Backpacking meals

[Duk Dog]

Just wondering what everyone takes on their extended backpacking hunts? Weight is obviously a consideration, as is getting enough "fuel" (the right combo of calories, carbs, and protein) to keep the fire going for up to 8 days. What is everyone doing for their breakfast/lunch/suppers/snacks? I'll be looking at a bunch of the dehy meals (like Mtn House) and I know from having eaten them in the past some are good, and some are nasty IMO. Any suggestions on good ones, and ones to avoid? We'll be using a little stove, possibly a JetBoil or similar stove.
Thanks.

[gizmo77]

best I have found are lipton pasta side kicks. the butter and herb noodles only require water, you don't need to add the butter and they still taste good you get a good amount of carbs and calories for energy. I also take home made jerky for protien and dried fruit like pineapple for energy. all light weight and good energy food

[bighornbob]

Mountain House meals hands down. have not had a bad one mind you the scrambled egggs and bacon (the only breakfast I have tried) was not that great. Favs are:

Beef Stoganoff
Chicken Teryaki
Turkey tetrazini
Lasagne

The lipton noodles ane sauce are good and hell of a lot cheaper but they use up alot of fuel as you actually have to boil water then cook them for like 10 minites. Where as the dehydrated meals you just ass boiling water and wait.

BHB

[Devilbear]

I make up a lot of my own, especially on short trips where I do not carry a stove and only eat dry food and drink water.

But, my favourite of the currently available freeze-dried foods are the "Nature's Havest" ones from eastern Canada and we usually add a bit of spice, a drip of olive oil and some extra fish or meat to these. My buddy is a freakin' gourmet cook in the bush and can create meals from these that just are excellent and they seem to keep you full for hours, not like some other FD meals I have had.

[ElectricDyck]

Mami ichiban from superstore is a cheap addition to having mountain house meals and takes just a tiny bit more fuel. High in fat and calories.

[silvertipp]

i found those mountain house meals all taste the same "noodles with some chunky stuff in them"
good power bars & powdered drink suplement work well

[gamer]

MRE's from a army surplus store. They contain main course, dessert, snacks and coffee and tea for the same price as one mountain valley pack.

[MadCat]

mountain house, lasange and pasta primavara. Those are the two that I like the best.

[mfarrally]

I used mountain house as well. They taste pretty good but there is so much salt in them i found i was badly dehydrated after eating them.

[ElectricDyck]

Salt intake is essential in not getting dehydrated.

[Rubicon500]

I wouldnt recomnd sidekicks, ate those for 2 years now you couldnt pay me to take them. Ya got to compare apples to apples and see what has the best nutrients per EQUAL serving. Alot of people just dont read enough labels and think they got some super high calorie dinner but in reality the weight is the same as packing 2 mountain house. When it comes to living out of your backpack as light as possible you got to figure out what has the best calories per gram. We pack 1 pound of food per day. Usually couple Instant oatmeals for breaky, couple bars and jerky for lunch and then a Mountain house dinner with a chocolate bar for desert. I try to pack 100 grams of jerky a day but cut back to 80 grams last year. Gatorade or any juice crystals help, hot chocolate is nice on a cold day. You will not starve or lack energy with that meal plan, loose some weight yes but not starve. I dont know about everyone eles but my stomach goes into Starvation mode after 2 days and I do not find my self hungry at all

[BlacktailStalker]

Even with the MH meals some have way more protein/carbs than others.
I only take the 3 with the highest contents, they taste fine.

[308Lover]

Hot Jello as a drink is awesome. Precooked meals in plastic can be rewarmed in the bag if you're not too long on the hill. Dried fruit can be boiled with sugar, add some Bird's custard powder for a high energy dessert. (Strawberries are the all-time best freeze dried fruit.They come to life in cold water and are shockingly good) Dried apricots were our favorite to chew on the trail.Chicken or turkey gumbo or stews were the only freeze dried we could stomach.Energy bars a must. (Sweets do make you thirst,however) I still think Lipton's chicken noodle is good--if you boil water you can cook mals in a plastic bag, remove and add soup after.) We use oven bags(plastic) that will take high heat, not break and reusable.
Keep looking--there's awesome new products out there.(PS--wife makes eat-more bars at home--better than energy bars)

[Slee]

Mountain house is the best i have had. I usually bring a mr noodle soup to add to each mtn. house meal. Just as a filler. If i didnt I would end up eating two mtn house meals a night.

[digger dogger]

uncle bens bistro rice they're microwave but add a half cup of water and cook in a pot for a couple mins. it's way better than the dehyd cardboard, they make me gag unless i'm real hungry,fruit cups are worth packin around,as well as land jagers..the bistro rice is pre cooked,just heat..

[leadpillproductions]

Mountain house is the best i have had. I usually bring a mr noodle soup to add to each mtn. house meal. Just as a filler. If i didnt I would end up eating two mtn house meals a night.
x2...........

[GoatGuy]

Here's what our back country list looks like so far:

·Trail Mix
·Oatmeal (3 packs, 5 days, 4 ppl = 60)
·Jerky
·Eggs (3 per, 5 days, 4 ppl = 60)
·Bacon (frozen, 2 packs per day X 3 days = 6 packs)
·Breakfast sausage (frozen 2 packs X 2 days = 4 packs)
·Bread (4 loafs)
·Butter
·Sandwich meat (frozen)
·Steaks (frozen 1 night)
·Pork chops (frozen 1 night)
·Premade paghetti and sauce (1 night)
·Premade chili in freeze dried bag (1 night)
·Premade stew in freeze dried bag (1 night)
·Cheese
·Mountain house (2 packs, 5 days, 4 ppl = 40)
·Spice shaker

[SHACK]

Mountain house all the way! Tried just about every freeze dried meal I could get my hands on, and the MH, was the best in taste, calories intake, ease, fuel consumed, and wieght that I could find. Most of them taste quite good, heck I even keep a few in my boat when Im angling for a quick warm meal should I need it.
Add to a good selection of MH some oatmeal, dried fruit, jerky, tea, gatorade and your set for a back country excursion!

The mac'n'cheese is good as well, but give it 20 minutes to soften the noodles, otherwise the ones mentioned above are great as well. Dont be affraid to buy a few different flavours to try and have em for a few meals before you finish your shopping list so you know what you like. They are after all only about 5-6 bucks at MEC.

[spreerider]

I usually take "sushi rice", lentils, oil and different curry packs.
sushi rice cooks up faster than regualar rice and contains more energy and lentils are light and filling, then curry to flavour it and olive oil for fats.
This has gotten me through 5 days of hard hiking with minimal weight and i wasnt starving at the end. but i was really sick of curried rice.
and i bring tuna snacks that come in pouches not cans for snacks as well as trail mix and power bars, and some homemade dried fruits to keep the system working.

[LYKTOHUNT]

MRE's from a army surplus store. They contain main course, dessert, snacks and coffee and tea for the same price as one mountain valley pack.
Where can you get these, it seems these would be ideal on a horse back trip I am soon to go on.

[Duk Dog]

Here's what our back country list looks like so far:

·Trail Mix
·Oatmeal (3 packs, 5 days, 4 ppl = 60)
·Jerky
·Eggs (3 per, 5 days, 4 ppl = 60)
·Bacon (frozen, 2 packs per day X 3 days = 6 packs)
·Breakfast sausage (frozen 2 packs X 2 days = 4 packs)
·Bread (4 loafs)
·Butter
·Sandwich meat (frozen)
·Steaks (frozen 1 night)
·Pork chops (frozen 1 night)
·Premade paghetti and sauce (1 night)
·Premade chili in freeze dried bag (1 night)
·Premade stew in freeze dried bag (1 night)
·Cheese
·Mountain house (2 packs, 5 days, 4 ppl = 40)
·Spice shaker

Dang that is quite the good looking grocery list. You using horses or a sherpa? :lol:

[Dirty]

I take 12 cans of sardines, 12 cans of smoked oysters, and a shit load of toilet paper. :mrgreen:

Seriously though, I never thought I would like sardines and smoked oysters so much until I went backpacking. Just about died and thought I went to heaven after a long hike. Instant oatmeal, dried fruit, and inchiban are good stuff. Tang crystals or drink crystals of some sort also help to spice up drinks.