Gluten-Free Camping & Backpacking Foods - They're Grrreat!

Eating gluten-free can be a pain in the butt. I know this not because I am without gluten, but because my day job is waiting tables. That’s right folks, this glamorous, blog-writing lifestyle is just a side gig. Sorry to disappoint you. Fortunately, I have some good news to lift you back up from your dismay over my underwhelming existence. Ready? The backcountry might be one of the easiest places to eat gluten free.

AlpineAire and Natural High sound like a couple of Colorado-based ‘recreation’ facilities, but they’re actually producers of some of the most gourmet, gluten and weed-free backpacking foods you can get your healthy little hands on. AlpineAire foods are actually made in Rocklin, near Sacramento, so we’ve got some local love for them. They’re ultralight, resealable and self-standing pouches have a shelf-life of 5+ years and (most of their 85+ recipes) are ready just a few minutes after adding boiling water and mixing.

I’m talking about dishes like French Vanilla Mousse with Raspberries, Three Berry Cobbler and Bananas Foster. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is, and I practically mainline gluten. If it were this easy everywhere to eat well without gluten, however, I might stop. Why not, right? I mean, given the choice, who’d say, “No thanks, I prefer to be chronically bloated and inflamed.” Tea Party republicans, okay, perhaps you’ve got me there. But I have enough experience with gluten-free foods to know they don’t have to taste bad. My restaurant has this flour-less chocolate cake that’s so soft and lovely, I sometimes make myself a bed of it and jump right in.

If that last line didn’t scare you off, not only do I recommend seeking psychiatric help, but I have a couple last suggestions: Bandito Scramble and Strawberry Granola with Milk, because you deserve a gluten-free breakfast more fulfilling than two packets of GU Energy Gel. So, go to the AlpineAire and Natural High pages at tahoemountainsports.com (linked above), treat yourself to some gluten and guilt-free goodness and go bag yourself some peaks with a happy tummy and taste buds.

Until next time,

SJ

-No preservatives
-No artificial flavors
-No artificial colors
-No MSG
(in the foods, not SJ)

Scott Johns is an adventure cinematographer, mountain biker and snowboarder living in Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. When he’s not creating beautiful imagery for video, he’s out ripping singletrack or shredding big lines in his backyard that we call the Eastern Sierra Nevada.