How much do you eat when you are packing?

[BuckSnort]

+2 on the instant taters... I tried some recently Red potatoes was one and Garlic and Butter was another... Both pretty tasty... Walmart had them on sale for $.99

 

[Becca]

+2 on the instant taters... I tried some recently Red potatoes was one and Garlic and Butter was another... Both pretty tasty... Walmart had them on sale for $.99

I will give the instant potatoes a +3...we got the single serving Idohoan packets in a box a Costco dirt cheap, and the loaded baked are great! When we are hiking and it's pouring we sometimes set up the emergency shelter and make an awesome hot lunch in the middle of the day. I have occasionally fed them to Luke at home when we run low on groceries

 

[Cindy Wamsley]

Becca,

Thanks for starting this thread. There are some great menu options here.

 

[bowhnter7]

Bucksnort, that just means you pack less on your back and that is always a good thing.

Jeremy, the instant potatoes are a meal by themselves and taste pretty good also. Lightweight, easy cooking, just clean them out of your dish and off your utensil as soon as your done, they turn to some form of grout or concrete after they set up. If you take a couple pieces of sliced ham and dice them up in your potatoes it is almost like a home cooked meal.

Thanks.....I'm headed deep this coming weekend (native Rio Grand Cuts). I will take a bag to try.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

I took 2500 calories last year and had food leftover. That's okay cuz I might need it. I had a lot of snacky stuff. It seemed to make me 'go' more often. This year I opt for 3 meals and not 6 for less trips to the weeds.

Albeit the chlorine drops may have contributed.

 

[HellsCanyon]

I'm like lawnboi I'm too lean to lose any weight on a trip and can burn out easily if I don't eat a lot of calories. No matter what I eat though I always seem to come home with less muscle mass then when I started! That and my body seems to need more sleep than your average person. I remember one weekend of chasing elk we had a total of 13 hours of sleep for 3 nights and 4 days and by day 4 I was done. One thing I love and hate about chasing bulls in september, you can hunt 'em all day long with no opportunities for rest!

I like a mountain house for lunch and dinner (single serving for lunch + a snickers bar)... still to this day haven't found a breakfast I like. First thing in the morning I HAVE to have some food, but can never eat a lot. I hate cooking in the morning too. Usually will just eat a granola bar or something for breakfast then snack pretty hard till lunch time. Chewing gum is also a requirement on all our hunts. Helps us ration our daily water and keeps your mouth busy enough to where you don't notice your apetite as much.

Mike

 

[Bighorse]

Food stuff

I like carb sources for very active pursuits (gels, drinks, blocks), Breakfast is something really quick for me dried fruit, almonds, and a nature valley granola bar. I typically don't have a lunch. I do bring cracker, salami, and cheese. Busting out that on a remote ridge is a small piece of heaven. Dinner is MH with chocolate to dessert. I've always got an assortment of fancy energy bars in the pack. I like variety here and will just pick all kinds just to mix it up.

I often have a nice piece or two of smoked King Salmon in the pack too. Venison Jerky as well. I like to keep my protein uptake high as I beat myself to shreads roaming the high peaks.

Sometimes, like said before, you've expended enough energy and wasted yourself, two meals is appropriate and just might help you feel human again. So I've always got a buffer amount of food just in case I feel like more food might be necessary.

 

[teamtoppin]

I have not been satisfied with the mountain house meals.

My hunting partner has a dehydrater and between using the lighter meals in the super market and dehydrater we have not had a need for MH meals and kept weight down.

I use the rice packets, Idahoan potatoes as mentioned with good success.

I have used dehydrated beans, rice packet and tortillas for burritos. You can choose to bring packets of salsa for light weight or a small light weight aluminum can of Rotel - slightly heavier but tastier. Can bring block cheese for added weight but packs more protein in addtion to the beans. I have also added foil pack chicken to these. These are a real "gut bomb"

I have used the Bertolli pasta (tortillini) - which is dehydrated already on the shelf at walmart. This expands to be a huge meal for the weight. Dehyrdrate a jar of spaghetti sauce to a "leather" and this is a great meal. You can add a Tyson foil chicken pouch or dehydrate the chicken chuncks. (to cut down wait/boil time) rehydrate the chicken in zip lock as soon as back to camp and as start preparing meal.

Rye "Wafa" crackers (like bread) extremely light weight but dont get squished in pack - with salmon foil pouch.

I am not ashamed to say I have packed in a light weight tin of spam for powdered eggs. It is light, does pack protein - downside is you have to pack out tin as well.

I am a fan of the hormel precoooked crumbled bacon that is easy to pack and has repalced the spam in some meals. Also is used for the PB bagel and bacon sammys at lunch.

These have been some of my more go to meals for dinners. They are heavier, but we split the food going in and carry 1/2 each and set up a base camp.

The only MH breakfasts I have liked are the breakfast skillets with wraps - not bad tasting. But for weight and size cant beat oat meal.

 

[Davidryan]

This is interestingly a very helpful thread . I am also the fond of potatoes that is why I also had to go to walmart where potatoes are on sale for just $.99 . Therefore, I decided to avail the opportunity of buying potatoes to save it at home because of the fact that i really like potato chips . So I took in bulk and came back to home happily .

 

[fire arrow]

I will usually eat very similar to your set up, but I throw in some Blue Berry Flax granola into the oat meal, onion bagel with pepper jack cheese and salami, got to have trail mix, and last but not least my dinner beverage. I wait all day for this. One full Nalgen bottel, one Emergen C, and one Mango Green tea mix (cristal light brand I think). No joke this stuff tast better than In and Out after seven days of Mountain House. Plus It helps throw in ya 1 L of fluid to keep you from calf cramps at night. O and let's not for get the Advil PM. PM = pillow magnet. Ha ha.

As for your caloric intake you sound a bit light. Especially when it starts to get cold, you will burn more energy trying to keep warm. After about 2 solid days on the hill, I will usually loose my appetite, but no matter what I will eat my daily intake. I have each day put into seperate bags. I will loose around 5-8 pounds for a 10 day elk hunt, give or take. Deer a little less.

 

[BMB]

i'm finishing up around 3800 calories. the one thing i've noticed most could possibly improve on is adding some supplements to their daily food intake. it'll boost your protein, carb, and calorie intake daily and doesn't weight much as you need to add the water.

 

[2rocky]

good reading:
http://www.adventure-journal.com/2012/05/dirtbag-gourmet-mountain-guides-dont-eat-tasteless-crap/

My favorite quote:

“I’ve done the Clif bar bombs, the gel-lo shots, and the dried fruit disaster,” Chris says. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you change your diet completely, while hiking uphill at altitude, with a heavy pack and waist strap squeezing your gut, most of us are either going to [have problems]. I’d rather have my regular one-a-day and make it back to the trailhead without skid marks all up in my shorts.”