For those of you worried that eating on the trail means compromising taste, quality, or quantity, think again! Trip menus are designed by the leaders, who choose from a wide variety of options out of our wilderness trip cookbook. These meals include but are not limited to: pizza, macaroni and cheese (from scratch!), vegetable stir-fry, Mexican casserole or burritos, fresh baked desserts, soup and biscuits , hummus and veggie wraps, tuna or chicken salad sandwiches, scrambled eggs and English muffins, pancakes and sausage, French toast and more. Fresh fruit, trail mixes, dried fruit and pretzels to keep us fueled between meals. While our variety of meat, dairy, and vegetables is limited beyond day three or four of a trip, we strive to keep meals as balanced as possible by using dehydrated fruits and vegetables and canned chicken or fish. Cheeses, nuts, and beans become the main protein sources each day, and things like apples, oranges, carrots, potatoes, and onions can keep up to ten days! (Trips over ten days will recieve a ressuply half way through.) Because of the demanding physical nature of many of our trips, we rely largely on simple carbohydrates as a base for many meals. That being said, we will happily accommodate to a participant’s dietary needs whenever possible.

Menu Planning
The amount and type of food that can be carried, as well as the method of cooking, varies greatly. For instance, hiking trips will bring less fresh fruit and vegetables and plan more dehydrated meals to save weight. They cook over small one-burner backpacking stoves and bring minimal kitchen items making one-pot meals, like lentils and cous-cous, or macaroni and cheese, the preferred options. (That being said, brownie mix travels just as well in a backpack as it does in a canoe!) A kayaking trip can bring some of the heavier fresh foods but they too are limited to these small stoves as fires are not permitted on the islands they camp on and bigger stoves will not fit in their boats. Canoeists, sailors, and whitewater kayakers have the option of using two burner gas stoves or an open fire, which means they can prepare meals that require more pots and pans in the preparation. Particpants have the opportunity to fish on these water based trips, and while trout can be a welcome supplement to meals, we don't rely on a catch being the base of any meal.

Allergies, Dietary Needs, and Special Preferences
It is extremely important to let us know about any allergies or food preferences well before the trip (at least 1 month prior) so that the leaders can plan and pack the food appropriately! There are many options and alternatives available to suit your child’s needs, and we are accustomed to packing and preparing meals that are dairy-free, nut-free, wheat or gluten-free, or vegetarian. Sometimes this will mean supplementing an existing meal, like cooking a pot of rice along with macaroni for a wheat-free Macaroni and cheese option, but more often we simply plan the meals around the allergies or preferences. (For example, with a wheat allergy, the leaders could choose to make stir-fry with rice instead of a pasta dish.) Our food and logistics facility can easily accommodate vegetarians, dairy/lactose free diets, and nut allergies, but wheat and gluten allergies get a little more complicated due to the amount of wheat and grain products in our meals, particularly breakfasts and lunches. In these instances it is helpful for you to send along alternatives to bread and cereal. Sometimes parents will also send along a special pancake/biscuit mixes for mornings that pancakes or coffee cake are on the menu. We can occasionally order specialty items from our distributor, so please make it a point to call and talk with us about it!

Fueling with Food!
Our main concern with any participant is that they are consuming enough calories to fuel them for a day of rigorous activity. Chances are, after a few days they will find themselves eating more than they do at home, but it is because they are burning more energy! It is not an option to skip meals, but we will never force a participant to eat more than they are hungry for. Eating balanced meals and drinking plenty of water are two of the easiest ways our trip leaders can be sure that a participant is prepared to face the physical and elemental (weather!) challenges that each day brings. Someone that is well-fed and well-hydrated will have more patience, more energy, will stay warmer in cool conditions, and will think more clearly when faced with a challenge or problem than a person who has low blood sugar and/or is dehydrated. Please let us know if your child has a history of skipping meals, eating disorders, or is particularly choosy about what they will eat. We want to make meals as enjoyable and satisfying as possible for everyone on the trip.

Diabetes
We have at least one trip participant every summer with diabetes. Though our trip leaders are all trained as Wilderness First Responders, we ask that the participant be largely responsible for their diabetes and acutely aware of their needs and how physical activity affects them. Your child's trip leaders and our Health Care Coordinators will be happy to talk with you regarding this. However, if you are concerned about your child’s accessibility to a hospital or emergency medical attention, take into consideration the location of the trip. Coastal trips tend to have fairly quick access to an ambulance or hospital compared to many of our inland trips, but please call us to get more specific information.

contact the wilderness trip office