Stoveless Meal Comparison: Tear It Up!

[Randle]

I found the protein pucks horrible. Bought one at a coffee stand one day . Man I could hardly eat would with my morning coffee. I do like the overnight oatmeal. We do this at home in a Mason jar and heat it in the microwave . I will try it while out this spring and see how it works cold. Epic meat bars are pretty good and a nice change from regular jerky. Throw in crackers of some sort. Larry and lenny's cookies are great too. Also chicken pouches. Not a fan of tuna . But like the chicken.

 

[MuleyFever]

Went stoveless years ago. I hate the idea of packing a stove and having to boil water.

I just go to the store and grab what ever meal bars and breakfast bars they have. I like to do more fruit flavored stuff. I don't have specifics but...

Variety of Cliff bars.
Trail mix variety
Granola bar variety
Big 100 bars
Complete cookie, not the chocolate
Fruit filled bars
Dehydrated fruit
Peanut M&Ms
Jerky

 

[ChrisHanson]

Went stoveless years ago. I hate the idea of packing a stove and having to boil water.


+1

I was surprised just how much time I was wasting making coffee and oatmeal each morning.

Daily Grub sack:
2 200mg caffeine pills (1 when I wake, 1 after lunch)
1lb. Peanut butter
60g Chocolate protein powder
1oz. Coconut oil packet (optional)

Add water until it has a nutella like consistency

 

[Jaden Bales]

I've had the tuna/chicken pouch and top ramen cold because I was not smart enough to take the right fuel can And with a package of powdered tapatio it was better than expected!! I let it set about 3 hours
I think you could add veggie flakes and find an asian dressing or seasoning and have a great cold salad type meal

I dig that! I'm always always always a ramen fan, so good to know that works cold! I'm stoked to try it, actually.

I did poor man's pad thai with tabasco, jerky, peanut butter, and ramen and thought it was delicious. I'd eat it cold.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Went stoveless years ago. I hate the idea of packing a stove and having to boil water.

I just go to the store and grab what ever meal bars and breakfast bars they have. I like to do more fruit flavored stuff. I don't have specifics but...

Variety of Cliff bars.
Trail mix variety
Granola bar variety
Big 100 bars
Complete cookie, not the chocolate
Fruit filled bars
Dehydrated fruit
Peanut M&Ms
Jerky

Always been a dehydrated fruit fan -- I dehydrate my own apple all the time -- so this little list is something I can get behind. I'm checking out those Big 100 Bars now.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Man, I like nutella. Lol.

I'll try this for sure! Never thought about the caffeine pills. I figured I would run pre-workout as my morning wake-up.

 

[Jaden Bales]

I found the protein pucks horrible. Bought one at a coffee stand one day . Man I could hardly eat would with my morning coffee. I do like the overnight oatmeal. We do this at home in a Mason jar and heat it in the microwave . I will try it while out this spring and see how it works cold. Epic meat bars are pretty good and a nice change from regular jerky. Throw in crackers of some sort. Larry and lenny's cookies are great too. Also chicken pouches. Not a fan of tuna . But like the chicken.

Chicken pouches huh? I'll check those out.

Funny to hear that about the Protein Pucks. They're a favorite of mine. Go figure.

Larry and Lenny's are on my hit list to get in the box! Love em!

 

[Car7x]

Those BoBo bars are delicious. 15% discount now. More if you go to the FFFT show and grab some free samples with the special code.

 

[Randle]

Chicken pouches huh? I'll check those out.

Funny to hear that about the Protein Pucks. They're a favorite of mine. Go figure.

Larry and Lenny's are on my hit list to get in the box! Love em!

Yep I have been thinking anout trying the protein puck one more time , others have said they are good, maybe a different flavor?

 

[Akwoodchuck]

I used to do the MRE/chemical heater thing instead of a stove occasionally....on top of a mountain they taste 5-star....
......if the weather's hot, cold food is fine- salami, cheese, salmon, bagels, chocolate, nuts, etc....
if it's cold I need hot coffee/tea, noodles, oatmeal, all that....

 

[Jaden Bales]

I used to do the MRE/chemical heater thing instead of a stove occasionally....on top of a mountain they taste 5-star....
......if the weather's hot, cold food is fine- salami, cheese, salmon, bagels, chocolate, nuts, etc....
if it's cold I need hot coffee/tea, noodles, oatmeal, all that....

Agreed on the cold weather thing! I have run those OMeals and they're like a higher quality MRE. I used to steal those off the wildland fire trucks at the farm and they definitely make a turd but...

 

[Nickofthewoods]

In Rich Osthoff's book "Fly Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry" he talks about going stoveless and just buying a loaf of bread with mayo and mustard packets for week long backpacking trips... When I am eating hot food from a pouch I think about someone out there having smashed mayo bread for dinner and am not jealous. That said, I am intrigued by lighweight alternative backpack meals that dont require cooking, just havent found any i really like and I'm not a big bars and granola fan.

 

[Jaden Bales]

In Rich Osthoff's book "Fly Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry" he talks about going stoveless and just buying a loaf of bread with mayo and mustard packets for week long backpacking trips... When I am eating hot food from a pouch I think about someone out there having smashed mayo bread for dinner and am not jealous. That said, I am intrigued by lighweight alternative backpack meals that dont require cooking, just havent found any i really like and I'm not a big bars and granola fan.

Hahah. I like that a lot. I have a buddy of mine who runs a shitty 12 lb pack and will munch on gas station burritos that he heats up in foil over an open fire and he's a killer. It definitely can be done - we just live too cush of lives to give up some of that comfort sometimes.

You know, Big Sur Bars might be one for you to try. It's kinda like if a coffee cake, pecan pie, and trail mix had a baby. They're a favorite of mine.

 

[renagde]

How about the keto brick? 1000+ calories, somewhere around 5.5oz. I enjoy salty over sweet and since this is more chocolate base, I couldn't use it as a dinner replacement. I am planning to pack those as a morning snack/lunch replacement however.

 

[strand]

I've done 7-8 nights stoveless and I liked it... then I got hooked on Heather's Choice buckwheat breakfasts. I'll still go stoveless for warm weather trips 2-3 days, but most everything else I'm packing a stove and some dehydrated/freeze dried meals. I really like the peanut butter chocolate chip larabars, clif builder bars are a staple, Heather's Choice packaroons, and I'm a backcountry fuelbox subscriber and I'm finding a few more options through that. Not a fan of the protein pucks or some of the beet-based bars that came out the past few months. One major consideration for me at least, is I have to drink a lot of water to stomach all of the stoveless stuff, so I don't end up packing less water most of the time. I just don't have to pack around a stove and fuel. And I don't drink coffee.

Breakfast: Pop-Tart while glassing, along with some jerky
Morning Snack: Larabar or 200-400 calorie meal bar of some sort, or packaroons
Lunch: Butthole Sammich
Afternoon Snack: another bar of some sort, or packaroons, or trail mix, with more jerky
Dinner: another 200-400 calorie bar, and then finish off whatever other food I have left from the day
Bonus: I pack a fun size candy bar or two and put in each day's ziploc food bags if I need a pick me up

If I'm doing a hunt that I know involves more sitting around glassing and less hiking, I'll cut out some of the snacks in the food bags for those days. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner are my constants.

 

[Jaden Bales]

How about the keto brick? 1000+ calories, somewhere around 5.5oz. I enjoy salty over sweet and since this is more chocolate base, I couldn't use it as a dinner replacement. I am planning to pack those as a morning snack/lunch replacement however.

Dude. Keto Brick looks LEGIT! I already have reached out to em. I can't wait to get my hands on some!

I would agree, I like the salt for dinner, but that looks too good to pass up.

 

[Jaden Bales]

I've done 7-8 nights stoveless and I liked it... then I got hooked on Heather's Choice buckwheat breakfasts. I'll still go stoveless for warm weather trips 2-3 days, but most everything else I'm packing a stove and some dehydrated/freeze dried meals. I really like the peanut butter chocolate chip larabars, clif builder bars are a staple, Heather's Choice packaroons, and I'm a backcountry fuelbox subscriber and I'm finding a few more options through that. Not a fan of the protein pucks or some of the beet-based bars that came out the past few months. One major consideration for me at least, is I have to drink a lot of water to stomach all of the stoveless stuff, so I don't end up packing less water most of the time. I just don't have to pack around a stove and fuel. And I don't drink coffee.

Breakfast: Pop-Tart while glassing, along with some jerky
Morning Snack: Larabar or 200-400 calorie meal bar of some sort, or packaroons
Lunch: Butthole Sammich
Afternoon Snack: another bar of some sort, or packaroons, or trail mix, with more jerky
Dinner: another 200-400 calorie bar, and then finish off whatever other food I have left from the day
Bonus: I pack a fun size candy bar or two and put in each day's ziploc food bags if I need a pick me up

If I'm doing a hunt that I know involves more sitting around glassing and less hiking, I'll cut out some of the snacks in the food bags for those days. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner are my constants.

Nice man! That's a great breakdown of a day's worth of food and how to approach stoveless vs. not.

Good to know those Protein Pucks aren't as popular as I make them out to be. Lol. I'm a sucker for em.

Thanks for subscribing. Glad it's been helpful!

 

[renagde]

Dude. Keto Brick looks LEGIT! I already have reached out to em. I can't wait to get my hands on some!

I would agree, I like the salt for dinner, but that looks too good to pass up.

Good luck. These things sell out like hot cakes every time they release more.

 

[MuleyFever]

Something to think about is the nutrition of these bars. You still need nutrients and some of the protein bars lack vitamins and minerals but pack a lot of calories. I try to make sure I am eating meal replacement options and not just looking at calories.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Something to think about is the nutrition of these bars. You still need nutrients and some of the protein bars lack vitamins and minerals but pack a lot of calories. I try to make sure I am eating meal replacement options and not just looking at calories.

I was just talking to Kyle Kamp, the Valley 2 Peak nutritionists dude about this last night. You defintiely have to filter through the nutrition of what you're doing and what your body needs specifically while packing for these trips.

Like I've come to find I need to carb load HARD before and while hiking hills, backpacking, or backcountry skiing. I just crashed on Monday like only a mile into a hike because I only had fruit, shredded pork, and a salad throughout the day before hiking at like 4:30.