Freeze Dried and Stomach Issues

[Tilzbow]

I just completed a caribou hunt in which we ate mostly Mountain House for 8 days. I had really bad stomach and other digestive issues that were just as unpleasant for those around me. The issues started about 12 hours after the first meal and still haven‘t completely subsided four days since my last meal although I’m close to being back to normal. I just turned 58, my last extended diet of Mountain House before this is several years in the past and although I’ve experienced slight discomfort after 4-5 days of freeze dried its never been this bad. I lost at least 10# I didn’t have to loose and was really weak by the end of the hunt due to not getting enough calories because I couldn’t force myself to eat more than 1,000 calories per day (two 2 serving meals). Started the trip at 6’6”, 220# with 12% body fat. Weighed 210 yesterday morning.

I’m trying to figure out if I can no longer eat the stuff or if I picked up a digestive infection during the trip up. To help with that I’m looking for input from other older guys who regularly eat this crap and if it causes them problems and/or if there are other brands I should try next time.

 

[Drenalin]

What kind of stomach issues?

Freeze dried backs me up, but weirdly also gives me phenomenally explosive gas. Both at the same time. Anyway, it’s uncomfortable as hell, but it’s better if I add lubricant (olive oil) to my food. Wild Zora and Next Mile have been a little easier on my stomach, but I’m generally trying to stay away from freeze dried meals.

 

[Tilzbow]

What kind of stomach issues?

Freeze dried backs me up, but weirdly also gives me phenomenally explosive gas. Both at the same time. Anyway, it’s uncomfortable as hell, but it’s better if I add lubricant (olive oil) to my food. Wild Zora and Next Mile have been a little easier on my stomach, but I’m generally trying to stay away from freeze dried meals.

The full gamut. Rumbling, growling stomach within 15 minutes of eating. Constant horrible smelling gas, intestinal discomfort and diarrhea. None of the other four guys had issues as bad but one had stomach issues and backend issues.

I travel a lot and pretty much eat whatever I want all the time without issues most of the time.

 

[menhaden_man]

Psyllium husk capsules really helped me with stomach issues.

 

[Poser]

You should experiment more with your meals before a big trip. I don’t take any meal on a longer trip that I haven’t eaten recently. I’ll test out new meals and revisit proven ones on weekend trips and shorter backpacking trips. I also drink a “greens” mixture daily on longer trips to keep the gut Ph balance in check.

That and I don’t eat anything from Mountain House, but that’s just me. Could be a number of potential culprits here ranging from MH won’t work for you to a sudden, dramatic and sustained change in your diet wrecked your gut.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I think I could live off beef stroganoff, chicken and noodles, red sauce spaghetti and biscuits and gravy. Yummmm

 

[snowymtnwolf]

Prob picked something up


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[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Try some of the better freeze dried brands with actual/minimal ingredients and see if that helps. How were y’all treating water?

 

[snowymtnwolf]

I like mtn house and some peak. Last year I had a peak pack that had me bugling like an elk for a day


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[Tilzbow]

Try some of the better freeze dried brands with actual/minimal ingredients and see if that helps. How were y’all treating water?

We were filtering water from a spring high on a ridge so I’m confident it wasn’t the water. Issues started the morning after the first Mountain House and got progressively worse.

Do you have any suggestions for Mountain House alternatives?

 

[Tilzbow]

You should experiment more with your meals before a big trip. I don’t take any meal on a longer trip that I haven’t eaten recently. I’ll test out new meals and revisit proven ones on weekend trips and shorter backpacking trips. I also drink a “greens” mixture daily on longer trips to keep the gut Ph balance in check.

That and I don’t eat anything from Mountain House, but that’s just me. Could be a number of potential culprits here ranging from MH won’t work for you to a sudden, dramatic and sustained change in your diet wrecked your gut.

I definitely plan to try out several meals before the next trip to see what works and I think Mountain House is off the list permanently.

 

[Leverwalker]

The full gamut. Rumbling, growling stomach within 15 minutes of eating. Constant horrible smelling gas, intestinal discomfort and diarrhea. None of the other four guys had issues as bad but one had stomach issues and backend issues.

I travel a lot and pretty much eat whatever I want all the time without issues most of the time.

You may know this, but noxious and intense gas and diarrhea can actually be because of constipation. Freeze dried definitely screwed me up but I haven't used it in years, I'm older now (62), and it always took several days regardless. Planning a western hunt with my son over the next couple years, and FD is definitely on the menu so thanks for the cautionary tale, though I'm sorry it happened on your hunt. Very surprised it happened so quickly, though, which does point to acute GI illness of some kind. Did you have nausea, to the point of wanting to throw up? Headaches? Fever?

 

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[Tilzbow]

You may know this, but noxious and intense gas and diarrhea can actually be because of constipation. Freeze dried definitely screwed me up but I haven't used it in years, I'm older now (62), and it always took several days regardless. Planning a western hunt with my son over the next couple years, and FD is definitely on the menu so thanks for the cautionary tale, though I'm sorry it happened on your hunt. Very surprised it happened so quickly, though, which does point to acute GI illness of some kind. Did you have nausea, to the point of wanting to throw up? Headaches? Fever?

I definitely wasn’t constipated, quite the opposite…. No nausea, headaches or fever either and never felt like I was going to throw up which is why I think it was the food rather than something I picked up but I could be wrong. The last meal before Mountain House was the morning I left Kotzebue at the hotel and symptoms didn’t begin until the next morning and weren’t bad until later that day.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

We were filtering water from a spring high on a ridge so I’m confident it wasn’t the water. Issues started the morning after the first Mountain House and got progressively worse.

Do you have any suggestions for Mountain House alternatives?

Heather’s choice, good to go, stowaway gourmet, pinnacle foods, gastro gnome…. They all have some great tasting and some not so great, have to trail and error yourself. I could tell you which ones I like, but could be different for you.

I have some stomach issues myself and can tell a huge difference if I’m on a freeze dried diet between the highly processed (MH, BP, etc) vs simpler/cleaner ingredient ones. The draw back is price, you typically have to pay for it.

 

[Leverwalker]

I definitely wasn’t constipated, quite the opposite…. No nausea, headaches or fever either and never felt like I was going to throw up which is why I think it was the food rather than something I picked up but I could be wrong. The last meal before Mountain House was the morning I left Kotzebue at the hotel and symptoms didn’t begin until the next morning and weren’t bad until later that day.

I think you're right on. Man, sorry.

On the constipation/diarrhea thing, I should have said it typically happens with impaction, not just constipation and almost certainly not short-term constipation, like a few days from FD food. I see that was barking up the wrong tree. Better luck next time.

 

[sndmn11]

I have celiac and didn't learn I had it until a handful of years ago. I had an endoscopy the other day andy small intestine/duodenum are still flat. I have a lot of issues digesting things.

I get very sick with dehydrated meals. Freeze dried have a better chance, and it depends exclusively on if it gets fully cooked or not. It will stick with me for a few days if I have under-hydrated meals.

 

[rideold]

Sounds like an HCL supplement would do you a world of good.

 

[highcountrymuley]

I had issue with Peak refuel beef stroganoff. No problems with Mtn House or other Peak meals.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

MH has been solid for me (OK, pardon the pun). I lived 9 days off them last year. Except for one bad decision on my part, WAY too much hot sauce in the chili mac or whatever it was.