View Full Version : Mountain House style meals
Kristeninmb
01-14-2016, 23:41
are these any good? any favorites or ones to avoid? it says on the package that they contain 2 or 2.5 servings. are most people that hungry after 12 mile day that you can eat the whole thing? planning on eating these for my section hike because I want to enjoy the hike, sights and people, not on dishes or pot scrubbing. thanks in advance
Kiki
Shutterbug
01-15-2016, 00:06
are these any good? any favorites or ones to avoid? it says on the package that they contain 2 or 2.5 servings. are most people that hungry after 12 mile day that you can eat the whole thing? planning on eating these for my section hike because I want to enjoy the hike, sights and people, not on dishes or pot scrubbing. thanks in advance
Kiki
Mountain House Meals are tasty. My favorite is the Chili Mac. When I was younger, I would eat the 2 servings for one meal. As I have aged, I have found that 2 serving are too much. If my wife is hiking with me, we share a meal. If not, I split the meal into two packages and only fix 1/2. I use my JetBoil Stove to replace the Mountain House foil package. I heat one cup of water in the Jet Boil, put the Chili Mac in the Jet Boil and seal it. It cooks just like it was in the foil pack.
checkout hawkvittles.com. same kind of meals, but more variety and lots of single-serving packs. And those "single servings" are generous, I think.
SWODaddy
01-15-2016, 06:26
Mountain House is GTG. My favorite is the lasagna. Wife's go-to is beef stroganoff. The only ones that neither of us care for are the meals that include scrambled eggs, but YMMV.
Traveler
01-15-2016, 06:43
FWIW, I like Mountain House and use their meals frequently.
daddytwosticks
01-15-2016, 08:17
I like Mountain House because they are easy to get at Walmart and they seem pretty tasty to me. I split the pack in two because as a section hiker, my appetite never really kicks in. I like the chilli mac and the wrap-type meals. The chicken wraps are my favorite. One of the chicken wraps comes with red/green peppers and beans. Really good. :)
LoneStranger
01-15-2016, 08:23
I've transitioned from all MH meals to mostly homemade freezerbag meals over the last few years, but still buy a few now and again to reach a free shipping threshold when buying gear online. Their chili mac is indeed edible and I once was brought back to life after 4 days of steady rain by a package of their chicken noodle dinner.
Portions are indeed oversized as is the packaging. I like to take two MH meals and use my scale to divide them into three freezer bags. That gives me a more reasonable meal size and cuts down on the packaging. The breakfast skillet I divide in half because while the first half of one is always delicious the second half is a chore to finish.
Mix ins really help to keep the meals interesting if you are going to be out for more than a few days. Cheese and hot sauce liven up both the chili mac and the breakfast skillet I find.
Tuckahoe
01-15-2016, 08:33
checkout hawkvittles.com. same kind of meals, but more variety and lots of single-serving packs. And those "single servings" are generous, I think.
Not exactly the same, as Hawkvittles are dehydrated rather than freeze dried. Though Hawkvittles are topnotch.
For those that find the standard 2/2.5 serving meals to be too much, there are also MH Propacks which are 1.5 servings, and at many Wal-Marts there are also single serving packs as well.
Old Hiker
01-15-2016, 08:59
MH seem too small for me. I have to add something, usually. Look for the pro-paks - less space and the same size meal.
http://theepicenter.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=pro-pak
My opinion:
Good: pasta primavera, chicken and rice (same as minute rice, boullion cubes and canned chicken), chili-mac
BAD !!!!! : scrambled eggs
colorado_rob
01-15-2016, 10:31
Horrible. But I use them because they are cheap, $40 at Costco for a 10-pack. I've eaten hundreds of these damn things. The ones I can still eat are Chili Mac, Beef Stew, Beef Stroganoff, and Chicken w/ rice.
We always take these out of the original foil containers and put them into 1-quart freezer baggies for cooking on the trail, saves 3/4 ounce for each meal and packs much smaller. The freezer bag cooking thing works very well. Almost a requirement for long hikes, like the JMT, where you have to squeeze 7-8 days of food in a limited size bear canister.
We recently discovered "better" tasting meals at Mary Jane Farms, way expensive, $10-12 per meal, but you can buy in bulk which makes them less than half price, about the same as Costco MH meals. Less sodium in the MJF meals, which my wife likes. The Mac and Cheese is my favorite from this brand.
Lots of choices in these pre-packaged meals, I generally just shop for the best deal. On the trail, I'm not looking to eat like a King, I just need my calories, "eat to hike" vs. "hike to eat". I find about 500-600 calories does me fine for main course. Using the freezer bag approach, you can tune your meal size to whatever you want. I buy the "2-person" meals, and split two of those into three meals, perfect for me. My wife splits them into halves, perfect for her.
Try different brands and develop your own customized system, or make your own, save money and eat better!
I like these meals and get them at a local grocery...I like to think of them as a premium version of the lipton dinners:
http://www.bearcreekcountrykitchens.com/soups.php
Gambit McCrae
01-15-2016, 11:08
In the smokies this past march I saw a fresh thru hiker who for lunch ate 2 spaghettis and half a chili mac- 5 servings total. I have grown to love my home made mountain house meals, from a cost savings as well as taste. But in a efforts of leave no food behind, I don't ever mind cleaning up someone else's meal :)
Uncle Joe
01-15-2016, 11:25
PackIt Gourmet! Pack a flour tortilla and get their Big 'Un Burrito!
dudeijuststarted
01-15-2016, 12:03
When I'm starving, a Mountain House is equivalent to fine dining on the streets of Paris. When said Mountain House comes as trail magic, it is as if I've hit the PowerBall.
MkBibble
01-15-2016, 12:27
+1 for MH and +2 for PackIt Gormet. Agree with the comment about eggs...
full conditions
01-15-2016, 12:38
I like Mountain House because they are easy to get at Walmart and they seem pretty tasty to me. I split the pack in two because as a section hiker, my appetite never really kicks in. I like the chilli mac and the wrap-type meals. The chicken wraps are my favorite. One of the chicken wraps comes with red/green peppers and beans. Really good. :)
DT - does the walmart in Murphy carry them?
Try different brands and develop your own customized system, or make your own, save money and eat better!
Yes!
Because of the "preppers", there are now many bulk items a person can buy to make their own delicious meals cheaply with off-the-shelf components. In other word, no dehydrating needed (Though that works really well too!)
I wrote this for TrailGroove and I think it is a useful article:
http://www.trailgroove.com/issue22.html?autoflip=141
DT - does the walmart in Murphy carry them?
You can find out at Walmart.com store search. If not, you order online and have them shipped to the store to save shipping. Allow plenty of time. It's free, but not fast shipping. When I have found them at Walmart in the last 6 months or so, they only stock 5 flavors in single servings. The selection online is vast.
Good-To-Go has vegetarian, and good, meals. It is a husband-wife cottage company in Maine. I even found them in the Houston REI. Single & double servings.
http://goodto-go.com/
Wayne
full conditions
01-15-2016, 13:32
You can find out at Walmart.com store search. If not, you order online and have them shipped to the store to save shipping. Allow plenty of time. It's free, but not fast shipping. When I have found them at Walmart in the last 6 months or so, they only stock 5 flavors in single servings. The selection online is vast.
Good-To-Go has vegetarian, and good, meals. It is a husband-wife cottage company in Maine. I even found them in the Houston REI. Single & double servings.
http://goodto-go.com/
Wayne
That's awesome. Thanks
Kristeninmb
01-15-2016, 13:58
OMG thank you all for the great information and web sites!!! i love my new white blaze family for all their sage advice. you are all the best and can't wait to get out on the trail
Kiki
OMG thank you all for the great information and web sites!!! i love my new white blaze family for all their sage advice. you are all the best and can't wait to get out on the trail
Kiki
Thank you. If some of us do our good deeds right, we'll have you out of the crowds and in the good places soon enough.
Have fun!
Wayne
daddytwosticks
01-15-2016, 17:09
DT - does the walmart in Murphy carry them?
Yes! The display was brimming last week. Happy hiking. :)
swisscross
01-15-2016, 17:13
I was already dehydrating my own meals but bought the backpacking kit from HH to supplement my meals and try different recipes without additional hassle.
If you like to cook, many don't, try dehydrating.
It really only saves you money if you go out a bunch. If you are going on an occasional trip for a couple of days, buy premade meals.
I started by dehydrating in the oven, then borrowed a machine from a co-worker, then purchased one for my needs.
You can pick a dehydrator at many a yard sales or craigslist if on a budget.
http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/
hikerhobs
01-15-2016, 17:37
My two favorite meals are mountain house biscuits and gravy, and packit gourmet dotties chicken and dumplings.
most MH aren't bad, however for a 1/3 or less of the cost, I now just use Knorrs. they taste as good in my opinion and are just as easy to prepare. you do have to kind of clip the package together at the top while it stews/simmers. add the cost of a packet of chicken or tuna however if you want a bit more substance. still alot cheaper though.
full conditions
01-15-2016, 19:00
Yes! The display was brimming last week. Happy hiking. :)
That's great news. I imagine they'll be a good deal cheaper there then at NOC.
SWODaddy
01-15-2016, 20:11
Good-To-Go has vegetarian, and good, meals. It is a husband-wife cottage company in Maine. I even found them in the Houston REI. Single & double servings.
http://goodto-go.com/
Wayne
Wife and I tried these - really wanted to like them, but they just rehydrate very poorly. If you read reviews online this appears to be a common complaint. They only have 4 menu items and are kind of expensive too.
Wife and I tried these - really wanted to like them, but they just rehydrate very poorly. If you read reviews online this appears to be a common complaint. They only have 4 menu items and are kind of expensive too.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll see what I can do assist the rehydration.
I do like to help small start up companies. If the quality isn't there, I will move on.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Lucky Dog
01-15-2016, 21:01
I just tried the biscuit and gravy and it was pretty good. I will defiantly take it on my next hike.
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I love their Chicken-N-Rice. I purchase it by the case of 6 number 10 cans and repack it in Ziploc bags when needed. I can eat it any time of day, rehydrates easily.
Backpackly
01-20-2016, 02:09
Mountain House overall is my favorite brand of freeze dried foods (the Lasagna is actually quite tasty).
The absolute best of these meals is the Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai - it takes a bit longer to cook but it is delicious & packs a ton of calories. Great for a long day of hiking.
Secondmouse
02-02-2016, 20:41
SOPAKCO MRE - 6/$18.49 shipped
these are low-sodium. each MRE comes with 600+ calorie 8oz entree, 2 pop-tarts, crackers and 2 packs jelly, tootsie roll and seasonings. also has spoon, napkins, and flameless ration heater.
not bad, if you like MRE's, that is...
Secondmouse
02-02-2016, 20:41
uh, here's the link...
http://www.thatdailydeal.com/home.php?id=40655#description
kimbur96
02-02-2016, 20:59
just tried my first MH meals this past weekend. Lasagna....not bad a little too tomatoey for me, but at the end of a long hike I am sure it will be just fine. Breakfast skillet...loved this. Sausage, potatoes and a small amount of eggs. I thought it was very tasty.
MuddyWaters
02-02-2016, 21:42
They were OK at walmart for 5.99. Then they started selling (near me) half sized ones with "1" serving and charging 4.99. No thanks.
The ones with 2 -2.5 servings only have 600-750 calories in them. Its not that much food. Its not even a full dinner for a hiker. I eat 1000+ for dinner.
Beware the gassy chili mac.
My favorite is probably the breakfast skillet put in tortillas.
Meals consist of several different items for me, not just pasta or rice part.
SWODaddy
02-02-2016, 21:59
uh, here's the link...
http://www.thatdailydeal.com/home.php?id=40655#description
I bought some of these for emergencies, but oh man there's no way I'd pack those hiking.
flatgrounder
02-02-2016, 22:14
the chili mac is excellent. but it was one meal for me.
Secondmouse
02-03-2016, 01:28
I bought some of these for emergencies, but oh man there's no way I'd pack those hiking.
yeah, but at $3 and change, that's cheap eats. in a day or overnight bag I'm not going to sweat it. mostly I just got some to throw in my car with a wool blanket and road flares...
Mountain house biscuits and gravy are surprisingly very good.
My Mountain House favorites are
Beef Stroganoff
Beef stew
Teriyaki chicken w/rice
chili mac (with some hot sauce added)
biscuits and gravy
raspberry crumble for a desert
Sarcasm the elf
03-15-2016, 20:52
checkout hawkvittles.com. same kind of meals, but more variety and lots of single-serving packs. And those "single servings" are generous, I think.
I just tried hawk vittles this winter for the first time, having used eight of them for various trips and am quite impressed. They are dehydrated, not freezedried, so they take a bit longer to rehydrate, but they are made by a gourmet chef out of real ingredients that I can pronounce, they taste great and the portions are generous. Many of them are a bit spicy, which may be good or bad depending on your preference.
Platypus2016
03-15-2016, 23:33
Mtn housemeals are always "ooohhhh'd" and "ahhhh'd" over by us thru hikers that have been o stick to the cheaper choices. I normally buy one or two during a resupply just for those nights when you want something special.
OK
checkout hawkvittles.com. same kind of meals, but more variety and lots of single-serving packs. And those "single servings" are generous, I think.
Delicious! And created by a '49er (Adirondacks). No-one's heard from him for a while in forums, but this morning I was told he's still in business. I have actually eaten his product not just while hiking and biking, but here at home. Also, he's one gy and I like to support the indie businesses.
I bought some of these for emergencies, but oh man there's no way I'd pack those hiking.
I volunteer at a couple of local food pantries, and they have been supplying our hungry residents with them. Not sure who made the decision or why, but I found it kinda neat!
Mountain House has always been my go-to brand for dehydrated meals. Certainly not for every day of a long hike, but I like having one or two in my food bag. Sometimes when the weather's foul you just want something that you can prepare quickly and with minimal fuss.
I'm a lazy so-and-so, I'll take convenience over gormet every time☺.
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... it says on the package that they contain 2 or 2.5 servings. are most people that hungry after 12 mile day that you can eat the whole thing? planning on eating these for my section hike because I want to enjoy the hike, sights and people, not on dishes or pot scrubbing. thanks in advance
Kiki
Yes I would say most people can consume more than a single serving size when MH specs a dinner serving size to be a sub 300 calorie dinner entrée. When was the last time you suspect your dinner was only 230 cals? 230 cal dinner servings are barely enough for a child sized serving on a 12 MPD Avg backpacking trip.
If you do some grocery store shelf perusing you'll find basically infinite variety of adaptable low bulk reasonable cost trail food.
I will only take prepackaged MH/backpacking type meals sprinkled in to food bag hauls on rarer and rarer occasions on hikes as the retail cost factor and as packaged bulk(non Pro Pak versions) is too much for longer hikes/longer distances between resupplying. Making my own dinner entrees is $ cheaper and less bulky. Plus I'm not stuck into a narrowed variety of dinner entrees. For a shorter hike they do add some grab and go convenience. Like Colorado Rob said he does I too Ziploc repackage all MH meals to save on packaging wt, amend serving sizes, and add ingredients for enhanced flavor and greater nutritional density.
peakbagger
03-16-2016, 14:00
An older thread but I will throw in my two cents. During a section hike in 2001 one fall we ran into a two folks who were finishing up a month long section. It was just after Sept 11th so there were not a lot of folks on the trail. One of the two had planned all the meals and sent them via mail drops. The bigger guy of the two had dropped a lot of weight. The first night we camped it was pretty cool out and we were cooking supper. My friend and I were cooking our normal backpacking meals which was easily a whole mountain house each. The guy who had lost weight asked if that volume was what we always ate. My friend and I joked that we always doubled the recommended servings, We weren't paying a lot of attention but their supper was a half of mountain house each. After we made the joke, the big guy looked at his partner and was obviously not happy as had had been starving for a month. One serving of Mountain House is not enough for someone backpacking unless they have a lot of other stuff to go with it. Backpacking especially in cool weather is not the time to diet.
Sandy of PA
03-17-2016, 10:14
I am a small person. I take 2 packages(same flavor) of 2 serving Mountain House and dump them together, then make 3 equal freezer bag portions. Perfect size!
colorado_rob
03-17-2016, 12:02
I am a small person. I take 2 packages(same flavor) of 2 serving Mountain House and dump them together, then make 3 equal freezer bag portions. Perfect size!I do this same thing and I am not a small person! Works great. Four "servings" divided into thirds. Perfect.
Sure who isn't as hungry as H-E-double-hockey-sticks when they get to camp, but I just can't eat more than about 400-500 calories worth of this freeze dried stuff. I supplement my dinners with other tasty stuff; a few slices of summer sausage or cheese, some beef jerky, a bag of chips, whatever, and I nearly always eat an instant pudding for desert; take a box of instant pudding, divide in half, mix in with 1/4c of Nido powder in a baggie, ready to add water and stir in camp. Delicious!
I just can't get through a full double-serving Mountain House (or other brand) in the evening.
I have several fav's...Rice and Chicken, Chili-mac, Beef Strog...also becoming a breakfast skillet fan for days when I do a hot breakfast
I repack them using a foodsaver which saves space much like the Pro-Paks and also cuts down on the garbage bulk
Yes!
Because of the "preppers", there are now many bulk items a person can buy to make their own delicious meals cheaply with off-the-shelf components. In other word, no dehydrating needed (Though that works really well too!)
I wrote this for TrailGroove and I think it is a useful article:
http://www.trailgroove.com/issue22.html?autoflip=141
Nice article Mags
All I would add is that another plus for protein is to help keep you warm at night
A high protein dinner has always been part of my winter camping strategy!
TwoSpirits
03-18-2016, 12:24
I tried the Chicken Breast and mashed potatoes and was really surprised at just how well the chicken breasts turned out. I mean, it's not gourmet -- the potatoes are really plain and tasteless and need some dressing up (for that matter, the chicken is pretty plain tasting too), but the meat is surprisingly tender and I dare say even juicy. Season it up a little to your taste, and it's a pretty good meal. If I'm not in the mood for the mashed potatoes, or just really exhausted, I just leave the potatoes for another day and will wrap the chicken in some tortillas and eat it just like that. Lots of protein in this one.
It would help if all who divide their MH meals into three serving sizes from two larger packages provide the original size packages you started with and the ultimate calorie and wt serving of each tweaked serving size. It does matter because different MH packaged variety meals have different package wts, different serving sizes, different cal/serving, and different dry wts/serving. It significantly does pertain to answering the OP's initial questions on serving sizes.
colorado_rob
03-18-2016, 14:24
It would help if all who divide their MH meals into three serving sizes from two larger packages provide the original size packages you started with and the ultimate calorie and wt serving of each tweaked serving size. It does matter because different MH packaged variety meals have different package wts, different serving sizes, different cal/serving, and different dry wts/serving. It significantly does pertain to answering the OP's initial questions on serving sizes.I did say kinda, because I mentioned 400-500 calories was what I could eat, along with all the other "dinner" food I consume (cheese or sausage, chips and a dessert). I repackage into freezer bags anyway both to save weight and bulk, so I do whatever combination it takes to get in that 400-500 range. Many "double serving" freeze dried meals are in the 600-800 calorie total range, say an average of 700, take two of those = 1400, divide by three = 466 calories. Half of a 600-cal package just ain't quite enough, though I sometimes do simply split a package into 2. One thing I do is to clearly mark with a sharpie how much water to add along with the calorie content of my ziplocks; some nights I only want a 400 calorie or less, others closer to 500 or more. Lots and lots of guys out there eat way more than this, but I just don't need or want it (and I don't lose much weight on a long hike, maybe a few).
Nerdy, I know, but I've been doing this a long time and I have my system pretty nicely dialed for me. That's the key, experiment and find what works.
saltysack
03-22-2016, 07:11
Hawk vittles are waaaay better as said they are dehydrared...just ordered a dozen meals recently...Sierra spaghetti rocks...I can choke down mh....barely....
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capehiker
03-22-2016, 10:25
I found a company called Valley Food Storage that sells really tasty Mountain House style food. They are non-GMO, no MSG, and a bunch of other alphabet free things. They come in under the cost of the main stream backpacking meals. The best part is all the ingredients are recognizable (at least on the ones I've tried). The only downside (if you can call it one) is you have to simmer the foods for a few minutes before letting them sit. This is only an issue of you are rationing your fuel. This company and their food have found a place in my backpack food bag.
Another Kevin
03-22-2016, 14:52
Delicious! And created by a '49er (Adirondacks). No-one's heard from him for a while in forums, but this morning I was told he's still in business. I have actually eaten his product not just while hiking and biking, but here at home. Also, he's one gy and I like to support the indie businesses.
I see Redhawk on the ADK forums or on Facebook every once in a while. He's a great guy. And yes, a 46'er (a '49er is a San Franciscan...). And a pretty durned good cook. I haven't use his stuff a tremendous amount because I tend to prefer my own cooking and because someone gave me a box of Packit Gourmet stuff a while back. But what I've tried, I've liked.
EDITED TO ADD:
Oh, since nobody's mentioned it, when I pack up my own stuff for FBC, a lot of the ingredients are Harmony House dehydrated vegetables. Add tiny pasta shapes or rice from the grocery store, a little can of chicken or pouch of fish, seasonings, and there's a nice one-bag dinner. I can recall one trip where Elf was casting an envious glance at my casserole of rice, dried mushrooms, canned shrimp, HH vegetables, Nido, and spices. Couscous or pastina or cappellini, tomato sauce based on HH tomato powder (with onion and green pepper and carrot and seasoned with garlic, bay, basil, oregano, salt and pepper), abruzzese sausage, and string cheese makes another favorite of mine. And there are endless variations on dal bhaat tarkari, maybe with bannock in place of chapati or naan.
fabianscorpio
03-23-2016, 11:41
You can also check out my thread on 'Trail diners on the Cheap'.....ideas for meals....good luck!
JumpMaster Blaster
03-23-2016, 20:18
MH Rice and Chicken, Beef Stroganoff, Mexican Style Chicken & Rice, Spaghetti, and Chili Mac are all good, especially after a long day. If you're hiking solo and don't buy the Pro-Paks, divvy up the 2.5 serving pouches in two, and add the required amount of water (or wing it a little and make a soup).
Stay AWAY from the eggs though. Those things are just not edible, and this is coming from an old Army Soldier who's eaten just about anything, anywhere.