Mountain back packing food.

[264mag]

We started dehydrating our own meals last year. Never going back. Meals are the morale booster you need in the back country. A little taste of home goes a long ways. Not to mention the weight to calorie benefits. We have it down to an individual basis now, all of our portions are sized to the individuals appetite and calorie count. We make them throughout the year and then vacuum seal and freeze them.

[albravo2]

We started dehydrating our own meals last year. Never going back. Meals are the morale booster you need in the back country. A little taste of home goes a long ways. Not to mention the weight to calorie benefits. We have it down to an individual basis now, all of our portions are sized to the individuals appetite and calorie count. We make them throughout the year and then vacuum seal and freeze them.

Are they a similar weight per calorie as compated to the freeze dried stuff? I really like the idea of dehydrating my own cooking.

[Bustercluck]

Are they a similar weight per calorie as compated to the freeze dried stuff? I really like the idea of dehydrating my own cooking.

I don't know the comparison for weight to calorie ratio, but the last time I ate a mountain house I shit my pants.

Ive been dehydrating for a few years. I've been loosely following "recipes for adventure". His method is to dehydrate everything separately and then assemble meals from all of the components. I do some of this and also just throw things like chili or spaghetti sauce right in the dehydrator.

[264mag]

My method might be stupid simple but it works for us. We cook our meals as normal only making a few extra portions. Once we are done eating we portion the leftovers out on a plate and measure what each of us would eat. Example: I eat a loaded plate and my son eats a plate and a half. Once cooled we dice the meal up into smaller pieces. I have an 8 or 9 tray Excalibur dehydrator. Each rack will hold almost 2 plates of food. I set the dehydrator for 12 hours and then check it the next morning. I use 6x10 or 6x12 4 mil sealable food bags from Stuffers. These are not the vacuum seal bags. I seal them in my Weston vacuum sealer. These bags are the right size, and thick enough that they don’t get punctured by the food particles. So far they keep very well in the freezer even thought they are not vacuum sealed. I may change it a vacuum seal bag but have yet to find one thick enough that it won’t puncture. We label them with the date, the meal, and the hunters name.

[pg83]

More of an oatmeal man, simple and all I need. Not a big breakfast guy.

As for the cleanliness of foods... come on Pete, I'm only 25 and still wolf down Mcds 3 times a week, probably should start looking at that closer though..

Hahaha! That'll change bud!

[barongan]

I shall be following this

[glennw89]

I like the Backpacker’s Pantry stuff - usually opt for the curries, Pad Thai, etc.

[Talltimber1]

Im dehydrating my own. Have 15 right now. 4 different meals. Bubba's jambalaya, Chicken curry with rice, Chicken pesto pasta, Chilli macaroni. And a fruit cocktails for oatmeals or desserts.
All super high calorie and I add stuff to make them higher. Raisins, coconut etc.

[Omineca]

Pasta Primavera is my favourite, the beef stew is pretty good... I haven't found a mtn house yet that wasn't delicious when I'm hungry in the backcountry. If the portions aren't big enough for you, add a bit more water, and some couscous.

[tdot]

If I'm in the mountains, I'm counting grams. In the last five years, I've also starting being more aware of my caloric intake. I've tried a few different approaches, but have swung back to Mountain House for dinner, just because it's easier, but assemble the rest of the food at home.

But one trick I've found that is a huge help, is adding oil to my meals. Breakfast is home made instant oatmeal, dump in a couple tablespoons of C8 Medium Chain Triglycerides and it give me more pep in my step then a shot of espresso, plus it is sustained energy. It's a very thin oil, so you dont notice it in porridge.

Atleast one snack a day is peanut butter and honey, 4:1 ratio. Creamed honey in the summer and liquid honey in the winter. This is another huge shot of lightweight sustained energy.

Dinner is usually about 1/2 to 2/3 of a Mountain House, that I breakdown into ziploc bags at home. Dump 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it and you have a 1000 calorie meal that'll keep you warm all night and weighs 150 grams.

I do have other food then that. But the oil helps in keeping weight down and calories up. I can hit 3000 calories in 1.25 to 1.4 pounds of food. That's removed 6-7 pounds out of my pack on a 10 day trip.