View Full Version : Bacon on the trail
Hi all, I have seen some pre-cooked bacon at the supermarkets and it seems like a great food item to bring. However can I just cook bacon at home and bring it on a section hike? How long do you think bacon will last on the trail before spoiling? The longest section hikes I take are typically a week. Can cooked bacon last that long without preservatives?
lonehiker
03-26-2016, 23:19
Just take the pre-cooked shelf stable stuff and then you don't have to worry about it.
Hikerhead
03-26-2016, 23:57
Microwave the precooked stuff for about a minute. Pat it dry with a paper towel and it will last a week with no problem. And it will good and crispy. I've done it many times.
Hikingjim
03-27-2016, 00:00
My bacon lasts until the first rest stop. Then I eat it all.
Hikerhead
03-27-2016, 00:03
My bacon lasts until the first rest stop. Then I eat it all.
True that!
Zendoutsu
03-27-2016, 02:13
If the bacon is cooked crispy and kept in a airtight container it'll last a few days. restaurants often leave bacon at room temp to keep it from looking fat covered.
Mr. Sparky
03-27-2016, 08:12
I've often wonded about the shelf-stable items like bacon bits. The packages say to keep refrigerated after opening. How long will they last after opening when in the heat on the trail?
Wise Old Owl
03-27-2016, 08:50
An old and well known alternative is to take raw bacon with Nitrate. Set the Nesco Dehydrator to 160° and 5 hours. Prospectors and 49'ers used dried beef, hard tack (saltines) and bacon in the back country.
Now you know how to make Bacon Jerky. For an added twist wipe it in Stubbs Hot BBQ sauce, do not use Sweet Baby Rays.
TexasBob
03-27-2016, 08:52
Just take the pre-cooked shelf stable stuff and then you don't have to worry about it.
It will last several days at least in the cooler weather. Mine was always eaten within about 3-4 days so I can't swear it lasts a week but I bet it does.
Hikes in Rain
03-27-2016, 08:55
Not long enough to go bad. You'll eat it before then. :)
I can tell you that grilled bacon wrapped shrimp will make a fine first night meal on the trail....but your friends will want you to share :-)
Which is why I tend to hike solo....at least until I can find some vegans to hike with
Christoph
03-27-2016, 10:13
I carried a package of bacon on one part and the grease from the packaging outweighed the benefit. It just got all over everything, so I cooked it up over a fire and ate the entire thing. So I switched to bacon bits as they're pretty lightweight and I added them to my instant potatoes and other instant stuff all the time. Adds somewhat a fair amount of calories but the sodium is pretty high.
Odd Man Out
03-27-2016, 10:44
Just take the pre-cooked shelf stable stuff and then you don't have to worry about it.
I used some of the pre cooked product last year. Added it to all my dried meals (past, rice an beans, etc) but I think home cooked bacon would taste better so I am interested in trying this.
Farr Away
03-27-2016, 11:02
Maybe try cooking your bacon; blotting the grease, and putting it in the dehydrator - bacon jerky. Downside is the bacon would still have fat, so that will go rancid, but should still get more time (than just cooked bacon) before it goes bad.
-FA
SWODaddy
03-27-2016, 11:21
It will last longer than you might think. You can also buy salt-cured "Country" bacon which, although uncooked, is shelf-stable. This is much easier to buy in the South, but there are also places online.
Benton Farms is my favorite:
http://shop.bentonscountryham.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=hscb
It's shipped unrefrigerated. Very expensive restaurants use their bacon. Not too salty.
Here's another one:
http://store.lovelesscafe.com/product/country-smoked-bacon/bacon-ham-smoked-meats?gclid=Cj0KEQjwid63BRCswIGqyOubtrUBEiQAvTol0X 1AIMtW1mzXuoY52X5COES2aOfdU8e1gZ-ROXwabl4aAps58P8HAQ
I haven't bought from them yet, just something I found doing a quick search.
lonehiker
03-27-2016, 14:14
My all time favorite lunch is a few slices of shelf-stable bacon, couple packets of Miracle Whip, light tasting cheese, all rolled up in a tortilla.
MuddyWaters
03-27-2016, 14:44
Bacon jerky, all the flavor without the mess.
I like precooked, its just bacon. But if you cant eat the whole pack at once, it do get a bit greasy messy. They should vacuum 3 strips together at a time.
TexasBob
03-27-2016, 18:50
It will last longer than you might think. You can also buy salt-cured "Country" bacon which, although uncooked, is shelf-stable. This is much easier to buy in the South, but there are also places online.
Benton Farms is my favorite:
http://shop.bentonscountryham.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=hscb............... ..
I got a package of this bacon once from a friend at work and it is does not taste like the bacon we are used to at all.
ScottishLass
03-29-2016, 19:27
An old and well known alternative is to take raw bacon with Nitrate. Set the Nesco Dehydrator to 160° and 5 hours. Prospectors and 49'ers used dried beef, hard tack (saltines) and bacon in the back country.
Now you know how to make Bacon Jerky. For an added twist wipe it in Stubbs Hot BBQ sauce, do not use Sweet Baby Rays.
Why don't you use Sweet Baby Ray's? I love that stuff.
SWODaddy
03-29-2016, 19:54
I got a package of this bacon once from a friend at work and it is does not taste like the bacon we are used to at all.
It's different, but in a good way IMO. Because it has so much less water (hence being shelf stable), you have to cook it on much lower heat.
StubbleJumper
03-30-2016, 08:56
I got a package of this bacon once from a friend at work and it is does not taste like the bacon we are used to at all.
Clearly, "real" bacon tastes better than shelf-stable bacon, in the same way that "real" mashed potatoes taste better than Idahoan and "real" pasta tastes better than Lipton/Knorrs. However, that being said, shelf-stable bacon tastes okay, has the salty flavour that I crave at the end of a day of hiking, and has a decent amount of calories owing to its fat content. Since the shelf-stable bacon can be found in nearly every supermarket, it's a staple for me on the trail (I particularly like to have bacon and Idahoan potatoes for supper at least one time per re-supply). While the flavour of shelf-stable and dehydrated food is inferior to that which we can attain at home, after a 15 or 20 mile day, I pretty much like anything that I prepare for supper!
TexasBob
03-30-2016, 09:32
Clearly, "real" bacon tastes better than shelf-stable bacon, in the same way that "real" mashed potatoes taste better than Idahoan and "real" pasta tastes better than Lipton/Knorrs. However, that being said, shelf-stable bacon tastes okay, has the salty flavour that I crave at the end of a day of hiking, and has a decent amount of calories owing to its fat content. Since the shelf-stable bacon can be found in nearly every supermarket, it's a staple for me on the trail (I particularly like to have bacon and Idahoan potatoes for supper at least one time per re-supply). While the flavour of shelf-stable and dehydrated food is inferior to that which we can attain at home, after a 15 or 20 mile day, I pretty much like anything that I prepare for supper!
The shelf stable bacon SWODaddy is talking about is not the pre-cooked bacon you can find in the supermarket. What he is talking about is raw bacon that does not need refrigeration, like the kind that soldiers in the Civil War had. It is a totally different beast than probably any bacon you have ever had.
MMMM thinking Bacon Kiosk at specific points on the trail may be a thought.......................
RUNT ''13''
Ashepabst
03-30-2016, 12:51
Anyone know where you can get smaller packages of bacon bits?
Why don't you use Sweet Baby Ray's? I love that stuff.
I'm with you there, got both in my fridge right now!
Cattle men's 'Carolina tangy gold' is mighty good on wings too!
And when I dehydrate a London Broil for jerky, I'll marinate it in a Jack Daniels mesquite bag. So good!
Many of history's great expeditions carried salt pork. Lewis and Clark did... You can bet they missed it when they almost died of starvation crossing the Bitteroots. They found that they could not live on lean game animals like deer and elk. They needed the fat.
Don't worry about the salt. You need it. Hyponatremia is a potentially fatal condition that happens when you drink to much pure water, lacking electrolytes like sodium and potassium. (I've had it, believe me you don't want to go there; eat salt!).
Maybe do some reading in older outdoor books, which I'm sure will discuss ways to carry salt pork. Done right, it should last weeks to months.
Toolumpy
03-30-2016, 17:30
Have not tried but may have to--http://www.backpacker.com/cooking/recipes/snack-recipes/step-by-step-bacon-krispy-bars/#bp=0/img1
Tennessee Viking
03-31-2016, 11:44
If you home cook bacon, you will need to dry it out thoroughly. George Foreman it or use a pan with raised ridges to keep grease out. Dehydrate or cool rake with paper towels.
You can either get real bacon bits or the Oscar Meyer stuff.
ChrisJackson
03-31-2016, 13:19
Anyone know where you can get smaller packages of bacon bits? "Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits" aren't bad...I get'em at Publix. Here's a amazon link for reference: http://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Mayer-Real-Bacon-Bits/dp/B00I8GJYLE/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1459444612&sr=8-1&keywords=oscar+mayer+real+bacon+bits
MuddyWaters
03-31-2016, 14:24
I miss bacon.
Currently working in middle east.
Farr Away
03-31-2016, 16:40
Why don't you use Sweet Baby Ray's? I love that stuff.
Pretty sure WOO has posted before that Sweet Baby Ray's has corn syrup which makes it difficult to dehydrate.
-FA
dudeijuststarted
03-31-2016, 16:44
Bacon is amazing. Instead of hiking perhaps I should just stick to eating lots and lots of bacon. Equally pleasurable.
I try not to think about bacon when I'm hiking.
greentick
04-01-2016, 16:40
I don't remember if it was publix store brand, Boar's head or Oscar Meyer but the last pack of shelf stable bacon I got was divided into 2 sealed bags with several slices in each. Each bag was what I would consider a single serving. One of my buddy's kids was cooking it over the fire on a stick. You lose some precious grease but it crisped up real good.