5 Gourmet Backpacking Meals Using Gas Station Staples

The Art of Gas Station Resupply for Hikers

When it comes to preparing trail food, dehydrating your own meals can be a rewarding and efficient approach. However, this method requires a level of organization and planning that not everyone is comfortable with. For those who find themselves in the category of "not quite ready for that level of adulthood," there's an alternative: the ad-hoc gas station resupply.

Resupplying at gas stations is a well-regarded strategy among bikepackers and long-distance hikers. Despite its popularity, many hikers hesitate to fully embrace this method. Common concerns include limited variety and the lack of nutritionally balanced options. While these worries are valid, it's important to remember that peak nutrition isn't typically the top priority when hiking 10 to 20 miles a day. I once met a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail who claimed he was hiking the entire trail on Honey Buns. He was about 65 years old, had a flat nose, and his trail name was Meat. I ran into him along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. I don’t know if he finished, but he did make it that far.

Whether you're aiming to follow in Meat’s footsteps or simply supplement your dehydrated meals with occasional convenience store purchases, knowing what to buy at a gas station is a valuable skill. Keep in mind that food options can vary significantly, and sometimes they may be repetitive. If you're embarking on a long trip, consider bringing a bottle of olive oil and a lightweight spice kit. Soy sauce packets, mayonnaise packets, hot sauce, and other condiments can go a long way in keeping mealtime interesting.

Essential Gas Station Items for Your Trail

Here’s a list of items I often mix and match from while on the trail, along with some trail recipe ideas to spark your creativity.

Breakfast Items

• Oatmeal
• Fresh apples or oranges
• Raisins
• Cereal
• Powdered milk
• Dried fruit
• Poptarts
• Honey buns
• Powdered donuts
• Instant coffee

Lunch Items

• Salami
• String cheese
• Tortillas
• Peanut butter
• Nutella
• Nuts
• Trail mix
• Starkist Tuna pouches
• Saltines
• Pringles
• Potato chips

Snacks and Desserts

• Snickers
• Peanut M&Ms
• Sour Patch Kids
• Goldfish
• Cheez-Its
• Hot cocoa packets
• Brownie mix (stir in water for instant trail pudding)

Dinner Items

• Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese
• Starkist Tuna or chicken pouches
• Instant mashed potatoes
• Ramen noodles
• Roasted peanuts or walnuts (to top noodles or pasta)
• Angel-hair noodles
• Pizza sauce or tomato paste
• Jerky or summer sausage
• Cheddar cheese
• Fritos
• Refried beans
• Minute Rice
• Taco seasoning
• Canned jalapeños (Repackage them in the parking lot and toss the can)
• Eggs (Buy hard-boiled, or boil them in the parking lot and eat within a couple of days)

5 Gas Station-Gourmet Trail Recipes

Here are a few of my go-to convenience-store concoctions. While the following backpacking recipes all involve a meat of some kind, you can make most of them vegetarian by substituting in textured vegetable protein (pack this in yourself), or adding extra nuts or cheese in lieu of meat.

Chicken Pad Thai

• Soy sauce
• Ramen noodles
• Sweet roasted peanuts
• Lime (if available)
• Chili flakes
• Sriracha (if available)
• Starkist chicken pouch

Open the noodles and set the flavor packet aside. Cook the noodles until al dente, then strain, retaining just two tablespoons of pasta water in the pot. Stir in the peanut butter while the noodles are warm. Then stir in the soy sauce and powder from the flavor packet. Top with chicken and peanuts, then drizzle with lime, chili flakes, and hot sauce to serve.

Mac Mash

• Instant mac
• Mashed potatoes
• Cheese (or crumbled Cheez-Its)
• Olive oil
• Summer sausage (or crumbled beef jerky)
• Salt
• Pepper

Cook the mac 'n cheese according to package directions. Once the noodles are al dente, add a scoop of instant mashed potatoes and extra water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese and a protein of your choice.

Pizzadillas

• Pepperoni
• Tomato paste or pizza sauce
• String cheese
• Tortillas
• Canned jalapeños, repackaged into a zip-top bag (optional)
• Canned pineapple, repackaged into a zip-top bag (optional)
• Deli ham, bologna, or summer sausage (optional)
• Olive oil

Heat some oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, spread tomato paste over one hemisphere of a tortilla. Add string cheese and other toppings, then fold in half to make your pizzadilla. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the pizzadilla. Toast on both sides until cheese is fully melted.

Nacho Bowls

• Refried beans
• Minute rice
• Fritos
• Cheese
• Taco seasoning
• Canned jalapeños, repackaged into a zip-top bag
• Hot sauce

Cook the minute rice according to the package directions. When cooked through, stir in taco seasoning. Top with beans, jalapeños, cheese, and Fritos. Drizzle with hot sauce, then serve.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

• Bread
• Tuna pouch
• Mayonnaise packet
• Mustard packet (if available)
• Relish packet (if available)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil

Pour the condiment packets and seasonings into the tuna pouch. Stir to mix. Separately, cut the hard-boiled eggs into thin slices. Drizzle two slices of bread with olive oil and toast in a pan. When toasted, build a sandwich from the seasoned tuna and sliced hard-boiled eggs.