Two years ago, Alyson and I did something crazy.
We sold our house, cars, and all of our belongings to travel the world and live off-the-grid in the wilderness.
Since then, we’ve traveled to 20+ national parks, 45 states, and 20 countries across the world.
We ate fried crickets in Thailand, nibbled on rattlesnake in Texas, and sipped the infamous “cat poop coffee” in Bali (it’s actually quite good). I even got stung in the kidney by a Bark Scorpion in Arizona.
But after 24 months on the road, we learned one critical thing.
It takes very little stuff to be happy.
In fact, the amount of “stuff” I need to be happy fits in my backpack.
In this post, I’ll tell you exactly how to fill your pack to make good habits automatic no matter where you are.

THE ONE THING WE ALL NEED TO SURVIVE ON THE ROAD
Ask any survival expert, “How do I stay alive in the Wild?” The inevitable answer: “Be prepared.”
Same goes for your lunch. If you want to eat right, you always need to be one step ahead of Taco Bell.
Whether you’re flying, road-tripping, going to school, or just getting ready for work, packing grub and gear is an essential habit for lifelong health.
I don’t leave home without my pack of food, spices, herbs, supplements, and other goodies to survive on the road.
No matter what happens, making a good decision is as simple as reaching into my bag.

WHY THIS PACK HELPED KURT LOSE 87 POUNDS IN 3 MONTHS
You may have seen my Survival Pack make a cameo with 47-year old grandpa Kurt on ABC TV. Since Kurt is a salesman and constantly traveling, we filled his pack with critical supplies to keep in his car.
Snacks like meat, fish, spices, and even treats like fat bombs keep hunger at bay and make good decisions easy.
Over the next 14 weeks, I coached Kurt to lose 87 pounds with The Wild Diet. More importantly, Kurt dropped nearly double the body fat of any other contestant (a whopping 22 percentage points). In large part, that’s because he took his survival pack everywhere.
HOW TO LOAD UP YOUR SURVIVAL PACK
Ready for your next adventure? Here’s how to load up your pack.
The contents of this pack can save you hundreds on the road because you won’t really need to buy anything from convenience stores, restaurants, or anywhere else. Have fun and make it your own!
Non-Perishables
Sometimes you get hungry and your body tells you that fasting isn’t an option. Bring a few non-perishables in addition to fresh foods to make sure you never get stuck eating low-quality food just because someone put it in front of you. Here are some examples:
- Nut butter / coconut butter packets
- Real food, low sugar protein bars
- Dried meat / jerky
- Dehydrated veggies
- Greens / spirulina powder
- Protein powder
- Canned fish
- Chia seeds
Seasonings and Spices
Often, it’s better to get fresh food from markets instead of eating at low-quality restaurants. Save money and preserve your health by seasoning fresh foods yourself. I put these in an ultra-convenient “spice missile” container.
By the way, coconut oil works as a salad dressing, coffee creamer, antibacterial moisturizer, hair gel, toothpaste (with baking soda and mint), deodorant, lubricant, and more.
Examples of spices I carry with me:
- Mineral Salt
- Pepper
- Hot pepper
- Chia and kelp
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
- Cocoa
- Coconut oil
- Olive Oil and vinegar
Herbs and Supplements
Enjoy as a tea, tonic, or in concentrated supplements. My favorites:
- Rhodiola
- Gymnostemma
- Ginseng
- Kava kava for stress reduction, sleep, and alcohol alternative
- Ginger tea for upset stomach
- Chamomile for sleep
Miscellaneous Gear
Water Bottle: Five bucks for a bottle of water, you kidding me? Reduce waste and save money by carrying your own BPA-free water bottle / thermos, and drink water wherever you can find it or make teas and tonics.
Massage Ball: Use it for self-massage to roll out angry knots, keep yourself limber and healthy on the road. As a bonus, you can play catch when you’re bored.
Chocolate: Never get caught without chocolate. It will get you through even the roughest of days. No matter what happens, you’ll feel better knowing delicious chocolate is waiting for you in your bag. Tip: Keep your chocolate in a small resealable bag, in case you’re caught in the heat and your chocolate melts.
Spork: Sporks are awesome. I’m not sure why every restaurant insists on giving us fourteen forks with every meal, but be friendly to the planet and say you don’t need one. And way better than eating sardines with your hands.

LEARN HOW TO DROP 20 POUNDS IN 40 DAYS WITH REAL FOOD

What snacks and gear do you carry around to eat clean and live Wild? Comment below and let us know!
can you elaborate on the “dehydrated veggies”? we all want more veggies and I thought you might have some neat solutions for work/travel! thanks – jC
How do you make your fat bombs? Or can you buy them somewhere? Thanks and love you and Alyson both!
Hi Linda, we posted a couple fat bomb recipes (aka power cookies) in this blog post (scroll down for a simple and tasty recipe): http://fatburningman.com/how-to-make-superfood-power-cookies-wild-diet-approved/
And if you’re a member of the Tribe, we just made a new (really yummy) recipe for Cookie Dough Truffle Fat Bombs that you’ll find in this month’s meal plan (http://bit.ly/fbmtribe) . <3
Great ideas but I can’t get nut butters in individual sachets where I am (only a jar) and I find all for a big backpack. I’m hiking for 35 days and need to keep my pack below 5kg (12L pack). I’m going to try and take a little jerky but other than that these are space and weight cumbersome ?
Sarah, I bet you could use something like toddler/kid squeezy pouches for nut butter, oils, and other squishy snacks. My phone won’t let me post a link but do a quick amazon search for reusable kids squeeze pouches and you’ll have several options 🙂
Great idea, Carissa!
Hi! What brand of kava kava and where do you get it? Thank you SO much!!!
Hi Stacey, you can get kava tinctures on Amazon, as well as the powdered root and instant mix. We’re also fortunate to live right next to a Kava bar here in Austin. Try a few and see what you like!
which mixer do you use to make fatty coffee on the road?
Hi Eileen, we have a few but this one is great: http://amzn.to/1UBbgw3
Love this practical, timely advice as so many are traveling for the summer. This is the kind of thing that doesn’t occur to many people on the outset of a new eating plan. The spices are pure genius and something I admit I never would have thought of.
Thanks Aubrey – the spice missile is my secret weapon!
Abel, I received your quarterly package and love everything! It’s everything I had hoped that would be in there and I like how you had a video of you unblocking and explaining the items. Thank you for curating the box!
Right on, so glad you like it Chau!
should there be a spork in the biohack box?
Yes, are you missing the spork? I’ll message you privately to get that sorted out. 🙂
useful article!