Hot Pockets or other frozen pre-cooked food

[DuneElliot]

Another post today so I apologize. I'm preparing for another long hike in two weeks so I'm trying to get a better set-up for food as that is my biggest issue.

I was thinking about this last night in regards to food I was actually thinking about on the trail. Is there any reason why pre-cooked frozen food wouldn't last on the trail...I'm thinking along the lines of cheese and pepperoni (both stable trail foods) hot pockets or something similar. Are there any other frozen, pre-cooked foods that might also work like this?

[Starchild]

The hotpockets you should try out at home first, sometimes the dough is not fully cooked and not that palatable. Frozen fried chicken I know works.

[DuneElliot]

The hotpockets you should try out at home first, sometimes the dough is not fully cooked and not that palatable. Frozen fried chicken I know works.
Chicken would worry me after the first day, even cooked. I think you are right about checking them out first...they're only $2.50 at Walmart and would be worth testing.

[Miner]

For 2-3 days long weekend trips or for the first day or two out on longer trips, I often carry fast food (beef/bean burritos and simple cheeseburgers without the sour cream or mayo the higher end products come with) for lunch and dinner. Most of them have plenty of preservatives and will last a few days without refrigeration and still tastes better than most things hikers normally carry to eat. I remember watching a YouTube video of a PCT hiker who hiked a 5 day section with nothing but McDonalds McDouble burgers. While I've never gone to that extreme, I've often done similar things.

As I often go cookless when the weather isn't cold, I normally carry blocks of Cheddar cheese, summer sausage and/or pepporoni slices with a bread product (all of which will last for days when opened) and make my own sandwiches or pita pizzas with them. Once again, better than some backpacker type food I've carried in the past.

[DuneElliot]

For 2-3 days long weekend trips or for the first day or two out on longer trips, I often carry fast food (beef/bean burritos and simple cheeseburgers without the sour cream or mayo the higher end products come with) for lunch and dinner. Most of them have plenty of preservatives and will last a few days without refrigeration and still tastes better than most things hikers normally carry to eat. I remember watching a YouTube video of a PCT hiker who hiked a 5 day section with nothing but McDonalds McDouble burgers. While I've never gone to that extreme, I've often done similar things.

As I often go cookless when the weather isn't cold, I normally carry blocks of Cheddar cheese, summer sausage and/or pepporoni slices with a bread product (all of which will last for days when opened) and make my own sandwiches or pita pizzas with them. Once again, better than some backpacker type food I've carried in the past.
Oooh, I never thought about frozen bean and cheese burritos...I bet those would work well with a little taco sauce from Taco Bell. Great idea. Thank you.

[Slo-go'en]

I think you could run the risk of salmonella with unheated frozen food, even if it's precooked. Eating an unheated cheese and pepperoni Hot Pocket isn't much different then eating cheese and pepperoni on a cracker or bagel and probably way better since you can buy quality cheese and pepperoni.

Knorr sides w/tuna is my staple dinner, but I often have trouble eating a whole package early on in a trip, so I cut back the amount of pasta by about 1/4 to 1/3 and back off on the powdered sauce.

I also mix it up by making Spam burgers - A spam single on a bagel and topped with cheese and ketchup. I carry a tiny 3" fry pan so I can heat up the spam, melt the cheese a little and have a warm sandwich. Go deluxe and add onion and tomato.

In cool weather, you could carry luncheon meats for 3-4 days, like Roast Beef or Ham.

[blw2]

I could very well be wrong...but I thought that not all pepperoni....or not all dry sausages.... were "shelf stable"....and that some required refrigeration.
Same with cheeses.... hard cheese can of course go without refrigeration, but I'd guess softer cheeses...american for example... do. Perhaps they're ok out for some period of time, but I'm not so sure about several days..... or high temps....
I'm no food scientist though.....

[RangerZ]

I could very well be wrong...but I thought that not all pepperoni....or not all dry sausages.... were "shelf stable"....and that some required refrigeration.
Same with cheeses.... hard cheese can of course go without refrigeration, but I'd guess softer cheeses...american for example... do. Perhaps they're ok out for some period of time, but I'm not so sure about several days..... or high temps....
I'm no food scientist though.....


Pepperoni and extra sharp cheddar ever lasted long enough to matter.

[MuddyWaters]

Real food trumps all. First day out town should be something good.

I brought 1 lb sausage once. Heated in hot water in pot. Ate whole thing. It was fantastic, exactly what i needed. Fat and meat. I had been dragging for days, but next morning i walked up 2500 ft climb without pausing.

I saw a european hiker in a hostel eat hot dogs ...unrefrigerated...from bag under his bunk for several days once. He didnt die, or spend excessive time in toilet.