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Trail Bytes May 2026: Backpacking Menu for Camping Trip
May 01, 2026
Hello Chef,

Dominique and I camped at Unicoi State Park in North Georgia last week. We walked the Lake Trail inside the park, but the main event was hiking Smith Creek Trail from the park to Anna Ruby Falls and back. Camping for two nights allowed us to relax back at the campsite in the evenings, rather than drive two hours back to our home.

The tent site was a short distance in the woods from the parking lot, so we could afford to pack extra gear that we wouldn’t normally carry on a backpacking trip. I thought about buying a Coleman 2-burner camping stove, but backpacking cookware works great for car camping when you cook dehydrated meals.

Our cooking kit included a 1.8-liter pot, canister stove, and windscreen, plus nesting bowls and cups from GSI Outdoors. I own five GSI pots, from the Minimalist up to the Dualist. You can read my reviews here.

We also used a Thermos food jar to rehydrate soup for dinner one night, and to prepare thermos lunches after breakfast.

The Menu

Breakfasts: Pancake Bites with Baked Apples, Instant Coffee with Powdered Milk.

Thermos Lunches: Sausage-Seasoned Ground Beef with Rice & Vegetables, and Stuffed Turkey Loaf with Mashed Potatoes & Vegetables.

Dinners: Butternut Squash Soup. I added ground chicken, spinach, and instant potato flakes to make it more substantial. We drove into Helen, GA for dinner one night.

Extras: Trail Mix, Banana Jerky, Fresh Apples and Buttermilk Biscuits with raspberry jam.

Pancake Bites

Pancake bites are featured in Recipes for Adventure II: The Best of Trail Bytes. The recipe uses soaked ground flax seeds as a binder in place of eggs, and almond milk in place of regular milk. I included one mashed banana in this batch for moisture, but I’ve also made them with applesauce and pumpkin purée.

Method: Pour the batter into a ceramic baking dish lightly coated with cooking oil and bake for 30 minutes. It will rise about an inch and turn golden brown. Cut it into bite-sized cubes and dehydrate at 135°F (57°C) for approximately four hours.

Rehydration: Place dried fruit in pot with water and bring to a boil. After a minute, drop the pancake bites into the pot, but don’t stir them in. Replace the lid and continue boiling for another minute to build up steam. Wait about 10 minutes, then stir the pancake bites into the fruit and serve.

Dehydrated baked apples are our favorite fruit to pair with pancake bites.

Thermos Lunches & Dinner

Photo: Sausage-seasoned ground beef with rice and vegetables.

I tested a serving at home. It has a creamy texture, and the seasoned ground beef and gravy give it a spicy kick.

Explore the Recipes:

Sausage-Seasoned Ground Beef with Rice & Vegetables (New)

Stuffed Turkey Loaf with Mashed Potatoes & Vegetables

Butternut Squash Soup

New Trail Snack:

I added chewy banana jerky strips to the Dehydrating Bananas page which also includes banana chips, banana fruit leathers, and banana puddings.

Explore: Chewy Banana Jerky

Camping Highlights

The hike on Smith Creek Trail from Unicoi State Park to Anna Ruby Falls was 4.4 miles (7 km). It’s a breath-taking location to enjoy a thermos lunch before turning around to hike back to the park.

We didn’t pass a single hiker on the trail, but back at the campsite, a rabbit and woodpecker stopped by for a visit.

We love communing with nature, so we will head out again for more camping and hiking in North Georgia later this month. What are your plans for upcoming outdoor activities? Let us know if we can help with menu ideas, and we always love hearing about your adventures.

Thanks for reading Trail Bytes. See you next month.

Freundliche Grüsse,

Chef Glenn & Dominique

Explore the Backpacking Chef Food Drying & Trail Cooking Gear Guide for gear ideas.

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