View Full Version : food for trail.. lunches and mail drops
regarding breads I am wondering..will bagels and pita bread keep long enough so I could buy today and send in a mail drop that I would access a month or more hence?
What is good lunch food formail drops? just candy? would bagels be ok?
any ideas what I lunch stuff I could pack in a mail drop thats good for a couple months?
David
gsingjane
03-07-2006, 18:27
Sorry to say it, but bagels, pita bread or wraps would be a science project after a month waiting for you to pick them up. You could try this at home - just put a bagel in a plastic bag and put it under your sink and come back in a month. You'll be happy you did it at home and not when it was your only sustenance!
If you're looking for "bread-y" type things that have the potential to keep for a month, I'd check into a very dry cracker such as Ry-Krisp or Ry-Vita. Maybe some of the other crackers like Triscuits or Ritz might work, too: just check the expiration dates on the packages and if it extends past the time you'd pick it up, you're good. But it would seem to me that the cost of mailing these items would far outstrip the added cost of purchasing them along the trail.
It's really hard to think of lunch type food that would keep in a mail drop for a month or two. I'd be really hesitant about anything that didn't come in an asceptic package - IMO you'd be taking a risk sending hard sausage or cheese - although obviously anything like peanut butter would still be okay.
Jane in CT
I was a bit afraid this might be the case. Thanks Jane for the honest response. If I send a weeks worth of food in a box...for example to Fontanta Dam to get me through the Smokies.. I guess it can only be pastas, cocoa, granola bars.
I really like Bagels on a hike but... not in this case! Not if it's a science project!
Anyone have ideas of what might be good food for a mail drop.. it has to keep for at least a month or two and I was hoping there might be more possibilities than lipton dinners and granola bars! No, I don't have the time or the desire to use a dehydrator on stuff.
David
Jack Tarlin
03-07-2006, 18:51
Some possibilities, i.e things that will be happy in a box for an extended period:
*Pop Tarts, Granola Bars, Energy Bars, Candy Bars. All will keep for months.
*Jerkies (Beef, turkey, etc.); Slim Jims, Pepperoni, Vacuum-packed sausage
*Foil packs of tuna; salmon, chicken, ham
*Small (preferably 3 0z) cans of fish or meat
*Candy
*Dried or Instant Soups
*Peanut Butter; Jam/Jelly; Honey
*Stuffing Mix; Instant Potatoes; Instant Rice; Pasta dinners;Ramen Soups
*Coffee; Tea; Hot Cocoa;Powdered Milk
*Grated Cheese (Parmesan, etc.)
*Sauces/Gravies in envelopes, like Knorr Pesto, etc. Very good addition to
rice/pasta
*Spices, sealed in small Ziplocks will add a great deal
*Packets of things like Soy sauce; hot sauce; mayo; mustard are useful
*Small bottle (2 or 4 oz. Nalgene) of olive oil is very useful
terrapin05
03-07-2006, 18:55
Last year I relied heavy on food drops...for the most part,my opinion of course..they are unneccasary,the towns around the trail are better with "hiker food" than they were years ago when drops were required almost.ther are a few exceptions like Fontana Dam,and parts of Maine
Wow, thanks Jack!! wonderful ideas all!
Where ever would we be without your wealth of knowledge?
I am really glad I asked these questions...now I can go shopping!!
David
Alligator
03-07-2006, 19:57
I see that you don't want to vacuum pack. But if you were really set on the bagels, you could have them. Buy fresh bagels, vacuum seal, freeze, then send priority mail. They will last a week vacuum sealed maybe longer. But, they do not return to former size. In other words, it can be done, but you probably won't enjoy them as much. A pita might work pretty good this way:-? ...
Any of the Fantastik Foods products make decent lunches. I think Mannies tortilla wraps have a decent shelf life actually. Dried tortellini. Tortilla chips with dried refried beans. In most cases, I think you could get a decent supply of bread products every couple of days.
For lunches you could drop things like tuna and chicken pouches (or cans). Some tortillas have a 2 month life....but that can be a bit risky if the post office is warm.
There are many things you can do for lunches and dinners that don't involve Lipton's or a dehydrator, or hard work ;)
Visit my website...for some good ideas, ok? ;)
David,
Check the expiration dates on flat breads like tortillas. Some have a shelf life that is several months long.
Other than that, one substitute is pilot crackers.
What to put on the bread or cracker? Peanut butter has a very high calorie per ounce ratio. Also, foil packages of tuna or chicken. Underwood canned meats (deviled ham, chicken) work well.