Backpack Sheep hunt food help.

[buckpro]

Looking for some recommendations for better freeze dried/dehydrated food, or anything else for that matter, specifically for backpack hunts.

Not a mountainhouse fan, have mostly used Peak but it seems after a few days in the mountains(the more expended I get), I can't stomach eating it, to the point make myself and get sick. Found a few things that help short term, like hot sauce, packing in as much honey roasted pecans as i can to keep intake up. It's never stopped me but i know it's not helping taking in as little as 20% of the calories I'm burning some days.

 

[Nickziegler]

Mamoos camp kitchen has by far the best breakfast scramble i have had. I hate peaks and mtn house scrambles but mamoos actually taste like a normal scramble

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[realunlucky]

I like trail goods -https://trailgoods.co/
There are of bunch of cottage freeze driers around now days. Lots of guys like gastro gnome https://gastrognomemeals.com/
Argali recently did a head to head of some brands on thier youtube channel might check that out.

 

[Poser]

I pack in lots of butter. You can do individual packs of Ghee which are convenient : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTYTWPL...KAUTV7YSD&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

You can also just put some ghee in a small bottle -much cheaper. I add this liberally to all of my hot meals and my coffee. You won't consume too much fat in the mountains, you'll sleep warmer and it ads calories.

I've also become a big fan of these ghee based energy shots. Ghee, honey, sea salt + coffee or cacao, or peanut butter depending on the flavor. https://a.co/d/0eVbFu53
Pricey, but they are pretty great when you need a boost, need to warm up or are ravished waiting for a meal to rehydrate.

Pork rinds: Crush them up, put them in a bad and sprinkle them on dehydrated meals just before eating. More fat, more calories, nice crunch. Try to eat them all while waiting for your meals to rehydrate.

Not sure what to tell you about the meal issues. Obviously, your gut isn't liking the freeze dried meals. As mentioned above, look at some of the boutique dehydrated meal companies. Could be a freeze dry process issue that dehydrated meals may solve.

 

[Decker9]

I picked up a cheap dehydrator and dehydrate about half my meals to sub in with store bought.

Goat stew / lasagna / spaghetti are the few I do at home.

 

[dallen]

I use mostly Peak meals for dinners. I pick Peak over others because they seem to use less water, which for 2-3 guys over 8 ish days saves in fuel needs for the stove. My day “meal” (the one that I eat throughout the day) usually consists of….
1 RX bar, snack bag of smoked almonds with dried coconut strips, cheese stick, honey stinger, little packet of peanut butter. Seems to have enough protein and fat to keep my energy levels up for the hunt. Also an electrolyte packet for during the day and a hydrate and recover packet for evening. Granola or oatmeal for bfast. My partner just brings some landjaeger and cheese for his day food.

Food during a sheep hunt is all about calories…..(a good mix). Taste is second.

 

[Grassymike]

I eat harvest crunch granola with powdered whole milk and some whey protien thrown in everday for breakfast. Day food is jerky,peanuts, a couple of granola bars, one peanut butter and jelly on a flat bread and cheese sticks. For supper I dehydrate all my own meals. Very thick chicken noodle soup, Chili ,spaghetti, Ramen ,instant mashed potatoes. I have found about 3000 calories a day keeps me going without extreme weight loss . My first year I had about 2500 calories and lost 8 pounds in 9 days. For dehydrated food the key is to pre soak it in a waterproof jar for an hour at least before meal time. I dump it in and add water before we leave top of mountain or glassing spots to head back to camp for the night. When I eat all I need is to heat it up . Usually I am done eating about when my hunting partner starts eating his peak refuels.

 

[jd270win]

I use mostly Peak meals for dinners. I pick Peak over others because they seem to use less water, which for 2-3 guys over 8 ish days saves in fuel needs for the stove. My day “meal” (the one that I eat throughout the day) usually consists of….
1 RX bar, snack bag of smoked almonds with dried coconut strips, cheese stick, honey stinger, little packet of peanut butter. Seems to have enough protein and fat to keep my energy levels up for the hunt. Also an electrolyte packet for during the day and a hydrate and recover packet for evening. Granola or oatmeal for bfast. My partner just brings some landjaeger and cheese for his day food.

Food during a sheep hunt is all about calories…..(a good mix). Taste is second.

I do a similar program, but I’ve started focusing on my fiber intake as well. It helps keep my stomach and guts happy. Plus, few things are more satisfying than taking a real nice clean dump on the mountain every day.

BFast-
1x ProBar meal
1x Aussie Bite

Lunch (vacuum sealed)-
2 oz hard cheese
2 oz cured meat (I prefer salami or pepperoni)
2 oz Coconut chunks
2 oz triscuit crackers

Snack-
1 pouch nuts
1x probar bolt pouch

Dinner-
1x Peak Refuel + 2 Tbsp chia seeds
1x pouch strawberry yoggies (for dessert and probiotics)
1x serving of Metamucil with a good amount of water

Usually ends up being > 150% daily fiber, 24 oz and 3.2k calories per day

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Not too many recommendations, but I will say, stay away from the mountain house beefaroni or something like that. It took me out for a day a few years back.

 

[Ecampbell25]

Next mile meals have worked better for me. Their breakfast options not great. But dinner options much better.

 

[P Carter]

Not a sheep hunter, but for backpacking dinners I do fast-cook cous cous with pesto, grated cheese, and dehydrated package chicken. It cooks well, is filling, and real food rather than backpacking meals.

Breakfast is mixing oatmeal, protein powder, chia seeds, dehydrated berries and coconut flakes.

Lunch is a mix of banana chips and salted cashews; a snack bag full is 500 cals.

In between are some combination of fig bars, clif bar nut butter bars, stroopwafels, and dried mangos.

 

[CMF]

Breakfast cereal or granola with dry milk/protein powder, we usually do cinnamon toast crunch/raisin brand crunch.
Ramen noodles with bulk freeze dried chicken from MH.
Knor rice side with bulk freeze dried ground beef or chicken from mh.
Idahoan 4oz mashed potato and mh bulk ground beef.
All of the above repackaged into freezer ziploc. These are also alot cheaper per meal.
Spam singles, summer sauge

 

[LongWayAround]

Gastrognome and Pinnacle are the best freeze dried meals I have had.

 

[twall13]

Breakfast cereal or granola with dry milk/protein powder, we usually do cinnamon toast crunch/raisin brand crunch.
Ramen noodles with bulk freeze dried chicken from MH.
Knor rice side with bulk freeze dried ground beef or chicken from mh.
Idahoan 4oz mashed potato and mh bulk ground beef.
All of the above repackaged into freezer ziploc. These are also alot cheaper per meal.
Spam singles, summer sauge

I haven't done the Idahoan potatoes in a few years, thanks for the reminder. Those can be great, especially if you supplement it with other add ons.

While I tend to prefer Peak Refuel for freeze dried, I've had some pretty good ones from Pinnacle and Gastro Gnome. If you really want to spend some money Stowaway Gourmet has some pretty good ones as well, I just stopped buying them due to price.

Lately I've been bringing some real food options a bit more. String cheese, wrapped in pepperoni or summer sausage, wrapped in a tortilla and vac sealed lasts a long time and tastes pretty good in the back country. Even better is an everything bagel with your favorite hard cheese and summer sausage or salami vac sealed.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Smoke10]

In addition to store bought freeze dried meals, I had Idahoan instant potatoes and a bulk bag of bacon bits, - hot sauce definitely helps with this combo but it is a good meal to break up freeze dried meals.
I make homemade protein bars for most of the hunts I go on.
I have also taken summer sausage and cheese sandwiches, usually on a bagel and eat them early on the trip.
Usually snickers or similar candy bars. Some type of granola/snack bar. Maybe some fruit snacks or gummy bears.

If you have access to a freeze dryer to make your own meals, homemade tater tot casserole, turned out well.

 

[LCguy]

Only thing I've found that doesn't affect my stomach is homemade dehydrated meals. Happy to share some recipes if you DM me.

 

[buckpro]

Appreciate the recommendations. Not quite ready to try the dehydrator route, but some of these don't work out, i'll most likely give them a try.

 

[Schmoops]

Breakfast cereal or granola with dry milk/protein powder, we usually do cinnamon toast crunch/raisin brand crunch.
Ramen noodles with bulk freeze dried chicken from MH.
Knor rice side with bulk freeze dried ground beef or chicken from mh.
Idahoan 4oz mashed potato and mh bulk ground beef.
All of the above repackaged into freezer ziploc. These are also alot cheaper per meal.
Spam singles, summer sauge

What’s your process for rehydrating/heating? I’ve been real curious about doing more DIY meals, and the actual hydrate and heat step is my head scratcher.

 

[CMF]

Appreciate the recommendations. Not quite ready to try the dehydrator route, but some of these don't work out, i'll most likely give them a try.

I tried dehydrating already-cooked or leftover meals for backpacking, but they never hydrated well enough.

What’s your process for rehydrating/heating? I’ve been real curious about doing more DIY meals, and the actual hydrate and heat step is my head scratcher.

The ramen and potatoes hydrate well, as well as the freeze dried bulk meats.
The knor rice sides are a little more difficult to get right. Some hydrate quicker and better than others. I found adding boiling water, letting it sit a ~3-6 minutes, then adding some more boiling water helps. Overall, the knor sides just take a little longer.

I forgot to add, that we usually add either some more seasoning, gravy or buillion to the dinner meals. Like taco seasoning pakets to the knor's taco rice, brown gravy to the mashed potatoes, etc.