How do you pack your food?

[Mckinnon]

I usually just lump all of my food together, reading this I am currently devising a newer more organized and efficient way to pack food. Thanks all. I like the food packing station Luke and Becca!

 

[Bearhunter]

I remove all manufacturer supplied packaging and vaccum seal everything, to reduce the bulk of the oversized packages. Everything is weighed out and then divided into individual days, once in the field this all goes out the door and I seem to eat whatever I feel hungry for LOL. I also prefer to go Meat Mode and kill animals so that we eat good at camp!

MEAT MODE just ad Seasoning!

 

[Muledeernv]

Hey bear hunter what is the brand of vac pack is that

 

[les welch]

I can't believe Bearhunter is the only one here besides me that vac seals!! I like that it saves room, is more durable packaging, and contains the scent (bear proof) better. Yes I know it adds a little weight, but I also bring with the MH bags to rehydrate in. The vac lock bags are not rated for the boiling temps and they could start to break down and release carcinogens into the food.

 

[Becca]

I can't believe Bearhunter is the only one here besides me that vac seals!! I like that it saves room, is more durable packaging, and contains the scent (bear proof) better. Yes I know it adds a little weight, but I also bring with the MH bags to rehydrate in. The vac lock bags are not rated for the boiling temps and they could start to break down and release carcinogens into the food.

For me it just comes down to the volume of meals I would have to seal and amount of time....I already spend a pretty large amount of my time counting and organizing food for trips, and having to vaccuum seal it all is just one more step--plus the cost of the bags. Sure the original packages are bulkier, but not so much that it makes up the difference in the amount of effort it would take to prep it all. Thats more time I could be spending hiking, training or just doing something else. Just my opinion, if you guys have figured out something that works for you that is awesome. But the only thing that sounds worse to me than trying to pack food for two of us for 90+ nights a year in the field is having to cut it all open, label and vacuum seal it first I assume we are talking entrees here, as I do sometimes vaccuum seal jerky, smoked salmon or bars I make myself....

 

[Bearhunter]

The main reason I vaccum seal is that for some reason I can only eat about 1/2 of the standard sized MH meals.... So I break them in half, I do have the added cost of the extra vaccum bags but I probably make up for it in the savings of not wasting half my meal. The meals dont reheat very well the next day... I carry one extra MH bag with me for the cooking process just as Les does. I also like to vaccum pack them because I usually will then add stuff to the meals to make them more edible, like extra powdered sauce mixes, or dried vegies, I also pre add Tabasco to the Breakfast skillets. Plus the Vaccum bags burn much better in the fire than the MH meal bags. My 2cents....

 

[couesbitten]

Hey bear hunter what is the brand of vac pack is that

It's a FoodSaver, I'm guessing from Costco, like mine is.

 

[Becca]

The main reason I vaccum seal is that for some reason I can only eat about 1/2 of the standard sized MH meals.... So I break them in half, I do have the added cost of the extra vaccum bags but I probably make up for it in the savings of not wasting half my meal. The meals dont reheat very well the next day... I carry one extra MH bag with me for the cooking process just as Les does. I also like to vaccum pack them because I usually will then add stuff to the meals to make them more edible, like extra powdered sauce mixes, or dried vegies, I also pre add Tabasco to the Breakfast skillets. Plus the Vaccum bags burn much better in the fire than the MH meal bags. My 2cents....

For the mods you are making it makes more sense to me. Have you considered buying it in the #10 cans? Since you are divvying out the servings anyway you could probably save some money that way. I am guessing the Bearhunter version tastes better than our stock one, but when I hike all day I find I don't care too much

 

[jmez]

I vacuum seal all of mine as well.

 

[Bearhunter]

I need to do that Becca. Also the writing on the bags is for the amount of water I need to ad per serving since each can be different. Muledeernv, it is a food saver and yes its from Costco, I liked my older foodsaver better as it didnt waste as much bag... I think its all a ploy by foodsaver to make you use for bag material so you have to buy more sooner!

 

[les welch]

Becca, I also buy the 10# cans, but only on the things I REALLY like....as in Chicken Ala King. Literally I have this every other evening for anything two weeks and under. I love that stuff. I also repackage in part because I redo the serving size. I like to have Idahoan instant potatoes every evening with my entree so I go half a package of those and 1 serving of MH and whatever else I deem "necessary".....usually a candy bar (mini) and a butterscotch candy I have down time in the winter so I get all of my meals ready to go now. I currently have 28 days of entrees, potatoes, cashews, chicken in a biskit, breakfast cereals, candy bars, drink mixes (protein and flavor for water), ready to go. Once it comes to hunt time all I have to do is prep the "perishables" like tortillas, bacon, etc. We don't have enough snow to snowshoe yet, seasons are closed, and I'll go crazy if I can't keep busy, so this helps pass the time and keeps me in the "mode"!