Diane - Mom Goes Camping

29 Lightweight Backpacking Meal Ideas (No-Cook and Cold-Soak Options)

Planning meals for your next backpacking trip doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. After years of testing different meal strategies on the trail with my family, I’ve learned that the best backpacking meals are lightweight, calorie-dense, and actually enjoyable to eat after a long day of hiking. In this guide, I’m sharing 29 backpacking […]

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Backpacking Meal Plan Examples (with Calorie Counts)

Planning meals for a backpacking trip doesn’t have to be overwhelming. After years of trial and error on the trail with my family, I’ve learned that taking time to create a proper meal plan is one of the smartest things you can do before heading into the backcountry. A well-thought-out meal plan ensures you have

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Bear Spray 101: Best Brands, How to Use, Most Effective Way to Carry, Common Mistakes and More

The risk of a bear attack while outdoors is incredibly low. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice bear safety tactics when in bear country, one of which is carrying bear spray. There are a lot of misconceptions around bear spray though, and also a lot of mistakes which can result in injuries. After years

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Backpacking Stoves Guide: Your Six Best Options

After 15+ years of backpacking with my daughters across multiple continents—from the Albanian Alps to the trails of Eastern Europe—I’ve learned that choosing the right backpacking stove can make or break your outdoor cooking experience. Unless you’re content munching on Snickers and GORP for days, you’ll need a reliable way to heat your meals on

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What to Do If You Get Sick While Camping

I pride myself on being someone who prepares for everything. I’m always imagining worst-case scenarios and how I’d deal with them (it actually drives my husband crazy because I’m so “pessimistic”). Still, I wasn’t fully prepared the first time I got sick while camping. I’m not talking about a bit of the sniffles. I was

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How to Make a Fire in the Rain

Knowing how to make a fire in the rain is one of my favorite camping skills – and honestly, one of the most rewarding. There’s something incredibly satisfying about getting a fire going in a downpour when everyone else has given up. It makes rainy camping trips actually enjoyable instead of miserable, and yeah, it’ll

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