In my opinion, cheese makes any meal better.
And being able to eat something so savory and satisfying becomes ten times more valuable when backpacking. So if you like cheese and you’re not already bringing it with you on your backpacking trips, you need to start; now.
Cheese is delicious like few other backpacking foods, and believe it or not, it’s actually pretty nutritious (in a backpacking context at least). It contains high amounts of calcium, protein, and healthy fats, as well as salt that’s especially important when you’re working hard and sweating a lot.
On top of that, it’s pretty calorically dense, ranging from 110 to 125 calories per ounce. It’s basically a perfect backpacking food, and having a little real food to mix in with your freeze dried options is a huge morale booster.
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What type of cheese can you take backpacking?
The issue with cheese is that not every type works for backpacking. Most people are used to keeping cheese in the fridge, and for good reason. Some cheeses will go bad in just a couple hours, but there are many cheeses that don’t actually need refrigeration at all.
I made a list of some of my favorites below to help you out in deciding, but in general you’ll be safe if your cheese has these three qualities:
- Firm or semi-firm
- Aged
- Low Moisture
Cheese is already a microbial culture (a little more about cheese science here) so if it’s been given enough time in the right conditions, it will gradually lose moisture and become fairly shelf stable on its own. In fact, making and aging cheese was a method of preserving dairy hundreds of years before refrigeration, and it remains that way today.
So if you have an aged, firm cheese, it’s probably safe to bring with you and should last several days. Here I have to emphasize “probably safe”, though, because the FDA recommends not leaving any cheese out of the fridge for longer than two hours. Eat 121 minute cheese at your own risk.
With that, here are some of the best cheeses to bring with you on your next backpacking trip.
1. Cheddar
I’m starting with cheddar because everybody loves it, and it’s the first cheese you’d think to bring backpacking. Lucky for us, cheddar is a great backpacking cheese. My favorite way to eat cheddar is with beef jerky, but you can eat it pretty much however you want and it’ll still taste great.
2. Gruyere
When I visited Switzerland and stayed with a friend who grew up there, I was ecstatic to learn that their daily breakfasts consist mostly of bread, jam, and cheese. The only issue was the only cheese they ate (for breakfast) was Gruyere; a cheese I didn’t know anything about.
Turns out I didn’t need to worry, because Gruyere is delicious (it’s often the main cheese in fondue). It’s mild and nutty, and you can eat it however you want. Slice a piece by itself, eat it on a cracker, or if you really want to get fancy, melt it into your Mountain House Lasagna for a flavor explosion.
3. Parmesan
Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano, is another fantastic backpacking cheese. While you can (and I often do) eat it by itself, Parmesan is a cheese primarily used for grating (though you should buy it in block form for flavor and preservation). Use it to top spaghetti or really any kind of pasta and you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor.
4. Asiago
Asiago is very similar to Parmesan in flavor and use. Grate it into pastas for best results.
5. Gouda
Gouda is great for a couple reasons. The first is that it usually comes encased in wax, making it long-lasting and easy to pack. The second is that gouda is often used as kind of a base for lots of interesting flavor combinations. There are tons to choose from, but some of my favorites are smoked, black pepper, and jalapeno, and I’ll often just eat it by itself or on crackers.
6. Edam
Edam is similar to gouda (it’s the “original” Babybel cheese, wrapped in the red wax). It’s a little lighter and sweeter in flavor, and doesn’t often come with the flavor options that gouda does. It’s best eaten with fruits or on crackers.
How long does cheese last?
Again, I’m not technically qualified to give advice here (though I have brought cheese on backpacking trips tons of times with no issues), so proceed at your own risk. Stability varies by cheese type, but in my experience, any of the cheeses listed here keep just fine for about four or five days in moderate temperatures.
In really hot weather (over 80 F), many cheeses will “sweat” and lose their texture. They’ll still be edible, but they’ll spoil quicker and won’t be nearly as appetizing. I think it’s best to avoid cheese altogether if it’s going to be hot.
How should you store cheese in a backpack?
The length of time cheese lasts depends on how you store it. The simple answer to this question is that for best results, keep it in it's original packaging.
If you can’t do that, minimize the amount of surface area exposed to the air. Cut cheese in large blocks versus pre-sliced servings, and definitely don’t grate the cheese at home unless you plan to use it within a day or two. It’s worth noting here that if the outer part of cheese begins to mold, you can just cut that part off and the cheese underneath will be just fine (after all, the “rind” on many cheeses is just a type of mold).
For a good homemade storage option, make DIY “cheese paper”. This is as simple as first wrapping the cheese in wax (or parchment) paper, then wrapping it in plastic wrap. Don’t wrap directly with plastic wrap because it will leach plastic-y flavor into the cheese, especially in warm weather. If it’s in a spot where it could get crushed, put it in a lightweight tupperware container. For best results, store it deep in your pack when you don’t plan on eating it so it stays cooler during the day.
I’m always down for a new cheese or new way to eat it, so if I missed one let me know in the comments!
