Solar heating meals while you hike

[ncmtns]

Just a thought. What do you think of maybe a couple hours before eating time, putting your dehydrated meals in a black container and add water. Then fastening the container on the back of your pack (or exposed to sunshine somehow). Then a couple hours later.. walaahhh!!

[kentucky]

well in theory it all sounds good if the sun is out!but remember on the AT alot of the trail is usually under tree coverage,My outlook is try it!but bring some kind of stove for rainy days!which can come for days at a time kentucky

[The Weasel]

NC:

This is clearly a "try it first at home" thingy. A few points:

-- Soaking does cut prep time, even without the "solar" aspect. It can also make noodles and rice very mushy. Some don't care, others (me included) prefer 'al dente'.

-- There ain't a lot of sunshine gonna heat your food. You'll be under tree cover, even before the leaves start, that cuts the 'solar' effect. At most, you'll get a little warmth to your food. Most of that will come from ambient air temps, once the temps get warmer than the water you put in the bag. If you start "the soak" around 1 pm each day, and stop at 4 pm, I'd say your food will warm from water temp (carried water at ambient air temp of, say, 65) to maybe 66 degrees. But not from the sun.

-- Boy, I sure hope you have STRONG black bags. Kinda sad to see what Jerry Lee Lewis once aptly described as 'a whole lotta shaking goin' on" from your pack breaking those bags all over your pack. That kinda makes your pack "mouse food".

Good idea maybe for base camping in the Mohave. I'll give it a try. Otherwise, if I were you, I'd buy one of Sarge's AlOH stoves.

The Weasel