Backpacking Spices and Seasonings

One of my “extras” that I pack into my backpacking pack is spices and seasonings. There has been multiple “big box” backpacking meals that I have purchased that got the job done… I was no longer hungry… But it was missing something. Even the homemade backpacking meals need some extra spice every now and then. A dash or oregano to the pasta… or some curry to the rice… you know, the simple things to make me smile. Some would argue that the extra weight in your pack is not worth it… to me it’s a sacrifice that I’ll make.

Of course, naturally you can not fit all the spice bottles that you purchase at the grocery store into your pack. There wouldn’t be any room for the rest of your food! One simple trick I picked up is to use a daily pill container to store about 2 Tablespoons of each spice or seasoning. The one I use was purchased for only 89cents in the pharmacy department of the grocery store.

Wash your container and make sure that it’s completely dry. Fill each section with a different spice or seasoning using a small spoon. I wanted to have the name of each spice labeled on the lids, so I simply took some extra fine sand paper and sanded of the days of the week that were printed on the container. I was then able to label each lid by using an extra fine sharpie.

One final step that I do, just as a precautionary step, is to wrap up the now filled container into a quart sized zip lock baggie. This will further eliminate any spilling inside my pack in case one of the lids shake open while hiking.