Eat! Drink! Be Merry!

Hiking and backpacking can use quite a bit of energy and water loss. You always want to make sure you pack a little extra food and water just in the case of an emergency.

Water

Water is essential to human life, as a person can only live for three days without it. Water can get heavy in large amounts, so take the time to fill up several smaller canteens or get personal hydration system and place them in different parts of the backpack and spread it out through the group.

It is also important to have the means by which to purify water that is collected in the wilderness, as it can be teaming with microbial bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens and parasites. This is usually done through, first, straining the water through something like cloth to remove sediment, then boiled or given chemical water treatment.

Food

Although a person can go a week without food, not intaking protein and other vitamins and minerals your body uses through the work, it will seriously diminish your productivity. High protein, stable foods, such as nuts, jerky, and even powedered beef for soups are great, lightweight food items that can help you survive.

If you plan on eating what you catch, like the animal you are, make sure that you have the proper test kits for rabies and parasites. Even then, it is important that you cook or smoke the meat thouroghly and as soon as possible after death.