The best hiking lunch box isn't a box.

The best lunch box for a day hike or camping trip where weight matters is a lightweight stuff sack or dry bag — or honestly, a Ziploc.

I know it sounds like I’m dodging the question, but hear me out. The whole point of a lunch box in daily life is to keep things from getting crushed and to carry it by a handle. In a backpack, your food rides on top of gear or in a side pocket, so a rigid box just adds dead weight and awkward bulk. A soft bag conforms to the space, weighs almost nothing, and doesn’t rattle around.

If you need more structure than a plastic bag (like for a sandwich you don’t want squashed), use a reusable silicone bag like a Stasher or a small Tupperware you already own. But for most hiking food — trail mix, wraps, cheese, fruit — a simple zip-top bag or an ultralight dry sack does the job at a fraction of the weight and cost.

So unless you’re also carrying a table and a candle, leave the box at home. Your pack will thank you.