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mweinstone
02-13-2006, 23:45
who cooks meat of any kind on the trail?other than bacon,ive seen one chicken roasted at a shelter in 30 years.and dogs.ive rosted the occasional pack o weinies.but who cooks steak and ribs on their thru hike? anybody? and do you ask if we mind your smoke if we dont like it?i cant imagine pulling in late to a crowded shelter with a fire going,pulling out a steak and swingin it over the fire without someone getting grossed out.is this okay to eat and cook big meat?

tiamalle
02-14-2006, 00:11
who cooks meat of any kind on the trail?other than bacon,ive seen one chicken roasted at a shelter in 30 years.and dogs.ive rosted the occasional pack o weinies.but who cooks steak and ribs on their thru hike? anybody? and do you ask if we mind your smoke if we dont like it?i cant imagine pulling in late to a crowded shelter with a fire going,pulling out a steak and swingin it over the fire without someone getting grossed out.is this okay to eat and cook big meat?maybe I'm alittle of topic but yesterday The nice folks at a trout pond says if hikers want to come to their pond and catch fish to take to the trail it is OK.we listed their business
on appalachiantrailservices.com (http://http://appalachiantrailservices.com) at Dicks Creek Gap in Ga.They are located
1 1/2 mile down the mtn going to Hiawassee,Ga and have cabins for rent to
hikers. http://upperhightowertrout.com

Wolf - 23000
02-14-2006, 03:52
Ok, maybe I miss something but what is the problem with cooking steaks out on the trail. I've cook them in a frying pan at home. What the different? Please explain?

Wolf

Billygoatbritt
02-14-2006, 07:53
I usually cook a steak , or pork chops, or chicken every night after returning to the trail. That is my routine and no one has complained.

the goat
02-14-2006, 09:27
yeah dude, it's cool. i cook meat on the trail all the time.

Panzer1
02-14-2006, 10:27
cant imagine pulling in late to a crowded shelter with a fire going,pulling out a steak and swingin it over the fire without someone getting grossed out.is this okay to eat and cook big meat?

It's Ok to cook big meat. There's not problem there. Nobody will be grossed out. But I would ask if it's Ok, since it sounds like you would be using firewood that they gathered.

Just as a note, I think hotdogs are easier to deal with when cooking on the trail. Steaks take forever to cook especially in the winter when they might be frozen when you start.

Panzer

Tin Man
02-14-2006, 10:40
I always carry meat. I cook chicken one night and steak another night before giving in to non-perishable items. I freeze both the chicken and steak. Since the chicken usually thaws first, it gets cooked first. The steak is well wrapped and since I hike in the fall, it takes an extra day to thaw. I don't think grilling meat is gross. Watching someone cook ramen - now THAT is gross!

Mouse
02-14-2006, 11:07
Watching someone cook ramen - now THAT is gross!

Not to mention watching ramen eaten raw. I sure got some horrified looks in my three stoveless months.
:banana

LIhikers
02-14-2006, 17:53
Speaking from experience, I can tell you that you don't need to cook ramen. All you do is let it soak in water until it's soft. Then you can eat it like any noodle. Of course it's way more rubbery than a cooked noodle.

khaynie
02-14-2006, 17:58
Grossed out?! Pure envy would be the reaction I would most expect. If someone would have slapped a huge hunk of meat on a stick and hung it over the fire at a shelter, they would have been my best friend.

You know we are at the top of the food chain...

RITBlake
02-14-2006, 18:00
The Joes Hole Posse wasn't so much known for packing out meat, but for packing out a few budweiser tall daddys.

khaynie
02-14-2006, 18:02
The Joes Hole Posse wasn't so much known for packing out meat, but for packing out a few budweiser tall daddys.

Amen. But how

khaynie
02-14-2006, 18:04
Amen. But how

But how nice would it have been to drank a few of those bud heavy tall daddies with a slap of animal meat. Ummmmm, maybe next time...

RITBlake
02-14-2006, 18:10
Balt Jack had the great idea of freezing a piece of meat while you were in town at a hostel. The next morning wrap it up carefully and drop it in your pack. After 10 hours of hiking you can roll in to camp with a thawed out steak. Wish I had tried it, I can't imagine the look of envy in the faces of hikers when this is pulled off. Esp if they had no idea what kind of cargo you were carrying that day

khaynie
02-14-2006, 18:19
Balt Jack had the great idea of freezing a piece of meat while you were in town at a hostel. The next morning wrap it up carefully and drop it in your pack. After 10 hours of hiking you can roll in to camp with a thawed out steak. Wish I had tried it, I can't imagine the look of envy in the faces of hikers when this is pulled off. Esp if they had no idea what kind of cargo you were carrying that day

And as cold as it will be for those NOBO's starting out soon, you could wrap up a piece of meat in town and rig it to your pack (I'm sure some of you have already done this) - the air would be better than the fridge. I think I'll try that on my next cold weather expedition.

RITBlake
02-14-2006, 18:23
And as cold as it will be for those NOBO's starting out soon, you could wrap up a piece of meat in town and rig it to your pack (I'm sure some of you have already done this) - the air would be better than the fridge. I think I'll try that on my next cold weather expedition.

don't forget you'd need a streamlined piece of meat. No off the shelf hunk of beef is going to cut it here. You need to think density, weight to calorie ratio, and dimensions. If you reduce your streamlinedness by even 1% it can slow you down by .2-.5 mph.

Topcat
02-14-2006, 18:42
First night on the trail, i will quite often pre-pack a "silver turtle" which is ground meat and vegatbles, spices and butter wrapped in tin foil and frozen before i leave and cook it in the coals of a campfire. I have been known to do burgers and steak the same way. I only do it the first night out as i fear food going bad more than untreated water. :-)

general
02-14-2006, 19:03
why cook the meat? just eat it raw and save yourself some trouble. all the essential nutrients still intact.

mweinstone
02-14-2006, 19:13
how about you bild a fire in front of the shelter. let the coals form,and then pull out a 3 inch thick prime ribs ,in foil mind you,slide that puppy under the coals. and just hang out till about 8 oclock,then,...lets say your now with new people who have no idea whats cookin and pull it out and eat it and share it?would the level of freak out be concidered total?and then what if you waited till everyone had some and someone askes jokingly,"i guess you dont hapen to have a bottle of ketchup do you?"and you wip out the coo da gra.this sounds like a good idea for springer mountain shelter.maby we could start a thing where alot of people started trying to outdo the last till finally some one would actually be up there roasting whole pig in a spit.!im in if anyone wants to do this thing. im startin this weekend for sure.

khaynie
02-14-2006, 19:20
don't forget you'd need a streamlined piece of meat. No off the shelf hunk of beef is going to cut it here. You need to think density, weight to calorie ratio, and dimensions. If you reduce your streamlinedness by even 1% it can slow you down by .2-.5 mph.

Great point. Streamlinedness is the key to efficiency and Efficiency = Happiness.

The ribs of some black angus cow would form nicely around the outer side of my pack. I'll keep my eyes open on any specials that become available in my local market.

I'm hungry.

mweinstone
02-14-2006, 19:40
we have the gearskin backpack,........ wheres the meatskin gaiters,the possibilitys for hats are obvious.cut a pouch in a roast to stuff it and wear it till then.meatheads theyed be called.and burger could fill all the viods in a pack if it was in a plastic sleave.beefsnakes.little chickens make mitts.and if you wear a neck tie while hiking,concider sausage link suspenders,sombody help me out hear.

general
02-14-2006, 19:46
we have the gearskin backpack,........ wheres the meatskin gaiters,the possibilitys for hats are obvious.cut a pouch in a roast to stuff it and wear it till then.meatheads theyed be called.and burger could fill all the viods in a pack if it was in a plastic sleave.beefsnakes.little chickens make mitts.and if you wear a neck tie while hiking,concider sausage link suspenders,sombody help me out hear.

maybe a couple of those 4 foot summer sausages for hikin sticks, they'd keep for forever.

mweinstone
02-14-2006, 20:08
ridgerest made of giant slim jims,ultralight backpack is actually a hudge stuffed turkey,sholder sausages attatch to drumstix,sleeping bag insulated withj pork rinds

Ridge
02-14-2006, 20:40
With my sierra zip woodburning stove I can get a steak, chop or burger in town then head back to the trail. I've taken left over charcoal from park grills and use it in my stove. I get the coals going, turn off the blower and cook the meat on a 4-5 inch diameter grill on top of my stove. I can just use wood coals to cook with if the other is not available. Frozen meat in cold weather will last several days or longer if you put it in a zip-lock and stick it down into your wrapped up sleeping bag for insulation.

mweinstone
02-14-2006, 20:44
only put beer there

khaynie
02-14-2006, 20:55
ridgerest made of giant slim jims,ultralight backpack is actually a hudge stuffed turkey,sholder sausages attatch to drumstix,sleeping bag insulated withj pork rinds

First off - that's hilarious (75 second laugh out loud hilarious) and genius, too. Great work, Weinstone. Let me try...

Ok, going with the huge turkey as backpack, let's deep fry it first to give it an impermeable finish. Then we could keabosa's for the waistbelt - a sternum strap would be entirely optional. I suggest we go with brot's in order to give us more band for our buck regarding the sleeping pad. While the pork rinds would be the lightest form of insulation, perhaps cotton candy would be a more viable alternative. And for those looking wondering about a shelter, a giant beef jerkey roll could be used as a bivy sack or could double as a tent depending on size purchased. Cryogenically frozen almond snickers could be used as stakes.

Ridge
02-14-2006, 20:56
My water bladder will hold about a 6 pack of Heineken. I place the bottles in the trash at the grocer and the bladder in the sleeping bag. Makes for a real good refreshing drink after a long hot day on the trail.

2Ply
02-14-2006, 22:36
ridgerest made of giant slim jims,ultralight backpack is actually a hudge stuffed turkey,sholder sausages attatch to drumstix,sleeping bag insulated withj pork rinds

sounds kind of messy as things thaw out. Try this link for a more practical solution, lots of useful products.:D

http://www.ediblegear.com/index.html

ed bell
02-14-2006, 23:04
I love a good steak, and for years I never wavered from the ol' tried and true backpackin' meals. I bought a great backpacking skillet about 8 years ago and I have been livin' it up at breakfast and dinner, when my schedule allows, ever since.(pancakes, sausage links...mmmmm....) Even my lightweight setup could cook 1st night steak, but I haven't tried that. I think I'd let the community campfire remain just that. I would never showboat my dinner in front of others.

Billygoatbritt
02-14-2006, 23:17
I usually set up camp whenever I find a suitable spot. I wouldn't think of hogging a community campfire just to cook. I have a healthy appetite and usually don't skimp of food to save a few ounces. I'm out there to have a good time, and not on a tasteless hunger strike. Having a good time, enjoying nature and taking things slow is more important than making a few extra miles. For others this may not be an option and I understand the hike your own hike mantra.

mweinstone
02-14-2006, 23:44
i have a theory. before a big trip i eat a starvation diet .its just a diet of any food in a small enough amount as to keep your stomach growling at least a few times a day.like plaine oats in the morn and 3 sardiens on bread at night ,with a few nuts and an advacado as snacks.throw in a vitimine and i call it a diet cause its a billionth of what we normaly eat in one hour. so to clean out i reduce the amount of food till i hear my stomach loud and clear. at this point my packed food bag in the fridge looks like gold. thats what i want.to step up to camp food in apriciation ,not step down off the city diet and complaine. its all about readjusting food habits.anyway now for the trick.after a couple months of this being hungry diet,i binge like a thru hiker at chow one last time and grab my pack and start hiking. thats how i do it.ps,binge will include steak and potatoe.did i mention the weight of that steak? 3 lbs.porterhouse

Jack Tarlin
02-14-2006, 23:46
In addition to packing a frozen steak or other piece of beef out of town, other things that have worked for me are:

*Frozen burritos (Eat em cold once they thaw out!)
*Frozen tubs of Bar-B-Q, like Lloyds (Eat cold or heated)
*Frozen shrimp or scallops (Add to Liptons or whatever you're eating)

Also, just for the hell of it, sometimes I'll buy a sack of burgers from a fast-food joint just before I leave town, and save them for dinner. If you want to drive people CRAZY at a shelter, wait til they're all cooking their ramen swillage or instant soup or something.....and then pull out three foil-wrapped Whoppers. You'll be much envied, and if you have enough to share, you'll be worshipped.

khaynie
02-14-2006, 23:58
i have a theory. before a big trip i eat a starvation diet .its just a diet of any food in a small enough amount as to keep your stomach growling at least a few times a day.like plaine oats in the morn and 3 sardiens on bread at night ,with a few nuts and an advacado as snacks.throw in a vitimine and i call it a diet cause its a billionth of what we normaly eat in one hour. so to clean out i reduce the amount of food till i hear my stomach loud and clear. at this point my packed food bag in the fridge looks like gold. thats what i want.to step up to camp food in apriciation ,not step down off the city diet and complaine. its all about readjusting food habits.anyway now for the trick.after a couple months of this being hungry diet,i binge like a thru hiker at chow one last time and grab my pack and start hiking. thats how i do it.ps,binge will include steak and potatoe.did i mention the weight of that steak? 3 lbs.porterhouse

3lbs of heaven. You know you can use the meat before thawed as a compress or a top to your turkey backpack.

Disney
02-15-2006, 00:44
Grossed out? no. It happened to me and I was insane with jealousy.

mweinstone
02-15-2006, 19:42
my pull out show stopper is a deli sandwitch and pickle 20 miles carried from town . its allways the pickle that makes em stare.

ncbookseller
02-17-2006, 03:12
I think protein is very important when your putting your body through the rigors of the trail, but it may not always be feasible to have meat with dinner. I'm planning on having TVP (texturized vegetable protein, available at Whole Foods) sent to me. It's made up of little dried crumbles that keep forever and rehydrate immediately in hot water. The idea of just ramen noodles for dinner sounds a lot more appetizing when I can add the protein of tuna with a lot less weight. They also pick up whatever flavors are in the dish. The closest commercial equivalent I can think of is Morningstar Farms' Veggie Crumbles - found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.

ncbookseller
02-17-2006, 03:16
Plus it's really inexpensive. I have gone hiking twice in the last month and made 3 dinners adding $.49 worth of tvp to fill out the dishes. TVP is a common ingredient in meat dishes like frozen dinners, chili, and meat spaghetti sauce. It's a cheaper way to extend the beef that's already in the dish.


I think protein is very important when your putting your body through the rigors of the trail, but it may not always be feasible to have meat with dinner. I'm planning on having TVP (texturized vegetable protein, available at Whole Foods) sent to me. It's made up of little dried crumbles that keep forever and rehydrate immediately in hot water. The idea of just ramen noodles for dinner sounds a lot more appetizing when I can add the protein of tuna with a lot less weight. They also pick up whatever flavors are in the dish. The closest commercial equivalent I can think of is Morningstar Farms' Veggie Crumbles - found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.

mweinstone
02-17-2006, 22:14
ya want protien lightweight and good tasting and acctually good for you witch tvp aint?eat food not proteen dust. and the musles you get carriying them will be good for you too.beans and rice weigh less than tuna .macs and cheese taste better than raman.raman is dumb.i hope ramman dies.tvp dosnt have anything to streatch in ramman.and tvp isnt as easily used by the body like dryed tofu is. and that tastes like food at least. tvp tastes like grape nuts ceareal with mold.

springchicken
02-19-2006, 17:38
Cut meat into tiny little pieces, and it cooks in just seconds, saving you time and fuel but still giving you a delicious steak or chicken dish. I like to then mix the meat chunks with some frozen (but thawed out during the day of hiking) veggies with cheese sauce and instant rice. Yum!

Topcat
02-19-2006, 18:33
rehydrating jerky and using it in recipes isnt bad. I also vote for beans as a protein source. dried are light and you can drop them into a water bottle first thing in the am or at lunch and they are ready to cook in your rice by dinner time. (if dried, they do need to soak for 4-8 hours)

xXIndyXx
02-20-2006, 00:24
I don't want to sound childish, but "packing meat", and "big meat"! Sorry but I can't stop laughing at this thread.

springchicken
02-20-2006, 17:18
Hey, Topcat, what kind of beans do you prefer? Which ones cook the quickest? I'm all about beans, but shudder to think of all that fuel being used up...I'm bringing along lentils for their quick cook time, but any other suggestions would be great.

Tinker
02-20-2006, 17:25
I've cubed and marinated steak in red wine, garlic, and pepper, and, after skewering them at home, taken them on cold weather section hikes on the Trail, along with potatoes, wrapped in foil, baked in the embers of the fire and buttered with real (frozen) butter. It's worth the weight!