Eating From A Pot vs Bag

[Chair-man]

From what I've read, It seems like most hikers eat from a baggie or their Mountain House type containers. Doesn't storing these used baggies cause a garbage smell that you have to haul out? Does using a odor proof bag eliminate this problem?
I just got a MSR Kettle that I plan to eat out of. Of course, the down side to this is you have to clean the pot but I'd rather do that then have a pack that smells like garbage.

[wcgornto]

No smell. Just put the empty quart zip lock bags within a gallon zip lock bag. I put the gallon bag within an OP Sack, but that isn't really necessary. I went from Maine to Georgia this way with no issues.

[Grampie]

Most folks that spend any am0ount of time on the trail just eat from the pot they cook in. Nomessy bag to pack out.

[RodentWhisperer]

No smell. Just put the empty quart zip lock bags within a gallon zip lock bag.

+1 on this. I've never had a problem with a garbage smell from my used food bags, even after being out for 10 days. (Well, my BO might have blocked the scent of anything within a mile.) :)

[Bronk]

If you read on here you will get the impression that "most people" do a lot of things that don't really match up with reality on the trail. Most people eat out of the pot they cook their food in.

[VTATHiker]

Yep - just about everyone I ate around, including myself, ate out of the pot they cooked in. Those who bought Mountain House meals (always seems to be section hikers), would cook and eat out of the package. I did hike with a fella who tended to cook and eat out of his Lipton-Sides packages. I always ate two at a time, so I just preferred to combine them in my pot.

As far as cleaning the pot goes, it's incredible how much a little dirt will help. Combine a teaspoon of dirt and a little water in your pot after eating and rub it around - cleans the pot in a hurry. I think a lot of people already know this, but I share the info because I was really happy to learn the technique myself.

[QiWiz]

Most people eat out of the pot they cook their food in.

+1 An overlooked benefit of this system is reduced trash weight and volume, as compared to eating out of freezer bags or backpacking food meal bags, or similar. Why? Because there's always uneaten moist HEAVY food in nooks and crannies that you then have to carry until you can get rid of your trash. May seem like not a big deal, but it adds up, especially over a multiday trip. I think the smell is a more minor issue, as your trash bag will always have smellable items and needs to be stored and protected from critters just like your food bag does. Most people keep their trash in a bag inside their food bag, BTW.

[Pedaling Fool]

I've never eaten out of a plastic bag, but if I were to, I'd just clean it out with water before putting in my "trash bag"; no need to scrub it, just whoosh some water in it and discard. Actually, I don't even scrub my pot, just swirl some water and throw out, next day's boiling kills everything.

[MDSection12]

I eat out of the freezer bag (sometimes I put it in my pot and fold the sides around so it's just the same as eating from the pot, but without the mess) and I just seal the bag when I'm done and throw it into my trash bag (grocery bag.) I've never had any problems with that system, though I like the idea of taking a gallon ziploc for the trash just in case of leaks (which hasn't happened so far.) QiWiz makes a good point, but I've addressed that issue by being more concious of my portion sizes when I prepare my meals (I dehydrate my own.)

The main reason I do it this way is to conserve water. I know it only takes a little bit to clean out a pot, but I'd rather not waste any water... Especially in dry camps.

[Slo-go'en]

The only time a thru-hiker will eat Mountain House meals is if it's about the only thing for sale someplace. Thier too bulky and too expensive for the long run. Weekenders and short section hikers are the only ones who carry those things.

I haven't met too many freezer bag/cozy cookers. You can always rinse out the freezer bag for re-use, other wise you have to carry a ton of them.

Most everyone eats right out of the pot and yes, a little dirt or fine gravel makes for a good pot scrubber.

[Chair-man]

As far as cleaning the pot goes, it's incredible how much a little dirt will help. Combine a teaspoon of dirt and a little water in your pot after eating and rub it around .

I also read that there is a lot of bacteria in the dirt and the bacteria can get into the tiny scratches in your pot. I think it would be better to use a piece of plastic mesh.

[MDSection12]

The only time a thru-hiker will eat Mountain House meals is if it's about the only thing for sale someplace. Thier too bulky and too expensive for the long run. Weekenders and short section hikers are the only ones who carry those things.

I haven't met too many freezer bag/cozy cookers. You can always rinse out the freezer bag for re-use, other wise you have to carry a ton of them.

Most everyone eats right out of the pot and yes, a little dirt or fine gravel makes for a good pot scrubber.
My problem with Mountain House is the sodium content. That got me to buy the dehydrator... Realizing how much better and cheaper my meals are will make me stick with the dehydrator.

Each of my meals is portioned out into a quart freezer bag... Everyone's meal has to come in some sort of packaging right? So where's the savings if I reused a ziploc or cooked in my pot? The only savings I could see would be if you bring one big bag of one type of food and portion it out for each meal... But I like a different food for each meal, variety on the trail is very nice. :)

[Pedaling Fool]

I also read that there is a lot of bacteria in the dirt and the bacteria can get into the tiny scratches in your pot. I think it would be better to use a piece of plastic mesh.Everything has bacteria on it, trust me, you just don't see them. You know what they say, outta sight, outta mind.

[max patch]

I've always eaten out of my pot.

I guess I don't know what I'm doing. :(

[Stalking Tortoise]

I'm a section hiker that uses Mountain House pro-paks. After eating directly from the package, , I fold it flat, seal it, and put it into my gallon Zip-Lok trash bag. My trash bag gets hung inside my food bag at night and I never noticed any odor either while hanging or hiking with it in the top of my pack.

[VTATHiker]

I also read that there is a lot of bacteria in the dirt and the bacteria can get into the tiny scratches in your pot. I think it would be better to use a piece of plastic mesh.

Agree about the bacteria. If I wasn't going to boil water the next time I used the pot, I might try a different method. So long as I'm boiling, I'm not worried.

[Mountain Mike]

I also read that there is a lot of bacteria in the dirt and the bacteria can get into the tiny scratches in your pot. I think it would be better to use a piece of plastic mesh.
One of the nastiest smelling thing I ever encountered was a plastic scrubbie on the trail. Actually at a town stop where several of us where sharing a motel room. Laundry was done, everyone showered & there was still a stench. I thought it was boots at first. Further investigation it was a pot scrubbie. I prefer a small plastic scrapper I can lick last bits of food off of then rinse with water I drink down. Like JG said boil at next meal to sterilizer.

[Odd Man Out]

I also read that there is a lot of bacteria in the dirt and the bacteria can get into the tiny scratches in your pot. I think it would be better to use a piece of plastic mesh.

Challenging your immune system is a good thing. Keeps it healthy.