Trail Mix is Dead: How Outdoor Meal Brands Must Evolve to Stay Relevant

There’s a moment on every trail where you realise you’ve had one too many beige pouches of "butter chicken." It’s warm. It’s edible. But is it food you’d actually crave again?

For decades, outdoor meals have been about one thing: survival. But today’s outdoor consumer isn’t just surviving - they’re curating their adventure. They want food that fuels their performance and fits their lifestyle. And in a booming but crowded market, only a handful of brands are starting to get it right.

At Magnetise, we work with outdoor and purpose-led brands to sharpen their story and shape smart growth strategies. In this post, we’ll look at the Australian and New Zealand market leaders - Back Country Cuisine, Radix Nutrition, Offgrid Food Co., On Track Meals, and Campers Pantry - and break down what needs to change for long-term relevance.

Why the Old Recipe Doesn’t Work Anymore

Let’s be blunt: most outdoor food still feels like it was made by people who haven’t hiked since the ‘90s. Today’s customers want more than just shelf-stable meals—they want performance nutrition, clean ingredients, and real culinary satisfaction.

Their demands:

• High-performance fuel with macro balance and minimal filler

• Clean, recognisable ingredients - less "stabiliser 472," more whole food

• Ethical sourcing and packaging - not just green claims, but substance

• Appealing branding - we’re long past the era of muddy packs and stock-mountain graphics

• Functional flavours that consider digestion, weight, recovery, and endurance

  
  

Convenience is table stakes. The differentiators now lie in purpose, nutrition, and relevance.

Let's Talk About The Big Players

Back Country Cuisine

The OG in the ANZ market - widely stocked, trusted by Scouts, trampers, and Defence forces alike. But it’s resting on familiarity rather than pushing forward. Branding feels dated, and while the range is broad, it hasn’t made significant strides in appealing to health-conscious, sustainability-focused, or younger audiences.

👉 Opportunity: Modernise brand, hero ingredients, segment by use case (e.g. endurance fuel vs. comfort food).

Radix Nutrition

A standout. Radix brings clinical-level nutrition science to the outdoors. They offer full nutritional transparency, complete amino acid profiles, and meals built around performance. Their branding is clean, modern, and sharp - appealing to serious athletes and adventure racers.

👉 What they’re doing right: Functional food for performance, not just calories. They're playing at the intersection of sports science and adventure.

👉 Watch out: Can come off as too clinical or niche. There’s an opportunity to expand into more lifestyle-friendly formats or broaden everyday relevance.

Offgrid Food Co.

Offgrid blends clean eating with values-driven branding. Their meals are gluten-free, preservative-free, and built around real ingredients. Plus, they lead on sustainability - carbon offsets, recyclable packaging, and minimal impact messaging.

👉 What’s working: Values-first branding, clear visual identity, and a product that appeals to the climate-conscious minimalist.

👉 Challenge: Needs stronger retail visibility and functional nutrition positioning to move from “good” to “essential.”

On Track Meals

Australian made, ready-to-eat - not dehydrated. That’s a big point of difference. These are heat-and-eat meals, which brings convenience and texture advantages, but limits their packability for longer hikes. They appeal more to vanlifers, glampers, and car campers.

👉 What they’re nailing: Taste and convenience. Great flavour range with real texture (not mush).

👉 Growth lever: Position harder into premium camping and vanlife spaces. Could own “weekend warrior” meal culture if they move fast.

Campers Pantry

A great balance of premium freeze-dried ingredients, unique items (like freeze-dried veggies and desserts), and Aussie branding. Strong shelf presence and high utility for multi-day trips.

👉 What’s solid: Meal kits, unique SKUs, and flexible meal building for people who want to DIY their trail food.

👉 Where they could push harder: Sharper positioning. They could dominate with stronger messaging around flexibility, nutrition value, and chef-designed taste.

The Market Is Crowded - Here’s How to Win

Too many brands are stuck in the “beef stroganoff in a pouch” trap. To win in the next five years, meal brands need to stop copying each other and start owning a distinct role in the ecosystem.

Here’s what that looks like:

1. Own Your Tribe

Don’t try to appeal to “everyone outdoors.” Instead, own a specific community and solve their food problems better than anyone else.

• Radix owns endurance athletes.

• On Track is edging into the car camping and van market.

• Offgrid speaks to eco-conscious minimalists.

  
  

The rest? Mostly shouting into the void.

2. Focus on Functionality

Nutrition shouldn’t just be clean- it should be purposeful:

• Low-GI meals for slow burn energy

• High-protein recovery kits

• Anti-inflammatory ingredients

• Gut-friendly or allergen-sensitive options

This is what turns one-time buyers into loyalists.

3. Break Out of the Beige

Too many brands are visually forgettable. If your pack doesn’t pop off the shelf or stand out in an Instagram flatlay, you’re invisible. Period.

Modern design, sharper language, and lifestyle-driven content will win. Think Patagonia meets meal prep.

4. Expand Everyday Relevance

The next wave of growth won’t come solely from the trail- it’ll come from the desk, the van, and the gym. Meal brands should consider:

• Urban survival kits

• Office-ready sachets for lunch

• Cross-over into emergency preparedness or health/fitness markets

Siloing yourself to “outdoor” limits your potential.

Time for a Hard Reset

Let’s call it: the outdoor food category is due for a revolution.

This is no longer about survival. It’s about alignment - with values, with purpose, with lifestyle. The brands that win will be the ones who stop selling calories and start selling culture, community, and capability.

The outdoor space is booming. Climate awareness, wellness trends, and digital burnout are pushing more people into nature. The opportunity? Massive. But only if brands have the courage to evolve.

At Magnetise, we help outdoor brands carve out bold new directions - whether that’s repositioning your range, launching new products, or sharpening your brand strategy.

If you’re ready to build something magnetic in this space, let’s chat.

👉 Book a free 1-hour strategy session