Are you having a hard time figuring out what snacks to bring with you for a day hike or overnight backpacking trip? I’m going to share with you 12 of my favorite cheap & easy hiking snacks from Costco that I’ll be bringing with me on some of my upcoming overnight backpacking trips.
Not only will I show you 12 of my favorite cheap & easy hiking snacks from Costco, but I’ll also share with you what the serving size is for each snack along with the number of calories and the price of each snack per serving.
And I’m even going to share with you a BONUS cheap & easy snack that you can only get at Costco!
How Many Calories Per Day Should I Eat When Out On Trail?
How Much Food Should I Bring For A Hike or Overnight Backpacking Trip?
A question I get asked all the time is,
“As a backpacker, how many calories per day should I eat while I’m out on trail and how much food should I bring?”
While I’m NOT a nutritional expert and there’s no hard and fast rule for calorie intake for ALL backpackers, mainly because we’re all so different, a lot of backpackers will aim to carry anywhere from 1.5 to 2 lbs. (or 2,500 to 4,500 calories) of food per person, per day.
This is just a guideline.
The actual number of calories a backpacker will need each day while out on trail will be dependent on many different factors like body weight, the intensity of exercise during the day, exertion level, the type of terrain a backpacker is traveling through, how many miles a backpacker hikes each day and how many days they plan on being out on trail.
Keep in mind, the more you weigh, the heavier your pack, the steeper the trail, the faster you hike, the more miles you hike in a day and the more challenging the terrain, the more calories you’ll burn and the more calories you’ll need to consume.
My Favorite Cheap & Easy Hiking Snacks from Costco
Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels
When it comes to hiking snacks, I need a mixture of sweet and salty snacks. Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels are a unique spin on pretzel twists. They’re yummy, crunchy, salty and have a bold flavor, which I love, especially when I’m out in the backcountry. They’re also kind of addicting.
Each bag from Costco comes with 35 servings per bag. Each serving is 16 pretzels at 130 calories per serving. Total price for the bag is $9.99, making these only $0.30 per serving.
Cheez-Its
Cheez-Its are another one of my favorite salty and crunchy hiking snacks. I love the bold cheese flavor and they’re super backpacker-friendly because each serving comes in an individual bag.
Each box of Cheez-Its from Costco comes with 45 snacks bags. Each serving is one bag at 210 calories per bag. Total price for the box is $15.99, making these only $0.36 per bag.
Beecher’s Flagship Cheese Sticks
I can’t hike without some sort of cheese. I love Beecher’s Flagship Cheese and now they make their famous cheese in a cheese stick form, which is super hiker friendly.
Beecher’s Flagship Cheese is a cross between a cheddar and a gruyere. I prefer bringing individually wrapped cheese sticks out on trail with me as opposed to a big block of cheese because the cheese sticks are easier to carry in my food bag or hard-sided bear canister, they’re less messy than dealing with a block of cheese and they tend to last longer out on trail.
Each bag of Beecher’s Flagship Cheese Sticks from Costco comes with 18 sticks. Each serving is one stick at 87 calories per stick. Total price for the bag is $14.79, making these $0.82 per cheese stick.
Perfect Bar Protein Bars
I’m not a big bar person. I’ve eaten my fair share of protein and energy bars while thru-hiking and section hiking the PCT over the last few years. BUT one bar I’m not sick of yet are the Perfect Bar Protein Bars.
The variety pack at Costco comes with dark chocolate chip peanut butter and peanut butter. Each bar has 15 grams of protein and they’re gluten free. These bars are refrigerated but can last in your pack for up to one week without refrigeration.
Each box of Perfect Bar Protein Bars from Costco comes with 12 bars. Each serving is one bar at 340 calories per bar. Total price for the box is $19.99, making these $1.67 per bar.
Homemade Uncrustables
One of my all-time favorite hiking snacks and non-cook lunches on the trail is a good ol’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I hate the crusts.
You can either buy the premade, Smucker’s Uncrustables at Costco for $14.49 for a box of 18 OR you can make your own. I prefer to make my own because I get to pick the bread, peanut butter and jelly and the homemade version is slightly cheaper.
I start with two slices of wheat bread. I prefer using wheat bread over white. Then on one side, I spread peanut butter and then on the other side the jelly. Then I put both slices together like I would when making a regular PB & J.
Then to get rid of the crusts, I use this sandwich cutter and sealer I got off of Amazon for $7.00 to cut off the crusts and then seal the sandwich together, making this a homemade Uncrustable.
I like making these in bulk and then freezing them in one of my Stasher bags. This way, whenever I’m packing hiking snacks or a non-cook lunch for any of my day hikes or overnight backpacking trips, all I have to do is grab a couple of these out of the freezer, add them to my food bag and they’re thawed out and ready to eat by the time I’m ready to devour them on trail.
I get a two pack of bread, peanut butter and Wild Huckleberry jam from Costco for a total of $28.97. This allows me to make up to 24 Uncrustable sandwiches. Each serving equals one homemade Uncrustable at 420 calories each and comes out to only being $0.79 per sandwich.
Country Archer Grass-Fed Mini Beef Sticks
Beef sticks are always a tasty, easy hiking snack and they usually have a good amount of protein in them. Recently, I picked up a bag of the Country Archer Grass Fed Mini Beef Sticks. They come individually wrapped, are the perfect size for a quick hiking snack, have zero sugar, are gluten free and have 4 grams of protein in each stick.
Each bag of Country Archer Grass Fed Mini Beef Sticks from Costco comes with 28 mini beef sticks. Each serving is one stick at 45 calories per stick. Total price for the bag is $16.79, making these $0.60 per stick.
Bavarian Meats Lil’ Landjaeger Meat Sticks
Another beef stick at Costco that makes a tasty, cheap and easy snack are the Bavarian Meats Lil’ Landjaeger hardwood smoked meat sticks.
These don’t come individually wrapped and need to be eaten within three days of opening or kept in the refrigerator. These meat sticks also have zero sugar, are gluten free and have 9 grams of protein per serving.
Each bag of Bavarian Meats Lil’ Landjaeger meat sticks from Costco comes with 32 meat sticks. Each serving is two meat sticks at 120 calories per serving. Total price for the bag is $13.99, making these $0.87 per serving.
Golden Island Korean BBQ Snack Bites
Another super tasty and easy meat-based hiking snack I love getting from Costco are the Golden Island Korean BBQ Snack Bites.
OMG these are so good! They’re full of flavor, gluten free, come individually wrapped in snack bags which are perfect for hiking and backpacking and have 10 grams of protein per serving.
Each bag of the Golden Island Korean BBQ Snack Bites from Costco comes with 12 individually packed bags. Each serving is one bag at 120 calories per serving. Total price for the bag is $17.99, making these $1.50 per bag.
Kirkland Signature S’mores Clusters
Moving on to some sweet hiking snacks. If you’re like me and love s’mores, you’ll love these Kirkland Signature S’mores Clusters. No campfire needed!
These delicious clusters are made of grahams, marshmallows, kettle-cooked caramel and are covered in milk chocolate. A serving size is one piece and has 100 calories per serving, but I usually consume these at least two at a time.
Each bag of the Kirkland Signature Caramel S’mores Clusters from Costco comes with 34 servings per bag. Total price for the bag is $8.99, making these $0.26 per piece/per serving.
Maison Jacquemart Mini Almond Cakes
I’ll be honest. The Maison Jacquemart Mini Almond Cakes were a total impulse buy on my last Costco shopping trip. I’ve had almond cake in the past at coffee shops and I remember them being really good. So when I saw these at Costco, I knew I wanted to give them a try.
If you want to feel fancy bringing a French pastry out in the backcountry, then this is going to be the hiking snack for you. These mini almond cakes are sweet, soft and delicious. Perfect for pairing with a cup of tea either in the morning or at the end of the day while at camp, after dinner.
Each bag of the Maison Jacquemart Mini Almond Cakes from Costco comes with 24 individually wrapped cakes. Each serving is one cake at 110 calories per serving. Total price for the bag is $8.99, making these only $0.37 per cake.
Albanese Milk Chocolate Covered Gummi Bears
Okay, I’m a HUGE fan of gummi bears. It’s very rare that I don’t go out on a hike or a backpacking trip without some sort of gummi bear variation. My all-time favorite gummi bears are Albanese World’s Best gummi bears. You’ll know that they’re Albanese gummi bears because they have the letter A stamped on their belly.
On my recent visit to Costco, I saw the Albanese Milk Chocolate Covered Gummi Bears and of course these made their way into my cart. These are the same Albanese gummi bears I love only they’re covered in milk chocolate, and they come in the strawberry-banana, cherry, marshmallow, pineapple and orange flavors inside the bag.
Each bag of the Albanese Milk Chocolate covered gummi bears from Costco comes with 28 servings. One serving is 5 pieces at 120 calories per serving. Total price for the bag is $13.99, making these $0.50 per serving.
Mary Ruth’s Fruity Gummy Bears With Electrolytes
And if you’re looking for another yummy gummi bear variation at Costco, check out these gummy bears with electrolytes. Mary Ruth’s Fruity Gummy Bears With Electrolytes are vegan, gluten free, have no artificial dyes and only have 3 grams of sugar per serving. They’re super chewy, have a ton of flavor and are a fun way to get your electrolytes in while you’re out on trail.
Each bag of Mary Ruth’s Fruity Gummy Bears With Electrolytes from Costco comes with 15 servings per bag. One serving is 12 gummies at 50 calories per serving. Total price for the bag is $13.79, making these $0.92 per serving.
BONUS Cheap & Easy Snack You Can Only Get At Costco…
it’s of course the $1.50 hot dog and a drink combo at Costco’s food court. I know this isn’t a hiking or backpacking snack per se, but it makes for the BEST cheap and easy shopping snack or meal you can buy at Costco whenever you’re shopping for hiking snacks.
Treat yourself and make sure you don’t go shopping for hiking snacks or backpacking food on an empty stomach!
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