Best way to pack food for a 4 day backpacking trip

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Vpetrell

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So I'm going on my first backpacking trip to red river gorge Kentucky with my brother in a few weeks.

I have te majority of my gear ready, but am stuck on food to bring for meals at the end of the day

So far I have nuts and berries, beef jerky and some dried fruit.

What is the best food to bring for dinners. Is there a preferred method of preparing this before hand? I want something good to eat, but don't want it to go bad or be difficult to make at nights.


Any suggestions is welcomed!!


Thanks!


Vince
 
Dehydrate your own. Not freeze dried, but dehydrated. If you don't have a food dehydrator, you can do it easily and effectively in the oven. There are tons of recipes and tips on the internet and YouTube. The meals pack down very small and light, max a couple of ounces (if that) and generally about the size of a deck of cards (or two, depending on your appetite), it keeps very well, and is simply foolproof in camp.

You simply put your meal into a pot of boiling water, cover it, let it sit for about 20 minutes while you hang your hammock, and then eat a hot delicious meal that tastes homecooked. Then you get to laugh as your buddies stare at your delicious supper and are tortured by it's great aroma while they are heating up MRE's and Mountain House colon plugs. Also, I like to bring along a couple of fresh potatoes or other fresh vegetables (at a small weight penalty) and throw those into the pot when I want some variety. Really makes dinnertime something to look forward to.

Sam :thumbup:
 
My backpacking buddy and I worked out dinners as being: 1 provides a package of ramen noodles, the other provides a dehydrated backpacking meal that serves 2 for each night. My favorite was/is (haven't been out in way too long) Mountain House Beef Stroganoff. Tea or cocoa to drink as the sun went down and temperatures dropped (Colorado mountains).

Our breakfasts were instant oatmeal (several packages) and tea or coffee.

Lunches - powerbar or trail mix or whatever.

Be sure and have gear to properly hang your food or a bear-proof container to put it in.

I'm sure further internet searches will turn up enough information to thoroughly confuse you.
 
Sam Wilson said:
Dehydrate your own. Not freeze dried, but dehydrated. If you don't have a food dehydrator, you can do it easily and effectively in the oven. There are tons of recipes and tips on the internet and YouTube. The meals pack down very small and light, max a couple of ounces (if that) and generally about the size of a deck of cards (or two, depending on your appetite), it keeps very well, and is simply foolproof in camp.

You simply put your meal into a pot of boiling water, cover it, let it sit for about 20 minutes while you hang your hammock, and then eat a hot delicious meal that tastes homecooked. Then you get to laugh as your buddies stare at your delicious supper and are tortured by it's great aroma while they are heating up MRE's and Mountain House colon plugs. Also, I like to bring along a couple of fresh potatoes or other fresh vegetables (at a small weight penalty) and throw those into the pot when I want some variety. Really makes dinnertime something to look forward to.

Sam :thumbup:
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Thanks Sam. I guess where I am stuck is good websites to go off of besides YouTube. I have searched the web, but haven't really found anything good to go off of. May be in just looking for the wrong things.....

What is a good site for dehydrated recipes? And how easy is it to do full meals?


Thanks for the help


Vince
 
unimogbert said:
My backpacking buddy and I worked out dinners as being: 1 provides a package of ramen noodles, the other provides a dehydrated backpacking meal that serves 2 for each night. My favorite was/is (haven't been out in way too long) Mountain House Beef Stroganoff. Tea or cocoa to drink as the sun went down and temperatures dropped (Colorado mountains).

Our breakfasts were instant oatmeal (several packages) and tea or coffee.

Lunches - powerbar or trail mix or whatever.

Be sure and have gear to properly hang your food or a bear-proof container to put it in.

I'm sure further internet searches will turn up enough information to thoroughly confuse you.
Click to expand...

That's essentially what happened when I looked online. I got confused, so I turned to you guys for the help!

Thanks!
 
The pre-packed backpacking meals are expensive, but they taste better than they used to.
Most of the time I simply use dry packaged food from the grocery that need only water to prepare. Rice, noodles, ramen noodles, etc.
Only soft packaging, no cans or bottles.
And plenty of no-cook options; when fatigued and exhausted, I often don't want to screw around with stoves/fire/cooking at the end of the day. More often, I eat the cooked meal while taking a mid-day break on the trail.
 
My buddy and I preferred to keep moving thru the day and just snack for lunches. Couldn't count on being able to travel once the afternoon t-storms started up.

We'd stop about 4 if the day could be that long and setup camp, relax a little and make dinner. The ritual of making dinner would consume time and keep his attention occupied. If we didn't have stuff to do in late afternoon such as fish or make dinner my buddy would start calculating whether we could make it to the car with the energy and time we had left - he gets restless and doesn't just sit still easily. When I gave in we usually regretted the dash for the car as being counter to the reason for being out there.

Yes the prepackaged stuff is expensive which is why we'd add ramen rather than a 2nd dehydrated. We weren't out often enough that the cost of the meals would affect our plans. (not sure how much they cost now though)
Definitely no cans or bottles unless you are making a statement (like another buddy opening "The Coke of Death" high on a mountain summit just to say he did)
 
Vpetrell said:
Thanks Sam. I guess where I am stuck is good websites to go off of besides YouTube. I have searched the web, but haven't really found anything good to go off of. May be in just looking for the wrong things.....

What is a good site for dehydrated recipes? And how easy is it to do full meals?


Thanks for the help


Vince
Click to expand...

I don't have any websites handy, but I do remember a guy from YouTube with the channel name Babelfish or something like that. He made full meals that were fantastic. I usually simplified them a little bit, but they were still very easy to do. Rice, pasta and other already dehydrated ingredients work well. I usually dehydrate ground beef (cooked, of course), some red/yellow/green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and maybe some peppers for spice when I want to just keep it simple. You can throw a handful of all that stuff together in a pot of boiling water, and in 20 minutes have a great meal. Bring along a bottle of hot sauce and you're in business.

Dehydrating is very easy, and you will get some great ideas from that guys YT channel. Then you can modify/adapt it to how you want. I have even done tacos, with the tortillas warmed over the campfire, and it was very, very good. I was the envy of the camp that night.
 
Here is a great website to start with to get started with.

http://www.backpackingchef.com/

I dehydrate all of my food and many times I would go to an Asian market to pick up spices or other dry goods.
Till now every time someone tried my food they liked it better then the packaged food.
precooked rice add dry veg then dried hamburger meat and you got a great and healthy meal.
Miso soup add extra dry veg maybe some dry shrimp. Have it before going to bed it would keep you warm longer at night. I swear for me I feel it rises my body temp.
my food has no added salt everything I put in there is healthy and I try to make as balanced meal as I can.
Oh and don't forget honey sticks for mid day snack or jam. I dried bagels and they them with cheese for the first couple of days.
I can go on and on but it really is how far your imagination goes.

OH and you can buy cheap dehydrator at Walmart or places like that for less then #30. Its a good way to start to figure out if you like it or not. It would pay off on the first trip and save money on top of it. If you consider two people for a week.
 
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I do two... Maybe three backpacking trips a year where miles and weight are factors .

I see it as a matter of calories, weight, and convenience. If I were doing this on a regular basis, I'd spend more time and money and prep my own, but for now...

If I am going on a multi day backpacking trip for fun. I say spend the money on the more expensive, dehydrated pre-packaged meals from rei or ems, etc for dinner. They taste better, are loaded with calories, and require only hot water, and you eat them right out of their own bag /packaging. Yes, It'll cost you a few bucks more, but you'll save way more than that in time, energy, weight and convenience. Lunches are a bunch of trail bars, gorp, and energy food for me.

I know that's sacrilegious to the purists out there but I'm at an age where I know what I like. I'd rather spend a few bucks to not have to think about it and to know my meal is gonna rock and be quick at the end of the day..... . Ps, on the trips I do, we all agree to pack one extra meal per person and extra snacks, just in case something bad happens.
 
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Granola, chocolate, cheese, meat (canned or jerky), and pasta.

You'll probably want the calories and fat especially. If you don't like my choices then think of what calorie dense foods you do like. I know for myself I don't like to eat a lot during the day, small breakfast, snacks like granola, water/electrolyte drink, and then a large supper. Chocolate, cheese, or some other high calorie food can really boost morale in the backcountry. Old-style wheel cheese is the best when you don't have a fridge.

You can make your own granola pretty easily as well as an electrolyte drink. Stay away from the prepackaged stuff as much as possible.
 
Here's the electrolyte replacement solution for a litre of water:

2.0 grams glucose (grape sugar)
3.5 grams table salt (sodium chloride)
2.5 grams baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1.5 grams potassium chloride

This is the sort of thing you'd drink after a lot of sweating, or every six hours when dehydrated.
 
Steve6387 said:
I do two... Maybe three backpacking trips a year where miles and weight are factors .

I see it as a matter of calories, weight, and convenience. If I were doing this on a regular basis, I'd spend more time and money and prep my own, but for now...

If I am going on a multi day backpacking trip for fun. I say spend the money on the more Expensive, dehydrated pre-packaged meals from rei or ems, etc for dinner. They taste better, are loaded with calories, and require only hot water, and you est them right out of their own bag /packaging. Yes, It'll cost you a few bucks more, but you'll save way more than that in time, energy, weight and convenience. Lunches are a bunch of trail bars, gorp, and energy food for me.

I know that's sacrilegious to the purists out there but I'm at an age where I know what I like. I'd rather spend a few bucks to not have to think about it and to know my meal is gonna rock and be quick at the end of the day..... . Ps, on the trips I do, we all agree to pack one extra meal per person and extra snacks, just in case something bad happens.
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I too do the same thing and totally agree with you.

I don't do that many multiple day hiking trips to justify getting a freeze dryer of my own, and really do appreciate the convenience and how fast to prep those pre-made food packages. Of many brands I have tried across the world, the best is still the old good Mountain house that you could find in REI. To me, it is a rewarding and welcoming thought to feel like eating at olive garden at the end of each day. I think you can get cheaper option to buy them if you look online. And if you are into light weight hiking or want to cut weight, combine with an alcohol stove, I could practically finish cooking/eating within half an hour and no cleaning requires at the end.
 
For dehydrated meals check out Alpine Aire and GOOD TO-GO; I find them to be tastier across the board than mountain house and backpackers pantry ( although bp pantry pad Thai is great). Tip: Alpine Aire chili +aged Wisconsin cheddar + flour tortillas or croutons = satisfied campers.

Idahoan dehydrated mashed potatoes are delicious and cheap. So is stove top stuffing.
 
Oh and when you to a fast food place make sure you get extra condiments like Mayo Salsa and everything you can get your hands on. Oh and I make my own beef jerky and fish jerky. I also salt and dry fish just for fun food, Dad love to eat the salted fish and drink some beer with it. I also carry Gatorade powder and mix with my water to get extra minerals into the body. Mix it at one third the amount is says.
 
Oatmeal, rice, and pasta pack well and don't need much more than water to turn into a good meal. Dried fruit and jerky can be added to dishes for flavor and texture. Dried mushrooms are also good supplements. Potatoes and eggs are two easy to cook items that require no refridgeration and minimal to no waste. Salt, pepper, and a spice mixes (Italian seasoning, Lowry's, etc.) also pack well and greatly enhance meals. Salted butter is pretty safe, if a bit soft, for several days without refrigeration. Ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, sugar, and half&half packets are also good for packing, as long as you carry out the empties.

Bannock or bisquick makes for a good biscuit, especially with the addition of some trail mix.
 
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