Backcountry food questions

[brettdunn7]

Following some food ideas. Some I have already started to implement


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[LightFoot]

Following

>>>----JAKE----->

 

[aaronwragg]

I too am new to backpacking/backpack hunting. I have found a fantastic website that offers meal recipes. It is www.freshoffthegrid.com. In addition, there are sites where you can determine caloric requirements and then you can base your food loads off nutrient replacement. It is all very scientific and pretty interesting. Exo Mountain Gear website has a free nutrition plan under their resources tab. By understanding nutritional requirements you can really shave weight.

Thanks super helpful.

 

[shedav14]

I am new to backcountry hunting and want to know what all you guys pack for food per day. I'm even more curious as to what everyone does for breakfast and lunch. Thanks

Form lunches we usually do Tuna packets and mini bagels, Jerky, Homemade trail mix, dehydrated fruit or fruit leather, granola bar. We always have something a little sweet just to help with any cravings.

 

[Travistroop]

it seems like oatmeal is the choice for breakfast which is quick has any one tried powered eggs just doesn't sound right

I have, the taste isn't bad, but cooking them is a bitch without burning them and the clean up is horrible.

 

[brisket]

MH biscuits and gravy for breakfast (under hydrate it and you can snack on it for a while) with hot chocolate and coffee for breakfast. A couple of snickers/cliff bars and gummy bears to snack on, along with a peanut butter and honey tortilla. Finish off the day with cool-aid and a dehydrated meal

 

[justinspicher]

I don’t eat much, no breakfast just coffee. Rarely eat lunch, but I’ll snack here and there. For dinners I bounce back and forth between ramen, mountain house and beans and rice. If I have too much food I generally just end up carrying it around. I stay pretty active all year so the ability to eat minimal and perform is normal.

 

[CO-AJ]

Thanks super helpful.

backpackingchef.com is another great site for meals and meal planning.

 

[tdot]

I started adding oil to my backcountry food a number of years back. Since then I've been progressively adding it to more meals and it has been 100% positive. I add a really light oil. C8 MCT to porridge in the AM, I'll also add extra water to this meal and once it's done hydrating I toss in a scoop of flavorless protein powder, gives it a nice texture and easier to eat. Olive oil is added to 1/2 pkg of Peak Refuel or Mountain House at both lunch/dinner. I also add in home dehydrated pasta to those meals.

Snacks consist of an assortment of nuts, small chocolate bars, m&m's, chocolate or a mixture of peanut butter and honey that I eat straight.

I'll bring chocolate flavoured protein powder to mix with warm water to have a hot chocolate.

I also bring different types of recovery or stimulants powders to mix with water. I rarely drink straight water now, except when I'm at a water source and will drink a ton there.

If it's a shorter trip, I'll often add an apple or avocado to have some fresh fruit. Also sausage and cheese is more likely to be thrown in if the trip is shorter.

My goal is generally 3000 calories at 1.25 to 1.5 pounds per day. I also enjoy all of the food I eat, which is as important as the calories for me.

One important aspect of backcountry food that I think gets missed too often. Spend some time eating this type of food before hand. Get your body and digestive system used to it before you hit the backcountry. It'll save alot of hassle in the long term and cut down the amount of TP you'll have to pack.

 

[95tigerbill]

Lots of good info on backpacking meals from the thru-hiking community. I utilized the information found and created a meal plan so that we weren't eating the same thing two days in a row. It also helps to organize things in a spread-sheet because you can utilize it to build our shopping list. We carry around 2# per day and look to have about 100 calories per ounce.

 

[Jherek]

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.....

 

[CO-AJ]

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.....

You should develop some meal plans and post them on here. Interesting information on something as simple as oats.

 

[Jherek]

You should develop some meal plans and post them on here. Interesting information on something as simple as oats.

I'm not a expert by anymeans, but I've helped a lot of people lose weight over the years, or improve their overall health. I've seen so many people that are doing so many things correct, but a few small mistakes weather they realized it or not. But it can hold back your weight loss, or gains by 25 even 50%, like they say you can't out exercise a bad diet. Maybe with companies like moutain ops, or guys like Snyder and Hanes people have done their homework and understand alot about what I'm saying. But coming from the weightloss side of things, people are just unaware uneducated and flat out lied to. Helping your body properly recover after training, to mantain everything you just accomplished while busting your butt, is so important, a good majority of that goes out the window if you don't help your body recover asap. You don't have to spend a ton and good crazy on supplements, but a few can go a LONG way.

A few Years ago I went to film a Elk hunt in CO, I had like a week notice of the trip, zero training, not prepared in the least bit. Needless to say I got my butt KICKED on that trip!!! But on the trip I was taking a high amount of quality BCAAs, and glutinmine, I was the only one in of the 6 who didn't train leading up, but I was also the only one not sore or dealing with muscle fatigue. My cardio was horrible, but I wasn't sore lol. One last example, long distance runners, I've seen some make a few small changes (very small) and make incredible improvement on their times! When you feed your body for nourishment, not enjoyment or goes a long way!

As a nation we've been brainwashed about nutrition, what's good, what's bad, what's healthy, low calorie, no calorie, artificial sweeteners, so much junk we put in our bodies that have been told is healthy or safe. It's really sad!

Again, not trying to be a know it all,
and I'm sure plenty would disagree with me.... But there are a ton of truly great and helpful people in this group, and I've gotten alot of help and knowledge for you all, I'm just trying to contribute myself.

 

[07yzryder]

As a nation we've been brainwashed about nutrition, what's good, what's bad, what's healthy, low calorie, no calorie, artificial sweeteners, so much junk we put in our bodies that have been told is healthy or safe. It's really sad!

Im not fit by any-means but am working on it. The one that makes me laugh is the excuse well its not as bad as this or that. True but eating a turd with hot sauce doesn't make it any better LOL. Right now i'm working on home cooked and if i do go out onl sit down local spots that use real food. I was drinking alot of energy drinks as they were easier to grab and go, started cold brew and now just toss some concentrate in my shaker cup and top with cold water and go. I still have an energy drink at work but im down to 1 and a cup of strong cold brew vs the 3-4 i was doing before. IE steps in the right direction. Soon ill cut the one out and go to 2 cold brews.

RE the oats, i am doing my first backpack hunt this year (well first big game hunt ever) and was plannign on oats for breakfast. Seeing your post suggest steel cut reminded me of my buddies doing overnight cold soak oats. May do that, toss them in my cup and warm it up if its really cold in the am. add some protein powder and other stuff and should be alot better then the little instant oats with about the same amount of time in the AM.

 

[Mike from MO]

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

 

[Poser]

Im not fit by any-means but am working on it. The one that makes me laugh is the excuse well its not as bad as this or that. True but eating a turd with hot sauce doesn't make it any better LOL. Right now i'm working on home cooked and if i do go out onl sit down local spots that use real food. I was drinking alot of energy drinks as they were easier to grab and go, started cold brew and now just toss some concentrate in my shaker cup and top with cold water and go. I still have an energy drink at work but im down to 1 and a cup of strong cold brew vs the 3-4 i was doing before. IE steps in the right direction. Soon ill cut the one out and go to 2 cold brews.

RE the oats, i am doing my first backpack hunt this year (well first big game hunt ever) and was plannign on oats for breakfast. Seeing your post suggest steel cut reminded me of my buddies doing overnight cold soak oats. May do that, toss them in my cup and warm it up if its really cold in the am. add some protein powder and other stuff and should be alot better then the little instant oats with about the same amount of time in the AM.

While I soak steel cut oats overnight at home and am particular about them, not sure this is practical for backcountry hunting. What if they freeze? Also, you still need to simmer them if you want them to be warm, which means you end up with sticky food in your pot and you’ll have a hard time cleaning that up. I use McCann’s instant oats and add some powdered butter to them. If I were doing a long thru hike, long packrafting trip or similar, I’d probably reconsider instant oats, but for 2-10 days at a time and in colder weather, the tradeoff doesn’t seem worth it.

 

[Jherek]

Im not fit by any-means but am working on it. The one that makes me laugh is the excuse well its not as bad as this or that. True but eating a turd with hot sauce doesn't make it any better LOL. Right now i'm working on home cooked and if i do go out onl sit down local spots that use real food. I was drinking alot of energy drinks as they were easier to grab and go, started cold brew and now just toss some concentrate in my shaker cup and top with cold water and go. I still have an energy drink at work but im down to 1 and a cup of strong cold brew vs the 3-4 i was doing before. IE steps in the right direction. Soon ill cut the one out and go to 2 cold brews.

RE the oats, i am doing my first backpack hunt this year (well first big game hunt ever) and was plannign on oats for breakfast. Seeing your post suggest steel cut reminded me of my buddies doing overnight cold soak oats. May do that, toss them in my cup and warm it up if its really cold in the am. add some protein powder and other stuff and should be alot better then the little instant oats with about the same amount of time in the AM.

Haha I know exactly what you mean!
I really try to look at things from a % stand point, weather it's shooting, scouting, working out, hunting gear or whatever it may be. If I make this or that change how much will it improve my current situation and is that trade off combined with $$$ worth the reward in helping to reach goals. But you still have to look at things realistic/ real world especially when it comes to nutrition. It doesn't do you any good reaching those goals if a few months later you are burned out and going back unhealthy at a high rate of speed because that is a unrealistic life style.
It sounds like you are doing great, keep it up, anything heading in the right direction is better than going backwards!

As far as the oats go, even using rolled oats the same as you would prepare instant it's still a much improved benefit. Steel cut are definitely more work, and a little inconvenient for back country, but soaking them overnight like you said and warming them up in the am would be perfect. What I like to do also is putting in water for a little while, maybe 30 to 60 mintues so they soften up a little and drink them(sounds wierd and gross ,I know) but it's actually pretty good. (This is more for nutrition than back country hunting) because you do need some fast releasing cab. But The less you cook them, the less they breakdown, meaning your body has to work and do it= The slow release burning as fuel, while having your metabolism running on high. It's like using small amounts of dry kindling every few hours on a fire vs a big log that will smolder and give off minimal heat.
With ceral and to a big extent instant oats, it's milled so fine hence the instant, if you take in 40 grams of carbs, your body will utilize about 8 to 10 grams for energy, the rest turns into sugar and attaches as stored body fat. You think your doing something healthy, but the end result is similar to drinking a can of MT Dew.

 

[Jherek]

While I soak steel cut oats overnight at home and am particular about them, not sure this is practical for backcountry hunting. What if they freeze? Also, you still need to simmer them if you want them to be warm, which means you end up with sticky food in your pot and you’ll have a hard time cleaning that up. I use McCann’s instant oats and add some powdered butter to them. If I were doing a long thru hike, long packrafting trip or similar, I’d probably reconsider instant oats, but for 2-10 days at a time and in colder weather, the tradeoff doesn’t seem worth it.

I don't disagree with the steel cut on a back country hunt, especially in colder weather. But in my opinion still swapping a rolled oat vs instant would be a nutritional benefit. They taste and prepare same, and if you want you can still add cinnamon, or dehydrated fruits for added flavor.

 

[Couture]

The dark chocolate mocha

Sounds good!

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

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

I’ve seen a lot of videos where guys’ll shoot grouse while hunting larger game to supplement their diet. And I think Meateater shot a rabbit on a hunt but he was truck camping and ought a .22 with him...