 bags for 1.99 at Kruidvat.
Amount
We count on around 130 grams per person per day. But 100 grams per person is also possible. Then you take for example 50 grams of trail mix and 1 bar.
When we pass huts or other supply places, we only take snacks with us for a few days. Snacks are in fact for sale everywhere and easier to get than a breakfast or evening meal.