Summary:
Cooler temperatures bring hiking trails, football weekends, camping trips, bonfires, road trips and evenings around the fire—and all of them are better with good food. Big Mike’s Jerky works as a convenient, protein-rich snack straight from the bag, but it can also become a surprisingly flavorful ingredient in everything from trail mix and chili to baked potatoes and campfire breakfast.

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When the Temperature Drops, Where Will the Season Take You?

Will you be hiking beneath changing leaves, sitting around a campground fire, tailgating before a football game or heading out on a weekend road trip? Maybe cooler weather simply means more time outside walking the dog, working in the yard or gathering with friends around the firepit.

Whatever fall looks like for you, one question inevitably comes up:

What are we going to eat?

Cooler-weather adventures have a way of making food especially memorable. A sandwich eaten beside a lake somehow tastes better than the same sandwich at your kitchen table. Chili simmering over a camp stove becomes an event. And after several hours on a trail, even a simple snack can feel like the best thing you’ve eaten all week.

But outdoor food has to do more than taste good. It needs to travel well, be easy to pack and provide something more substantial than a handful of candy.

That’s where jerky has earned its reputation as an adventure food.

And Big Mike’s Jerky offers another advantage: it doesn’t have to stay in the snack bag. Eat it straight from the package or turn it into an ingredient, and suddenly one portable food gives you a surprising number of options for fall.

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Why Jerky and Outdoor Adventures Have Always Gone Together

Long before convenience stores and resealable packages, drying meat was a practical way to preserve food. Today, that same basic idea makes jerky particularly well suited for modern outdoor adventures.

It is compact. It doesn’t take up precious cooler space before opening. It travels easily. And unlike a banana, it isn’t likely to emerge from the bottom of your backpack looking like it lost a fight with your hiking boots.

For hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, portability really matters. Outdoor retailer REI’s guide to choosing food for outdoor activities notes that convenience, portability and shelf life are among the practical advantages to consider when selecting foods for activities such as hiking, cycling and skiing. 

That makes jerky an obvious candidate for the daypack.

But protein shouldn’t be confused with complete adventure fuel. If you’re hiking or participating in another sustained activity, your body also needs carbohydrates and sufficient overall energy. Pairing jerky with fruit, whole-grain crackers, a sandwich or a homemade trail mix creates a more complete option than jerky alone.

And, of course, bring water.

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Big Mike’s: A Different Kind of Packable Snack

There is no shortage of jerky on store shelves, so the more useful consumer question is: What distinguishes one bag from another?

Big Mike’s is a veteran-owned jerky company that emphasizes high protein, small-batch craftsmanship and straightforward ingredients. The company’s current lineup includes Original, Peppered, Spicy, Teriyaki Style and Sweet Hot beef jerky, along with Original Turkey, the new Teriyaki Turkey and a plant-based Mushroom Jerky option. Its core sugar-free recipes are made without sugar or artificial sweeteners. 

Explore Big Mike’s Jerky

That variety becomes particularly useful during fall because you can match the flavor to the occasion.

Original is an easy hiking companion. Peppered feels right at home beside a campfire. Spicy can bring heat to a cool afternoon. Teriyaki works well when you want a sweet-savory profile. Sweet Hot brings both dimensions together. And turkey provides an alternative for people who want something different from traditional beef jerky.

But here’s where things get more interesting.

Jerky doesn’t have to be treated only as a snack.

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Think of Jerky as an Ingredient

Most of us open jerky, eat it and throw away the bag.

Perfectly reasonable.

But good jerky already contains something a cook spends considerable time trying to develop: concentrated savory flavor.

That means chopped or sliced jerky can function almost like a seasoning ingredient while also adding meat and protein.

Once you start thinking about it that way, the possibilities multiply.

Fall happens to be an ideal season for experimenting because the foods we naturally gravitate toward—chili, soups, potatoes, eggs, casseroles and hearty trail mixes—pair exceptionally well with smoky, peppery and spicy flavors.

Here are several ideas worth trying.

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Adventure Recipe #1: Big Mike’s Trail Mix

Traditional trail mix usually combines nuts, dried fruit and something sweet.

Try taking it in a savory direction.

Sweet & Savory Jerky Trail Mix

Combine:

• Bite-size pieces of Big Mike’s Original or Peppered Beef Jerky
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Pumpkin seeds
• Dried cranberries or cherries
• Unsweetened coconut flakes
• A small amount of dark chocolate, if desired

Why does this combination work?

The nuts and seeds provide fat and some protein, dried fruit supplies carbohydrates, and jerky contributes additional protein and a savory contrast.

It’s also easily customized.

Prefer heat? Use Spicy Beef Jerky.

Want sweet and savory? Try Teriyaki Style or the new Teriyaki Turkey.

Heading out for several hours? Add whole-grain pretzels or cereal for additional carbohydrates.

Put individual servings into reusable containers or zip-top bags and you’ve created a grab-and-go high-protein hiking snack that is far more interesting than another packaged bar.

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Adventure Recipe #2: Campfire Jerky Chili

Few foods announce the arrival of cooler weather quite like chili.

And chopped jerky can add another layer of savory flavor.

Big Mike’s Campfire Jerky Chili

Start with your favorite chili recipe containing tomatoes, beans, onion, peppers and seasonings.

Then chop Big Mike’s Original, Peppered or Spicy Beef Jerky into small pieces and stir it into the chili while it simmers.

The jerky softens as it absorbs liquid while contributing its seasoning to the pot.

For a milder chili, start with Original.

For black-pepper character, use Peppered.

For a cold evening when you actually want some heat, Spicy is the obvious choice.

One important cooking tip: taste before adding additional salt. Jerky already contains sodium, so you may find the recipe requires considerably less added salt than usual.

Serve it around a campfire and suddenly jerky has gone from trail snack to dinner.

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Adventure Recipe #3: Loaded Campfire Potatoes

Here’s another remarkably easy fall meal.

Bake potatoes in foil over a campfire or prepare them at home and keep them warm for your outing.

Split each potato and add:

• Chopped Big Mike’s Jerky
• Shredded cheese
• Green onions
• Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• Chopped peppers

The hot potato softens the jerky slightly while the seasoning flavors the entire dish.

Peppered Beef is particularly good here, but Sweet Hot can turn an ordinary baked potato into something considerably more interesting.

For a family camping trip, set up the ingredients as a build-your-own potato bar and let everyone create their own combination.

Minimal cleanup.

Maximum fall comfort food.

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Adventure Recipe #4: Big Mike’s Campfire Breakfast Scramble

Cold mornings and hot breakfasts belong together.

Scramble eggs with:

• Chopped Original Beef or Turkey Jerky
• Bell peppers
• Onion
• Mushrooms
• Potatoes
• Shredded cheese

Add the jerky toward the end so it warms and softens without becoming overcooked.

Serve everything in a tortilla and you’ve got a portable breakfast burrito for the morning hike.

This also works at home on those cool Saturday mornings before heading to a farmers market, football game or youth sporting event.

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Adventure Recipe #5: The World’s Easiest Fall Charcuterie Board

Not every cooler-weather adventure requires hiking boots.

Sometimes the destination is your own patio.

For an outdoor gathering around the firepit, create a fall jerky charcuterie board featuring several Big Mike’s flavors alongside:

• Sharp cheddar
• Smoked Gouda
• Apple slices
• Pear slices
• Grapes
• Whole-grain crackers
• Roasted almonds
• Pecans
• Mustard
• Pickles

Instead of making jerky the entire meal, you’re using it as one savory component among fruits, cheeses, nuts and grains.

This is also an easy way to conduct your own Big Mike’s flavor tasting.

Which works best with sharp cheddar?

Which pairs with apple?

Does Spicy beat Peppered beside smoked Gouda?

Those are the kinds of important fall questions we’re happy to investigate.

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Why Protein Makes Sense in an Adventure Snack

Protein isn’t magic, and a bag of jerky won’t somehow transform a leisurely afternoon walk into an elite athletic event.

But protein does contribute to satiety.

A systematic review of studies involving adults with overweight or obesity found that higher-protein diets increased fullness or satiety in several of the included studies, although researchers cautioned that the overall evidence was heterogeneous and more research was needed. Another meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that protein consumption could increase short-term fullness and satiety, while evidence for longer-term effects was less conclusive. 

The practical takeaway is much simpler than the science:

Protein can be part of a satisfying snack, but balance still matters.

If you’re heading outdoors for several hours, combine protein with carbohydrates, fluids and enough total calories for the activity you’re doing.

Jerky + apple.

Jerky + crackers.

Jerky + trail mix.

Jerky + sandwich.

That’s a more sensible outdoor nutrition strategy than expecting one nutrient to do everything.

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Real-World Adventure: A Fall Hiking Day

Imagine heading out early on a crisp October morning.

The temperature is 48 degrees when you leave the car. You’ve got several miles ahead of you, and your backpack contains water, an apple, whole-grain crackers and Big Mike’s Jerky.

An hour or two into the hike, you stop at an overlook.

This is where jerky shines.

No utensils.

No preparation.

No refrigeration.

No smashed sandwich.

You open the bag, pair a portion with your fruit and crackers, drink some water and keep moving.

It’s a small convenience, but anyone who spends time outdoors knows that simple food is often the best food on the trail.

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Real-World Adventure: The Football Tailgate

Now consider an entirely different kind of fall adventure.

It’s Saturday morning.

The chairs are unfolded.

The grill is warming.

Someone has already started arguing about today’s game.

Instead of putting out the same bowl of chips, create a Big Mike’s snack board with multiple jerky flavors, cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts and vegetables.

Then put a pot of jerky chili on the stove or grill.

You’ve taken one product and used it two completely different ways: as a snack and as an ingredient.

That’s one of jerky’s underappreciated advantages.

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The Advantages: Why Jerky Earns Space in the Fall Adventure Bag

From a consumer standpoint, Big Mike’s has several practical advantages for cooler-weather activities.

Portability may be the biggest. Jerky is compact, relatively lightweight and easy to divide into portions. It doesn’t require a cooler before opening, which leaves more space for beverages and foods that genuinely need refrigeration.

Protein is another advantage. It makes jerky more nutritionally substantial than many conventional snack foods, and research suggests protein can contribute to short-term fullness. 

Versatility is perhaps the overlooked advantage. You can eat jerky directly from the package at noon and chop the same product into chili that evening.

Finally, Big Mike’s offers multiple flavor profiles, allowing consumers to choose something mild, peppery, spicy or sweet-savory rather than treating jerky as a single-flavor food. 

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The Considerations: What Smart Consumers Should Know

Good consumer journalism shouldn’t pretend any food is perfect.

Jerky typically contains a meaningful amount of sodium. That’s useful for flavor and preservation, but people who need to limit sodium should read the Nutrition Facts panel and consider the serving in the context of everything else they’re eating that day.

Portion size matters, too. It’s surprisingly easy to keep reaching into a bag while hiking, driving or sitting beside a fire. Check the serving information rather than assuming the entire package equals one serving.

And while several Big Mike’s core flavors contain 0 grams of sugar and no artificial sweeteners, that statement should not be applied automatically to every flavor. The recipes differ. For example, the new Teriyaki Turkey uses coconut aminos for its sweet-savory character and contains sugars according to its Nutrition Facts panel.

That’s why the back of the package matters just as much as the front.

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Cooler Weather Is an Invitation

There’s something about the first genuinely cool morning of the season that makes you want to go somewhere.

Walk farther.

Light a fire.

Take the scenic route.

Pack the car.

Visit the farmers market.

Watch the game outside.

Make chili.

Fall doesn’t necessarily require a grand adventure. Sometimes the adventure is simply spending an afternoon somewhere other than your living room.

And the best adventure foods aren’t necessarily complicated.

They’re foods that travel easily, taste good when you’re hungry and can adapt to wherever the day takes you.

That’s exactly where Big Mike’s Jerky fits.

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Conclusion: Pack It, Snack on It—or Cook With It

Big Mike’s Jerky doesn’t need much preparation to earn a place in your cooler-weather plans. Toss a bag into your backpack for a hike, keep one in the car for a fall road trip or put several flavors on the table during a football weekend.

But don’t stop at opening the bag.

Chop it into chili. Fold it into scrambled eggs. Add it to a baked potato. Build it into homemade trail mix. Put it on a fall charcuterie board.

The combination of protein, portability, flavor and versatility makes jerky particularly well suited to a season when people want to get outside—and want satisfying food waiting when they do.

So when the temperature drops and the leaves begin to turn, grab the jacket, fill the water bottle and decide where you’re headed.

Then make room in the bag for Big Mike’s.

Call to Action

What’s your favorite cooler-weather adventure—and how do you take your jerky: straight from the bag or added to a recipe?

Share your favorite Big Mike’s flavor or jerky recipe in the comments. And if you know a hiker, camper, tailgater or fall-food fanatic who could use some new adventure-snack inspiration, share this article with them on social media.