• 2 ounces dried mangoes
• 2 ounces dried blueberries
• 2 ounces dried tart Michigan cherries
• 2 ounces smoked almonds
• 2 ounces beer nuts
• 3 ounces white chocolate coins
• 3 ounces dark chocolate coins

Mix ingredients in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 1 pound.

• 1 part almonds
• 1 part corn nuts
• 1 part dried bananas
• 1 part other dried fruit
• 1 part Wheat Chex cereal or Goldfish pretzels

Mix ingredients in a zipper-lock bag.

• 1 1-pound, 14-ounce jar dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 or 2 141/2-ounce bags Crispy M&M's
• 1 or 2 9-ounce bags Dole CinnaRaisins

Mix ingredients in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Yield: 4 pounds.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 2 cups raisin bran cereal
• 1/4 cup sliced, dried jalapeqo peppers
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup cashew halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 250°F. Warm the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Brown both cereals in the oil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and spread onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add remaining ingredients, and mix well. Yield: 6 cups.

• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chocolate-covered coffee beans

Mix ingredients in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 3 cups.

• 1 cup salted toasted soy nuts
• 1 cup crisp rice cereal (found in health-food stores; not Rice Krispies cereal)
• 1 cup Glad Corn (available from G.E.F. Inc., 800-692-6762; www.gladcorn.com) or dried sweet corn
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup date nuggets
• 3/4 cup barley malt (a sweetener found in health-food stores)
• 1/2 cup fruit source (a sweetener found in health-food stores)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss together soy nuts, crisp rice, corn, sunflower seeds, cranberries, and date nuggets and set aside. Pour barley malt, fruit source, and peanut butter into a saucepan and boil until the mixture is hot and foamy, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the syrup over the seed, grain, and fruit mixture, and mix well. Press onto a greased cookie sheet with a wet glass used as a rolling pin. Bake until the mixture bubbles, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let it cool in the pan until cool enough to handle, then pull the mixture into nuggets or cut into bars. Cool completely. Store in the refrigerator until your trip. Yield: 6 cups.

• 1 1/2 ounces raisins
• 2 tablespoons M&M's
• 2 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
• 4 tablespoons Cheerios cereal
• 2 to 4 dried apples
• 1 tablespoon dried sweet cherries
• 1 tablespoon dried carrots
• 4 or 5 vanilla wafers

Mix ingredients in a quart-size zipper-lock bag. Yield: 2 cups.

• Use a total of 2 cups cereal grains by picking three or four of the following: wheat germ, rolled oats, Grape Nuts, bran buds, bircher muesli, granola.
• Use a total of 21/2 cups dried fruit by picking three or four of the following: orange peel, cherries, raisins, apricots, pears, figs, apples, bananas, cranberries, peaches, dates.
• Use a total of 3 cups chopped nuts and seeds by picking three or four of the following: coconut, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, filberts, leche nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, chestnuts, sesame seeds, pecans, hickory nuts.
• Use a total of 42 ounces chips plus
• 1 tablespoon syrup from the following: semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, honey, molasses.

Our testers thought the cranberry option (below) was a winner. "I love the crunchies inside the chocolate bar. It's like a new experience with each bite," raved one tester. It's best for cooler trips so it doesn't experience meltdown.

Super Glorious Cranberry Gorp

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup hickory nuts or cashews
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried apples
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup dried apricots
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup Grape Nuts or bran buds cereal
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 18 ounces butterscotch chips
• 1 tablespoon molasses

Chop nuts and dried fruit and place in a large dish. Add coconut, oats, wheat germ, Grape Nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and mix well. Melt chips and molasses in a double boiler, then pour over mixture. Mix well and press into a cookie sheet. Cool and cut into 2-by-4-inch chunks. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil; freeze or store until ready to use. Yield: 9 squares.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 10 ounces marshmallows
• 3 cups brown crisp rice cereal (found at health-food stores)
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup dried blueberries

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the marshmallows, and stir until melted. Add the crisp rice cereal and cooked wild rice and mix well. While the mixture is still warm, pinch off 1/2-inch bits and allow them to dry on a cookie sheet. Mix 4 cups of these rice crumbles with the rest of the ingredients. Yield: 8 cups.

• 7 ounces yogurt-covered raisins
• 7 ounces mixed dehydrated berries
• 5 ounces Fritos Corn Chips
• 8 ounces Crispy M&M's

Mix ingredients in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 13/4 pounds.

• 1 part dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 part raisins
• 1 part semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix ingredients in a zipper-lock bag.

• 1 part peanuts, cashews, or mixed nuts
• 1 part Raisinettes or M&M's
• 1 part corn nuts
• 1 part pretzel nuggets or sticks
• 1 part Reese's Pieces
• 1 part dried tropical fruit mix (optional)

Mix well and enjoy!

Mix ingredients in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 4 pounds.

• 1 Cup dried cranberries
• 1 Cup dried apple slices
• 2 Cups sugar-coated rice cereal
• 1 Cup raisins
• 1 Cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 1 Cup candy corn pieces
• 1 Cup Goldfish crackers

Serves: -

Mix well. Yield: 8 cups.

• 2 parts Planters dry roasted peanuts
• 1 part Planters dry roasted sunflower kernels
• 1 part Sun-Maid California golden raisins
• 1 part M&M's
• 1 part Reese's Pieces

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag and enjoy!

• 2 Cups sliced almonds
• 3 Cups raisins
• 12 Ounces milk chocolate M&M's Mini Baking Bits
• 1 Cup diced dried apricots
• 1 Cup dried cranberries
• 4 Cups Honey Nut Cherrios
• 3 Cups granola
• 1 1/2 Cups cocktail peanuts
• 1 Cup sunflower seeds
• 1 Cup raw pumpkin seeds

Mix together well in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 19 cups.

• 1 part M&M's
• 1 part raisins
• 1 part Cherrios

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag and enjoy!

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 Cups Grape Nuts cereal
• 1 Cup chopped dried apples
• 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
• 1 Cup pretzel pieces

Melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat, then stir in the sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Add the Grape Nuts slowly and stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture onto waxed paper and press it into a solid block, about 1/4-inch thick. Allow to cool, then break into 1/4-inch nuggets. Put the nuggets in a zipper-lock bag with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Yield: 6 cups.

• 6 Ounces Goldfish crackers
• 1 Pound M&M's
• 16 Ounces peanuts (salted, unsalted, honey roasted, whatever)

Dump the ingredients into your zipper-lock gorp bag and shake. Done! Yield: 2 1/2 pounds.

• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt (for topping)
• 1 Cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1 Teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 Teaspoons water
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt (for grubs)

Mix brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl and set aside; this is the topping. In a separate bowl, mix 3/4 cup of flour with the egg, vegetable oil, water, salt, and 5 tablespoons of sugar to make a dough. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use the extra 1/4 cup of flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands as you roll it into 1 1/2-inch-long grubs. Drop the grubs into the boiling water one at a time as you are making them. Boil the grubs for about 10 minutes, until theyre cooked through (theyll rise to the top of the water) and remove them from the pot. Then fry the grubs in enough vegetable oil to cover them. After about 10 minutes, they should begin to brown. When lightly browned, remove them from the oil and sprinkle with the topping. Let them sit for at least an hour, until theyre crunchy. Yield: 4 cups.

• 1 part plain M&M's
• 1 part golden raisins
• 1 part salted cashews

Mix ingredients well in a zipper-lock bag.

• 1 part walnut halves
• 1 part dried cherries
• 1 part plain or peanut M&M's

Mix well.

• 1 16-ounce Nature Granola, natural flavor*
• 1 1/2 Cups cocktail peanuts
• 1 Cup raisins
• 1 Cup M&M's Mini Baking Bits

Mix ingredients in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: snacks for 1 person for 5 or 6 days on the trail.

*Nature Granola is available from Organic Milling Co., 909-599-0961.

• 3/4 Cup banana chips
• 1/2 Cup dried pineapple pieces
• 1/2 Cup dried apricots
• 1/2 Cup dried papaya, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 Cup large coconut chips
• 1 Cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 Cup diced candied ginger* (optional)

Mix well. Yield: 4 cups.

• 7 Ounces dried fruit pieces (raisins, golden raisins, dried apple bits, dried apricot bits, dried cherries)
• 10 Ounces dry-roasted deluxe mixed nuts

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 1 pound.

.

• 2 Ounces Atkins "Just The Cheese" snack chips*
• 1/2 Cup smokehouse almonds
• 1 Cup corn nuts

Mix well. Yield: 2 cups.

• 1 1/2 Cups canola oil
• 1 Cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• 1 Cup powdered milk
• 1 Cup wheat germ
• 1 Cup shredded coconut
• 2 Cups raisins
• 2 Cups sliced nuts (hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and almonds recommended)
• 8 Cups oatmeal

Serves: -

Preheat oven to 3000F. In a huge saucepan, heat to a simmer the canola oil and honey. Slowly stir in the vanilla, powdered milk, wheat germ, coconut, and raisins. Remove from the heat and stir in sliced nuts, then oatmeal. Stir until all ingredients are coated (this is hard work). Spread granola no more than 1 inch deep on large baking pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the oats are slightly browned and the raisins are plump. Remove from the oven and spread on a kitchen counter to cool. Yield: 15 cups. Each cup weighs about 1/3 of a pound.

• 3 parts deluxe mixed nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts)
• 1 1/2 parts plain M&M's
• 1 1/2 part dried cherries
• 1 1/2 parts dried cranberries
• 1 part licorice bites

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag.

• 3 Pounds deluxe mixed nuts
• 1 Pound peanut M&M's
• 1 Pound plain M&M's
• 1 Pound peanut butter M&M's
• 1 Pound crispy M&M's
• 15 Ounces raisins
• 7 1/2 Ounces Maple Nut Goodies candy
• 7 Ounces French burnt peanuts

Mix ingredients well and put in individual bags. Yield: 8 3/4 pounds.

• 2 parts dried Michigan cherries
• 1 part almond M&M's

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag.

• 1/2 Cup banana chips
• 1/2 Cup diced dried papaya
• 1/4 Cup honey roasted peanuts
• 1/4 Cup sunflower seeds
• 5 broken-up peanut butter granola bars

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 3 cups.

• 16 Ounces Chex Mix-Bold Party Blend
• 18 Ounces honey roasted peanuts
• 22 Ounces M&M's
• 1 1/2 Pounds raisins

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 5 pounds.

• 32 Ounces granola (I like cherry-almond flavor)
• 8 Ounces organic raisins
• 8 Ounces raw pumpkin seeds
• 8 Ounces dry roasted, unsalted soy nuts

Mix ingredients well. Yield: 3 1/2 pounds.

• 1 part yogurt-covered pretzels
• 1 part dried banana chips
• 1 part raw almonds

• 1 part dark blue M&M's*
• 1 part white chocolate chips
• 1 part raisins
• 1 part Spanish peanuts

Serves: -

Mix ingredients well in a zipper-lock bag.

• 3 1/2 Ounces macadamia nuts
• 10 Ounces M&M's
• 12 Ounces peanut or almond M&M's
• 12 Ounces mixed nuts without peanuts

Mix well in zipper-lock bag. Yield: 2 1/4 pounds.

• 8 Ounces dried, shredded squid (substitutions: dried scallops or any type of jerky cut into bite-size bits)
• 8 Ounces wasabi peas (the spicier the better)
• 8 Ounces assorted rice crackers
• 8 Ounces spicy rice crackers
• 1 Cup cashews
• 1 Cup lightly salted cocktail peanuts
• 1 Cup spicy sesame sticks
• 1 Cup finely chopped dried apple (optional)

Pull apart the shredded squid pieces so they won’t clump. Mix in the other ingredients, and serve. Don't tell your hiking partners what they're eating; they're more likely to enjoy it! Yield: 2 pounds.

You can find the more unusual ingredients in Asian food stores.

• 1 part raw hulled sunflower seeds
• 1 part raw whole almonds
• 2 parts white seedless raisins

Mix ingredients well.

• 3 1/2 Cups granola
• 1 Cup Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Squares cereal
• 1/4 Cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 Cup raisins
• 3/4 Cup chopped dried fruit (such as apples, bananas, pears, peaches, mangoes, dates)
• 1/2 Cup mixed nuts
• 1 Cup crushed pretzel sticks
• 1/2 Cup salted peanuts
• 1/4 Cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 Cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 Cup M&M's
• 1/4 Cup butterscotch chips

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 9 cups.

• 1/2 Cup almonds
• 1/2 Cup walnuts
• 1/2 Cup cashews
• 1 Cup raisins
• 1/2 Cup dates
• 1/2 Cup dried pears
• 1 Cup rolled oats
• 1/2 Cup wheat germ
• 1/2 Cup Grape Nuts or bran buds
• 1 Cup coconut
• 1/4 Cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 Cup sesame seeds
• 24 Ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 18 Ounces peanut butter chips
• 1 Tablespoon honey

Serves: 9

Chop the nuts and fruits and place in a large dish. Add the oats, wheat germ, Grape Nuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds, and mix well. Melt the chips and honey in a double boiler, then pour the liquid over the mixture. Mix well and press into a cookie sheet. Cool and cut into 2-by-4-inch chunks. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil and freeze or store until ready to use. Yield: 9 squares.

• 12 Ounces cocktail peanuts
• 6 Ounces dried cranberries
• 14 Ounces Starburst jellybeans
• 10 Ounces M&M's (optional)

Mix well in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 2 1/2 pounds.

• 1 part M&M's
• 1 part raw peanuts or assorted nuts
• 1 part Sunkist raisins

Mix ingredients well in a zipper-lock bag.

• 1 Cup tamari pumpkin seeds*
• 1 Cup tamari sunflower seeds*
• 1 Cup unsalted, toasted soy nut halves
• 1 Cup raisins
• 3/4 Cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 Cup dried cranberries

Serves: -

Mix ingredients well in a zipper-lock bag. Yield: 5 1/2 cups.

This material is reprinted with permission from Backpacker magazine. Any commercial use of this material either in electronic or printed form is prohibited without express written permission from the authors. Copyright c 2001, all rights reserved