Expedition Food

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What kind of food and meals should I bring on a DofE expedition?

What makes a great expedition meal?

Getting the right food will help you enjoy your adventure. It’s a chance to be creative, and to understand more about rationing and outdoor survival.

Your DofE diet should be compact and easy to carry. It needs to be high in slow-release energy, which will help you throughout your expedition.

To meet your expedition aim you need to plan, prepare and cook a meal as a group but ration packs are great for breakfast or when journeying.

Below are some ration packs that the British Armed Forces use, and you could too!

DofE recommended expedition food

Beyond the Beaten Track’s easy outdoor food options are nutritious and ready to eat hot or cold. They’re small to carry, have durable packaging that won’t split in your bag, and they match the meals you might have at home. Options for different diets include vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher too.

 

 BTBT expedition food pack BTBT expedition pouches  BTBT Desserts

Beyond the Beaten Track Expedition Food Pack

Ambient no refrigeration needed

Day ration packs – 12hrs of ready meals and snacks

Eight menu choices:
4x  standard
2x  vegetarian
2x halal

View BTBT Expedition food packs

 

Beyond the Beaten Track Ready to Eat – Meals

Ambient no refrigeration needed

Choices include:

All day breakfast
Vegetarian sausage and tomato breakfast
Chicken tikka and rice
Chilli con carne
Meatballs and pasta (dairy-free)
Sweet and sour chicken pasta (dairy-free, halal)
Lamb hotpot (gluten free)and more…

View BTBT expedition meals

Beyond the Beaten Track Ready to Eat – Desserts

Ambient no refrigeration needed

Choices include:

Chocolate pudding
Toffee pudding
Rice pudding and more…

View BTBT expedition desserts

All Duke of Edinburgh’s Award recommended expedition food is easy to prepare and won’t break in your rucksack. You don’t need to keep them refrigerated – your bag will be just fine.

Ways to save money on your DofE expedition

Pre-packed expedition food is a convenient way to get the right nutrients for your adventure. And there are lots of everyday foods you can add to keep your costs down:

  • You will need to cook from scratch and plan meals your whole team can share. Split the ingredients, cost, packing and effort between the team.
  • Mars bars, boiled sweets, jelly cubes or Kendal mint cake – just a few everyday foods for that extra energy hit.
  • Save food from other trips such as your practice expedition – it might come in handy again.
  • Use Lifeventure LocTop waterproof bags to pack and protect your rations.
  • Use your exclusive DofE Card or Voucher to claim your discount* in all local GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets, Ultimate Outdoors or Tiso store (Scotland only) and online.
    *Full T&Cs apply 

    For DofE Adults’ discounts, click here.

How to plan a great expedition menu

  • Get creative with cooking to have the most fun possible.
  • Cook in groups – and make your Assessor a food critic.
  • Pack your meals together to save time.
  • Always aim for compact food with lots of slow-release energy.
  • Stay extra safe with Vango hydration packs and Lifeventure water purifying tablets.

For a quick guide to planning your DofE expedition meals, download our popular meal planner here.

Read our blog for recipe inspiration on your expedition.

Expedition food