Instant Potato question

[TheYoungOne]

I heard some hikers eat instant potatoes on the trail. I recently looked at a box of instant potatoes and noticed that to make them you need boiling water, 1 1/4 cup of milk and butter.

Is there a trick to making instant potatoes on the trail, or do you just not add the milk and butter, or am I looking at the wrong brand of instant potatoes?

[Spokes]

Nope, just use water.

Cheers!

[One Half]

you can also add instant gravy (in the powder packets) directly into the water with the potatoes. it gives it some flavor that might be missing without butter and milk.

[Tuckahoe]

There are many brands tht simply call for boiling water. For any that you may prefer that calls for milk, you can use powdered milk such as Nido.

[ATSeamstress]

It's more expensive, but the Idahoan brand in the pouch comes with the milk, seasoning, etc. all added in. You just add boiling water. Or take powdered milk, butter buds, and whatever seasoning for the boxed kind.

[ocourse]

My favorite meal! I like Idaho brand. Throw in some green peas, a foil pouch of tuna or chicken, a bunch of black pepper....

[Creek Dancer]

I recently found the Idahoan brand in the single serving size at Kroger. Comes in a box of 8 (or maybe 6) in a variety of flavors. Just add water.

[sarbar]

Easy enough to do:
Just add in any dry milk (non-fat is fine). You can add from 1 Tbsp and up, depending on how rich you like it. As for butter, you can use butter powder or just add in a drizzle of oil.
If the box calls for milk, add that milk amount to your water amount.

[thattallguy44]

Idahoan is the best! only water is needed and you get all the flavor right in there. ^Gravy! i havent tried that yet..new plan.

[garlic08]

You don't even have to heat the water. It works OK with cold water, too, for an ultra-simple meal.

[beakerman]

yuck cold instant mashed taters...garlic you are strange. i don't even like cold real mashed taters and find hot instant mashed taters just passable with plenty of butter and gravy.

[bullseye]

Idahoan with a 1/2 pouch of gravy and some chicken from a pouch. MMM, MMM!

[Wise Old Owl]

Garlic is correct, by the look at his trail name he also eats cattails, and so do I...

[topshelf]

find ones that just use water, i dont remember the brand but it's not knorr

i eat these all the time on the trail

[Wise Old Owl]

knorr is full of nasty salt.

[MedicineMan]

instant potatoes + hot water + stir in pepperoni slices=yummy/instant/fat/protein/carbs and you can't mess it up.

[Alpine Jack]

Try adding a chicken bullion cube, gravy packet, and pepper. Extra calories = score!

[Iceaxe]

You don't even have to heat the water. It works OK with cold water, too, for an ultra-simple meal.

This trick works with instant oatmeal, lipton sides, and minute rice as well.
I started going cookless and eating cold meals to simplify trail meals. Yea it saved the weight of a stove, fuel and a metal pot but the real reason I like it is it frees me up to hike.
I like to rehydrate my dinner while i hike then pick a spot to chow down and get right back out hiking for a few more miles before dark.
Just carry a ziplock container and add water to the lipton sometime at a break early in the afternoon. A couple of hours later pull it out of the pack and it's ready to eat.
Rice based dishes take an hour or more no-cook and it helps if you leave some air in the container and put it high in the pack where it gets agitated.
The instant taters are the best because they are ready to eat within seconds. I accidentally mixed my oatmeal and instant taters once when a ziplock broke open. Turns out this combination works well.
As for eating cold taters I just think of it as Thanksgiving left overs.
The only gross cold flavors I have found is Alfredo.
The middel of the road cold flavors are spanish rice and curry.
The best cold flavors are Teriyake, garlic and herb, and of course butter.
Anyhow.. YMMV and all that.

[Skidsteer]

knorr is full of nasty salt.

Eh. About the same as instant mashed potatoes, actually.

[Miner]

I heard some hikers eat instant potatoes on the trail. I recently looked at a box of instant potatoes and noticed that to make them you need boiling water, 1 1/4 cup of milk and butter.

The milk makes it creamier and the butter adds flavor. But, you can make it without the milk and butter with no problem. It still tastes fine though I usually add olive oil to mine.