Don't pack a salad. Pack a shelf-stable smorgasbord.

For a hike or camp lunch with no fridge, stick to foods that are dense, dry, and sealed — and use a water bottle as your ice pack.

Start with things that basically can’t go bad in a day: nuts, trail mix, dried fruit, jerky, nut butter, whole-grain crackers, tortillas, hard aged cheese like cheddar or Gruyère, and cured meats like salami or summer sausage. Apples, oranges, and baby carrots do fine too. If you want a sandwich, make PB&J or hummus. Anything creamy, mayo-based, or with cold cuts should stay home unless you’re using a real cooler.

Pack it in a sturdy insulated lunch bag or small soft cooler. For containers, go leakproof and smash-proof: wide-mouth stainless steel or plastic containers, silicone bags, or a simple metal tin. Flimsy Ziploc bags will let you down. And drop a frozen water bottle at the bottom — it keeps things cool and turns into drinking water by the time you stop for lunch. For multi-day camping with no fridge, go even drier: aged sausage, hard cheese, dried hummus, no deli meat, and store food properly if you’re in bear country.

Your pack isn’t a fridge, so your lunch should be built like a trail snack with a little more dignity.