newyork1

I don't know about y'all but this could be a fun thread. I read alot of the posts in this section and food just seems to keep popping up. any good ideas? the lighter in weight the better.

lost_but_found

there is a group of us planning a cook off weekend bping trip in April. i will have to post some ideas from that. i'm definitely not the most crafty when it comes to preparing trail meals. i am usually the ramen guy, with the foil packaged meats and tortillas. s'bout as crafty as i get.

one thing i came up with was a foil of ham, some slices of cheese, little tubs of butter and some bagels (although bagles aren't too light). toast the bagel halves, butter them, put the meat and cheeese on, then 'blacken' both sides of sandwich to melt the cheese over the ham a little, and wha-la, you have a great ham and cheese bagle. i tried it with tortillas and it was pretty good too, but no where near as good as with the bagle! and they are quite a delicious breakfast!! just not the lightest of meals. but good for weekend trips when weight isn't such an issue and highly recommended for such!!

ploddinTod

I'm the same way. The hike is the thing. Food is just an energy source. Now, at trail's end........

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PloddinTod

lost_but_found

i absolutely agree. most of the foods you can take aren't fresh, so it just doesn't taste as good anyway. but i'm definitely not on the trail to enjoy fine cuisine.

on the other hand, the trip we all did to colorado bend state park, bestcampcookie cooked up some very satisfying stew that she dried and prepared herself. and a good meal like that after a days hike is VERY nice! much more satisfying and enjoyable than ramen and packaged meats!

toejam

I hope to backpack with a real gourmet sometime. So far I haven't hiked with anybody who can come close to the snickers bars I pack.

Wingman

One of my favorite meals on the trail is some 'Nawlins Style Jambalaya. It's really easy to do... dehydrate some spicy sausage or chicken and combine it with a single serve portion from a box of Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix. It's pretty easy to fix once you figure how much of the mix makes a single serving (I do a fair amount of solo backpacking). Anyway, while hiking and I break for lunch, I will put the dehydrated meat in a small lightweight Glad container, add water and let it re-hydrate in my pack until it's time for dinner. Follow the directions for cooking the Jambalaya and yum. I also like to dehydrate some Tabasco and package it with the mix. Here's a hint to help you cut down on some of the trash you can accumulate on the trail. I cut out the bottom portion of a paper lunch sack and repackage each meal in it. You can seal it with tape and then write the cooking directions on the outside of the paper package of each meal. At camp, after you have your meal going you can safely dispose of the package by burning it and making sure that it's completely put out. Works for me anyway. When I don't have time to dehydrate my meals or I'm just too lazy, I like the pre-packaged meals from Enertia Trail Foods http://www.trailfoods.com/. Their food is WAY BETTER than any freeze dried stuff you can get, BAR NONE! Decent selection, reasonable prices and great customer service. They even have some of their items in bulk for large groups or for you to make up your own meals at home. Happy Trails!!!!!

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Wingman

Sera Michele

I like to make tuna melts. I pack tortilla's instead of bread because it is easier to keep. I just buy the tuna in the packages (instead of the cans) and put it on the tortilla, add some cheese, cover with another tortilla, then heat up over the flame. Yummy and easy to make. You can also buy the flavored tuna in the packages, and the lemon pepper flavor is really good.

Packing tortillas to use as bread is the best way to go because it is easy to pack and you can make sandwiches, burritos, tacos, lots of yummy things.