View Full Version : Food types?
sasquatch2014
12-16-2007, 12:42
I am known for having way to heavy a food bag. I recently tried a store bought backpacking meal, one of the dehydrated deals. I was suprised at the quality. I would like to know what most other people use as their Main style of food. Grocery store boxed foods (mac and cheese, liptons etc.)? Purchased backpacking meals? Cooking from scratch? Others? As you can tell from pictures of me I like my food.:rolleyes:
I have been using dehydrated "backpacker style" meals, with Enertia Trailfoods (http://www.trailfoods.com/) being a distinct favorite. Of course, after a while, these get pricey at $4 a pop. I'm starting the changeover to Freezer Bag Cooking (http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/), having tried a couple simple recipes here at home. If you ask me, freezer bag cooking seems to give a variety limited only by one's imagination.
doggiebag
12-16-2007, 12:55
When the budget allows it or when a food drop is sent to me nothing beats Mountain House meals (2 servings). Though this could get pricey when done long term. Most of my in-town resupplies usually are composed of Liptons rice/noodle sides. I love the rice and brocolli and the teriyakin noodle mixes. Since I'm a card carrying carnivore, I need to supplement the sides with meat proteins - a half pound stick of summer sausage can easily supplement 4 packages of Liptons sides which equals 4 big meals for myself and the dog. Breakfast is usually pop-tarts, cocoa and something caffeinated (coffee or tea). Pop tarts are heavy but they sure are filling. For emergency rations ... it's usually just a package of Ramen. I always carry sugar and a bottle of tabasco. If summer sausage is not available a full sized can of spam can supplement at least 4 liptons sides. In hot weather I carry gatorade or little packages of artificially flavored ice tea mixes. I also love cheese and right out of town I can carry a block of the sharpest cheddar that I could find. That does not last long enough to go bad. I'd like to try to cook better on the trail ... maybe something from scratch. I'll probably plan for that on the next trip.
Since I'm a card carrying carnivore......I'm a card carrying member of PETA. People Eating Tasty Animals. :eek:
doggiebag
12-16-2007, 13:04
In the poll ... should there be a selection for a combination of Grocery bought and dehydrated meals? Because in some sections of resupply ... you get what's available and not necessarily is what we would consider hiker friendly food with regards to weight.
sasquatch2014
12-16-2007, 13:18
Hammockhooch thanks a ton for the link to the freezer bag site I thinkt hat this is something I will play around with at home heck I often find that I need a quick meal and no energy for a clean up after a long day this may be a good way to try these out.
Hammockhooch thanks a ton for the link to the freezer bag site I thinkt hat this is something I will play around with at home heck I often find that I need a quick meal and no energy for a clean up after a long day this may be a good way to try these out.No sweat man, happy to help. Sarbar, a WhiteBlaze member, wrote the book Freezer Bag Cooking: Trail Food Made Simple. She also owns the Freezer Bag Cooking (http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/) webiste and Trail Divas (http://www.traildivas.com/), if I'm not mistaken. If you have any questions about freezer bag cooking, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help or answer questions. She seems like a very nice gal.
I really use a combination of freeze-dried, grocery shelf, and home-dehydrated freezer-bag meals.
On an AT thru-hike, I would live mostly on grocery shelf items to avoid the logistical immensity dehydrating and/or mail-dropping 5 or 6 months of food. But for the shorter duration thru-hikes I walk during summer (Colorado Trail, BMT, JMT) I often set up one or two maildrops for remote areas which consist of freeze-dried and dehydrated meals.
On a thru-hike of a trail like the Long Trail with many easy resupply options, I would revert to mostly grocery type meals.
Frick Frack
12-16-2007, 14:45
My wife and I have been using a 2 QT AntiGravityGear (http://www.antigravitygear.com/) pot with a cozy to warm up meals we prepare from HarmonyHouse (http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/easy.html) foods and various grocery items. We will supplement these meals with foil packaged meats from the supermarket such as tuna & salmon. The Mountain House meals are great but making your own meal is more intresting. We boil the water with the ingredients we select and then place the pot in the cozy for 15 minutes and share the meal. For breakfast we use oatmeal & cous cous mixed with dried fruits, nuts & seeds from which the pot can be used as well.
dessertrat
12-16-2007, 15:34
I have to admit, one of my favorites is instant mashed potatoes. It requires only boiling water, and if you throw in some pepperoni and cheese, it definitely makes a meal.
I have to admit, one of my favorites is instant mashed potatoes. It requires only boiling water, and if you throw in some pepperoni and cheese, it definitely makes a meal.
I throw in smoked oysters instead of the pepperoni...yum
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-16-2007, 15:47
Had to go with other - I use all of the options listed sometimes - mostly grocery boxed items and home dehydrated meals.
Combination of the first two, mostly. Freeze-dried meals are expensive, so they're not for everyday (on-trail) use, but reserved for special occasions. (Eg. bad weather, cooking from your tent's vestibule.) At least half the time dinner is Lipton's noodles (or "rice") with something else thrown in... bits of sausage, or tuna or chicken from a foil package, etc.
"Self-prepared" dehydrated meals are tough to pull off. For a thru-hike, you'd need frequent mail drops, at the very least, and of course a reliable ground crew to box and ship them.
Christopher Robin
12-16-2007, 17:45
I use Dehyrated foods, Mt. Houre & the new freeze dry & a combonation of boxed food for 3-4 days backpacking. Now I my in to useing my dehydrator & I am freeze bag cooking.
Cant say what I'll do on my thru, but for now, up to week long hikes, I use a combo of home dehydrated and store bought boxed/bagged food.
Instant 'taters are great on the trail, just add your preferred fixins'.
I'll second Hooch's vote for Enertia Foods. If Im short on planning time (ie: last minute trip) I'll stop by the outfitter and grab some Enertia's.
I like dehydrating at home... I make a large amount of whatever for dinner, eat my dinner and dehydrate the rest for BOP food! Lasagna, stroghanoff, spaghetti, tuna casserole... all great trail food!
mark schofield
12-16-2007, 20:33
I've been using Liptons' sides - about 5 oz. - and a pouch of tuna for my dinners. The tuna makes a big difference.
Mountain House Pro-Paks all the way! Just add boiling water.
You can reduce the cost by ordering in bulk from
http://ldpcampingfoods.com/
or from a similar outfit.
I bought my husband a long-handled titanium spoon for Christmas so I don't have to feel bad about him getting his knuckles all messy while I am eating in style. We're committed!
PS--We're about to delve back into real camp cookery, though, for those low-mileage, winter hikes. He's giving me a Svea stove for Christmas, and we're going to haul a steel frying pan and pancake mix with us to Springer for New Year's Eve. Yum!
I use the Healthy Harvest extra wide wheat noodles. They are great for freezer bag cooking. I just add whatever else I want in it...turkey pepporoni, chicken broth packets, hot sauce, pepper, and the kitchen sink if I'm in the mood.:D
whitefoot_hp
12-16-2007, 21:21
i have found that pre cooked bacon is the bomb.
I take different store bought foods (liptons, uncle ben's, mashed potatoes, ramen noodles) and mix in freezer bags with spices. Then on the trail just add hot water and meat (if desired). The same with oatmeal, grits, fruit and nuts for breatfast.
I use a wide range of food to cook with. Some I dry myself, other stuff I buy online (Harmony House dried vegetables and beans!) and I also use stuff from the grocery stores. In many ways what I am doing on the website is semi-homemade. You can take a little of this and that and get a real meal :)
And for all of you who love mashed potatoes? Usually Tuesdays is Tater Tuesday on my blog with a new recipe each week! (some weeks if I remember I post it here as well)
Thoughtful Owl
12-17-2007, 16:02
I am known for having way to heavy a food bag. I recently tried a store bought backpacking meal, one of the dehydrated deals. I was suprised at the quality. I would like to know what most other people use as their Main style of food. Grocery store boxed foods (mac and cheese, liptons etc.)? Purchased backpacking meals? Cooking from scratch? Others? As you can tell from pictures of me I like my food.:rolleyes:
I slected other because I have at some point used all of the options. A lot depends upon wether it a spur of the moment trip or if it's a planned in advance trip. If I have planned in advance I like to use store boughten along with my own self prepared meals.
I'll second Hooch's vote for Enertia Foods. If Im short on planning time (ie: last minute trip) I'll stop by the outfitter and grab some Enertia's. I don't have an outfitter here that carries Enertia Trailfoods, so I stock up when I'm in Asheville or Hot Springs. BTW, their Max Patch Mac and Cheese with tuna added to it is tha bomb!
envirodiver
12-17-2007, 16:50
And for all of you who love mashed potatoes? Usually Tuesdays is Tater Tuesday on my blog with a new recipe each week! (some weeks if I remember I post it here as well)
Got to love Tater Tuesday! Sarbar your spinach and Cheese potatoes is one of my favorites. I'm going to try it at home w/ real potatoes and fresh spinach.
I wish we could have picked more than 1 option too. I use a combination of home-dehydrated and cooking from scratch. I try to cook from scrtach as much as possible as I really enjoy that aspect of being in the outdoors. I don't cook to live, I live to cook. I do dehydrate at home though for weight savings but I use fresh as much as possible.
I use to eat the Enteria brand but quit since making my own taste so much better.