Backcountry food questions

[swampthing]

I am too busy heating water for coffee in the mornin so its a pop tart for breaky for me. I bring the small canned tuna and a soft tortilla shell with cheese for my lunches. I have several snacks for between those meals as well.

 

[Low_Sky]

Does anyone opportunistically hunt small game (squirrel, rabbit, other) for dinner?

Typically, no. If I want small game, I go small game hunting. On a backcountry hunt, I have all my calories planned out. I don’t want to plan on eating small game and be short calories if I don’t find it. Likewise, I don’t want to carry extra calories I didn’t eat because I chose to dine on rabbit instead. For the weight of a dedicated small game gun, I’d rather pack guaranteed luxury calories (like a frozen steak and a baked potato) or nothing at all.

That said, never say never. My brother wanted to shoot his first ptarmigan on the last day of our sheep hunt last year and it was delicious. A 150gr TTSX to the dome makes for a very dead ptarmigan.


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[String&stick]

Grouse over the fire is just bonus calories, I always pack a tiny bottle of seasoning salt with me. After 4 days of snacks and mountain house grouse tastes like heaven!
Seasoning also makes for same dang good back straps or tenderloins when you kill.

But yes, unless I'm positive there are elk near enough to spook, I shoot grouse when I see them, but they are never a planned part of the diet.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

When your scouting partner brings eggs, bread, salami, and a frying pan 5 miles into the backcountry... What a guy.

 

[Ericthebarbarian]

Does anyone opportunistically hunt small game (squirrel, rabbit, other) for dinner?

No, I tried all sorts of ways to do it, but if you are hunting big game, why risk noise/shots over a grouse and louse up a hunt? Tried slingshots etc. but ultimately just have to concentrate on the task at hand. Cooking some of those things requires more pans, foil etc than I typically bring so it is really just complicating.

 

[Jqualls]

I do the cold overnight oats. I do rolled oats, quite a bit of peanut butter, dried milk, cocoa powder, and some honey. I mix it in small snack bags then put those bags in a plastic peanut butter jar. At night I just add water with one packet of my oat mix and it is ready to go in the morning. I can carry probably 2-3 bags of my oats in a smaller peanut butter jar. It is really easy to clean out after I am done and don't have to use my stove or pot. Could maybe be more difficult in freezing weather but probably just wrapping it in your backpack/clothes or throwing it in your sleeping bag would work.

As far as snacks goes my pack looks like a 10YO backpack the morning after Halloween.

 

[Chadpearson]

I may cheat and have a harvest right freeze drier.. so i make borderline gourmet meals freeze dry them and just bring my water filter and backpacking stove to heat up the water. basically making higher quality mountainhouse meals

 

[Ericthebarbarian]

Pack food also depends on whether or not I am in bear country! I leave the stinky stuff home (which sometimes is VERY restrictive - anything good smells!)

I have a dehydrator, but have never tried it for meals/casserole type things. How long do you have to run it for something like lasagne?

Also, one trick with Mountain House type food. Let it soak WAY longer than the directions say. Makes it way easier on the system.

 

[txjustin]

Great advice!!


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[Trevor73402]

I made these bags up tonight. By my math, I have right at 3900-4000 calories. This does not include what I’ll eat for dinner. This will just be my breakfast and pack food for the day. Some of the bags have a MH biscuits and gravy in them, but this is NOT included in the calorie count listed above. I may/may not eat the MH for dinner. I still have a few things to add to the bags right before I leave such as cooked bacon, cheese sticks, tortillas/bread, summer sausage. These items are also NOT included in the calorie count listed above. As is right now, including the MH meal, they weigh right at 2.8 pounds each. This is a little heavier than what most seem to shoot for, but I require a little more food than most people. With the bags, the items not yet in them, and a dinner of some type in the evening, I should be able to get close/just above 5000 calories a day. The smaller bag in the top right corner is a breakfast bag. It contains 1pk instant oatmeal, 1/2 cup mixed granola, 1Tbs of powdered milk, 2 instant Black Rifle coffee sticks, and some stevia and spenda. Also, for reference, the trail mix bags contains 960 calories alone consisting of peanut M&M’s, dry roasted peanuts, and cashews.

 

[AlanMcLean]

Instant oatmeal and bagels, almost all the time. I'm looking for inspo here

 

[Clarence]

I may cheat and have a harvest right freeze drier.. so i make borderline gourmet meals freeze dry them and just bring my water filter and backpacking stove to heat up the water. basically making higher quality mountainhouse meals

Whoa man! Did you buy that rig just for making backcountry food? Way next level over a dehydrater.

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[Jn78]

I am new to the back country stuff, but coming from the nutrition industry. Like CO-AJ said, there's a lot of science into food. High energy foods, for high calorie output. All calories are definitely not created equal! Not saying what many are doing doesn't work, or that it is wrong neccesarily. But there is more efficienct ways and lighter options to fuel. Like swapping out rolled oats instead of instant, they taste the same, but being instant in about 45 mins what your body doesn't absorb it will store as far while the energy tapering is fast, very similar to any processed cereal, that's why it's instant. Rolled oats will last about 4 hours, while your body breaks it down, or better yet steel cut as long as 6 hours, slowly fueling your body. Ad some healthy fats like powdered peanutbutter and a scoop of a good quality protein powder, cinnamon, flax seed, and maybe even honey in baggies for a meal is a great way to fuel your body. Also adding 1 scoop of Xtend in your water 1 or 2 times a day, it adds some energy, and really helps your body recover and aids with muscle fatigue. Experiment on hard training days, with a few options of what you are thinking about trying, especially breakfast, and your first snacks your body will tell to you what it likes best, if you listen.

Again, not trying to be a know it all. Just giving my 2cents.....

Hopefully I attached 2 thumbnails correctly. The cereal is Morning Summit and the powdered milk is Nido. What is your opinion on a cup or so of the cereal and few scoops of Nido for breakfast? At about 140 calories per ounce, it packs a punch, tastes good, and seems like a good balance of fats, sugars, and protein. I am thinking of packing that in freezer bags this year.

 

[SoDak_23]

Anyone have any favorite places to buy MREs?

 

[xcutter]

I made these bags up tonight. By my math, I have right at 3900-4000 calories. This does not include what I’ll eat for dinner. This will just be my breakfast and pack food for the day. Some of the bags have a MH biscuits and gravy in them, but this is NOT included in the calorie count listed above. I may/may not eat the MH for dinner. I still have a few things to add to the bags right before I leave such as cooked bacon, cheese sticks, tortillas/bread, summer sausage. These items are also NOT included in the calorie count listed above. As is right now, including the MH meal, they weigh right at 2.8 pounds each. This is a little heavier than what most seem to shoot for, but I require a little more food than most people. With the bags, the items not yet in them, and a dinner of some type in the evening, I should be able to get close/just above 5000 calories a day. The smaller bag in the top right corner is a breakfast bag. It contains 1pk instant oatmeal, 1/2 cup mixed granola, 1Tbs of powdered milk, 2 instant Black Rifle coffee sticks, and some stevia and spenda. Also, for reference, the trail mix bags contains 960 calories alone consisting of peanut M&M’s, dry roasted peanuts, and cashews.



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I packed up bags the same way. I was shooting for 3000 to 3500 calories a day. I couldn't get myself to eat it all which never happens to me at home. Love to eat. Were you able to eat all of yours? Myself for next year I will stay closer to the 3000 calories per day.

 

[Teejay]

Coffee and stinger waffles for breakfast. Jerky, nuts and bars for for lunch

 

[TheGDog]

Breakfast = MtnHouse Biscuits and Gravy!
Lunch = various Honey Stinger waffles, Apple Sauce packs, a Clif Bar (Blueberry Crunch) and a MET-Rx Big 100 in Crispy Apple flavor. I'll often skip the MET-Rx and save them for hike-out.
Dinner = MtnHouse Beef Stroganoff!

My issue is AcidReflux... most of the dehydrated meals try to make up for less than flavorful meals by throwing a sh*t-ton of bell peppers or onions at the problem. Those will produce either/or Acid Reflux and/or IBS symptoms in me... so gotta skip 'em.

Another MtnHouse meal that's "Ok" is the Chicken and Rice. Though it can reflux a bit too.

But that Stroganoff? It's all good baby! And very filling too.

I'm kinda always carrying around a lil too much anyway since I work from home so I don't mind eating less while out there. Kinda like it that way.