Novice Backpacker in search of a Solid Meal Plan:-)

Discuss food & groceries, share recipes, and other backcountry cooking & food-related topics here!

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torpified
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Re: Novice Backpacker in search of a Solid Meal Plan:-)

Post by torpified »

Cooking in the bag: I enthusiastically second the Hawk Vittles recommendation---it tastes like real food, and the portions are relatively generous. I also like the Good-to-Go Thai Curry (available at REI) a lot. All of the above take some time to reconstitute, so it's worth bringing a cozy for the bag to sit in while its contents turn into food. (One of my rare episodes of self reliance was fabricating a cozy myself from duct tape and foil bubble insulation: http://sectionhiker.com/diy-freezer-bag-cooking-cozy/).
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Re: Novice Backpacker in search of a Solid Meal Plan:-)

Post by hermsker »

I prefer to only add boiling water and cook everything in ziploc baggies. If I use mountain house meals I take them out of the bag and put them in a gallon ziploc. It is lighter and rolls small easier, just be sure to write the directions on the bag with a sharpie. I also put all of the food for a day in a 2nd gallon Ziploc for organization. Lastly, for lunch I don't have a single meal but usually 3 snacks throughout my hike.

Breakfast: 2 packets of oatmeal or mountain house skillet in a tortilla w/ a packet of Taco Bell taco sauce.

Lunch/Snacks:
#1 2oz of Trail Mix
#2 pepperoni stick, cheese stick, mustard packet, tortilla
Or
Tuna packet, mayo packet, tortilla
#3 cliff bar, kind bar, powerbar, etc.

Dinner: Mountain House and a king sized candy bar


All of this together Should be 2,000-2,3000 calories, weigh about 1 pound of day, and pack into a gallon baggie.

I don't drink coffee or tea but those would be easy additions. I do buy Nuun tabs and throw a tube in for each trip. I usually drink 1 a day.
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Re: Novice Backpacker in search of a Solid Meal Plan:-)

Post by zims »

Welcome to the group.
As everyone has pretty much hit the nail on the head, If you choose to boil water, mountian house meals are the way to go.
Pita bread holds up great in the pack as long as a hard cheese. Always bring one extra something in case the boat is delayed
or you come across a hungry hiker. It has been seen that once in a while scout troops can lean on the short side of food, I have donated
trail mix and cheese to these hungry kiddos.
They make everything you can think of to plan your meals in micro size, just please remember to not leave micro litter. All of the mountain house meals have easy prep,
boil and add water, seal and wait. Heres a few tips, stir well, seal and keep in a pouch, or pocket while it cooks. If you shake it make sure the top is zipped shut completely, you can get scalded.
If you pick certain meals, you can ask on here for everyones opinions on wether to add less or more water than it calls for.
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Re: Novice Backpacker in search of a Solid Meal Plan:-)

Post by jrwiesz »

I know I have mentioned this site in previous posts on trail foods.

http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/Food

Much better than mountain house IMO.

One can't beat the organic sweet corn and black bean chowder, the lentil bisque is great, the fry breads are relatively uncomplicated if you bring a small fry pan.

I usually buy in bulk and package into individual servings, to my liking.
"And standing on the the crest of the Greenstone Ridge, I suddenly had this desire to retreat north to where I just come, to stay in the backcountry, to spend another day in a place where the only deadline I had was to pitch the tent before dark."
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