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View Full Version : Mountain House Pro-Pak Vacuum Sealed Meals?



AeroGuyDC
02-16-2010, 01:14
Any opinions good or bad about Mountain House Pro-Pak Vaccum Sealed meals? Looking at them in the store, they seem to be a decent compromise to the bigger/bulkier non-vacuum sealed MH meals. Of the 6 or so different meals I saw, they seemed to average about 4 oz each. As an option for dinner, are these a worthy consideration?

Dogwood
02-16-2010, 01:21
Sure, they could be fine. About 4-4.8 oz each, different meals designed for various tastes, about 500-720 cals each, vacuum sealed. I take them out of the pouches and put them into lighter plastic baggies just before I get onto the trail though. Sometimes I add something to them to get two meals. Sometimes when I want the additional cals I'll buy the 2 person serving size.

leaftye
02-16-2010, 01:53
I think they're very expensive for the amount of nutrition they provide. I suppose they'd make nice tasty meals, but they should be supplemented with very high calorie snacks for thru-hikes. Dumping in some olive oil would help. Still though, it's way too expensive for me. I would probably use a ton of them if I wasn't paying for them though.

Marta
02-16-2010, 08:06
Pro-Pack meals were my main dinner foods during my long hike. I ordered equal numbers of all the flavors from ldpcampingfoods.com before the hike and had them shipped to me along the way. By ordering in quantity I got a significant discount.

People like to dis Mountain Meals on line, but their half-life in hiker boxes can be measured in nanoseconds.

sweetpeastu
02-16-2010, 10:18
I like the pro packs. Better size for me in terms of amount of food and they seem to take up less room in my pack. Not too heavy either. The pasta primivera and the beef stew are yummy. The lasagna is tolerable. I've not enjoyed any backpacker pantry meals. Not sure whats up...I pick gross ones I think.

LTROSS
02-16-2010, 10:28
I think that the expense is the greatest problem with these kinds of foods. Though i do eat a non vacuum sealed meal every week or so. I do this so that i can reuse the bags to cook in as i believe that they hold heat better than freezer bags.

buff_jeff
02-16-2010, 10:32
I actually really like those things, but they're too expensive for long distance hiking. If I'm doing a shorter 3-5 day hike I'll pick them up, but anything longer I just can't afford them.

Oh, and the Omelet is straight nasty. It's like the MRE omelet that nobody eats. :D

Spokes
02-16-2010, 10:46
I like MountainHouse and used them on last years thru. You can't beat them for convienience especially after a tough day where all you want to do is eat then sleep. I did carry them along with store bought foods for variety while on the trail. Marta is right, they don't last long in a hiker box!

They can be expensive (but really no more than you'll spend at a typical AYCE when in town) so I bought mine in bulk online from The Ready Store (http://www.thereadystore.com/). The free shipping helped. There's plenty of other online retailers to price compare.

Good luck!

toegem
02-16-2010, 11:09
I happen to like them, I would not eat them as a steady diet mind you, but only as a supplement to home dried foods. It appears that they choose the most popular meals for their Pro-Pak line, the servings are generous compared to a 2 serving meals split in half. They excel when your so tired cold and hungry that you can barely boil 2 cups of water.

RollingStone
02-16-2010, 11:41
I would like to suggest Hawk Vittles versus the ProPacks. Large portions, high calorie, less cost.

www.hawkvittles.com

Jaybird
02-16-2010, 11:49
Any opinions good or bad about Mountain House Pro-Pak Vaccum Sealed meals? Looking at them in the store, ...................they seemed to average about 4 oz each. As an option for dinner, are these a worthy consideration?



If you think 4oz dinner will keep U satisfied after hiking 6 to 8 hours a day....go fer it!....most long distance hikers...i've run into are carrying the "DOUBLE ENTREES" version...(of Mountain House,etc):D

Bearpaw
02-16-2010, 11:50
I thru-hiked the Colorado Trail on a breakfast, cashews, and two Propaks a day. They were quite good, reasonably filling and simple to make. They provided enough variety that I was still good with them after five weeks.

Lasagne, chili mac, and pasta primavera are my favorites.

sarbar
02-16-2010, 11:55
I think that the expense is the greatest problem with these kinds of foods. Though i do eat a non vacuum sealed meal every week or so. I do this so that i can reuse the bags to cook in as i believe that they hold heat better than freezer bags.

MH bags are mylar lined so yes they do act as a cozy of sorts. It is also why the bags are so heavy/thick.

soulrebel
02-16-2010, 12:01
I used to enjoy eating them more (first 500 miles of da hike), but then I got into carrying fresh meat/veg/fruit all the time. Food/alcohol are the two things I don't weight weenie.

Nowadays, I use one of the pro-paks as a small, lightweight Emergency Meal at the bottom of my food bag. The current one has been in there for about 600 miles. hpyhikn

Stir Fry
02-16-2010, 12:03
Do what I do buy one each payday. Then when you hike you are not having to go out and buy 10 or 12 at once. If you look at the expense of eating in a reserant, $6 to $7 for a meals not so bad. If you compair it agenst you prepairing the meal yourself it looks little higher. You are paying for convience.

ARambler
02-16-2010, 12:56
Smaller meals are useful if:
1) you want to change your name to AeroGirl.
2) you are using them for short trips before your appetite kicks in.
3) You like multi-course meals. (I have used: veg soup for rehydrating, or big deserts, or bread/tortillas to suppliment say chilli... but the size is too small for me.)

Cost or other advantages of freeze dried meals should not be a factor in this thread, but I will say that the number 10 can idea does not work from the convenience/cost standpoint. With the long shelf life, you should buy in bulk or on sale.

The Pro pack packages are not as small as they look. I had trouble fitting them in a bear canister, because they are irregular and do not bend.

Rambler

Marta
02-16-2010, 13:07
One of the weird things about MH is that the Pro-Paks normally contain around 500 calories, and are supposed to serve one. The larger packages that supposedly serve two assume that each person will only eat about 250-300 calories. Even if I'm laying around the house, reading novels and petting the cat all day, that's still not enough dinner for me. In other words, two servings contain about the same number of calories as one Pro-Pak serving. Fuzzy math.

DAJA
02-16-2010, 13:17
I prefer the pro packs, but recently discovered my local walmart carry the 2 serving MH meals, for $4.88. I picked up all they had of my fav's, chilli mac and cheese, lasangua, beef stew and beef stoganoff. Add a quick fry biscuit, some hard cheese, some dried fruit or vege and you have a great easy meal.

Berserker
02-16-2010, 13:41
I can't comment on using them for a thru (as others have), but I use them during my section hikes. I like the flavor of most of them, and they are about as simple as it gets from a preparation standpoint. Others have mentioned the cost, and they are a little pricey. I often buy a bunch of them at once when they go on sale. I have seen them on sale at REI, and if purchased directly from Mountain House. If you buy them directly from MH you have access to all the flavors too (there are actually 10 different ones in the Propak). They're usually good for a few of years, so you can buy a bunch ahead of time.

cowpoke
02-16-2010, 14:08
Propacks are good but I tend to want more...so I buy the two person packages. I remove them from their pack and put in smaller vacuum pak via my food saver. Works great. I like the beef stroganoff and chilli Mac best...add some spices and cheese...taste great at the end of a long day. I've found some fairly good deals on ebay and at walmart. They work very well with my jetboil.

lazy river road
02-16-2010, 14:09
I just picked up like 10 of the MH double serving meals for 40% off makeing them like $3 a piece which isent so bad. I dont have any experiencec with them but I plan on useing them on my 3 day hike coming up next month to test um out for my longer hike this summer.

ARambler
02-16-2010, 14:18
One of the weird things about MH is that the Pro-Paks normally contain around 500 calories, and are supposed to serve one. The larger packages that supposedly serve two assume that each person will only eat about 250-300 calories. Even if I'm laying around the house, reading novels and petting the cat all day, that's still not enough dinner for me. In other words, two servings contain about the same number of calories as one Pro-Pak serving. Fuzzy math.
Yeah, Sweet and Sour Pork is 550 cal for one, or 2 times 260=520 for two.
The weights are 4.06 oz and 6.01 (total) oz. So the 2 servings are really 1.5 servings or one big serving. I like this 1.5, approx 6 to 7+ oz size better than 4 or 8+ oz.

I can't explain the fuzzy math. :rolleyes:

The Walmart FD option is good idea if shopping on the trail (although I can't think of too many). Don't just go to the food dept.
Rambler

Praha4
02-16-2010, 14:39
Lasagna is my favorite. MH Pro paks are the best. Easy to fix, high calories.

Tuckahoe
02-16-2010, 16:16
I guess I am gonna feel stupid here. But what is the difference between the pro pack and the 2 serving packaging? The only difference that I can see is the (with the beef stew for example) .24 ounce difference in weight. Otherwise I see the same portion/serving for less cost with the pro pack

sarbar
02-16-2010, 16:58
One of the weird things about MH is that the Pro-Paks normally contain around 500 calories, and are supposed to serve one. The larger packages that supposedly serve two assume that each person will only eat about 250-300 calories. Even if I'm laying around the house, reading novels and petting the cat all day, that's still not enough dinner for me. In other words, two servings contain about the same number of calories as one Pro-Pak serving. Fuzzy math.

That is because the Pro-Pak is 16 ounces versus 20 ounces for the regular 2 person meals. Not much of a deal!

sarbar
02-16-2010, 17:00
Lasagna is my favorite. MH Pro paks are the best. Easy to fix, high calories.

That is thing though - they are NOT high calorie. If one eats a lot of FD meals they need to up their calories by adding oil and or more veggies (or meat) to the meals. Fiber wise they are awful.

A single serving of a FD meal is in most cases not enough food for most hikers - you have to have other foods with it (crackers, bread, soup, nuts, etc) to fill up.

KnittingMelissa
02-16-2010, 17:28
While I love the convenience of Mountain House, they really aren't that filling for the price. I bought a few on sale a week or so back to try out flavors (and, well, it's easier to just boil water after coming home from a long, hard day of studying than think about cooking), and even then a two person serving just doesn't fill me up all that well. I usually end up snacking later before I go to bed.

While they are convenient, they are not the end all of camping food, especially not at that price. But, buy a few, try them out, and see how you like them. They are convenient in that you just boil the water, but they need more than just them alone for a meal, especially if you've actually been physically exerting yourself all day instead of just sitting around in a library.

But I love me that stroganoff and beef stew. Oh those are some good flavors.

Dogwood
02-16-2010, 17:49
Since we are beating up on serving sizes, cals/serving size, wt, and cost of MH ProPacks and 2 person size MH meals, and yes, I too note some fuzzy math ocurring, has anyone considered that many of these stats for MH meals are in the avg range for dehydrated meals? Some companies have decided that a dinner size portion of about 4 oz and about 420 cals is sufficient for dinner. I don't know about everyone else but 400 cals for this 200 lb hiker after a 35 mile day isn't going to cut it, and certainly not suitable for many hikers to eat consistently for dinner on a thru-hike and expect to maintain a decent body wt. Likewise, I notice thru-hikers thinking they are going to constantly eat a packet of Ramen and 3 oz packet of tuna of about 300 cals for dinner and somehow not eventually resemble Casper the Ghost.

I find it more cost effective to buy dehydrated meals at a discount and to sprinkle them in over the course of a hike. I open some up and add a bit of something to them to increase the caloric intake and tweak the serving size - like add a spoonful of EVOO to the Pasta Primavera meals or a bit of TVP, turkey jerky, fish jerky, sausage, cheese, pasta, rice, cashews, walnuts, almonds, etc to stretch the meals out. Buying some dehydrated meals don't make financial sense to me either. I find it less expensive to buy some Black Bean or Lentil Soup Mix in bulk and add a packet of Lipton/Knorrs noodles or rice to them and some chopped dried tomato bits and dehydrated onion, chives, or garlic than buying these kinds of dehydrated meals. When I buy dehydrated meals it's because I know I can easily tweak them nutritionally, extend the number of meals rather easily, or because I can't or will not find their listed ingredients easily myself. As long as you are willing to put some time into making trailfood you can certainly save money on the food itself.

For example, I just bought 12 MH meals at REI for $46. All these meals are 2 person sizes accept for 3 Pasta Primavera ProPacks. I concentrated on buying meals that offer the most amount of cals per oz of food. If you ever see a tall hiker wandering around in the REI food section w/ a calculator and digital scale it's probably me! I'll add about $6 of additional food like Knorrs sides, EVOO, TVP, nuts, coconut, sesame seed, flax seed, sunflower and pumpkin seeds to those MH meals and eventually get 18 dehydrated meals of about 5-5.5 ozs each and 620 cals or more for each dinner. Cost of about $52 for 18 dehydrated meals not subtracting my roughly 10% REI kick back. Eventual costs of about $2.70 for each dinner. I can live with that in my trail budget if I don't rely on prepackaged dehydrated store bought meals every night for dinner. I can also afford, body wt wise, to eat those only ocassional lower calorie less expensive Ramen and tuna dinners if I sprinkle them into a week long resupply where I'm making up cals elsewhere.

Now, to get that food to where and when I need it. That's another thread.

Mountain Wildman
02-16-2010, 18:20
These guys are about the cheapest I have found for Mountain House.
Propaks $4.79 regardless of quantity.
http://www.survival-warehouse.com/food/backpacking_food.htm

gunner76
02-16-2010, 21:26
In the 70's Mountain House meals came in a red package and were labeled meal for two people. The military version of Mountain House came in a green package and were labeled meal for one.

Monkeyboy
02-17-2010, 11:35
Stick with the two serving packs. Cheaper and just as good.

However, I did enjoy the beef stroganoff propak.