Hey guys Im doing a 3 day 2 night trip into the smokey mountains and was trying to think of differnt foods to bring i'll be backpacking about 8 miles in with the wife. So far we have a few MRE"s and some freeze dried stew.
I've made up biscuits and fried up some salt pork then put the salt pork in the biscuits they stay for a good period of time and are good munchy food as you hike.
Jerky, Granola bars, trail mix, are all a good packing list. Throw in some baggies of pre-measured bisquick, you can always make drop biscuits on a grittle, or flap jack bread when you camp each night.
MRE's are good but remember if they are military grade they give you roughly 2400 calories per MRE.
there are some knorr's pasta sides that have preatty easy instructions and are very lightweight, i don't know how much you are planning on cooking and i haven't tried them yet but they seem like they will be good, the knorrs says the margarine is optional too.
something else that might be good is pasta, high carb and if you can take some sort of sauce it is even better, though i haven't found a way yet, i have seen it but most pasta sauce is in glass though some is already in plastic, there is even some bertoli pasta sauce in a pouch that while ment for microwaves it says on the pouch that it can be heated in a sauce pan on stove top
another thiung if fuel for a stove isn't an issue is rice-a-roni, you need margarine or butter for it and i don't know if there is a substitute but it takes a skillute and quite aq while to cook(simmering for 15-20 minutes), of course simering takes quite a bit less time, but if you are looking for light weight then it might be good
another thing about pasta is the thinner pasta takes less time to cook, the angle hair pasta that i have currently says 5-7 minutes and the regular says 8-10 minutes.
another thing that you could potentially put in the pasta is tuna, i have a 2.6 oz package that has 220mg of potassium as well as 18g of protien, though the calories aren't that much and the fat and carbs are3 almnost no existant but you can add tuna to lots of items.
there is also many other types of rice instead of the rice-a-roni and many types of boxed dinners, for instance there is tuna helper that is lightweight and tuna comes in pouches that are quite lightweight.
another snack is rice cakes, they come in quite a few flavors, and while they don't have much of anything if you are looking for a lightweight snack they are preatty good. and if you get the plain lightly salted rice cakes you can put just about anything on it, jam or something like that would be fine or if you don't mind the carbs there is some marshmallow creme you can easily spread on it and while it ruins the heaqltyness it is also lightweight. i prefer the craft kind since it is easier to close it, the great value generic from walmart just has a pop top,
one good thing about these things, except the pasta ssaauce is that if you open it and don't eat it all you wono't have to refridgerate
here is some of the things i have found from my new job at walmart, have fun and while i don't kno9w if this is the best stuff for a camping trip it seems like it from what i have heard and on one of my camping trips before i have had the spagetti so i know it is possible.
thought of something else i did, if you care to you can get freeze dried vegtables to spruce up just about anything, it is lightweight and fairly healthy, and would be easy enough to add to just about anything.
If it's legal and in season, take a .22 pistol and have a good squirrel or rabbit stew with the freeze-dried veggies ya take along! Hey binabik, I work at Wally-World too, it aint the best job, but in this economy any solid job is a good job!
You need to think of weight, space, and caloric value. MREs are truly your best bet. To get your vitamins and stuff, search for rose hips, get a handful of those and boil them with some water and pine needles. Rose hip tea is very good and has plenty of essential vitamins, the pine needles provide tons of Vitamin C to keep you healthy.
A tip unrelated but just as helpful. Before bed boil water and put it in a Nalgene bottle or something very similar. Throw that in your sleep bag at the bottom. It will keep your bag warm, most importantly your feet, and make your stay much more comfortable.
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If the Founding Fathers were alive today, they'd probably rather be dead.
Try and go lightweight. When I want to shave as much weight and volume as possible, for short 2-3 day (8-12 miles per day) trips I pack olive oil and a few pieces of bread. While not the most balanced diet, it is extremely high in calories. I pack about 2 cups per day which is nearly 4000 calories per day. MREs are one of the best. Also jerky and pemmican are great for lunch.
AS strange as it seems in todays average market there is an abundance of lightwieight conveinece foods that can be adapted/used for short or heck even long term sojourns into the wilds it is simply a matter of researching what does and doesn't work, Go to your local market and scrounge around a little you'll be surprised by the number of and variety that is todays quicky convient meals that you can tote out into the wilds (which I am sure those bleeding hearts never realized!) and the wonderful thing is most are very very tasty!
__________________ "You can have my Freedom when I'm done with it!"
For camping trips, I use either of these types:
1) Mountain House freeze-dried packets. Says "Two servings" but is just right for one hungry hiker/camper. Just heat some water, dump in the pouch, seal and wait ten minutes. Dinner time! No dirty dishes either - just your spork to clean. Toss the empty pouch in the fire. I get them at Wally's and Sportsman's Warehouse - any good store selling hiking/camping gear will have them. Lots of flavors, and breakfast items too!
2) Various brands of "Ready To Eat" rice meals - Uncle Ben's, Rice-a-Roni and Zatarains - the Zatarains is cheapest and best tasting. I heat it in my stainless steel GI canteen cup with a half ounce of water, stir as it heats and it won't stick. A small can or pouch of meat can be added for more calories and protein. These can be eaten cold from the pouch like an MRE, but are best heated.
A dehydrater is your friend lol. You can dehydrate just about anything. Make your own beef jerky, dehydrate jam.....makes it look like a sticky fruit roll up lol. But if you want some jelly just add some water.
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"Strength is not in numbers, it's in singular determination."
Well my first question is what do you cook with (fire, camp stove, etc.)?
I have used alcohol stoves (Trangia) for some time now, and I am hooked. I dislike cooking foods with high fat (macaroni and cheese) contents due to the difficulty in cleaning your pots in cold creek water. Ramen (the spice packet goes in your bowl), plain pasta with red sauce, rice, split peas all cook nicely.
Not a fan of freeze dried, I am just a food snob.
I love LARABARS, simple and tasty. Tuna packets are great by themselves. Hard salami nuggets are another choice, and if I could find them again, there was peanut butter in squeeze tubes in the kids section, but they may be discontinued.
Another big help is a vacuum sealer - minimum of 2 rolls of TP in individual packages, primary and backup! Use it to keep socks dry and bulk down.
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I take my coffee how I take my women: bitter and overbearing.
Tuna packets, clif bars, nuts, jerkey and mountain house or the main dinner packet out of an MRE. I like to have a clif bar and banna in the morning and snack on some nuts throught the day, then forlunch go with the tuna packet because you can eat without stopping, and or dinner sit down and have the mountain house or the main dinner pack of an MRE. I also munch on nuts and jerkey in between to keep energy levels up. If your tryin to get some bring a nice bottle of desert wine to have before bed.
binabik, a suggestion. Instead of margarine or butter, pack ghee instead.
It won't go bad in the heat, just liquefy on you; but it's still sound when liquid. It's the oil in butter without the milk solids. You get the same butter qualities in cooking and most of the butter flavor without the risk of it going rancid on you. You can get it at health food stores and supermarkets with large International Foods sections.
Likely you'll need to repack it in a plastic container, as I've only ever found it in glass jars. Its flavor and long shelf life make it a good choice for camping.
Dont eat the full MRE just the pouch that has the main dish. the bread in them binds you up. I still like the old ones better with the brick crackers over the new ones with the nasty bread.
binabik, a suggestion. Instead of margarine or butter, pack ghee instead.
It won't go bad in the heat, just liquefy on you; but it's still sound when liquid. It's the oil in butter without the milk solids. You get the same butter qualities in cooking and most of the butter flavor without the risk of it going rancid on you. You can get it at health food stores and supermarkets with large International Foods sections.
Likely you'll need to repack it in a plastic container, as I've only ever found it in glass jars. Its flavor and long shelf life make it a good choice for camping.
+1!
Never thought of packing liquid gold! I wish someone local carried it, because if you have ever tried to clarify butter, it is best to do it in large quantities, because it is a pain in the ass. Delicious though.
Forgot to mention I always pack naan or pita bread - toasts nicely on a fire, great with breakfast lunch or dinner, and doesn't get squashed!
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I take my coffee how I take my women: bitter and overbearing.
I found another item that is pretty good, there are jello pudding singles where you add a half cup of milk and then let it set for 5 minutes, while this is good and everything it would probably have to be powdered milk and I don’t even know if that would work but it seems like a possibility, and it would be a good desert, kind of a luxury though. Ghee, sounds good, the walmart that I work at has an international foods aisle but I haven’t seen it, I will go and look at about 9:40 as I go into work tonight though so I may be able to find it.
metronome, the walmart i work at does have peanut butter and jelly in squeeze tubes just so you know, it is 8inj the normal place for peanut butter and jelly.
