We love to go camping, even though we don’t get the chance to go very often. Every year, on our labour day long weekend, we go camping with a few of our friends. Once we began our keto journey we had to find food that stored well unrefrigerated or in our ice box (Esky). We love to take salami crisps, cheese crisps, ranch dip and of course some good old bacon and eggs.
Luke Douglas – Author
We would like to introduce you to Luke Douglas from Ripped.me. Luke is a fitness, health and travel blogger. He is editor in chief at blog Ripped.me and one of the contributors at blogs Traveltalk and Fitness Food & Travel.
He follows the trends in fitness, gym and healthy life and loves to share his knowledge through useful and informative articles.You can also find him on Facebook or Twitter.
Camping and Hiking on Keto
As if camping and spending hours walking in nature isn’t challenging enough for your body and mind, as beautiful and restorative as it may be, adding a low-carb diet to the mix makes things all the more taxing. There’s the need for increased calories for more energy during the long hiking routes, as well as regular refeeds and healthy, keto-friendly snacks that will keep you from crashing in the middle of the woods.
However, for a keto devotee, that sounds as if you’d need to pack and bring your entire supply of eggs, bacon, and other not-so-practical goodies. Still, there are ways to make your camping experience comfortable, not burdened by a truckload of food, and to keep you satiated and filled with energy to enjoy your excursion into the lovely outdoors!
Pre-empt those snack attacks
If you are new to the world of keto, perhaps you could consider going a bit more lenient on your carb intake for the duration of your camping trip, simply to avoid getting light-headed too often. On the other hand, if you’re a versed keto fan, then you know that those standard pre-packed snack packs with raisins, dried apricots and other dried fruit are loaded with unwanted sugars.
In case you don’t have a nut allergy of any sort, then you’ll easily cover your munching needs during each and every arduous trek with the right mix of nuts and seeds. Think almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, all of which are mostly fatty and very filling to help you make it until your next full-blown meal. Once again, if you do decide to add a few of those dried fruit varieties, make sure to read the label, as most of them contain added sugar in addition to their own.
Plan your diet and your itinerary
In order to stay in true to your keto diet, you’ll need to spend some time looking into your routes, how often you want to take breaks, when you normally have your meals and when you can expect them in nature. Your body is used to a certain rhythm, and if you are going to abandon that rhythm for a few days, then you need to prep yourself with the right meal plan.
First of all, structure your days by planning out when you will have your main meals of the day, and based on the hours in between, you can even pencil in a few snacks that will come in handy to give you an energy boost. Do you have a particularly steep climb during the afternoon on the second day? You might want to save a really powerful protein bar for those hours. Do you plan to spend a day in the sun? Make sure you divide your meal into several lighter ones to make it more comfortable, while you also plan for proper hydration.
Go through the list
What you choose to bring, pack, and wear makes a huge difference in how much you’ll enjoy the trip, as well as how much energy you’ll have to muscle through the tough bits. If you tend to get hungry when you’re agitated, then you wouldn’t want to pack the most uncomfortable pair of boots in the history of camping to get those cravings all riled up.
To maximize your energy levels and restfulness, make sure you bring the right camping gear for your trip, from the perfect tent that will give you the much-needed shut-eye, all the way to the indispensable multifunctional knife. The same goes for your camping provisions, because you’ll need to double-check you’ve got everything you need, otherwise you might find yourself missing a few cans of tuna!
Best foods on the go
While we’re finally on the best keto foods for this occasion, think in terms of non-perishables that are packed with protein and healthy fats, and foods that aren’t all too complicated to prep. Cans of tuna, sardines, oysters, salmon and other dense seafood are an amazing choice for camping, while beef jerky, canned meats (poultry works best) and hot dogs are also very easy to make and munch on.
If you have room, boiled eggs make for a great snack as well as a full meal, especially when paired with bacon. You can also bring powdered eggs for more cooking options, while dehydrated butter and other meals can do wonders for simplifying your packing process!
Hydrate for those hikes
On an equally essential note, you need to make sure that you bring enough water, keep it fresh in an insulated bottle, and of course, coffee is a must for those winter hikes. However, hot-weather camping means that you’ll need to monitor your electrolytes, so bring those sugar-free powdered electrolytes to mix into your water every now and then.
You already know that being in ketosis means that your body will flush out more water than usual, so it can be a challenge for newbies in keto to stay hydrated. That is why monitoring your water intake and adding a few healthy electrolyte-rich sips is a must!
Thank you again Luke for sharing your advice on camping and hiking on keto! Have you been camping and hiking on keto? What are your favourite snacks to take when you are camping and hiking on keto? Let us know in the comments below.
Leave a Reply