Cheese?

[joeyt1291]

I want to bring cheese on my trip its 6 days in WV to V. Do those individually packed string cheese sticks last? If not what should I bring?

[buff_jeff]

I've packed string cheese a few times in the middle of summer and they lasted at least 3 days. I'm sure you can get 6 days out of them.

[Turtle Feet]

I want to bring cheese on my trip its 6 days in WV to V. Do those individually packed string cheese sticks last? If not what should I bring?

Well, being born & raised in Wisconsin, I've seen more than my fair share of cheese...

String cheese wraps tend to get 'watery' when they get left at room temp (or higher) too long. I wouldn't recommend those. Plus you have all the individual wrappers to wrangle with.

What kind of cheese do you like? I take a block (sometimes more than one) of Colby/Jack on pretty much every trip I've ever taken. My kids will eat it, it stays fine (packaging can get a little oily) for at least a week. I keep in a zip-lock.

When weight is not an issue, I'll pack a summer sausage, block of cheese and pitas. That will be lunch every day for my kids & I.

You can figure about 1oz of cheese per 'meal'. An 8oz block could last you a week.

Hope that helps...

[garlic08]

I'm no cheesehead (grew up in IL), but I think those string cheese packages pack slightly better and are easier to handle than larger blocks, especially in warmer weather. In cooler temperatures (below 85F), I can easily carry cheese for a week. In warmer temps, I carry cheese for a few days then switch to peanut butter for fat.

[makoboy]

I carry a block of the sharpest cheddar i can find, along with some kind of dried sausage. Cheese keeps well on the trail so long as it is not moldy. Typically, the harder the cheese, the better it will keep.

[jnl82381]

I know that the string cheese is supposed to be refrigerated. That being said, I've taken it when the weather is not forcasted to be too hot.

Most gas stations, and I'm sure Walmart has them somewhere, have packages of cheese and jerky that they keep at room temp. That may be an option if your looking at packability and don't want to bring an entire block of cheese.

[grayfox]

My favorite cheese to pack, other than very sharp cheddar, is Gouda. For a long trip take two. The wax wrapper burns as a fire starter. Take the one that says "refrigerate after opening". Buy the freshest date. The smoked ones last longer. A lot more flavor than string cheese IMO. A tiny knife will do to slice.

[Ramble~On]

I carried different types of block cheeses for my entire hike and never had a problem in summer. It was almost always gone before it had been in the pack more than four days and there are so many places to resupply it wasn't an issue. 8 oz blocks of sharp cheddar hold up great in summer.

[Jonnycat]

Roman soldiers lived on cheese two thousand years ago, and they didn't have refrigerators.

[Panzer1]

I frequently carry laughing cow cheese wedges. They come in individual wrapped servings and don't need to be refrigerated.

Panzer

[MichaelRedBeard]

Cool. Never thought of that.

[Bear Cables]

Laughing Cow makes little individual cheeses with wax coating. They hold up very well. I ate the last ones on day 5 and they were as good as day one.

[Erin]

I did not need it, but have Gulf Wax parafin for dipping cheese in to keep.I got that tip from a friend who hiked out west for a month with no resupply. We did not need it and ended up splitting velveeta with our bunch (that stuff keeps, I am not sure I want to know why) and used laughing cow and sting cheese in hot weather.

[G-WALK]

A nice hunk of chedder worked for me...

[Graywolf]

A can of cheeze wiz works for me..last a long time and no refrigeration required..Carry this with a pack of tortillas and summer sausage, you are ready to go..

Graywolf

[Wheeler]

cheese will last just fine. not an issue.

[Hikes in Rain]

The real purpose for cheese is to store milk without refrigeration. When you're hiking, it won't last long enough to be an issue. If you get it waxed, or wax it yourself, use the peeled off protection as fire starters! Double duty.

[Stir Fry]

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

It depends on the type of cheese. Most soft cheeses like cottage cheese need to be refigerated pretty consistantly to maintain freshness because of their low salt content. Harder cheeses such as cheddar can sit out on the counter for several days even weeks depending on the size of the block of cheese. It may sound gross, but if you have a large block of cheese that gets moldy, the rule of thumb is that you can cut the cheese away an inch below the mold and the rest of the block is just fine to eat. And really hard cheeses such as parmesean can be left out for a long time as long as it isnt super hot or anything because they have a very high salt content which helps to preserve the cheese. Good parmesean is generally aged for several months out in the open air anyway to allow the moisture to evaporate so unless you are eating riccotta or cottage cheese you will be just fine, and even so just one day probably wont do much damage.

• 3 years ago

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Asker's Rating: Asker's Comment: Why thank you kindly.

[shelterbuilder]

...It may sound gross, but if you have a large block of cheese that gets moldy, the rule of thumb is that you can cut the cheese away an inch below the mold and the rest of the block is just fine to eat....

My wife always shudders when I mention this, but the natural way to age cheese is to LET IT GO MOLDY, then remove the mold after it has finished the "aging" process.

[Wise Old Owl]

Gosh that is the old world process and the mold is generally good for you, hence, aged 90 days... wait so is mineral water... go figure..

I have a sunsheild sewn into a bag that wrapps around the water bladder. So string cheese can be placed right next to the bladder. This way my back wo't heat the bladder in my pack.