Cold Soak Recipe Ideas, Stoveless Backpacking Recipes

I spent a good deal of time researching and testing backpacking meals right in my own kitchen, and part of that was no-cook, cold-soaked food. There are real benefits to it: for me, I don't like cooking breakfast or lunch on trail, I want to keep moving, and I want food prep kept to a minimum without sacrificing nutrition. I tested these ingredients at home and then field tested them too — here's what I came up with. Watch here!

The Setup

All of these get mixed in a wide-mouth Talenti jar — nice and durable, and a good size for a single meal. Nutrition numbers below are estimates I worked out per recipe: calories, percent of daily fiber, and percent of daily protein.

Lunch and Dinner Recipes

Refried Bean Tortilla — dehydrated refried bean flakes, rehydrated and mixed with cheese crisps, then eaten in a tortilla or torn up into the jar. Optional: crunched-up Fritos. 550 calories, 45% daily fiber, 50% daily protein.

Pinto Bean Taco — dehydrated pinto beans with a little taco seasoning, cheese crisps, and Fritos. 550 calories, 40% daily fiber, 40% daily protein.

Couscous and Veggies — couscous with dehydrated vegetables (about 15–20 minutes to fully hydrate) plus a packet of tuna or chicken. 350–400 calories, 20% daily fiber, 40% daily protein.

Nut Butter Tortilla — an instant packet of peanut or almond butter on a tortilla with dried fruit (dried cherries, bananas, or cranberries all work well). 550 calories, 50% daily fiber, 50% daily protein.

Instant Potatoes — dehydrated instant potatoes, cheese crisps, and summer sausage. Almost instant to hydrate. 500 calories, 10% daily fiber, 40% daily protein. One tip: some instant potato brands run high in sodium, so look for a lower-sodium option if you can find one.

Rice Side Tortilla — a Mexican or Spanish rice side, cold soaked and eaten in a tortilla with cheese crisps. 650 calories, 24–25% daily fiber, 60% daily protein.

Breakfast Recipes

Protein Oatmeal — my go-to. Oatmeal, a meal-replacement style protein powder (it markets itself as a weight-loss product, but it's really got a full spread of vitamins and minerals along with the protein), and dried fruit. 450 calories, 40% daily fiber, 25% daily protein.

Cereal and Protein — cereal in the cold soak jar with protein powder, water, and dried fruit. 480 calories, 40% daily fiber, 25% daily protein.

Soak Times

Dehydrated refried beans need anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes — 30 minutes is totally edible, but give it closer to an hour if you want a smoother, less flaky texture. Dehydrated vegetables run about 20–30 minutes. Oatmeal is quick, just 5 to 10 minutes. Instant potatoes are basically instant — a couple of minutes and they're fully hydrated. And if you'd rather skip the protein powder, a breakfast essentials packet works too, just with more sugar. Hope this gives you some ideas for your next backpacking trip — happy backpacking!