Brand hub

Backpacker's Pantry

33 meals, 3rd-largest catalogue we track - and near-universal diet-tag coverage: 32 of 33 carry at least one label, versus zero across Mountain House's 41.

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5 of 15 of the cheapest meals per 1,000 kcal in our whole 284-meal database are Backpacker's Pantry - more of that top-value list than any other of the 14 brands.
32 of 33 meals carry at least one diet tag - the broadest coverage of any sizeable lineup we track, second only to Strive Food's 7 of 7, while Mountain House, the largest brand, tags none of its 41.
  • 33meals in our DB #3 of 14 brands by size
  • 115.5avg cal/oz (408 kcal/100g) #13 of 14
  • 45.4avg protein g/1,000kcal #8 of 14
  • $20.84avg cost/1,000kcal #6 cheapest of 13 priced
Granola with Blueberries, Almonds & Milk package, Backpacker's Pantry

Brand profile

Sources: backpackerspantry.com/pages/our-story · Outdoor Industry Association, 75th-anniversary release · backpacker.com, Best Backpacking Meals · Wide Open Spaces, Backpacker's Pantry Review

Who Backpacker's Pantry suits - and who should look elsewhere

Built from the 284-meal database, not opinion - the same facts anyone can check in the table below.

Good fit if…

  • You're eating around a specific diet: 32 of 33 meals carry at least one diet tag - 23 gluten-free, 19 vegetarian, 24 nut-free, 12 dairy-free, 8 vegan, and 8 soy-free - the broadest diet-tag coverage of any sizeable lineup we track, with only Strive Food (7 of 7) tagging a larger share of its own, smaller catalogue.
  • You want dessert on the trail: 4 of 33 meals are desserts (Crème Brûlée, Dark Chocolate Cheesecake, Mango Sticky Rice, Blueberry Peach Crisp) - a slot Mountain House, the largest brand we track, skips entirely.
  • You're comparing cost per calorie: all 33 of 33 meals carry a real price, and its two Granola flavors are tied for the 4th-cheapest meal of any brand in our 284-meal database at $11.27 per 1,000 kcal.

Look elsewhere if…

  • You want the lightest pack per calorie: 115.5 cal/oz on average, #13 of 14 brands - only Trailtopia (107.0) is less dense, meaning more ounces carried for the same calories than Peak Refuel (145.3) or Mountain House (131.0).
  • You have a milk or egg allergy: milk appears in 21 of 33 meals and egg in 10 - broad diet-tag coverage does not mean an allergen-light lineup, check every label.
  • You want a standalone trail snack: 0 of 33 meals are tagged snack - the lineup is breakfast (6), main (23), and dessert (4) only.
Granola with Blueberries, Almonds & Milk package, Backpacker's Pantry
Our pick

At $11.27 per 1,000 kcal, Granola with Blueberries, Almonds & Milk is the single best value in the Backpacker's Pantry lineup - and tied for the 4th-cheapest meal of any brand in our 284-meal database. It's also the brand's 4th-densest meal at 132 cal/oz, with 16 g of protein in a 620-calorie breakfast pouch for just $6.99.

Source: Granola with Blueberries, Almonds & Milk on backpackerspantry.com

Every Backpacker's Pantry meal in our database

33 meals, sorted by calorie density by default - click a column header (or focus it and press Enter) to re-sort.

Crème Brûlée
138 486 kcal/100g
620 12 12.89 4.5 oz128 g Gluten-freeVegetarian
Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Check price
136 478 kcal/100g
610 13 13.10 4.5 oz128 g Nut-freeVegetarian
Rocky Mountain Scramble Check price
135 475 kcal/100g
310 19 35.45 2.3 oz65 g Gluten-freeNut-freeVegetarian
Granola with Blueberries, Almonds & Milk
132 465 kcal/100g
620 16 11.27 4.7 oz133 g Gluten-freeVegetarian
Granola with Bananas & Milk Check price
132 465 kcal/100g
620 16 11.27 4.7 oz133 g Gluten-freeVegetarian
Summit Breakfast Scramble Check price
129 454 kcal/100g
270 18 40.70 2.1 oz60 g Gluten-freeNut-freeVegetarian
Pad Thai with Chicken
127 448 kcal/100g
850 42 15.28 6.7 oz190 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeSoy-free
Mango Sticky Rice
127 447 kcal/100g
570 6 14.02 4.5 oz128 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freeVeganVegetarian
Hatch Green Chile Mac & Cheese Check price
124 439 kcal/100g
460 21 17.37 3.7 oz105 g Nut-freeVegetarian
Pesto Pasta with Chicken
123 435 kcal/100g
580 38 22.40 4.7 oz133 g Nut-free
Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal
123 435 kcal/100g
530 16 13.19 4.3 oz122 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeVeganVegetarian
Pad Thai
123 432 kcal/100g
760 24 13.14 6.2 oz176 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeSoy-freeVeganVegetarian
Three Cheese Mac & Cheese
121 428 kcal/100g
510 24 19.59 4.2 oz119 g Nut-freeSoy-freeVegetarian
Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken
118 416 kcal/100g
590 40 22.02 5.0 oz142 g Nut-freeSoy-free
Blueberry Peach Crisp
117 414 kcal/100g
540 9 16.65 4.6 oz130 g Gluten-freeVegetarian
Stroganoff Sauce, Mushrooms, and Beef
117 412 kcal/100g
350 21 22.83 3.0 oz85 g Nut-free
Fiesta Beef and Vegetable Bowl Check price
116 408 kcal/100g
520 31 24.98 4.5 oz128 g Gluten-freeNut-free
Lasagna
113 398 kcal/100g
620 29 16.11 5.5 oz156 g -
White Bean, Chicken, and Green Chile Stew Check price
113 397 kcal/100g
540 46 24.06 4.8 oz136 g Gluten-freeNut-free
Pasta & Spring Vegetables with Butter Sauce
111 392 kcal/100g
300 14 26.63 2.7 oz77 g Nut-freeVegetarian
Shepherd's Potato Stew with Beef Check price
110 389 kcal/100g
430 27 30.21 3.9 oz111 g Gluten-freeNut-freeSoy-free
Risotto with Chicken
110 387 kcal/100g
570 32 22.79 5.2 oz147 g Gluten-freeNut-freeSoy-free
Mushroom Stroganoff
109 385 kcal/100g
590 22 16.93 5.4 oz153 g Nut-freeVegetarian
Chana Masala
107 377 kcal/100g
620 19 16.11 5.8 oz164 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freeVeganVegetarian
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy with Beef
106 375 kcal/100g
330 16 24.21 3.1 oz88 g Gluten-freeNut-free
Drunken Noodles with Chicken Check price
104 368 kcal/100g
490 27 26.51 4.7 oz133 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-free
Santa Fe Style Rice & Beans with Chicken Check price
104 365 kcal/100g
590 41 22.02 5.7 oz162 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freeSoy-free
Kathmandu Curry Check price
102 360 kcal/100g
470 22 21.26 4.6 oz130 g Dairy-freeGluten-free
Cuban Coconut Rice & Black Beans Check price
102 359 kcal/100g
600 24 16.65 5.9 oz167 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freeSoy-freeVeganVegetarian
Beef Bolognese
100 353 kcal/100g
480 28 27.06 4.8 oz136 g Nut-free
Louisiana Red Beans & Rice
100 353 kcal/100g
330 13 24.21 3.3 oz94 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freeVeganVegetarian
Cinnamon Apple Oats
100 353 kcal/100g
320 10 21.84 3.2 oz91 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freeVeganVegetarian
Three Sisters Southwestern Quinoa & Beans Check price
85 300 kcal/100g
400 16 24.97 4.7 oz133 g Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freeVeganVegetarian

Where the data says Backpacker's Pantry is strong - and weak

Computed from all 284 meals in our database, not opinion.

Strong

  • Best value coverage of any brand: 5 of the 15 cheapest meals per 1,000 kcal in our 284-meal database are Backpacker's Pantry, led by both Granola flavors at $11.27 - more than any other of the 14 brands.
  • 32 of 33 meals carry at least one diet tag (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, or nut-free) - the broadest coverage of any sizeable lineup we track, second only to Strive Food's 7 of 7, while Mountain House, the largest brand we track, tags none of its 41.
  • Full price coverage: all 33 of 33 meals carry a real USD price, unlike Radix Nutrition, which publishes no usable price at all in our data.
  • Cheaper on average than most of the field: $20.84 per 1,000 kcal, the #6-cheapest of the 13 USD-priced brands we track - below Mountain House ($23.31), Good To-Go ($25.28), and Packit Gourmet ($28.56).

Weak

  • Near the bottom on calorie density: 115.5 cal/oz average, #13 of 14 brands - only Trailtopia (107.0) is less dense, versus Peak Refuel's 145.3 or Mountain House's 131.0.
  • No snack meals: 0 of 33 meals are tagged snack - the lineup is breakfast, main, and dessert only.
  • Mid-pack on protein: 45.4 g per 1,000 kcal, #8 of 14 brands - behind Packit Gourmet (66.6), LyoFood (60.3), Campers Pantry (55.8), Wild Zora (55.1), and Mountain House (52.7). Its one standout is White Bean, Chicken, and Green Chile Stew, tied for the 14th-highest protein-per-1,000-kcal meal (1 of the top 15) in our whole database at 85.2 g.
  • Serving size is undocumented: 0 of 33 meals in our data have a published servings count, so we cannot compute a reliable price-per-serving the way we can for Peak Refuel's uniform 2-serving pouches.

What people say

Independent reviews of Backpacker's Pantry, quoted briefly, each outlet linked once. We have not tested these meals ourselves - this is what other outlets report.

“Backpacker's Pantry is a brand to avoid”

“They were a lot better than I expected”

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Peak Refuel

Only 20 meals, but the highest average calorie density of any brand in our database - the tradeoff Backpacker's Pantry makes for its wider diet-tag coverage.

View Peak Refuel →