What is you favorite meals on the trail ?

[tim.hiker]

Breakfast ,lunch, supper and snack.. also brand name or make it your self....

[BirdBrain]

My gorp. 2 oz each of cashews, macadamia nuts, and Reese Pieces. And I agree with your meal assignments. Before I "dine", I sit at a table with a menu in front of me.

[Studlintsean]

That sounds like some good GONC (Good Old Nuts and Candy). We just sent my brother a care package to Uncle Johnny's with a similar mixture (add raisins and remove Macadamia Nuts). Your's sounds better. I make a mean burrito on that trail that is unbelievably good for how simple it is. That might be my favorite on trail food at the moment.

[BirdBrain]

Macadamia nuts are expensive but very calorie dense. 718 calories per 100 grams.

[ChrisJackson]

Macadamia nuts are expensive but very calorie dense. 718 calories per 100 grams. Wow, that's pretty good caloric value. Sounds like the price is worth it though. Thanks for the tip!

[BirdBrain]

Don't want to turn this into a calorie density discussion because that is not the main thrust of the OP. However, my 2nd favorite food item is my peanut butter snickers. Snickers are a mainstay on the trail. The peanut butter version is more calorie dense than the regular version. They both have the 250 calorie limit as mandated by people who know better what is good for us than we do. However, since the peanut butter version is more calorie dense, it is lighter than the regular version... and tastes better in my opinion.

With my OCD out of the way, I am now ready to hear about tasty treats.

[ChrisJackson]

I currently have a fairly boring backpacking diet, but it seems to do the trick:
Breakfast: ProBars & Yerba Mate
Lunch: I really don't have an official lunch. I nibble all day (constantly!). On bars. Usually ProBars.
Dinner: Couscous and fatty salmon with salt and olive oil.

[daddytwosticks]

Breakfast...fried apple pie (Krispy Kream) and a hard boiled egg. :)

[brian039]

Breakfast is just something quick that I can eat while walking. I don't like to sit around and eat because morning is my favorite time to hike. My favorite lunch is summer sausage or pepporoni on King's Hawaiian Bread with mustard and mayo. Dinner is stuff that I dehydrate at home, I used to eat Knorr's but I can't even look at those things anymore. Snacks is potato chips and Snickers bars.

[Cotton Terry]

Breakfast: Quick Oats with chopped walnuts and Craisens. Via coffee with hot chocolate (yum!)
Lunch: Peanut butter and honey on wheat Sandwich Thins.
Dinner: Triple cheese Mac & Cheese with Fritos thrown in the mix (I got this idea from The Trail Show)
Snack: GORP (not necessarily equal parts of dark chocolate covered m&m's, salted dry roasted peanuts, shelled pistachios, chopped walnuts, Craisens, dark chocolate m&m's)

[tim.hiker]

I cant handle most pre made back paging food.. unless there are some I don't know about...

[4eyedbuzzard]

Breakfast: 1) Instant oatmeal, maple or cinnamon raisin. 2) Or hard boiled egg and bagel. Coffee always.
Lunch: 1) Summer sausage and cheese w/crackers. 2) Or PB and honey on English muffin.
Dinner: 1) Beef cube(s), onion, pepper roasted on long metal skewer fork (weighs 1 ounce) over open coals. Foil wrapped potato for bonus. (Frozen beef lasts up to 2nd night if wrapped in double 1/8" Styrofoam and plastic bag). Also works with chicken, sausage, etc. 2)Or Yakisoba Teriyaki flavored noodles with some foil pouch chicken.
Dessert(s): 1) Campfire churros. Mix Bisquick and water to dough consistency in plastic bag. Wrap dough chunks around that metal skewer fork you used for dinner. Cook slowly over coals until golden brown(about 10 minutes). Coat with a little honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. 2) Or just instant pudding (use Nido). Pre mix portions to single use. Put powder and cold water in "shaker" bowl (I use a plastic 1 pint Chinese soup container). Shake like hell for a few minutes.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41V%2BM0J7w7L._SX300_.jpg

[BirdBrain]

Oh my goodness 4IB, you are my hero. I have so wanted some form of bread on the trail, but am unwilling to carry it or bake pack it. Churros will fit the bill. Thank you thank you thank you.

[tim.hiker]

Breakfast: 1) Instant oatmeal, maple or cinnamon raisin. 2) Or hard boiled egg and bagel. Coffee always.
Lunch: 1) Summer sausage and cheese w/crackers. 2) Or PB and honey on English muffin.
Dinner: 1) Beef cube(s), onion, pepper roasted on long metal skewer fork (weighs 1 ounce) over open coals. Foil wrapped potato for bonus. (Frozen beef lasts up to 2nd night if wrapped in double 1/8" Styrofoam and plastic bag). Also works with chicken, sausage, etc. 2)Or Yakisoba Teriyaki flavored noodles with some foil pouch chicken.
Dessert(s): 1) Campfire churros. Mix Bisquick and water to dough consistency in plastic bag. Wrap dough chunks around that metal skewer fork you used for dinner. Cook slowly over coals until golden brown(about 10 minutes). Coat with a little honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. 2) Or just instant pudding (use Nido). Pre mix portions to single use. Put powder and cold water in "shaker" bowl (I use a plastic 1 pint Chinese soup container). Shake like hell for a few minutes.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41V%2BM0J7w7L._SX300_.jpgsounds like a good plan, thanks

[tim.hiker]

supper: one thing I truly enjoy is instant mash potatoes loaded I also take some bacon bits and powdered butter and add in them or the hash browns then some cured ham and warm up. the 1st night I packed some steak or chicken with Cajun seasoning. Lunch is ramen noddle's or deer summer sausage with chez and crackers. Breakfast is oatmeal or granola with powdered milk... oh coffee in morning and evening..... I mixed my water with a lil Gatorade...

[Carbo]

The NJ/NY bagels (when I can get them) with peanut butter and honey do good for any meal. Even if the bagel is a little stale it's still good! Walnuts, raisins, cheerios with peanut butter on a tortilla for snack.

[RangerZ]

Breakfast: Oatmeal plus raisins, peanuts and dried pineapple; occasionally Cheerios plus Nido and raisins
Lunch: Tortilla plus peanut butter and grape jelly or summer sausage plus cheese or chicken with mayo
Dinner: Dehydrated meal (jambalaya, spaghetti, quinoa - all plus Spam or chicken, Knoors rice sides plus chicken or tuna; I've move away from mashed potatoes
Dessert: Pudding plus NIDO in single servings
GORP: Peanuts, cashews, raisins, dried pineapple and mango, peanut M&Ms in equal proportion plus some extra M&Ms

[Odd Man Out]

Breakfast - Salami and cheese
Lunch - PB and J on tortilla
Supper - Zatarains Black beans and rice
Snack - Mixed Nuts
Gas Station - Bag of potato chips

[Gray Bear]

supper: one thing I truly enjoy is instant mash potatoes loaded I also take some bacon bits and powdered butter and add in them or the hash browns then some cured ham and warm up.
.

this with a little Parmesan cheezew

[The Splitter]

I'm a big fan of the Velveta Shells and Cheese, they make a ton of different flavors, it only requires boiling water and it's very calorie dense. I add tuna, sausage or jack links buffalo chicken bites to it for extra protein. I usually eat that for both lunch and dinner. Sometimes I'll use the Zatarians rice dishes too.

I'm going to try the Annies gluten free version here in a couple days, I'm hoping I like it. I don't have a gluten allergy but I try and avoid bread and pasta.

For breakfast it's always 4 packets of Quaker low sugar apple cinnamon instant oats mixed with 4 TBS natural peanut butter.


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[tim.hiker]

I will have to try that .:)

[Drybones]

3 cheeseburgers, large fries and a six pack of beer.....but that don't happen often.

[Another Kevin]

Breakfast: Coffee is a must. A little hot water dashed into dehydrated berries, and dumped over instant oatmeal. (Or if I have time, steam-baked muffins)
Lunch: Soppressata, cheese, the little brioche toasts that Trader Joe's sells. Or whatever I have in my snack bag.
Snacks: Dried fruits, nuts, M&M's, Clif bars (can't stand the peanut ones, though!), pretzels, ...
Supper: Dal bhaat tarkari. It's what keeps the Sherpas going. It's not too hard to make from scratch even on the trail.
Dessert: This one takes some explanation.

Take angel food cake, slice it thin, run it through the dehydrator.
Pack instant vanilla pudding (with powdered milk, I can never seem to find Nido around here, even at Wally World).
Pack freeze dried fruit (I like berries or pineapple), coconut, and one envelope of the instant hot chocolate that you make with milk. (NOT the just-add-water kind).

On the trail. Make the pudding and set aside.
Take the last of the water that you heated for supper. Throw some over the freeze-dried fruit to start it reconstituting, and with the last of it, make a chocolate sauce with the cocoa. Just dribble a little bit over the powder and knead. It's the right consistency when it will pour rather than just gum up in the envelope.

The pudding will set up while you're eating dinner. When you're ready, stir the coconut into the pudding. Pour the cake crumbs in, and dump the hot fruit and juice over the cake crumbs. Drizzle the chocolate over everything.

Some of the cake will be soggy and full of fruit juice, some will be cakelike, some will still be crunchy. Probe with your spork and find out!

This dessert rivals a fancy dessert at an expensive restaurant in town. On trail, it's ambrosia.

(I'm a pretty fair trail cook. I have to be, to keep my hiking partners coming back. It's an incentive to put up with a slowpoke and a smartass.)

[The Splitter]

I forgot another great one... Instead of Tuna (or with if you want) Annies Deluxe Mac and Cheese (with rice pasta), cover in 4 TBS crushed almonds. 1340 delicious Calories.

[chrisoc]

Does anyone carry Citadel Spread anymore?

[Rex Clifton]

Mountain House lasagna. I love this stuff!

[swisscross]

B-Nido, water, Carnation instance breakfast (choc) and two packs of instant coffee

L-Chicken salad on crackers or flour tortillas. Can of chicken, packs of mayo, pack of hot sauce, pack of lemon juice, slivered almonds, salt, pepper and tarragon. Add craisins if you wish.

S-made at home spaghetti mac. All dehydrated separately. 1/4 jar of sauce (leather), 1/4 lb of hamburger meat, 1/4 box of large elbows, 1/4 jar of green olives, sun dried tomatoes, dash of salt, pepper, and any other seasoning. (I dehydrate all at once and make four meals).

I also like Tasty Bites Indian food pouches. I dehydrate them and rehydrate them with jasmine rice and a few dehydrated veggies. I get two meals out of one pouch.

Steak and Lobster is always a winner.

[tim.hiker]

B-Nido, water, Carnation instance breakfast (choc) and two packs of instant coffee

L-Chicken salad on crackers or flour tortillas. Can of chicken, packs of mayo, pack of hot sauce, pack of lemon juice, slivered almonds, salt, pepper and tarragon. Add craisins if you wish.

S-made at home spaghetti mac. All dehydrated separately. 1/4 jar of sauce (leather), 1/4 lb of hamburger meat, 1/4 box of large elbows, 1/4 jar of green olives, sun dried tomatoes, dash of salt, pepper, and any other seasoning. (I dehydrate all at once and make four meals).

I also like Tasty Bites Indian food pouches. I dehydrate them and rehydrate them with jasmine rice and a few dehydrated veggies. I get two meals out of one pouch.

Steak and Lobster is always a winner.

Love the steak and Lobster, its always good to hear other people menu...

[Airgirl]

Lots of people are using the Knoors rice sides. Can you just add boiling water to that in a ziploc and let it "cook" like the dehydrated meals? Don't want to have to carry a cookpot and utensils also.

[BirdBrain]

Lots of people are using the Knoors rice sides. Can you just add boiling water to that in a ziploc and let it "cook" like the dehydrated meals? Don't want to have to carry a cookpot and utensils also.

Yes. You need a pot to boil water and one utensil though. You need a spoon. This is the one I use.

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/cookware/cookware-accessories/folding-utensils/product

Also, use a brand name freezer bag. Most use the quart size. I find the pint size sufficient. It allows for a smaller cozy, easier access, and is lighter. Repackage the meals into freezer bags while in town. No reason to carry the original packaging.

[tim.hiker]

Lots of people are using the Knoors rice sides. Can you just add boiling water to that in a ziploc and let it "cook" like the dehydrated meals? Don't want to have to carry a cookpot and utensils also.
I have been experimenting with some off Knoors meals some are really good like the Thai Curry was awesome I did find some you are better to soak in cold water for 20 min to let them rehydrate ... few off the bear creek are good also just take longer to cook....

[Wyoming]

One place where I really do try to watch weight is on food supplies so I pretty much never haul anything that is heavy (which basically means it has water in it). So for me the various meats mentioned - sausage, tuna packs, anything like that are not considered. But one of the nice things about all of the cheezy (pun intended) resupply points like convenience stores and gas stations is that they are loaded with bunches of flavors of jerky - as well as the regular grocery stores. Since one does need lots of extra protein this for me is the prefect source - great taste and very low weight. I take the jerky when i am cooking any of the ramen, knorr, lipton, rice dishes and put little pieces in the water so it hydrates some and gives the water more flavor. Then as the dish heats and hydrates the jerky gets even softer and adds more flavor. Works great for me. I save all other kinds of meats for town stops.

I also always carry Fritoes as they are incredibly calorie dense and loaded with fat and salt - which we need lots of on the trail and not so much off the trail lol. I only use a stove once a day for the above type of meal and the rest of the time the usual stuff.

Sometimes I buy a pack of tortillas, a squeeze bottle of peanut butter, a small box of raisins and make peanut butter and raisin tacos for lunch with fritos as a side. Yumm! for awhile and then I get tired of it for a couple of weeks.

I do eat a lot of cliff/power bars and granola bars and sometimes the gorp type stuff or snickers, but only because I have to. I don't like any of that stuff. I often have pop tarts for breakfast because they are fast and quiet. I am usually hiking before the sun clears the horizon so I don't mess around with a stove in the morning - and I get to see about twice as many animals as everyone who sleeps in!

One heavy food item I find essential is oil. So I buy a very small bottle of olive oil when I can find it and transfer it to a small plastic bottle I keep in my food bag. I put a pretty generous amount of oil in every one of the items I cook. Huge calories and the dishes cook much better!

Everything is oriented towards the the highest ratio of calories to weight. Flavor is mostly a secondary concern - as the cliff and powerbars attest too:p

[VashFive]

My 2 night meal plan.

Breakfast: cliff bars, oat meal, instant coffee, and aleve.....

Lunch: spinach wraps, packaged tuna, single serve packets of mayo, relish, and honey. Also peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes i'll pack a block of cheese and a bagel.

Dinner meals:

lemon pepper pasta: 1. Angle hair or thin spaghetti. 2. pepper 3. oregano 4. olive oil 5. lemon juice 6. Parmesan cheese liberal amount.

pack: noodles in a ziplock bag. Mix pepper oregano and cheese in a bag. combine oil and lemon juice in a small container or ziplock bag.

cook: boil noodles strain then mix everything. It's delicious. I've cooked it at home just because I like it so much.

LnR: 1. Lentils 2. rice 3. summer sausage 4. carrots 5. onion 6. bell pepper 7. hot sauce 8. salt 9. CHEESE

pack: lentils and rice in a bag, summer sausage in a bag, chop carrots onion and bell pepper in a bag.

Cook: boil lentils and rice for 10 mins add rest boil for 10 more add a liberal amount of cheese then hot sauce and salt to taste.

[MuddyWaters]

Food carried out of town like a hamburger or subway or cold pizza.

I am always willing to eat peanut butter/tortillas, trail mix, cheese, beef sticks, jerky, candy bars. There are times i cant choke down pasta dinners or mountain house.

[ddanko2]

The one thing I never got tired of on my Amicalola to Damascus hike was a package of Stuffing with canned chicken and bacon bits. Extremely filling and delicious! But seriously - add bacon to everything (only the 'real' bacon bits of course)