There are few backcountry calamities more dreaded than diarrhea, aka trekker’s trots. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most common wilderness afflictions, and it carries an often-overlooked side effect: You lack the energy for hiking because you don’t feel like eating.

Believe it or not, food may actually help your tummy troubles. In fact, some foods will make you feel better and shorten the duration of the illness. The BRAT diet, often recommended for diarrhea, consists of bananas, rice, apples (or applesauce), and toast (white). This bland menu puts soluble fiber in your system, which slows the passage of food through your intestinal tract.

While you probably won’t have ripe bananas and white bread in your pack, you can whip up a BRAT-like diet with typical backpacker fare:

Avoid fatty foods like gorp that contain nuts or chocolate, dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, and foods thick with insoluble fiber, such as whole grains, bran, beans, and leafy vegetables. Steer clear of backpacking staples like jerky, candy, energy bars, and raisins, which may worsen the diarrhea.

Most importantly, drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Drink at least 3 quarts a day, and twice that if you’re sweating heavily. For maximum benefit, take small slurps throughout the day instead of chugging at rest breaks. If you brought along sports drinks, dilute (4 parts water to 1 part sports drink) and sip them instead of water, since they help replace the sodium and potassium lost with each trip to the bushes.

Seek a doctor’s attention when diarrhea:

Note: The more severe the diarrhea, the sooner you should see a doctor. Drink plenty of water and, if available, take an antidiarrheal medication like Imodium to slow the flow while hiking out.

From 2023