I thought I'd post a question to all on what your favorite type of food is for packing, etc. Not necessarily BACKpacking as we'll be on horseback.

Obviously something without additional weight would be good, easy to simply heat up (no prep), etc. In fact, basic considerations would include:

-Weight
-Water required?
-Heat required?
-Taste
-Cost
-Availability

My specifics are that I'll be out to Wyoming in October and I'll be in bear country too so the safety steps there are under consideration for me. We'll have a camp relatively near our vehicles, but it's likely that we'll get back in a ways on horseback thus staying out for several days at a time. My highest degree of interest is something applicable to THOSE conditions.

Never having tried some of the military type meals, etc., I was hoping that those who have might weigh in on the merits of the various types.

Thanks in advance,

Reed

Reed,

My favorite food on pack ins are the $1.49 Lipton Noodles packets. (non-instant) Their great tasting, cheap and don't spoil. What I do is take two of them pour them into one ziplock and add a slab of margerine. Margerine keeps ok in non-refrigerated temps. When ready to prepare, I boil my 4 cups of water and pour the whole contents of the ziplock in. Stir five minutes and let thicken. Feeds 2 hungry people. Want to add some filler? Bring a potato and a cheese grater. Grate raw potato hash browns into the boiling water cook a little longer and then add the lipton noodles mix.

powdered eggs are good if you can find them. I have had difficulty finding a place that carries them. Oatmeal for breakfast is good. The individual packets are better than the big can. Especially after a couple of days, your palate will be screaming for flavor, so the flavored packets are much better.

I also pack in a small tupperware container of bacon grease. I know its not the smartest thing to do in bear country, but I keep a very clean camp and tie my food in the best tree I can find when not eating. the bacon grease is great to cook with and adds flavor to freeze dried, dehydrated, broken down, mushed, cardboard tasting backpacker's pantry type stuff.

Spagetti with powdered sauce works well also.

Good Luck,

Autumn Pulse

Agreed on the noodles. The bacon fat is something to remember. I've been looking at those freeze dried ready-made meals, and for lack of inspiration I guess I'll just grab a bunch of those. Most of them seem two-person size though, and I'll be alone. I used to take milk powder to add some flavour to the oats, but the flavoured one-meal sized package are a good suggestion.

I'm thinking of taking pita bread instead of regular bread or crackers. Pretty dry going though, I'm not sure how to jazz up the lunches. I took a salami once, but after a day hanging in a tree with some sun on it, it looked rather like something you'd feed the neighbour's cat.

I'll be backpacking so I need light stuff...something salty to go with the pita bread would be nice...maybe just jerky...better make sure I have plenty of water to wash that combination down.

Frans

One lunch that I've been reasonably happy with is the noodles in the styro cups. I heat water in a 1-lb coffee can, then pour some water over the noodles and use the rest of the water to make tea. That hot meal helps when the breeze keeps stealing away my body's heat.

The combat meals aren't bad, but I got pretty sick from Hormels Chicken while out prospecting. Another staple that I carry is Coyote brand Pancake Flour. It makes a nice breakfast and even cold it makes a real fine bread substitute. It is made in Alberta so Frans will be able to get it for sure. derf

Frans,
Those Mountain High freeze dried meals that you find at Mountain Co-op are NOT two person meals. I know that they say for two people, but I think that they are probably referring to two half starved hippies, not a grown man chasing sheep all day. I take these along and one makes for a good feed after a long day on the mountain.

What other food is there that dosn't spoil after a week and has some sort of flavour? In the past I have taken some freeze dried as well as a can or two of chunkey soup for dinners. A can of herring, trail mix, chocolate, pita bread and salami and cheese for lunch. And oatmeal and hot chocolate in the individul packages for breakfast. This gets pritty boring after a week!!

For a week, 9 bottles of Single Malt and a Slim Jim......JJ

I have been having good luck with the Mountain House brand of freeze dried foods. Pack light, just pour boiling water into the pouch, seal for 8-9 minutes....and voila! Can't get much easier. And maybe I am gourmet challenged, but, alot of them are very good after a hard day humpin' through the high country!

YMMV

Huntr

I'll go with the Mountain House stuff, not bad. I also take a big container of dry Gator Aid. Salt. That pretty much does it, unless I add some cheese and a dry sausage. If I want bread, it will be tortillas. Keep those plain old noodles, and if I had a horse to feed that oatmeal stuff to, I wouldn't need to be living off freeze dried food. What I really prefer when out there is fresh heart, then tenderloin the next meal, then cut off some....

I'm with Arts, heck with the freeze dried stuff.

I've lived off it off it, several diff brands, they all suck unless your hungry, then I could eat a cardboard box if it had gravy on it.

Any of the grocery store dired noodles etc is better in my books. Mac and cheese is good, and you can use the box to start a fire, or put it in a baggie and throw the box away to save room, I've done that too.

The back pack mac and cheese sucks, some of it you could soak for a week and it wouldnt get soft enough to eat.

Some of the dired meats and jerky for the grocery store is good too and much cheaper than packback store stuff.

I have tried several brands and "Mountain House" is the best I have found. Freeze dried for low weight. Cost is reasonable. Campmor (www.campmor.com)is my best source. Their prices and shipping prices are very reasonable. Add hot water, sit/stir for 10 min. I like to bring some cans of canned meat to add to every other meal for extra protein.

I usually supplement with high protien trail mix w/ nuts, dried fruit, M & Ms. Add jerky and you are set. Lots of water to keep the plumbing flowing.

PS: I also carry a "PUR" water filter so you don't have to lug quantities of water around. Put a coffee filter with a rubber band over the intake and you can have safe clean water from most any source. Don't buy the cheap mechanical filters, get a micron rated filter and you will have an enjoyable trip w/o having to lug water.

Reed,

That is the type of hunting we do throughout the season. The first hunt is usually a week long pack-in hunt in the high country.

We take fresh, pre-seasoned rib-eye steaks and a can each of beef-a-Roni for the first night. We cook it over a small grill and heat the cans by the fire. The second night we usually have pre-seasoned pork chops that were frozen before we left and a can of Texas Ranch beans. The third night, maybe lamb chops that were seasoned and frozen. A bag of "bag salad" rounds it out if you have room. One bags for two guys for two nights. All meat was sealed in a vacuum or seal-a-meal type device.

The remaining nights we have pre-made meals. Each meal was pre-made at home and frozen in a boilable bag. When we get back to camp, we tend to the stock, start a fire, and begin to boil water. We then have a couple of cocktails (bourbon or scotch - no need to carry mix) as the pre-cooked meals are heated in boiling water. After a couple of drinks, we serve on paper plates, eat, then burn bags and plates. This is good in bear country. Meals usually include "smothered chicked" (chicken in gravey over rice), beef stroganoff, pot roast etc...

All these pre-frozen foods are kept in a soft sided cooler that is stored in either a bear resistant pannier or hung according to grizzly country regulations. They come in lunch sack sizes up to 48 pack size.

If your only out for two days or so, buy some oversized cordura saddle bags with a cantle storage area. Small tent and sleeping bag tie to the cantle, small grill (like from the smallest Weber Bar-B-Que - wrap in an old grain sack) and two nights food go inside saddle bags along with small coffe pot,water purifier etc. Maxwell House makes coffee in filter packs. Just drop into the pot.

Cup of noodle type soups, as mentioned earlier, are great for breakfast. Just boil water, pour into cup, and saddle horse while it hydrates. Eat that with a granola bar and your ready to go. Switch back and forth with instant oatmeal.

Hormel has some new meat products that are pre-cooked and factory sealed in boiling bags. These taste great, are priced fairly, and if pre-frozen are great for nights 3-7 as they will stay plenty cold.

Good luck and shoot acurately!

I prefer MREs as they are a complete meal and have plenty of calories to sustain human activity.