Trail Mix Recipe Snack Alternatives for Backpacking and Hiking

Are you getting tired of traditional trail mix recipes for your backpacking or hiking trips? Why not mix it up by also including an alternative custom trail mix recipe for a healthy, high-energy snack?

Who says the only valid trail mix snack recipe is a combination of nuts and raisins? That's ridiculous. The best snack for YOU on the trail is a snack that YOU make for yourself from ingredients that YOU like.

Dried Fruit Trail Mix Recipe Ideas

Dried fruit is a fabulous trail mix alternative.

The big advantage of using various combinations of dried fruit as a trail mix snack is that you can customize your own recipe very easily. Dried fruits like apricots, dried apples, dried papaya chunks and others are easy to buy at any grocery store, so you can choose just the items that you really like.

Here's a great starter recipe for a dried fruit trail mix snack: Combine equal parts of

• Dried Apricots
• Dried Apple Slices
• Dried Papaya Chunks or Cubes
• Dried Mango Chunks or Cubes

If you enjoy crunchy snacks then just add:

• Dried Banana Chips

The exact proportions of each ingredient are not as important as the flavors and textures that you enjoy, so feel free to swap other ingredients in and out of the basic dried fruit mix recipe above. For example:

• Raisins
• Dried Cranberries
• Dates

If your dried fruit homemade trail mix seems too sweet, then of course you can add in some nuts like almonds or pecans to make a hybrid recipe alternative that moves back in the direction of the usual GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) and other traditional snacks.

Beef Jerky in a Trail Mix Recipe?

Beef jerky might not seem like it belongs in a trail mix recipe, but it is a very valuable ingredient to include as a trail snack on every backpacking and hiking trip.

Usually, you'll just take the jerky in its own plastic bag (measure large bags of jerky out into smaller plastic zipper bags for convenience), but if you're adventurous and like to experiment with unusual taste combinations, why not try snacking on it along with a dried fruit or traditional trail mix?

The advantages of jerky are:

• Non-perishable for short trips (keep sealed in bags, however)
• Good source of salt to replace what you're sweating out
• Gives your body concentrated bursts of energy without having to eat lots of bulk
• Very savory to balance out your sweet snacks

However, as always, remember to follow the rules of hiking hydration and drink lots of water, especially when using a salty snack recipe.

Have it Your Way on the Trail!

The most important aspect of choosing your snacks for the trail, beyond the nutritional and energy Content, is to use a recipe that you actually like!

Sure, you'll also want to choose ingredients that aren't messy (should you really add chocolate chips for that summertime hike?), but the bottom line is deciding on a combination that you will enjoy.

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