No refrigeration needed

CSG

Explorer
For light, non-fridge travel - some beef jerkey, trail mix, couple power/breakfast bars, water, and maybe cup of soup. There are also all sorts of retort pouch items and "lunchables" which mostly suck but add a bit of variety. There's TONS of crap food that's terrible for you that require no refrigeration. Most have already been mentioned.
 

stingray1300

Explorer
For light, non-fridge travel - some beef jerkey, trail mix, couple power/breakfast bars, water, and maybe cup of soup. There are also all sorts of retort pouch items and "lunchables" which mostly suck but add a bit of variety. There's TONS of crap food that's terrible for you that require no refrigeration. Most have already been mentioned.

Indeed, and you mentioned quite a few of them... (yuck)
.
Being foodies, good beer, good wine, good whisky always the fluid component to an awesome meal worth eating. Get a few pans dirty. Take a grill for the steak. Sauce pan for the sauces. Cutting board for prep of the veggies (red, orange, & yellow bell, pasilla peppers, onions, garlic) along with some top notch brats. And don't skimp on the spices and seasonings.
.
Eat in time to set up the camera for some sunset shots with another beer. Well, you get the idea...:chef:
 

stingray1300

Explorer
Not really. I just made the point that even if you're going overland "light", it's worth it (for body and spirit) to eat well. If someone plans on sustaining themselves on, to quote you, lunchables, then you would be missing half the fun of getting away from it all. Good food makes the trip.
.
Remember, what you do today affects your health 10 years from now. :)
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Not really. I just made the point that even if you're going overland "light", it's worth it (for body and spirit) to eat well. If someone plans on sustaining themselves on, to quote you, lunchables, then you would be missing half the fun of getting away from it all. Good food makes the trip.
.
Remember, what you do today affects your health 10 years from now. :)

I understand what you are saying but if you are heading out for a week or two without a fridge or the ability to resupply a steak may not fit the no refrigeration requirement. Many times fresh food is not easy to carry.
 

CSG

Explorer
I suspect he's young and still missing the point of the thread but hey, it's the internet!
 

Rainier70

New member
I frequently camp high in the mountains for extended periods of time. I dehydrate and can a lot of foods and have a few freeze dried meats, but I also carry a number of fresh fruits and vegetables along with tortillas, eggs, cheese, and butter,etc.

Apples, oranges, grapes, kiwis, tomatoes (the little ones in the boxes last longest), peppers, onions, garlic, celery, full sized carrots, potatoes, heads of lettuce and cabbage are some of the fresh stuff I usually carry. The vegies with root bottoms like lettuce and celery, I trim the end and put a damp paper towel against it, then put it loosely in its bag. Scallions will grow in a cutoff water bottle with a damp paper towel in the bottom. I did mention potatoes as a possibility, and I have carried them at times, but I find I use the dried ones such as mashed potatoes, hashbrowns, and scalloped potatoes more often.

I have two mesh hammocks that the fresh stuff swings in. I will sometimes put a damp car towel over the hammock for a little humidity and cooling. The hammocks keep the vegies from being beaten to death when I move my camper on washboarded roads. And they seem to last longer in them than on a counter. So far I have only had to discard a few bruised outer leaves on the lettuce heads.

Some loaves of bread and bagels will also keep for an amazing amount of time. Preservatives! Although with some simple staples such as flour, yeast, baking pwd and baking soda, I can make or "bake" lots of pan breads, muffins, and even cookies and pizza on the stove top.

Some others I haven't seen mentioned are tofu, crackers, cookies, peanut butter, jams, Parmesan cheese, and drink mixes. You can even get powdered or dried hummus and refried beans, You can also buy powdered buttermilk, sour cream, blue cheese, and salad dressings. The powdered buttermilk, sour cream, and even the blue cheese pwd add some nice tang and taste to many dishes. Also ketchup, mustard, vinegar salad dressings, soy sauce, and some pickles and relishes, along with some other condiments don't need refrigeration.

I buy mayo and bbq sauce in the packets. The mayo I don't trust without refrigeration, the bbq sauce I get in packets because I don't use much. I also frequently carry packets of other condiments to add to sandwiches etc when I am out fishing on a river.

I carry a lot as I don't know how long I will be up in the mountains at a time. This last summer I spent three and a half months camping. During that time I got down to towns for shopping only a few times when the smoke cleared out of the valleys for a brief period or two.

Now I have a 46 Engel freezer/fridge that I use as a freezer for meats, some veggies, and a few snacks. It is a luxury to have, but not an absolute necessity. I still don't use a fridge or cooler anymore. Ive found that I really don't need a fridge very often.
 

DividedSky

New member
Surprised that these have not been mentioned already.


One of my favorites is SHELF STABLE Indian food. :bowdown:

  • Lasts a LONG time
  • No cooking required
  • Not dehydrated
  • SO many different types/flavors
  • Great addition/base for fresh or frozen meats
  • Inexpensive
  • Foil pouches don't take up much space
  • If needed, just use a spoon and eat right out of the bag

The Tasty Bites is the most available brand (costco has it at times), but if you can find an indian grocery there are at least 4-5 brands you can find and each one has 10-15 varieties.

1473534651008

9d0070ba.jpg

tastybites.jpg

Masala-Chhole-F.jpg

91c-OxPm7-L._SY450_.jpg
 

jaross

Member
Not sure if it has been mentioned before because I just couldn't sift through all the pages here but
Ghee instead of butter is amazing

Also dehydrated hashbrowns. They come in cases of cartons from Costco.

Mayo doesn't, in fact, need to be refrigerated. Neither do eggs
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
... Mayo doesn't, in fact, need to be refrigerated. Neither do eggs
believe you are wrong about eggs..... when it comes to USA store bought eggs. Yes some countries and possibly even local USA farmers process their eggs different before reaching the home...... but in America the way they are cleaned prior to store shelf.... removes a thin coating on the shell that is normally there to help protect bad bacteria from getting inside the egg. Other countries also vaccinate the chicken to prevent salmonella from growing in the egg. USA does not..... choosing to instead chill the egg itself. Due to those reasons is very wise to refrigerate them if purchased in America.

See https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/food...ir-eggs-why-americans/uOig3921Vby8vzAmvUkvQK/ and do other searches then decide for yourself
 
Last edited:

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
I think most of the warnings are a "better safe than sorry" situation. If you check the labels many things that we put in the fridge do not need to be stored there but we do. If you saw my fridge you would know I am as paranoid as anyone. In the travel world with vehicles getting so hot when parked I would DEFINITELY store as much as I could in the fridge or at least a cool box. I had a can of pop explode in the heat last year, and it was not even in the direct sunlight! When I think of what that same heat would do to other food products in the fridge they go!!
 

lmorris1

New member
Surprised that these have not been mentioned already.


One of my favorites is SHELF STABLE Indian food. :bowdown:

  • Lasts a LONG time
  • No cooking required
  • Not dehydrated
  • SO many different types/flavors
  • Great addition/base for fresh or frozen meats
  • Inexpensive
  • Foil pouches don't take up much space
  • If needed, just use a spoon and eat right out of the bag

The Tasty Bites is the most available brand (costco has it at times), but if you can find an indian grocery there are at least 4-5 brands you can find and each one has 10-15 varieties.

1473534651008

9d0070ba.jpg

tastybites.jpg

Masala-Chhole-F.jpg

91c-OxPm7-L._SY450_.jpg
 

lmorris1

New member
Thanks for this idea!. Easy to make chapatis while camping and as mentioned, ghee is shelf stable. And masoor dahl, the little salmon-colored lentils cook very quickly for a protein source. Perhaps already mentioned, an Indian or Southeast Asian grocery will sell the best tasting powdered milk brands.
 

Hummelator

Adventurer
I didn't read through all the posts but I did a four night backpack trip and one of the things I took was a log (?) of salami. Keeps well out of the fridge. Don't know that I'd go any longer than a week though.
Also, you can get dried pepperoni sticks. I'm sure there's a ton of salt in them but it's meat non the less.
Hard cheeses will keep well also. And babybels with the was also do great with no refrigeration.
I may try a trip with mostly non refrigerated items. More ice to keep the beer cold :p
 

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