toejam

I got some of that for my Big Bend trip last year. I thought, "Great, now I can have beef with my stroganof instead of chicken or tuna!" After a couple of bites it would have gone in the fire, but since I was in Big Bend I decided I'd rather pack it out than eat it.

ploddinTod

The HEB brand beef jerky is not bad and is cheaper than the other stuff. I think I also saw Clif Bars there. (At the large HEB, not the Pantry.) Jason might want to think about buying a food dehydrater, which will lessen the cost of his meals greatly in the long run. I have one but I've only used it once.....made some killer beef jerky.

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PloddinTod

copuswalker

We were in Big Bend when we ate ours. Unfortunately for us we forced it down
We were so bloated from all the grease we could not eat again for hours. thats when we did the brocolli soup which made the wife a fan of it.
If I had to do it again I would have packed it out??? Scared me from trying their beef pieces.

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Alchemist2000

There are a fairly large number of prepared foods that are not specific to backpacking (i.e. available in normal grocery stories or super WalMarts) that can be cooked by only adding boiling water to them in a normal ziplock type freeezer bag and allowing them to stand for 5-15 minutes or so. That includes many of the items listed below (Lipton side dishes, macaroni and cheese, stovetop stuffing). Backpacker.com has lots of information about that in their forums. Those have been kind of interesting to experiment with. Add some meat to those from a foil pouch at the time of preparation and you have something that is very easy to fix, requires little or not clean-up, yet is not very heavy.

In planning the food, I found this site that listed calories per ounce interesting: http://www.oc.edu/staff/phil.heffing...odCalories.htm

In keeping with the spirit of maximum calories per ounce, I really like Ultralight Joe's Moose Goo. It is easy to make and tastes good. However, I recommend you allow it to sit a day or two before using it. I noticed the consistency and taste improved after a day or two. I guess it must have been the corn flour (note it is NOT corn meal) absorbing the honey and peanut butter. I have not tried it in really hot weather, but it held up well even in 70-80 degree type temperatures. However, I understand it is a problem at low temperatures, since it becomes too stiff to extrude from a squeeze bottle. http://www.ultralightbackpacker.com/moosegoo.html

Bon appetit!! Have fun experimenting!!

JasonL

Nice! vey nice replies on this one. I just came accross a list of the top ten hiking foods, not bad - but I need my MEAT.

http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Features/Hiking/hikefood/

101 meal planing

http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Feature...lan/index.html

...Good Stuff! Broc-N-Cheese!

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lost_but_found

I highly emphasize that you bring something sweet and something salty to snack on. I have a high metabolism and burn up carbohydrates and sweat salts out constantly. I am not much of a sweets eater, but the few trips I didn't take something sweet to eat, I really regretted it!! I start craving the salts and sugars more than anything when I am out for a few days.

I have been trying different eating habits while on the trail. From personal experience, you want to eat a very large breakfast with as much nutrition as you can get to get your long day of hiking started. Like everyone said, oatmeals, peanut butter, breads of some sort, dried fruits and some meat for protien to keep the muscles healthy. The rest of the day I pretty much snack back and forth between high salt content - like jerkies and chips - and high carbohydrate content - like the gels and power bars. I rarely eat a big lunch because I snack all day long. But I always sit down and make a beverage and munch on a few protien boosters - like a protien bar or tuna in a pouch. Then for dinner, I try to stuff myself as full as I can get - makes you sleep even better!!!

Always go scope out your local grocery store first - it is so much cheaper than buying the freeze dried cardboard dinners. And you can find some much more satisfying meals. Think of weight and space in your pack and whether or not you will eat it. And heres a tip to keep that emergency day's worth of food - buy something that you would absolutely not eat. Because when it comes down to it - it might just save your life. So you may consider checking into the famous Mexican Beef to keep at the bottom of your bag in case of emergency.

JasonL

I'm planing a short hike this weekend - Saturday night LST, I'll have to post my shopping list and you guys can critique it.

They do have the squeezable peanut-butter and jelly combos now, that and a tortia your set. I have some power bars in my day pack that seems to be always in my truck these days, they don't expire for a very long time and the banana flavor is not bad. I can see myself living off these for days while lost in "wildtexas!"

I'm thinking of the dehydrator for the dried fruits and jerky. This is much more cost effective, I usually cook mine while sleeping - takes about 7 hours in a store bought dehydrator. I've made jerky in the past and it always taste best when you can add your own spices Technically you can use your own oven at around 150 degrees for about 1.5-2 hours a pound (small strips), but the 40-50 dollar Walmart dehydrator will make sure your jerky is a little more juicier than in the oven. TIP: toss your beef in the freezer for about 1.5 hours and it will be easier to cut into long strips. Cheers 2005!

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newyork1

always remember this tidbit of info. if you don't eat it at home you won't like it on the trail either. try to keep your menu as close to this motto and you will eat well. Try it before you take it you will thank yourself later.

I have found that ramen noodles go good with all the pre-packaged items around them in the store ie: those little stew cups, minute rice,foil packs of meat or you can also add just about anything else to them that you like. if your hiking with others plan group meals were every one cooks one item and share with all. and dont forget the idahoan brand instant potatoes. unless you need the coffee leave it at home coffee is a diuretic and can dehydrate you over long hot hikes. also until it gets hot there is nothing better than a snickers bar (full size) for an energy bar ( read the labels they are higher than cliffbars in most areas and taste a heck of a lot better. snickers has also come out with there own energy bars now (finally)