Backpacking Food

[Bambistew]

What do you guys take in the field for meals besides Mountain House or the like?

This year I experimented a bit with the dehydrator. It's been a while since I've done much dehydrating cooking. In the past I found that some things take a long time to rehydrate, others hydrate quickly.

I'm in search of breakfast foods. I can only stomach oatmeal about once every 3-4 days. The MH breakfast wraps are really good, and I think I'm going to try something similar, sans the eggs.

My first attempt this year was with a batch of taco meat, cooked and then dehydrated... I got some dehydrated refried beans in the bulk food section... Mix together and rehydrate with boiled water. turns out really good... Rehydrate time was about 5 min. toss in a few packs of hot sauce and some tortillas and you have great meal. 2lbs of taco meat dehydrated is about 1.5 cups, add same amount of refried beans and easily enough for 4-5 people, 3-4 tacos each. Total weight is about a 1.5lbs. A MH is 5+/- oz, so in the same ball park for weight and calories and 1/4 the price or less.

Any other ideas out there?

What vegetables rehydrate without cooking?

 

[Nameless Range]

Spaghetti is a great backpacking meal. Dry noodles are light and pack well.

Cook the sauce really thick on the stove at home.Thick enough so that it is the consistency of sloppy joe mix. Then pour it on your dehydrator and it will eventually dry into chips. Put the chips in a bag and just add boiling water in the hills.

Tasty, tons of carbs, and kind of fancy.

 

[Redwood]

I essentially make hot pockets. Make/buy pizza dough, roll out and cut into 6x6 squares depending on size of pocket wanted. Put scoop of filling onto square then fold over and pinch shut. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 for around 8 min depending size and desired "crunch". I like to make up pizza ones, spaghetti/ meatball are also good. I leave them in the foil, easy to pack and heat.

 

[spook12]

I feel the same way about oatmeal,about twice a week is enough. If you like cold cereal you can premix them with powdered milk(it's a lot better than it use to be).
There's a company out of California that is freeze drying fruit that I love. They are selling it at Wal Mart its on the shelf with the peanuts and sunflower seeds.This stuff is awsome. Crunchies food llc.

 

[dustinf]

I only make a hot breakfast if I wake up cold, or have time to kill.

I've been dehydrating my own food for the past few years. Spaghetti sauce is my favorite, and it's super easy. It takes a while in the dehydrator, about 7-8 hours at 135°. It drys into chips, which I bust up into a powder. One tray makes 3 servings, never measured it out. I usually leave about 1/2-3/4 cup of water in with 1/3 pound of pasta, and just mix in the powder.

I don't have an after picture, but here is a batch spread out in the dehydrator.

 

[Huntfit]

Jerky mate, turns big steaks into a lightweight nutritious meal.

 

[dustinf]

Jerky mate, turns big steaks into a lightweight nutritious meal.

Here's some antelope jerky I made a couple weeks ago.

 

[bjtc_brian]

Here is a link to freezer bag cooking. Basically a way to may your own MH.

http://www.trailcooking.com/

Also, here is a url that has MH type products, but they are much better flavor.

http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/categories/food-pantry.asp

 

[Bambistew]

I eat plenty of jerky and smoked salmon on trips.

Thanks for the links Brian.

 

[Summitthunting]

We take breakfast cookies, they have peanut butter, dried fruit, nuts, etc. very filling.

Couscous and foil pack chicken.

Stove Top stuffing, Instant Mashed taters, envelope brown gravy, Crasins, foil pack chicken.

 

[havgunwilltravel]

I like to take glad wrap, or sealable plastic bags with toasted muesli inside pre mixed with powdered milk. Lightweight, plenty of sustenance, you can add extra nuts or dried fruit, you only need to add water and you can scoff it down quick so you get the heck out of camp and up the hill.

 

[wingman1]

Mountain house beef stroganoff, lasagna and peanut butter...

 

[Huntfit]

dustinf that meat looks very tender, never tried antelope, taste pretty good I would imagine?

 

[dustinf]

dustinf that meat looks very tender, never tried antelope, taste pretty good I would imagine?

That meat is from a young doe I shot last year, all the meat was excellent. The meat from the mature buck I shot was not quite as good, but still pretty good eating.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Besides mtn house I took Clif Builder Max bars, they're 470 cal a bar, and the 30 grams of protein keeps you full for a while. For bfast I took a lot of Kind brand dried granola mixes (they are flavored) and Kind brand also makes squares of oatmeal and granola you just unwrap and eat, kind of like a rice krispy. I really don't take anything besides dinner that requires water. Living on bars gets old, so having some dried fruit in the mornings really helped out.

 

[the nikster]

Rice cakes. They weigh nothing and last a lot longer than bread. Not much for taste but I dip them into anything with a gravy (like spaghetti or lasagna). I just use them wherever I might normally use a piece of bread and butter
I like to dry banana strips. Cut the fruit lengthwise and dry. I like the bigger pieces and I tend to not dry them fully. I like it a bit sweet and chewy!

 

[Gunner46]

MRE's or CWR's .