Anybody go on multi-day hunts in the backcountry without a stove?

[Loper]

Each year I buy one or two pieces of gear that is either better or lighter. This past year I got a lightweight minimalist BRS stove. It worked out great, but each morning I watched my hunting partners spend time boiling water to make coffee and then I was waiting on them to finish drinking it before heading out. While waiting for them, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could get by without of a stove since I don’t drink coffee or anything warm. I was thinking perhaps I could skip the dehydrated meals and just pack meals that didn’t need water. Perhaps this would save weight not only with the stove but I may need a little less water too.

I know I’m not saving a ton of weight now that I have a minimalist stove and a lightweight cup, and I could still pack dehydrated meals and just use my buddies stove, but I’m curious if anyone skips the stove, fuel, and dehydrated meals all together.

Does anyone go on multi-day hunts without a stove? If so, what meals do you pack?

Anyone tried this and decided to go back to using a stove?

 

[Marbles]

I would bet food that is not dehydrated will weigh more due to the water content, so other than in a desert, I doubt it saves weight.

You can do cold soak oatmeal, probably rice too. Smoked salmon keeps and does not need cooking. Of course various junk foods and energy bars. I think it can certainly be done. Though, if cold and wet a hot meal is a very nice comfort thing to me.

 

[Jason Snyder]

It’s hard for me to imagine rolling out on a cold morning without hot coffee and oatmeal. And a hot dinner before bed. That doesn’t sound fun at all.

 

[TaperPin]

Each year I buy one or two pieces of gear that is either better or lighter. This past year I got a lightweight minimalist BRS stove. It worked out great, but each morning I watched my hunting partners spend time boiling water to make coffee and then I was waiting on them to finish drinking it before heading out. While waiting for them, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could get by without of a stove since I don’t drink coffee or anything warm. I was thinking perhaps I could skip the dehydrated meals and just pack meals that didn’t need water. Perhaps this would save weight not only with the stove but I may need a little less water too.

I know I’m not saving a ton of weight now that I have a minimalist stove and a lightweight cup, and I could still pack dehydrated meals and just use my buddies stove, but I’m curious if anyone skips the stove, fuel, and dehydrated meals all together.

Does anyone go on multi-day hunts without a stove? If so, what meals do you pack?

Anyone tried this and decided to go back to using a stove?

I’ve packed instant oatmeal, cold cereal with powdered milk, all sorts of crackers, lots of gorp, summer sausage, candy bars, Vienna sausages, jerky, beef sticks, peanut butter sandwiches, cups with apple sauce, apples, oranges, MRE’s, dehydrated meals eaten dry, dried fruit, ramen eaten dry, loaves of French bread, bagels, instant cold coffee, drink powder (Tang), shelf stable milk box, tuna packet, precooked bacon, sardines, hard cheese, and probably a lot of other stuff. In the end packing a stove is always worth it to me - a warm dinner goes a long long way towards making it more enjoyable.

 

[MuleyFever]

I stopped taking a stove a long time ago. I don't miss it at all.

 

[Dennis]

I have done it off and on over the years on shorter bivy hunts. It is fast and easy.

 

[hereinaz]

You don’t need to eat hot food or drink for any reason, question is only what you would eat.

I know I like a warm meal at night and a hot instant cider. But, I could survive without it. It’s light enough that I can’t see leaving it at home for cold hunts.

 

[Marbles]

I stopped taking a stove a long time ago. I don't miss it at all.

Care to share what meals look like? I've thought about it, but never been creative with any food ideas that sounded good.

 

[Jsmalls273]

Could you, yes. Would I? No!

I highly enjoy the hot meals!


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[MuleyFever]

Care to share what meals look like? I've thought about it, but never been creative with any food ideas that sounded good.

I'm the type that doesn't care what I eat. When hunting I don't have much of an appetite either. I take a variety of bars. I try to keep calorie density high and can fit a days food in a quart sized Ziploc. The one thing is finding a legit meal replacement bar for at least one meal. Protein bars lack a lot of essential vitamins and minerals.

 

[redchinviking]

Interesting. I’ve heard of going stoveless and never considered it. But I just found myself asking what happened to civilization that requires us to be fed hot meals at every moment to be comfortable and happy. Let alone a hunt where we (some of us) are trying to get closer to a primal state of mind and closer to nature. I might have to give it a try. But not likely in November;-) curious to hear what others have to say other than “I like my hot coffee and meals too much”

 

[KChunter71]

Sounds like you hunting with a buddy. Only really need one stove for the group and I'd leave one at the truck. But, Alaska I'd bring two on a remote hunt with a group.

 

[ElkTycoon]

When I first started backpacking hunting in college, I didn’t have the money to buy a stove, so I would take an aluminum pot and boil water for pasta over a campfire. And bring tuna for protein. I got by but had to choke dinners down.

Once I got a job, I bought a stove and have never left it at home. The weight increase of a stove/pot setup is too small compared to the comfort of having it.

I always think through stuff like this, and always go back to the logic that you’ve gotta be strong and in shape to play the backcountry hunting game. If a stove is too heavy, then maybe I need to reevaluate my fitness.

 

[JohnB]

BRS stove, 100g fuel can, a Sterno pot and a cut up plastic bowl is in the neighborhood of 13oz. I've been quite happy with that for 3-4 day trips.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Some folks will go stoveless with freeze dried meals, hydrate them hours before eating with cold water. I personally haven’t done it, probably would want to experiment at home with what tastes best in this manner.

I like coffee in the morning but could skip it if needed, I typically eat a cold breakfast or just bars. For me a warm dinner, esp if it’s cold out is really nice after a long day to have a warm belly as I get in my bag. Easier with a hunting partner and sharing a stove, minimal overall weight.

 

[GunsAreFun]

I personally would not. If where you hunt didn’t get a ton of rain, I suppose you could make small fires to heat water or get a 1000 ml titanium pot and share with your partner.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

When the weather is crappy and fire starting is a pain the stove goes with me. When non-crappy, I can boil water on a small fire for MH/other fairly easy for dinner. I then pack chicken/tuna packs and mayo pouches with a few pieces of bread for lunches. Kirkland Nut Bars for breakfast. I don't drink/need coffee much. Maybe a tiny bit heavier than a stove and all freeze dried, but a heck of a lot easier.

 

[Maverick1]

Each year I buy one or two pieces of gear that is either better or lighter. This past year I got a lightweight minimalist BRS stove. It worked out great, but each morning I watched my hunting partners spend time boiling water to make coffee and then I was waiting on them to finish drinking it before heading out. While waiting for them, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could get by without of a stove since I don’t drink coffee or anything warm. I was thinking perhaps I could skip the dehydrated meals and just pack meals that didn’t need water. Perhaps this would save weight not only with the stove but I may need a little less water too. I know I’m not saving a ton of weight now that I have a minimalist stove and a lightweight cup, and I could still pack dehydrated meals and just use my buddies stove, but I’m curious if anyone skips the stove, fuel, and dehydrated meals all together. Does anyone go on multi-day hunts without a stove? If so, what meals do you pack? Anyone tried this and decided to go back to using a stove?

I have been "cold camping" for nearly 20 seasons. Plenty of ways to consume the calories necessary to keep energy levels high enough to hunt.

Sure, bringing a stove with to have warm food/meals would be "nice" - but I am out there for one reason: to fill a tag. This is not a vacation. I do not care what I eat, as long as the calories and macros are right. I'm in hunt mode and will just push forward - I workout for the purpose of mountain hunting pretty much all year round (except when I'm in a treestand) and am just in the mode of "turn me loose" once I get to the mountain. I can enjoy "warm" food when I am at home for the other 50 weeks of the year. Carrying a pot, stove, or cooking fuel around is just wasted space in the backpack, and extra weight. No thank you. All of my food for one day in the backcountry fits inside a quart size ziploc bag and weighs about 25 ounces, for about 3200-3400 calories. Easy peasy - one bag per day of the hunt.

I've done the math a bunch of times, and weighed out the gear for both approaches. For me, cold camping is more convenient, quicker, and just better. It is also more flexible. At the end of a 10-14 day trip into the back country, I will have 10-14 empty ziploc bags with wrappers and that's about it. And, if I fill one tag early, or need to head back to the vehicle in the middle of a week for whatever reasons, I just grab however number of ziploc bags I need and head back out. No messing around with fuel, fuel containers, pots, cups, etc. The only utensil I bring is a titanium spork.

 

[SixteenG]

You don’t “need” to have a stove for a multi day hunt. It all comes down to what comforts you want to have. If you’re only there to fill a tag and you need the weight/space savings then obviously you don’t need the stove. If you want to have a hot cup of coffee while waiting out a storm then you’ll probably want a stove. In my group, we take two stoves for four guys to share. If one breaks, we have an extra. Otherwise, we split up in pairs each day out of camp and each pair normally takes a stove with them.

 

[twall13]

Just use the "crotch pot" to get a warm meal. I've never used this and don't have any desire to do so, but I suppose it's an option.

Everyone is different and some guys don't really care about their meals. Food is fuel, nothing more. If you are one of those guys I would think you could certainly get by on a lot of dense bars, snacks, tortilla wraps, etc. without the need for a stove. I don't need all of my meals hot in the backcountry but I look forward to my food enough that the stove is worth it to me for at least one meal a day.

Some foods I eat regularly when hunting that don't require a stove: Peak refuel granola, tuna fish in a tortilla, PB&J or honey in a tortilla or on a bagel, peanut butter packets and pretzels, almonds, peanuts, trail mix, dried fruit, honey stinger waffles, Bobo bars, jerky, ramen noodles can be eaten dry, sunflower seeds, baby bell cheese, etc.

I haven't tried them, but the famous Rokslide butthole sandwiches seem like a good option. I will probably try them in the future but haven't gotten around to it yet. I know the name sounds really appealing but it's worth the read.