Cheap food for hiking and backpacking is something I scour the market for constantly, so I decided to make a dedicated page to the best sales and deals I can find on it!
Amazon has quite a bit of food on sale today that could be used on the trail. You can find everything included in the sale right here (and it’s a lot more than I’m highlighting in this post), but here are my personal picks from the mix:
A 3-pack of Cracker Barrel Macaroni and Cheese is bound to hit the spot after a long day on the trail. It’s a bit of an upgrade from Kraft and Velveeta, and you deserve it for pounding away at those miles! They are a record low price TODAY ONLY (9/12) for $6.37 (average price on Amazon is typically $8.48).
And yes, for all you gram weanies, this may be a bit more weight than you want to carry since it comes with a ready to pour sauce instead of powder, but sometimes the extra weight is worth it for the higher quality product, at least in my world. 😉
Another great buy on Velveeta Shells and Cheese. These are “value size” though, so they’re probably best for a family on the trail (or friends who don’t mind sharing and fighting over portion sizes….wait a minute, it’s kids who do that!). Once again, this is not a powdered variety of mac and cheese so it’s gonna be heavier, if that’s a big deal to you. $11.37 for 3 large pouches, today only (9/12).
There’s a great selection of Lara Bars on sale with a 20% coupon (and some are already reduced in price before you add the coupon). The price varies depending on the flavor you want, but they’re all good deals, bringing the price as low as $0.70/bar! I really like Lara Bars since they come in a big variety of flavors that are all tasty, in my opinion, and they lack any artificial ingredients. I also use these for a healthier “granola bar” option for my kids’ lunch boxes.
Don’t let the listing fool you–you can choose the “one time purchase option” and use the coupon. You’re not required to do the “Subscribe and Save” option to get the benefit of the coupon (although you can knock a little more off the price that way and cancel the subscription before the next shipment, just FYI).
These bars are NOT part of the Amazon Daily Deal mix of food, so this coupon and these prices make stick around a bit longer than the rest of what’s in this post.
Have you ever filtered water in the backcountry that doesn’t taste wonderful? It happens and it’s less than refreshing or satisfying, and if I know I’m hiking in an area with a questionable source I’ll bring along some type of electrolyte replacement powder or flavoring. Today there are several varieties of Mio Water Flavorings on sale, today only (some even have protein and/or caffeine in them), and you can find them all right here.
Several varieties of Crystal Light are also on sale today, including this one with caffeine. After a restless night of sleep backpacking, I know plenty of folks who need a boost of caffeine the next day as they hike! I usually just make an “iced coffee” with a Starbucks Via packet and cold water from a stream, but these sure sound refreshing too!