# Breakfast ideas for overnighters



## Scott n (Jul 18, 2017)

Hi all, share you favorite breakfasts for overnight trips. I usually do mountain house eggs and a pack of instant grits, or instant oatmeal with dried fruit. What do you take? I need some new ideas.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

For short trips, I love bringing some hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. I also dehydrate strawberries, bananas, etc. If it's just an overnighter, you can also pre-cook bacon and wrap it in foil for the morning.


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## seedub (Nov 16, 2005)

Ditto on the eggs, but lately I've been bringing raw eggs, boiling them at night and/or morning. They last long at ambient temps believe it or not. The little 2 egg plastic carriers work well if packed in soft bags like bikepacking seat packs - not so good in a bag strapped to a rack (personal experience). Muslix supplemented with Smithammer's dehydrated fruits is another staple of mine.


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Overnight one could crack fresh, cold raw eggs in a thermos. I like whole rolled oats, raisins, brown sugar with a few of those shelf stable 1/2 oz creamers that don't need refrigeration. Not a fan of instant.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

leeboh said:


> ...Not a fan of instant.


Agreed. But if you're going to go the instant route, it's worth seeking out the higher quality (usually steel cut) options - they seem to last longer in the belly. The cheap instant oatmeals are largely a sugar rush that usually leave you hungry an hour later.


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## Quercus agrifolia (Jan 30, 2005)

Hella boring, but def like steel cut oats (instant, but not really) with trail mix and one of those Justin's peanut butter packages. That, plus coffee, is a solid start to the day.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

I usually do eggs as well with some quality sausage and potatoes. I like the precooked bacon idea. I've also done hard cheeses with salami's, pancetta, or porchetta and fruit. Coffee for sure. I enjoy cooking on a fire & typically only break out the oatmeal on bigger trips.


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

I usually do rolled oats, instant milk (enough that it is equivalent to putting in milk instead of water), a bunch of dehydrated fruit (apricots, raisins, craisins, blueberries or cherries) and a ton of walnuts. I go heavy in the walnuts so that it sticks with me, and the instant milk helps too.


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## dh024 (Dec 11, 2010)

I love breakfast burritos. I rehydrate dried egg powder mixed with a bit of dried onion flakes and seasoning inside a ziploc, and then stick the sealed bag in a pot of boiling water until cooked. (The water makes coffee after). Most brands of that pre-cooked bacon don't require refrigeration, so I toss in a few slices with the scrambled egg mixture inside a flour tortilla along with some picante sauce (you can get the small packets at Taco Bell or TacoTime). Rehydrated beans, fresh avocado, and/or tomato are wonderful, too.

Another staple is either home-packaged instant oats (I like dried cherries with sliced almonds and vanilla sugar) or pre-packaged oats (QuakerOats Supergrain cereal is fantastic, and very filling - Product: Hot Cereals - Quaker Instant Oatmeal Supergrains, Apples and cinnamon | Quakeroats.com) along with some dry-cure chorizo sausage or salami. Not sure why that combination goes so well together, especially with a good cup of coffee, but I eat it almost every trip.

I have done cold breakfasts, but they aren't as satisfying for me. Whole milk powder mixed with dry cereal (e.g., granola or Corn Puffs) is pretty easy and fool-proof, as long as I have cold water to start with.


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## VeloMax (Mar 18, 2017)

I don't bring a stove. Breakfast for overnighters is usually a couple Lara Bars or Pro Bars, and some cold Starbucks instant. I used to bring a lot of stuff and fuss about making meals. Not any more.


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## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

I eat the other half of what I cooked last night, basically a packet of a rice side with a foil pack of chicken chunks, enough for 2 huge meals. The only down is I have to eat breakfast before I can use the pan to heat water for coffee.


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## alias (May 9, 2005)

If you are a bit motivated I have found that making a few breakfast burritos at home, then wrapping them in Alu foil and freezing them is just great. Stuff the frozen treats into a sweater in your frame bag for a bit of insulation, then throw them (still in the foil) on a fire or directly on your stove in the morning. You get to enjoy a hot tasty breakfast with zero camp clean up. You will not regret the preperation effort I guarantee.


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## connolm (Sep 12, 2009)

I have "complete" pancake mix in a zip loc bag. Just add water. I bring just enough for three pancakes. I carry some syrup in a "vodka mini" bottle.

Hot breakfast!

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk


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## qnelson (Jul 31, 2017)

Last overnighter I ended up have starbucks via, a couple of stroopwaffles, and this weird packet of maple syrup ( I think its just regular maple syrup?) that some one at work gave me from their most recent REI trip. https://www.rei.com/product/110022/untapped-slopeside-syrupI love a warm stroopwaffle in the morning and pouring the maple syrup on it was even better.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

All of the above ideas are good, and they work great.

When I don't feel like bringing a stove for whatever reason, my breakfast will usually include 2 pop tarts (the groovy hippie kind with non-nuclear ingredients), 2 pieces of string cheese, and if the day is going to be _really_ big, a hunk of meat of some sort. Maybe a piece of jerky, or sausage, maybe a Tanka bar or similar.


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## Central Scrutinizer (Aug 30, 2005)

On a multi-day backpacking trip last year, even though I had a stove for dinners, I prepared no-cook breakfasts so that I could break camp & get going quicker. I made individual packets for each day, containing muesli, dried fruit, nuts & seeds, powdered milk, powdered eggs, etc. In the morning, just add water, stir, and get going. After 1/2 hour or so, the water's absorbed and it's ready to eat.

For morning coffee, I've settled on pre-made concentrated cold-brew, which works great. No grounds to mess with, tastes great, quick & easy to prepare. Just add water (hot or cold, as desired) to dilute and it's ready.


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## zazen (Sep 15, 2005)

I normally only heat up water for coffee and eat a cold breakfast. My go to has been DIY trail bars with some instant Starbucks Pike Place coffee.This mix is dead easy to make and calorie dense, which makes for a good start to the day. Quinoa/oats/chocolate make a good base, then add what you like. 

Latest batch:

1 cup quinoa
chocolate chips
rolled oats
almonds
sunflower seeds
pastachios
dried cranberries/raisins
honey
chia seeds
cinnamon

Mix it all together when the quinoa is still hot so the chocolate melts. Roll with a rolling pin, refrigerate, cut into bars. These lasted a full week of bikpacking out on the Colorado Trail. Pretty tasty too.

Matt


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## VeloMax (Mar 18, 2017)

zazen said:


> I normally only heat up water for coffee and eat a cold breakfast. My go to has been DIY trail bars with some instant Starbucks Pike Place coffee.This mix is dead easy to make and calorie dense, which makes for a good start to the day. Quinoa/oats/chocolate make a good base, then add what you like.
> 
> Latest batch:
> 
> ...


How much oats and chocolate? Does the chocolate and honey bind up the rest of it?


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

We made up a bunch of these for a trip this past spring - they were awesome for breakfast and kept my belly full till lunchtime:


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## Scott n (Jul 18, 2017)

WHALENARD said:


> I usually do eggs as well with some quality sausage and potatoes. I like the precooked bacon idea. I've also done hard cheeses with salami's, pancetta, or porchetta and fruit. Coffee for sure. I enjoy cooking on a fire & typically only break out the oatmeal on bigger trips.


Baby bell and string cheese both last for multiple days as well.


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## Scott n (Jul 18, 2017)

zazen said:


> I normally only heat up water for coffee and eat a cold breakfast. My go to has been DIY trail bars with some instant Starbucks Pike Place coffee.This mix is dead easy to make and calorie dense, which makes for a good start to the day. Quinoa/oats/chocolate make a good base, then add what you like.
> 
> Latest batch:
> 
> ...


I had made some of these before with brown rice syrup. It tasted just like a kind bar.


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## zazen (Sep 15, 2005)

Original recipe courtesy of Trail Mix Quinoa Energy Bites | The BakerMama

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

2 cups cooked quinoa

1-1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup pistachios

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

I've since added chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, etc.

I add maybe 1/2 cup chocolate chips and add the honey towards the end and have not had any issues. Definitely sold on the DIY energy bars.

Matt


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## RadBartTaylor (Dec 1, 2004)

Overnights oats are easy too. Put oats + water in before you go to bed, come morning, your are quite a bit closer to eating. Rolled oats are almost edible without cooking, something like steel cut it drastically cuts down on cooking time.

Dried fruit, nuts/nut butter, coconut oil packets (individual servings at Trader Joes) and honey. 

I love coffee by itself, but when in a hurry I mix a Starbucks Via packet in w/oatmeal....


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## Bradym77 (Nov 22, 2011)

Gotta say I love the idea of the breakfast burritos. I've started experimenting with turkey sausage crumbles, rice, bbq sauce, and bacon. The rehydrated meals have definitely started to become less than desirable.


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## Matterhorn (Feb 15, 2015)

I swear at one point I was reading a quinoa recipe. Sounds great. 

From what I see I'd say Wild Turkey and/or coffee seem to be popular choices. Then a big ride followed by mexican food. 

Personally I just throw in whatever food I have on hand. Left-overs, bacon, fruit, etc.. no wrong answer.


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## VeloMax (Mar 18, 2017)

Matterhorn said:


> I swear at one point I was reading a quinoa recipe. Sounds great.
> 
> From what I see I'd say Wild Turkey and/or coffee seem to be popular choices. Then a big ride followed by mexican food.
> 
> Personally I just throw in whatever food I have on hand. Left-overs, bacon, fruit, etc.. no wrong answer.


I could go for the Wild Turkey and coffee, but after a Mexican lunch, my wife won't let me sleep in the tent that night.:smilewinkgrin:


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## NickSmolinske (Mar 8, 2008)

I don't like to cook in the morning, so I usually just do a bar or two with a nut butter packet. The nut butter packet adds fat and protein and makes it a more complete meal than just eating a bar.

As for what type of bar? I would be amiss not to plug my local favorite Huppybar. I probably eat those 50% of the time. The other 50% is a rotation of whatever looks good at the grocery store the night before my trip. I have learned that brand loyalty when it comes to granola bars is a terrible idea, since I will get sick of just about any flavor if I eat it enough.


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## ACosta (Mar 6, 2016)

I love bread. Cured meats and cheese on bread. Has protein and carbs.

Cured meats last a long time even if not refrigerated. Depending on the type of cheese, it lasts a long time also. Only have to be careful when it's really hot outside.

For those of you that carry raw eggs in a cooler. Keep in mind that eggs are not kept refrigerated in stores in many countries.


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## Nube on a Tube (Oct 25, 2016)

Not a bike packer, but I commute to work. I take a mason jar with overnight oats. 3 parts uncooked large flake or steel cut oats (not instant), 4 parts soy milk (use dairy or almond if you prefer), add cinnamon and sugar to taste if you like. Mix with a spoon and top off the jar with berries or chopped fruit. I leave that in the fridge overnight. But for an overnight bikepacking trip you could just mix it all up and go. If you want more fats and protein, add some chopped nuts and seeds. I usually add a heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed.


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## VeloMax (Mar 18, 2017)

ACosta said:


> I love bread. Cured meats and cheese on bread. Has protein and carbs.


Same here. I like to get any kind of cured hard sausage. If you keep it out of the weather, and keep it relatively cool and dry, it'll last for days without refrigeration. Bread, meat, and cheese (and beer) was a staple for me in Germany when I lived there. I would not go hiking without it! As far as bread goes, any good sturdy bread will do, but there are also very tasty and hearty crackers too. A bota bag with some good red in it was king back then also.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Just got a protein bar at the local food co-op for lunch. I was intrigued by the contents, which are clearly shown on the package: 







There are other flavors that vary the kind of nuts (almonds, peanuts)
Just seems like it would be easy to gather the ingredients and go to town, maybe add some whey protein, for a DIY option.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

When camping I want warm liquid in the morning. So some kind of hot cereal, and coffee or cocoa. Jetboil for water. No other cooking. Every time I've ever tried to cook eggs and meat while backpacking, it's been a disaster.

Incidentally the spoon that comes with a McFlurry works great for the Jetboil, as well as tin cans and other deep things.

I'd still like to try a trip someday with hard tack and salt pork and lime juice but I'm worried I'd come home with kidney stones!


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## seedub (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm intrigued. BITD I used to live on this also for budget skiing meals. No issues with the heat &/or rain endured in a multi-day BP trip? No rotten, slimy, smelly issues in bear/raccoon/possum/coyote/ant country? GI issues after several days? What has been your experience? I've always packed with kosher multi-grain. whole wheat bagels, they last almost a week and stand up to compression packing surprisingly well (not aesthetically, but functionally)


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## DirtyHun (Jan 9, 2011)

I miss the self-heating coffees that used to be more available.

When I camp while hiking, I am more elaborate, but on the bike, Bear Naked Peanut Butter Bites and Duke's green chile shorty sausages plus a Via.


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## lmike6453 (Sep 14, 2017)

I've been doing my custom muesli mixture for years. Just add water:

- 4 tablespoons rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- handful of raisins 
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Sometimes I add spiriluna to get veggies on 3+ day trips. Other things that go well with it is sunflower or pumpkin seeds. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

A few people have mentioned *Bucks Via... that was a change that made me put away my coffee press. It's good enough. Before that I was trying the Folgers teabag-style, not nearly as good.


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