Delicious Meals Dialed In: RightOn Trek Backpacking Meal Planner Review
RightOn Trek isn’t just making meal kits for the backcountry. It’s reinventing the whole meal planning experience.
RightOn Trek is a new backpacking meal company. But it’s doing several (very) cool new things to stand out from other brands. Namely, using its digital platform to streamline the whole process — from when you purchase a meal, to packing your meals and gear, to planning your trip, and finally hitting the trail. Intrigued yet?
First, RightOn Trek makes its own delicious meals that range from tasty options like Breakfast Scramble to Shepherd’s Pie. Second, it has its own meal planner service — think of it as a personalized menu and trip food organizer.
It’ll take care of everything from calorie count, portions, packaging and labeling meals, meal sourcing, and snacks. Oh, and did we mention it will even deliver your backpacking meals to your doorstep, or trailhead? Talk about good service. Also, RightOn Trek uses compostable and recycled packaging everywhere possible.
We worked with the company to test its meal planner service right before it hit the market. Here’s our full taste test, experience, and review.
The RightOn Trek Meal Planner
Backpacking meal planning has never been easier. (Unless you are like me, and pack your own meals meticulously, armed with color-coded ziplocks, Stasher bags, and a label maker.) I was thrilled to find that RightOn Trek does all of that for you, and well.
The RightOn Trek meal planner currently offers options for one- to 14-day trips. Here’s what’s included:
- meal planner overview: your menu and calorie count for each meal, each day
- dehydrated entrées and breakfasts for all days
- snacks for all days
- miscellaneous: condiments, a recipe book, and compostable hot meal packaging
- labeling on everything
RightOn Trek Meals: Taste Tested
What’s offered:
- 7 breakfast options
- 11 dinner options
- Snacks, categorized into regular, fruit, protein, or dessert snacks (think cookies)
- Options available for keto, vegetarian, vegan dietary preferences
- A condiments packet (you don’t have to pack S&P!)
We’ll start with our breakfast meal and entrée meal feedback. For a 3-day backpacking trip, I went with different varieties of RightOn Trek’s oatmeals for the breakfasts. (Get the chocolate peanut butter and you won’t be disappointed.)
For entrées, I went with a sweet-and-sour rice dish, a soup, and maybe the most creative meal it offers: a vegan shepherd’s pie.
The breakfasts were great serving sizes and were very filling. The time to rehydrate/cook the meals was accurate as listed, even at elevation in Colorado.
My favorite oatmeal was definitely the peanut butter cup variety, with walnuts and a hit of chocolate added to make this a big step up (and worth the buy) from standard, plain oat packets.
Out of the entrées, I found they all cooked well, and the compostable bags were fairly durable in travel and when prepping meals at camp. My favorite of the entrées in my pack was the shepherd’s pie, with the mountain rice being the most filling and a very flavorful close second. Also, if you aren’t a fan of spicy, beware of the ramen soup, or plan to add extra water.
Editor’s note: I ordered all regular serving sizes, but the meal planner offers large sizes (serves two) and family sizes (serves four) as well.
As far as snack options go (i.e., midday fuel), RightOn Trek shines in this department. Here’s a small sampling of what sorts of snacks are offered. You’ll notice everything from salami to fruit to protein bars, peanut butter, trail mix, and Oreos.
Now, I’ve always been an organized person. I’ve always loved trip planning, and I also have a dietary preference which means more limited store-bought meal options. I am way used to making or sourcing, packing, and planning all my own food.
But RightOn Trek does a fantastic, organized job at doing all that for you. (We found the website and meal planning service very easy to navigate.)
I don’t have to worry about the time it would take for me to square away my meals. Or, if I’m out of Clif bars for a trip. Or, worst case on the trail, if I’ve forgotten to pack something like salt.
Instead, I can focus on getting my gear organized, and maybe even get out on the trail sooner. I would definitely use this service again, provided they keep chocolate bars on the menu.
RightOn Trek: Meals and Trip Planning, and Beyond
The most surprising thing I learned trying RightOn Trek wasn’t that it offers good meals. When a meal brand emails me, my mind goes to food and nothing else. But in addition to meals, RightOn Trek has a trail directory, so you can plan a trip right on its site.
You can also create a login to organize and save your trip info — everything from calories per day details, trail routes, permits, dietary preferences in your group, packing lists, and mileage. This is a huge perk for families or groups.
The last thing RightOn Trek does differently — maybe the most rad aspect of this company — is they have outfitter partners in various locations across the U.S. This is still in progress with two locations currently available. So you can not only find a location for a trip, organize trip details, and meal plan with RightOn Trek, but you can rent gear too.
RightOn Trek’s Express service will then deliver your rental gear kit and meals to a location (think Amazon-locker style) nearest your trailhead/destination. How cool is that? Pretty dang cool, in our mind.
With meals and so much more, RightOn Trek has the potential to be a one-stop shop for all your trip planning and, yes, trail deliciousness needs.
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