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atnewb68
04-16-2008, 09:41
Where can I buy good and Cheap trail food? everywhere I check I can only find prices between 4 and 5 dollars. There has got to be cheaper food out there somewhere.

I just want to give a thank you to everyone that helps out on these forums. You all help out so much. So...THANK YOU!

Appalachian Tater
04-16-2008, 09:45
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=32

budforester
04-16-2008, 09:55
Where can I buy good and Cheap trail food? everywhere I check I can only find prices between 4 and 5 dollars. There has got to be cheaper food out there somewhere.

I just want to give a thank you to everyone that helps out on these forums. You all help out so much. So...THANK YOU!


Short answer is your local grocery store; If you intend long- distance hiking, resuppling at Mom & Pop's store is a useful skill. Lots of stuff can be adapted to the backpack menu; follow that link that Appalacian Tater cited. And have fun experimenting.

PJ 2005
04-16-2008, 11:39
4 and 5 dollars? Are you talking about those "Mountain House"-type meals? They're not worth it. Stick with lipton sides, mac and cheese, even couscous. All of those are available at any decent grocery store and are way more filling.

I like the rice ones :)

deeddawg
04-16-2008, 12:37
Exactly. Anything in the grocery store of the "add water, bring to boil, simmer ten minutes" variety is potential trail food. Lipton/Knorr rice or pasta side dishes. Mac & cheese. Small pasta like angel hair or couscous. Various mashed potato packets. Ramen noodles. Add a packet of tuna or chicken or whatever for additional protein. Walk the aisles and explore all the options sitting there. Look at the different sauce mix packets from Knorr and others.

Instead of simmering for ten minutes, I use a pot cozy I made out of Reflectix material from a big-box home improvement store. I mix everything in the put, bring to a boil and then put in the cozy for a few minutes.

Examples: I did a shrimp alfredo one time with a foil packet of shrimp, angel hair pasta, Knorr packet of alfredo sauce mix, and some powdered milk. Another time I did stovetop stuffing with a packet of chicken and a packet of chicken gravy mix. (with this I added the stuffing mix after bringing the other items to a boil)

Blissful
04-16-2008, 13:12
I liked the double veggie Lipton Knorr mixes out now - they are very good. Or make your own dinners. ATC sells a pretty good recipe book that we used on our hike to make interesting meals.

atraildreamer
04-16-2008, 13:12
PriceRite: Ramen Noodles-8 for a dollar, loose packages; 12 package case (all one flavor) is also a dollar. :banana Also, lots of other good stuff at good prices.

Nearly Normal
04-17-2008, 10:12
Has anyone tried the brand "enertia".
They seem to be a cheaper option by a little.

sixhusbands
04-17-2008, 10:19
I used enertia brand food last summerwhen I had a gift certificate to use. Their switchback spaghetti is very good and filling. Right now EMS is discounting them if you buy 6 or more, with that 15% off and they are way cheaper than Enertia,s own website!

Most of the top brand name foods are full of sodium but I heard Hawk Vittles are different.

Carry fresh when ever you can!

Bob S
04-17-2008, 12:34
Grocery food mentioned above works well, as does a few caned food items eaten on the first few nights out.

There is such a good choice of food in a grocery store I can’t see how you could not come up with lots of great meals to eat.

hammock engineer
04-17-2008, 12:50
The thing to keep in mind is there are tons of town stops that really aren't towns. More convinence stores or gas stations. Creative takes on a new meaning. You get whatever you come up with.

sarbar
04-17-2008, 15:54
Make your own meals. Save money and eat on the fly as well - helpful if you are in a scary C-Store in the middle of nowhere.

gsingjane
04-17-2008, 16:49
You could consider joining a natural foods buying club. United Northeast Foods (www.unfi.com (http://www.unfi.com)) gives a listing by area of buying clubs. You join a local co-op and then order online or from the catalog. I purchase fixings for GORP and some dehydrated stuff through them (I buy a lot of other food for home cooking also, like flour and other grains and beans). It can be a very good deal and a great way to meet nice folks.

Jane in CT

fiddlehead
04-17-2008, 21:20
Another option of course is to dehyrate your own. You can grow it (vine-ripened tomatoes taste a whole lot better than store bought ones), or buy it from local farmers when in season (much better taste again) dry it and wait until you hike and then mix it in with your noodle dinners mentioned above.
Growing your own is the cheapest way to eat if you have the time and love and technique for it.