backpacking meals

[cruisertoy]

So I just went out and blew the bank buying Mountian House meals for my 2 week Alaskan float trip. We also take a bunch of cup of noodle, ramon and sea biscuts. The fish is what keeps us alive. So I got to thinking, could a person put together "just add water" meals like the MH for cheaper? I've done the whole powdered egg and dehydrated fake sausage thing for my scouts. You had to cook it like you would normal eggs. We only really take equipment to boil water, ie no real pots or pans. So I'm looking for food ideas that only require boiling water.

 

[bigreen505]

There is a great book called Lipsmackin' Backpackin that is worth a read, especially if you like pizza. Buy a dehydrator and make your own Mountain House meals. Also if you only go out for a couple days, a refrigerator in the car as basecamp can open up a lot of possibilities.

 

[bovw]

Get some MRE's. If you don't mind cold, they're ready to eat. Boiling water will heat them up. Rather bulky though, and not sure of the cost.

 

[teotwaki]

Get some MRE's. If you don't mind cold, they're ready to eat. Boiling water will heat them up. Rather bulky though, and not sure of the cost.

MREs are pretty heavy due to the packaging, accessories, and also that the main dish is fully hydrated. They cannot be taken on airliners due to (misplaced) fears about the magnesium meal heaters.

 

[Blacknmuddy]

Ive also taken along with what you mentioned, Rice, Oatmeal, Beans or even Pasta if you wanna get fancy.

 

[calamaridog]

You said "backpacking meals" but you are doing a float trip so I'm thinking weight is less of an issue than when you are hiking.

I recommend fitting in as much tasty stuff as possible. Some cheeses travel very well and many cooked/smoked sausages travel well also. Eat plenty of fats to keep you going, not just carbs.

While I have not done backpacking trips lately, I used to make all my own meals. I dehydrated tons of stuff myself but I also bought in bulk from mail order companies specializing in that sort of stuff. Now you can order this stuff online, so it's even easier.

Check out the small markets that offer specialty foods as well. Often you can find bulk bins full of the ingrediants you need to package up some custom meals. Think instant rice, cous cous, etc. with added ingridients. Test your meals in advance!

Another favorite is dehydrated beans. Tortillas travel very well also.

Having fresh fish to supliment your meals is awesome and makes your meal planning easier.

I have two older books: Good Food for Camp and Trail by Dorcas Miller and Wilderness Cuisine by Carole Latimer. I got some decent recipes and great ideas from both. There are tons of books on the subject or you can borrow mine.

 

[bovw]

MREs are pretty heavy due to the packaging, accessories, and also that the main dish is fully hydrated. They cannot be taken on airliners due to (misplaced) fears about the magnesium meal heaters.

Did not know about the heater deal, good to know.

 

[Nullifier]

If you are buying prepackaged dehydrated meals Backpackers Pantry is the best imo.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Backpacking meals are ideally designed to address 4 major backcountry concerns: Limited water for cooking AND clean up. Minimal weight and space before and after consumption. Small fuel requirements to prepare and the meals should have a nutritional value suitable for long days walking, skiing, climbing, etc. Taste has finally been added to the list!

When I guided river trips we certainly didn't launch with many of those concerns. There's more water than you can shake a paddle at and plenty of room for fuel and food space.

That said, you can usually find similar meals at your corner store. Many soups and noodle dishes require only water to prepare and can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.

**WARNING*** Many store bought meals in this category pack an almost dangerous amount of sodium. I have come across people on extended trips that have fallen feable to countless days consuming 200% of their daily allotment of sodium. Ramen noodles are the worst offenders. Just something to consider.

 

[cruisertoy]

Thanks for all the responses. I say backpacking meals because of the weight issues. We fly out of Anchorage and go south west to Iliamna on a small 8person prop plane. We then fish there for three days and have a native lady there freeze our catch. We then jump on a Beaver float plane(1300lb limit people+gear) and go further west to a small river. We actually have to hump our gear a mile from the pond we land the plane on to the head waters of the river. We then float this for 60+ miles over a weeks time.

We generally eat fish for our dinner meal with a couple of dehydrated meals as variety at that meal. Lunch ussually consist of one dehydrated meal between the group and then everyone gets a cup of noodle soup with a sea biscut. We take a couple white gas ultra light stoves and two of the Jetboils. Besides the fish over the fire, everything is cooked by adding boiling water. It makes it nice for cleanup and leaves more time to real in those 60lb King salmon.

It's mainly getting our gear wieght down to get on the Beaver that is the problem. 4 guys at 150-200lbs each, personal gear, a one man pontoon and a 4 man raft. It all adds up quick. Plus we have the sawed off shotguns for the bears...and there are lots of bears.

I did get a recomendation to take instant pudding and powder milk. You can have it all measured out and in baggies. Then while cooking dinner you can add water to the baggy and put the thing in the river. When dinner is done, so is you pudding.

 

[7wt]

Wow, your trip sounds fantastic.

 

[AZCPP]

These are my favorite backpack food items. They are very easy to pack, come in four flavors, make minimal waste, and are great protein.http://www.starkist.com/template.asp?section=products/creations.asp

 

[calamaridog]

**WARNING*** Many store bought meals in this category pack an almost dangerous amount of sodium. I have come across people on extended trips that have fallen feable to countless days consuming 200% of their daily allotment of sodium. Ramen noodles are the worst offenders. Just something to consider.

I agree you have to watch the sodium. Some of the packaged stuff is available now in lower sodium versions. There is so much stuff now that you just add water to make a sidedish, the possibilities are endless.

BTW, this trip sounds great. I'm hoping for some pictures!

 

[cyclic]

My first post, but this should help you out...............

it's called freezer bag cooking, between it, a water filter and some source of heat you should be good to go.

http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/index.htm

 

[calamaridog]

My first post, but this should help you out...............

it's called freezer bag cooking, between it, a water filter and some source of heat you should be good to go.

http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/index.htm

Your first post is a home run:chowtime: