I crunch up some Ramen into tiny pieces, but instead of using seasoning packet, I put in 1/2 packet of Pioneer Country Gravy and 1 cup boiling water. Taste just like biscuits and gravy.
If you want to avoid the "questionable" part of the instant oatmeal packets, use regular oatmeal and run it through the food processor or blender to make it finer and package it yourself. It will cook up as fast as the instant packets without the "additives"
Yes and add cinnamon, dried fruit, seeds, nuts, dried milk powder, and a bit of brown or coconut sugar (optional), for a delish and nutritious breakfast. It’s my go-to every morning in the backcountry.
two of my favorites instant rice mixed with tuna and cup of soup, and Jello Pudding put it in a qt ziploc with enough powdered milk to make the pudding when you get to camp just add cool water close the bag and squeeze mix.
Eggs keep a couple of days, an onion can be used for a long time, small potatoes baker in foil bake well in a campfire, 1/2 a head of cabbage keeps a long time. Buy a small home dehydrator for tasty powered eggs. Spaghetti and the dried spaghetti sauce packets. A small cucumber for a few days or some pickles in a sip-lock. Hog dogs can be frozen ahead of time and wienie roasted over a camp fire. Small pepperoni stick. Once you get the hang of it, everything you need is a supermarket. Much of just needs to be re-packaged.
dehydrating your own meals is the way to go. once you familiarize yourself with creating boil and serve meals, you can simply make an extra serving or two every time you cook and add it to your dehydrator. thanks for the info mon.
I take dried vegetables, dried forest mushrooms, chorizo, noodles, and sometimes quick-cook rice, some bouillon as stock, weighs hardly anything and doesn't take up much space in my pack, will sometimes take dried fish and biltong too, both are delicious sliced and added to rice and noodles.
Thanks for clarifying about using pre-cooked sausage in the heat. I've seen pre-cooked sausage mentioned on other RUclips videos, but I wasn't sure how they would do without refrigeration and it wasn't discussed in the video. Sounds like one or two nights should be fine. I'm brand new and still working out my "meal plan". The one thing I found for car camping that I like to add to oatmeal, but you could also put it in Pad Thai is the powdered peanut butter. Found it at Walmart. :)
We used to get this for lunch from Andy's Chili food cart. It was called Frito Pie on his menu. He would use a small individual pack of Fritos, open it at the top, and squeeze the bag to crush the chips before adding chili.
I have a dehydrator, so I make my own beef jerky or salmon jerky. I also dehydrate veggies from the garden. Then I buy Knorr's Sidekicks (or something similar) and add the jerky and the dehydrated veggies to the mix. That's just a couple of dollars for a Sidekick and it makes a complete dinner. Sometimes I add a bit of powdered milk to make it creamier. I never buy backpacking meals, I just bring stuff from the garden or the grocery store.
Thanks for this - I feel way more confident about bringing precooked sausages next trip! My versatile favorite is coconut powder - I add it to oatmeal for breakfast and to curry powder with noodles for dinner. I’m lucky that my local grocery has a huge bulk food section, so I get a lot of dried ingredients (dried green onions & mushrooms are ⚡️) that I can mix & match with basics like ramen & macNcheese.
We have found that Alpine Aire to be the best dedicated backpacking meals, Idaho potatoes and Lipton Sidekicks to be the best Supermarket offerings..of course the Chunky Soups are always a great stand by...and they have enough heft to do some damage on the forehead of a Yogi..if the need arises.
I’m hooked on the Knorr lineup of pastas and rice, the ones that come in the foil lined bags for a buck apiece. Jetboil up some water, pour it in and fold the top and wait 3 minutes and voila, a meal right out of the bag. I’m taking sriracha and sausage next year! (My stomach just growled...)
Those are okay, but I prefer Rice-A-Roni better. Mix their "four cheese" kind with a "Pasta Roni" angel hair with Parmesan Cheese flavor, then pour on some ketchup and it is amazing. A bit much for one person though.
I tried the cook in the bag method for these pasta sides and I always ended up with half cooked semi crunch pasta. The rice always cooked much better for me. But who knows maybe I’m doing it wrong lol.
Scout mom here… and by no means am I as good of a chef as our Scoutmaster, but last thru hike I did, I used dehydrated potatoes, a little red pepper, a butter packet I had from one of those meal services (those are fantastic for taking small sizes on seasoning and sauces like sriracha, red paste, Chulola, soy sauce, etc…), some torn up teriyaki beef jerky I got from Costco (did you know that when beef jerky is rehydrated in a little hot water it’s all meaty juicy again?), and some dehydrated veggies I got in bulk at the local store. Was the perfectly satisfying meal.
Great video! My number one go to breakfast is Kodiak oatmeal with a scoop of vanilla protein powder and a few chunks of dried fruit. I cold soak and this meal never feels like I am missing out on a warm breakfast. The protein powder really gives me that nutrition boost as well as a great mouth feel like home cooked creamy oatmeal.
Thank you! Another option that I have not seen in the comments would be to purchase a food dehydrator to bring your own dehydrated meals from home. Steel-cut oats will cook in twenty minutes and better for you than quicker-cooking oats. As for meats and cheeses, cured meats (salami, chorizo, saucisson sec), they were created for preserving meats prior to the advent of refrigeration. Just slice off the exposed end each time as everything beneath will be safer to eat. Lastly, hard, aged cheeses should be fine unrefrigerated for a few days, even in hot climates.
Trader Joe's turkey jerky is the lightest, best tasting meat ever. It's tender and can be eaten alone or dropped into a heated meal. Also, a huge bag of crumbled, cooked bacon is $10 at Costco and adds great flavor. Just take a few baggies.
Appreciate this vid, reminds me how practical and easy diy meals can be. I've gotten in to easy diy dehydrated meals over the years, especially when shipping resupply packages. Bought a bag of dehydrated chicken , cheese, and veggies from PackItGourment (I'm sure there are similar suppliers) then made up several different types of meals. Different bases of instant potatoes, couscous, or Ramen, then add in the dehydrated mix and season to taste.
For protein, I’m a fan of the turkey spam. I dry it in oven over night at lowest setting. Break that up into any of the meals you showed and would add the Cajun sausage too. Enjoyed the video, you introduced me to at least 1 new thing I am hoping to try. Thank you!
You might like some of the ramyun you can get at Korean markets (or online) like NongShim Shin or Chappagetti noodles. They are as simple to prep as Top Ramen but are actually good, with a variety of flavors (miso, spicy, etc) and bigger portions. They have different flavor packets and dehydrated veggies included. I like to drop an egg and some other frozen veggies for a spicy soup when I am too wiped to cook a meal. You can get them for 1-3$ per packet.
Any reasonable Asian food store will generally have a massive selection instant noodles/Ramen. I love 99 Ranch. But ya, when ever possible people should find something better then Top Ramen.
@@Sone781 Now you tell me- I was in a Patel Bros AND a Costco day before yesterday! But seriously, I'm always up to try a new and non boring noodle and I hear maggi is addictive.
I have used a food dryer for 50 years. Great way to make a cheap meal at home and package for the trail.. I have grass fed fully cooked beef Polish sausage in my food dryer as I type. The reduced moisture increase the trail life of the meat. The drier the meat the longer it will keep. If you have an Asian market near you take advantage of the foods available that don't require refrigeration and require little fuel to prepare. Indian Paneer cheese is a no melt cheese Costco also carries it. I cut it into cubes and fry the cubes at home to throw into your tail meal. High in fat, protein and calcium. I have long used recipes from the pioneer days of dried ingredients. If you have been to Nebraska you have had a Runza. They are ground meat and Sauer Kraut inside baked bread dough. Lots of info on RUclips. Make them large or small at home. Fill your pockets with the small sized ones and eat as you hike, bike or canoe. Your near by Dali will have fully cured sausage that is hard and needs a sharp knife to cut, lasts for ever. Hunters sausage is a good trail food used by hunters for hundreds of years, they are about the size of a hotdog, but in a class by their own.
The bear creek stuff is really good. I like their potato soup as well. Some cheese and bacon bits and you've got loaded baked potato soup. Great ideas for grocery store meals. Very informative and entertaining channel!
I saw another guy throw muscle milk in with his oatmeal. I thought that was a great idea. I love all your guys videos. Thanks for the info. Mt. Hood here I come. 💪🏽💪🏽
Fist you need to count calories how much you body need for those hiking/camping days. You can prepare meal at home but consider what gives your right amount of colories and what is good for you. I like to think less of cooking in wilderness and less Cary of half of the kitchen but enjoy nature, so i go for dehydrate meal or my own made dehydrated meals with dry fruits/ trail snacks.
Some great Ideas here thanks. I like to freeze steak or chicken and even the sausages you have there then I wrap in foil and put in a zip lock and after a day of hiking I will open one and add it to my meal. Thanks for sharing.
Great ideas! This food selection is a lot more appealing to me than the dehydrated meals/snacks in the other video you made. Except for Beef Jerky, can’t go without that! Lol
I like instant rice, Idahoan instant potatoes, and Stove Top instant dressing. I also crush up, to a fine powder, Pringles chips and add some to instant noodles or cup-a-soup.
All you need is some time to explore , A imagination and basic understanding of meals/ food. Think of you exploration as shopping for backpacking meals from the grocery store. Using the dehydrated , condensed and convenient foods from the grocery. If you like to eat you have the understanding of the food so kick your imagination into gear. Don't know where to start , check out freezer bag cooking. Think of them as home made prepackaged meals. Like combining Stove top stuffing , a foil pack of Sweet Sue chicken chunks and a pack of McCormick dehydrated chicken gravy. When combined a Chicken , stuffing , gravy meal or what I call Chicken Hash. One zip lock with the stuffing and the two packs , chicken and the dehydrated gravy. In camp combine everything in the one bag , add the proper amount of hot water , mix , set aside for 10 minutes and then eat. Cleaning up is licking the spoon and putting the zip lock in the garbage.
Absolute Best Option for backpacking food. Invest in a dehydrator. You can find a used one at second hand stores or purchase one new. You do not need to spend a lot of money on one. Brand new Food dehydrators cost anywhere from $40 on up. A food dehydrator allows you to customize your meals to your taste and dietary needs. From full blown (Mtn. House) style meals, to dehydrated fruits, leathers, & even Beef Jerkey (NITRATE FREE). It is very cost effective compared to buying freeze dried prepacked meals and snacks.
On trips that aren't too hot, I pre-cook steak.with peppers, onions, garlic, zucchini, etc. and freeze it the night before. It thaws out by dinnertime on Day 1 and I reheat it with a little olive oil and it is a gourmet feast. I also freeze scrambled eggs and use leftover steak and peppers for breakfast the next morning. I've used those loaded potato soup mixes with hard sausage. I also love pink salmon in a pouch...a step up from tuna. Last, I pre-cook a baked potato or baked sweet potato and warm it up in my campfire. I carry a blend of spices along with my salt for added flavor too. Good job on the video...
There are so many old time foods that are easy to make. Instead of messing with eggs on a trip . Make your own noddle and add extra eggs to the mixture. That is how people stored eggs long term before refrigeration. Homemade noddle's cook up within a few minutes. another fuel saver is using cus cus it come in fine, medium and large. Bring water to a boil throw in the cus cus take the pot off the stove and with minutes it is ready. Open a package of flavored tuna and place on top the cus cus and you have supper. I always try to have one piece of fresh fruit or vegetable in supper meal. It might be a slice of onion, an apple, etc ,. Something new in just that last few months are squeeze tubes of herbs, garlic, roasted garlic. Adds a lot of tasty fresh flavor. For desert pull out a coupled of figs or a fig bar or two or three dates. Pour hot water into your cup and add a powered instant Latte or Ginger honey drink. Very little clean up if you make a quart pot of hot water for the meal, the drink and cleanup.
two of those quaker oaks packets with a palm ful each of chopped nuts and chopped dried fruit and a bit of brown sugar along with something hot to drinks really makes a nice breakfast for me. I'm pretty hearty my pain threshold is really high - if I had something left over from dinner, it'd get scarfed before bfast the next morning too.
Dirty Ramen for Two: Ingredients: 2 or 3 ramen noodles squares (leave home the little packets), 2 or 3 miso packs, jerky of some kind ripped up, hard cheese, pizza pepper/cheese packets, possibly 1 or 1/2 bouillon cube, dried mushrooms, and any extra spices you prefer. Cooking: boil water with jerky pieces and mushroom in water, add the miso and cube when close to boil, crush up and add the ramen noodles, continue to boil, mix, and stir til noodles ready, add extra spices and crumbled cheese when serving.
For those that aren't into Tuna you can also get different flavors of chicken in those individual one-serving packages. A few things that I am a fan of are instant mashed potatoes as a side or drop some hot dogs or sausages into for a 1 pot meal. I also almost always take a pack of slim jims for a quick snack while traveling. You could to the same with individually wrapped string cheese. (I have found that I don't care for the cheese that comes in the combo packs with the beef sticks so I supplement the slim jims with string cheese) And of course I always have at least 2 packs of the cheap ramen. It's one of my horrible guilty pleasures. I have found that some of the more expensive import ramen, ~$3 a pack, is actually really good Especially "Paldo Lee Yeonbok Jjajang Myun". And still less than half the price of a Mountain House meal.
Eric, dude you’re making me hungry. Like you, I enjoy peanut butter on an outing. One can do a lot with it. It tastes even better out on the trail than it does at home.
I buy a sack of freeze dried refried beans. Mine come from Gordon’s Food Service (GFS) outlets. Other food outlets would have them, or maybe Gordons would do business on line? They are fully cooked, and ready for rehydrating in steam table trays. I pulverize them in a food processor for faster rehydration in camp, and pack serving sized meals (about 1/4 cup of dried beans) in a sandwich sized Ziploc bag, along with some powdered garlic and powdered cumin. In camp add about 1/3-1/2 cup hot water, and maybe minced fresh onion. Spread onto a tortilla. JARVIS good eatin! A handy plate is a plastic frisbee. And a package of tortillas can be carried inside of it. After supper, you have a toy to play with. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Has anyone been able to cook the Bear Creek Darn Good Chili by simply adding hot water and letting sit for 10-15 minutes like you would a backpacking meal? We are a family of four and so we don't do pot cooking simply because our pot isn't big enough to make four meals at once and the last thing I want to do is do two rounds of cooking. Same question for boxed mac and cheese. Our family loves RX bars, they don't melt and get extra messy. We tried Bob Red Mill's muesli mixed with dried mango, conconut and almonds, added powdered milk and cold water and that's a great breakfast. You can mix in a bowl or directly add the water to the freezer bag for less cleanup. Another meal that was a hit was thanksgiving on the trail. Each serving gets 3/4 cup stuffing, 1/2 a 4oz bag of instant potatoes, 1/2 to 1/4 cup dehydrated veggies, 2tsp chicken gravy and half a pouch of chicken. Add approx 1.5 cups boiling water, stir and massage. Allow to sit 10 minutes.
You can do the darn good chili that way yes, but I wouldn't recommend for Mac n cheese. Noodles won't get the right texture and they turn to mush. I love your Thanksgiving idea!
I'm sitting here trying to make a list and do some research on backpacking gear because I really want to get into it this spring/summer. I haven't even thought about food other than basic dehydrated/MRE types... Not only did this make me hungry, it made me realize I'm gonna have to pick up a bigger bag lol. Really informative video though, thank you. I subscribed and EVEN TURNED ON NOTIFICATIONS. I never do that.
Haha, thanks! Dehydrated food is great for getting started. But it's expensive and I get tired of eating them all the time. Glad you found this helpful!
Perhaps you should freeze the Adell's Sausage ahead of time in the summer. I prefer to have them frozen before heating, otherwise, for me, they taste dry.
I like to buy freeze dried or dehydrated vegetables. It's really nice way to get veggies in your food. Like for example in case of tacos, just rehydrate some corn and bell pepper. Overall freeze dried vegetables are actually not that expensive. Just look it up on Amazon. You can actually craft amazing custom foods that are not necessarily too expensive by buying individual items from internet. Freeze dried meat costs a ton so I wouldn't buy that though. You can just use any other shelf stable protein.
Too much packaging and poor weight to calories ratio. I guess if weight and size isn't important, like an overnight trip, it is fine, quick and easy, but for any long or hard trip, they aren't good.
I agree with the Bear Creek option....that entire line of soups/stews are great.....but Annie's Mac and Cheese? That's straight garbage. Don't get me wrong I love mac and cheese....but Annie's is super low quality flavorless mush. Just go with Kraft or Amy's. That's just my opinion.
Minute Rice, Capellini, Stovetop Stuffing, rice noodles all make quick cooking good starch bases to add protein and sauce to for a main meal. Getting it all into a bear cannister for a multi-day trip is an issue. Flour tortillas, wraps, that sort of thing pack well conforming against the wall of a container. Summer sausage is a good long keeping meat. It's designed to be ok unrefrigerated. A big issue I have with REI sourced food is that it's rather calorie deficient for a strenuous trip.
What vegetables do you bring along? Are there dehydrated or foil packed greens? I might suggest fresh carrots as they don't require refrigeration; are crunchy and sweet; can be cooked in boiling water or with ramen noodles. Similar root vegetables offer carbohydrates and nutritious minerals.
I like bringing peppers and garlic for flavor. Carrots a great for a couple days, but like anything can get mushy out there. Just got to eat them within the first couple days and you're golden!
I like these tips, but what about veggies? They tend to get really heavy and/or bulky. How do you keep your vitamins and mineral intake on a decent level?
I am a peanut butter fanboy. I put it on pancakes instead of syrup at home. Tuna pouches are great. I like your note on trash. In my experience i always packed too heavy and had items i never ate but thought id eat them on the trail. I was usually so tired i wanted something fast cause sleep was coming nomatter what. A good hot meal is that..... hot mac and cheese with some sausage would be 5 stars. Cause imma sleep till 3 am solid and i gotta pee. Somehow that craft mac and cheese keeps you 15degrees warmer(:
What are you talking about? Cheese is cheese. Outside of the most processed stuff, Sargento's or the store brand should be fine. Meat could have a bunch of unwanted fillers and preservatives, but you kinda need some of that if you are going to make it last over a few days without refrigeration.
If it's only a day or two, get some good Campbells soups, in cans, and you cook the food in the can, use the can to make coffee. IT then becomes a good container to pack out some BS waste. You can use the first can to make a stove to cook the second can , if you have to. I like cashews and milk chocolate. stimulated with low cholesterol protein and a lot of it . you're not gonna bet the value of cashews by weight... but it takes some getting used to making it a meal on that walk
@@susan3200 Many local Asian stores have them but you can also check out Amazon: www.amazon.com/G7-Instant-Coffee-One-Sachets/dp/B008KZAFZM/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=g7+coffee&qid=1621621857&sr=8-8
Precooked sausage is like a backpacking cheat code. Makes planning food so easy and it’s super dense protein and calories
How long do they last without refrigeration? Like if it’s 65F during the day is it all good to eat? How long do you usually keep it in your backpack?
@@anthonyguzman412 I bring frozen food and pack them into the middle of my extra clothes. They will stay frozen for day or two.
I crunch up some Ramen into tiny pieces, but instead of using seasoning packet, I put in 1/2 packet of Pioneer Country Gravy and 1 cup boiling water. Taste just like biscuits and gravy.
If you want to avoid the "questionable" part of the instant oatmeal packets, use regular oatmeal and run it through the food processor or blender to make it finer and package it yourself. It will cook up as fast as the instant packets without the "additives"
This is great. I need to try that!
I use steel cut instant oats, cooks fast, toss in some fruit or brown sugar and its perfect
Yes and add cinnamon, dried fruit, seeds, nuts, dried milk powder, and a bit of brown or coconut sugar (optional), for a delish and nutritious breakfast. It’s my go-to every morning in the backcountry.
That pixie dust at the bottom of the pouch is the part that makes them irresistible tho lol
I feel like I’m missing something, what exactly is the questionable part of instant oatmeal packets?
I found your video through a youtube ad. Now i want to go backpacking even though i know nothing about it
stay away. you'll get addicted. .. .
It all starts with one video
Go for it. Try an overnight with an experienced backpacker. But try it.
stay safe
Parm cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, Ramen noodles. easy af and better than Ramen seasoning. creamy and cheesy.
Sounds good! Def going to try. Thanks for sharing.
I love this meal. Tasty & lightweight. I add dried parsley & it adds a simple extra flavor.
two of my favorites instant rice mixed with tuna and cup of soup, and Jello Pudding put it in a qt ziploc with enough powdered milk to make the pudding when you get to camp just add cool water close the bag and squeeze mix.
Jello pudding is a great idea. Will try that for sure
Eggs keep a couple of days, an onion can be used for a long time, small potatoes baker in foil bake well in a campfire, 1/2 a head of cabbage keeps a long time. Buy a small home dehydrator for tasty powered eggs. Spaghetti and the dried spaghetti sauce packets. A small cucumber for a few days or some pickles in a sip-lock. Hog dogs can be frozen ahead of time and wienie roasted over a camp fire. Small pepperoni stick. Once you get the hang of it, everything you need is a supermarket. Much of just needs to be re-packaged.
Great ideas!
dehydrating your own meals is the way to go.
once you familiarize yourself with creating boil and serve meals, you can simply make an extra serving or two every time you cook and add it to your dehydrator.
thanks for the info mon.
thanks for mentioning the quality of nutrition in the quaker oats. If they aren't organic they are one of the highest glyphosate foods on the market.
That's a cool idea for an easy way to manage dehydrating food, which anyone who has done that extensively knows it's a looot of work!
Spam! My favorite but it does get expensive when purchasing the SPAM Singles. Worth it if you like it
I take dried vegetables, dried forest mushrooms, chorizo, noodles, and sometimes quick-cook rice, some bouillon as stock, weighs hardly anything and doesn't take up much space in my pack, will sometimes take dried fish and biltong too, both are delicious sliced and added to rice and noodles.
whoa. That sounds legit!
Thanks for clarifying about using pre-cooked sausage in the heat. I've seen pre-cooked sausage mentioned on other RUclips videos, but I wasn't sure how they would do without refrigeration and it wasn't discussed in the video. Sounds like one or two nights should be fine. I'm brand new and still working out my "meal plan". The one thing I found for car camping that I like to add to oatmeal, but you could also put it in Pad Thai is the powdered peanut butter. Found it at Walmart. :)
Get a larger size bag of corn chips, split down the front, pour in chili, add cheese if desired, bamm.. quick meal, you don't need to dirty a bowl
clever! I like this solution!
We used to get this for lunch from Andy's Chili food cart. It was called Frito Pie on his menu. He would use a small individual pack of Fritos, open it at the top, and squeeze the bag to crush the chips before adding chili.
Ah the classic walking taco (I call everything in a chip bag a walking taco lmao)
I have a dehydrator, so I make my own beef jerky or salmon jerky. I also dehydrate veggies from the garden. Then I buy Knorr's Sidekicks (or something similar) and add the jerky and the dehydrated veggies to the mix. That's just a couple of dollars for a Sidekick and it makes a complete dinner. Sometimes I add a bit of powdered milk to make it creamier. I never buy backpacking meals, I just bring stuff from the garden or the grocery store.
Thanks for this - I feel way more confident about bringing precooked sausages next trip! My versatile favorite is coconut powder - I add it to oatmeal for breakfast and to curry powder with noodles for dinner. I’m lucky that my local grocery has a huge bulk food section, so I get a lot of dried ingredients (dried green onions & mushrooms are ⚡️) that I can mix & match with basics like ramen & macNcheese.
Coconut powder is a little bit of magic! MMMM... bulk section...
Love my bulk food items at Sprouts. It’s perfect for prepping up meals for the trail
Bear creek has terrific soups for one. Ditched the Lipton . Thanks for sharing this video! Trail on!
Totally. Bear Creek's other offerings are good too. The Darn Good Chile is just my favorite.
We have found that Alpine Aire to be the best dedicated backpacking meals, Idaho potatoes and Lipton Sidekicks to be the best Supermarket offerings..of course the Chunky Soups are always a great stand by...and they have enough heft to do some damage on the forehead of a Yogi..if the need arises.
I enjoy what you've found! Those are all great. Although that can of Chunky soups can be hefty for sure!
I’m hooked on the Knorr lineup of pastas and rice, the ones that come in the foil lined bags for a buck apiece. Jetboil up some water, pour it in and fold the top and wait 3 minutes and voila, a meal right out of the bag. I’m taking sriracha and sausage next year! (My stomach just growled...)
Yes, those are great too! Thanks for your comment, David.
Those are okay, but I prefer Rice-A-Roni better. Mix their "four cheese" kind with a "Pasta Roni" angel hair with Parmesan Cheese flavor, then pour on some ketchup and it is amazing. A bit much for one person though.
@Remy Lebeau Angel hair parmesan with ketchup?!?! You're a barbarian!
@@whodatbitch What else would you put on cheesy pasta goodness? Haha
I tried the cook in the bag method for these pasta sides and I always ended up with half cooked semi crunch pasta. The rice always cooked much better for me. But who knows maybe I’m doing it wrong lol.
Scout mom here… and by no means am I as good of a chef as our Scoutmaster, but last thru hike I did, I used dehydrated potatoes, a little red pepper, a butter packet I had from one of those meal services (those are fantastic for taking small sizes on seasoning and sauces like sriracha, red paste, Chulola, soy sauce, etc…), some torn up teriyaki beef jerky I got from Costco (did you know that when beef jerky is rehydrated in a little hot water it’s all meaty juicy again?), and some dehydrated veggies I got in bulk at the local store. Was the perfectly satisfying meal.
Great video! My number one go to breakfast is Kodiak oatmeal with a scoop of vanilla protein powder and a few chunks of dried fruit. I cold soak and this meal never feels like I am missing out on a warm breakfast. The protein powder really gives me that nutrition boost as well as a great mouth feel like home cooked creamy oatmeal.
Great tip! Might have to try that sometime!
My goto is granola cereal with 1/4 cup Nido powdered milk, small amount of sugar and dehydrated tangerines
Thank you!
Another option that I have not seen in the comments would be to purchase a food dehydrator to bring your own dehydrated meals from home.
Steel-cut oats will cook in twenty minutes and better for you than quicker-cooking oats.
As for meats and cheeses, cured meats (salami, chorizo, saucisson sec), they were created for preserving meats prior to the advent of refrigeration. Just slice off the exposed end each time as everything beneath will be safer to eat.
Lastly, hard, aged cheeses should be fine unrefrigerated for a few days, even in hot climates.
Trader Joe's turkey jerky is the lightest, best tasting meat ever.
It's tender and can be eaten alone or dropped into a heated meal. Also, a huge bag of crumbled, cooked bacon is $10 at Costco and adds great flavor. Just take a few baggies.
Oh I love this idea. Similar to my Adelle's, that's a great way to add protein and flavor. If only I had a Trader Joe's near me!!
Costco bacon bits are the best. Great on a campfire pizza
Appreciate this vid, reminds me how practical and easy diy meals can be. I've gotten in to easy diy dehydrated meals over the years, especially when shipping resupply packages. Bought a bag of dehydrated chicken , cheese, and veggies from PackItGourment (I'm sure there are similar suppliers) then made up several different types of meals. Different bases of instant potatoes, couscous, or Ramen, then add in the dehydrated mix and season to taste.
Mix and match and do it yourself. I like it!
For protein, I’m a fan of the turkey spam. I dry it in oven over night at lowest setting. Break that up into any of the meals you showed and would add the Cajun sausage too.
Enjoyed the video, you introduced me to at least 1 new thing I am hoping to try.
Thank you!
You might like some of the ramyun you can get at Korean markets (or online) like NongShim Shin or Chappagetti noodles. They are as simple to prep as Top Ramen but are actually good, with a variety of flavors (miso, spicy, etc) and bigger portions. They have different flavor packets and dehydrated veggies included. I like to drop an egg and some other frozen veggies for a spicy soup when I am too wiped to cook a meal. You can get them for 1-3$ per packet.
Any reasonable Asian food store will generally have a massive selection instant noodles/Ramen. I love 99 Ranch. But ya, when ever possible people should find something better then Top Ramen.
I recommend Maggi noodles! (Found in Indian grocery stores and apparently Costco) Especially the whole wheat ones with veggies.
@@Sone781 Now you tell me- I was in a Patel Bros AND a Costco day before yesterday! But seriously, I'm always up to try a new and non boring noodle and I hear maggi is addictive.
I have used a food dryer for 50 years. Great way to make a cheap meal at home and package for the trail.. I have grass fed fully cooked beef Polish sausage in my food dryer as I type. The reduced moisture increase the trail life of the meat. The drier the meat the longer it will keep. If you have an Asian market near you take advantage of the foods available that don't require refrigeration and require little fuel to prepare. Indian Paneer cheese is a no melt cheese Costco also carries it. I cut it into cubes and fry the cubes at home to throw into your tail meal. High in fat, protein and calcium. I have long used recipes from the pioneer days of dried ingredients. If you have been to Nebraska you have had a Runza. They are ground meat and Sauer Kraut inside baked bread dough. Lots of info on RUclips. Make them large or small at home. Fill your pockets with the small sized ones and eat as you hike, bike or canoe. Your near by Dali will have fully cured sausage that is hard and needs a sharp knife to cut, lasts for ever. Hunters sausage is a good trail food used by hunters for hundreds of years, they are about the size of a hotdog, but in a class by their own.
I like packing mayo packets, adding them to the tuna packs and making a tuna wrap with a tortilla
I do the same thing with the mayo, and add dried cranberries
If you freeze the sausages before you leave then keep it cold in your sleeping bag they stay cool longer .
Solid tip! I usually feel comfortable with the sausages for about two days, depending on air temps, before they get suspicious.
What about having mashed potatoes that make a good one pot meal, or you could add stuffing and perhaps canned chicken or turkey to make a bigger meal.
Ive made those meals. They're spot on delicious
Add pwd milk, onion pwd or fresh onion bacon bits to the potato flakes for a hot soup on a cold rainy night.
The bear creek stuff is really good. I like their potato soup as well. Some cheese and bacon bits and you've got loaded baked potato soup. Great ideas for grocery store meals. Very informative and entertaining channel!
Glad to hear it, thanks!
I saw another guy throw muscle milk in with his oatmeal. I thought that was a great idea. I love all your guys videos. Thanks for the info. Mt. Hood here I come. 💪🏽💪🏽
Stove top stuffing, pkg chicken, dry gravy mix from the grocery. $4 = 2 meals
Sounds tasty too!
Fist you need to count calories how much you body need for those hiking/camping days. You can prepare meal at home but consider what gives your right amount of colories and what is good for you. I like to think less of cooking in wilderness and less Cary of half of the kitchen but enjoy nature, so i go for dehydrate meal or my own made dehydrated meals with dry fruits/ trail snacks.
Pre-cooked bacon and freeze dried hashbrowns are some of my absolute favs on the trail
I like you have backup nutrition. Never know where you may get trapped or delayed.
Cans of sardines. Quality protein that keeps forever and an empty can only weighs 17g (full can 142g). Super cheap!
Salty! Nice idea but I don't think I'll be taking them in the field any time soon, personally!
A well dried, hard like a rock, sausage that is vacuum sealed can last few days easily. Making something that looks like a soup is awesome.
Beef and deer sticks will hold for a week or more after opening. They will slice up nicely into whatever you're making for dinner.
Some great Ideas here thanks. I like to freeze steak or chicken and even the sausages you have there then I wrap in foil and put in a zip lock and after a day of hiking I will open one and add it to my meal. Thanks for sharing.
Great ideas! This food selection is a lot more appealing to me than the dehydrated meals/snacks in the other video you made. Except for Beef Jerky, can’t go without that! Lol
This was great! Not just all the same old things.
I've been doing a mint chocolate Clif bar with peanut butter on it for dessert. Perfection.
Spam Singles and flavor packets/liquids for a bit of sugar and flavor for your water
I like instant rice, Idahoan instant potatoes, and Stove Top instant dressing.
I also crush up, to a fine powder, Pringles chips and add some to instant noodles or cup-a-soup.
that sounds great!
Great ideas. Ditching packaging is essential. Nice job.
Knorr sides are also a great addition to backpacking!
Food from a grocery store?!?
Madness!
All you need is some time to explore , A imagination and basic understanding of meals/ food. Think of you exploration as shopping for backpacking meals from the grocery store. Using the dehydrated , condensed and convenient foods from the grocery. If you like to eat you have the understanding of the food so kick your imagination into gear.
Don't know where to start , check out freezer bag cooking. Think of them as home made prepackaged meals. Like combining Stove top stuffing , a foil pack of Sweet Sue chicken chunks and a pack of McCormick dehydrated chicken gravy. When combined a Chicken , stuffing , gravy meal or what I call Chicken Hash. One zip lock with the stuffing and the two packs , chicken and the dehydrated gravy. In camp combine everything in the one bag , add the proper amount of hot water , mix , set aside for 10 minutes and then eat. Cleaning up is licking the spoon and putting the zip lock in the garbage.
Knorr noodles make a great soup too!
Absolute Best Option for backpacking food. Invest in a dehydrator. You can find a used one at second hand stores or purchase one new. You do not need to spend a lot of money on one. Brand new Food dehydrators cost anywhere from $40 on up. A food dehydrator allows you to customize your meals to your taste and dietary needs. From full blown (Mtn. House) style meals, to dehydrated fruits, leathers, & even Beef Jerkey (NITRATE FREE). It is very cost effective compared to buying freeze dried prepacked meals and snacks.
On trips that aren't too hot, I pre-cook steak.with peppers, onions, garlic, zucchini, etc. and freeze it the night before. It thaws out by dinnertime on Day 1 and I reheat it with a little olive oil and it is a gourmet feast. I also freeze scrambled eggs and use leftover steak and peppers for breakfast the next morning. I've used those loaded potato soup mixes with hard sausage. I also love pink salmon in a pouch...a step up from tuna. Last, I pre-cook a baked potato or baked sweet potato and warm it up in my campfire. I carry a blend of spices along with my salt for added flavor too. Good job on the video...
You go hard on the camp cooking and I am here for it!
There are so many old time foods that are easy to make. Instead of messing with eggs on a trip . Make your own noddle and add extra eggs to the mixture. That is how people stored eggs long term before refrigeration. Homemade noddle's cook up within a few minutes. another fuel saver is using cus cus it come in fine, medium and large. Bring water to a boil throw in the cus cus take the pot off the stove and with minutes it is ready. Open a package of flavored tuna and place on top the cus cus and you have supper. I always try to have one piece of fresh fruit or vegetable in supper meal. It might be a slice of onion, an apple, etc ,. Something new in just that last few months are squeeze tubes of herbs, garlic, roasted garlic. Adds a lot of tasty fresh flavor. For desert pull out a coupled of figs or a fig bar or two or three dates. Pour hot water into your cup and add a powered instant Latte or Ginger honey drink. Very little clean up if you make a quart pot of hot water for the meal, the drink and cleanup.
two of those quaker oaks packets with a palm ful each of chopped nuts and chopped dried fruit and a bit of brown sugar along with something hot to drinks really makes a nice breakfast for me. I'm pretty hearty my pain threshold is really high - if I had something left over from dinner, it'd get scarfed before bfast the next morning too.
Thicken up the chilli with a box
of mc & cheese then it goes really nicely on the flour tortillas
Chili Mac... mmmm... great idea!
Hello 👋 Eric, thank you for sharing the backpacking meal tips. I really appreciate it. All the best to you. Stay safe out there. 🤗
Dirty Ramen for Two:
Ingredients: 2 or 3 ramen noodles squares (leave home the little packets), 2 or 3 miso packs, jerky of some kind ripped up, hard cheese, pizza pepper/cheese packets, possibly 1 or 1/2 bouillon cube, dried mushrooms, and any extra spices you prefer.
Cooking: boil water with jerky pieces and mushroom in water, add the miso and cube when close to boil, crush up and add the ramen noodles, continue to boil, mix, and stir til noodles ready, add extra spices and crumbled cheese when serving.
That sounds delicious!
The bear creek has a lot of other awesome products too, a great find thank you!
I remember the Bear Creek is pretty salty but if you are sweating a lot during the day it's fine.
Chick-fil-A has packets of Texas Pete packets!!! Pepperidge farm Summer sausage is also great and comes in various packaging sizes. Great video.
For those that aren't into Tuna you can also get different flavors of chicken in those individual one-serving packages. A few things that I am a fan of are instant mashed potatoes as a side or drop some hot dogs or sausages into for a 1 pot meal. I also almost always take a pack of slim jims for a quick snack while traveling. You could to the same with individually wrapped string cheese. (I have found that I don't care for the cheese that comes in the combo packs with the beef sticks so I supplement the slim jims with string cheese)
And of course I always have at least 2 packs of the cheap ramen. It's one of my horrible guilty pleasures. I have found that some of the more expensive import ramen, ~$3 a pack, is actually really good Especially "Paldo Lee Yeonbok Jjajang Myun". And still less than half the price of a Mountain House meal.
These are great ideas! And yeah, I love me some Ramen too. No shame.
Tortillas, pkg tuna or chicken, fast food pks mayo & relish, can of Pringles. $4= 2meals
Great ideas here!
Eric, dude you’re making me hungry. Like you, I enjoy peanut butter on an outing. One can do a lot with it. It tastes even better out on the trail than it does at home.
I buy a sack of freeze dried refried beans. Mine come from Gordon’s Food Service (GFS) outlets. Other food outlets would have them, or maybe Gordons would do business on line? They are fully cooked, and ready for rehydrating in steam table trays. I pulverize them in a food processor for faster rehydration in camp, and pack serving sized meals (about 1/4 cup of dried beans) in a sandwich sized Ziploc bag, along with some powdered garlic and powdered cumin. In camp add about 1/3-1/2 cup hot water, and maybe minced fresh onion. Spread onto a tortilla. JARVIS good eatin!
A handy plate is a plastic frisbee. And a package of tortillas can be carried inside of it. After supper, you have a toy to play with.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
This is great! I lived on dehydrated beans for the years as a guide! Not sure I'm going back tho!
Has anyone been able to cook the Bear Creek Darn Good Chili by simply adding hot water and letting sit for 10-15 minutes like you would a backpacking meal? We are a family of four and so we don't do pot cooking simply because our pot isn't big enough to make four meals at once and the last thing I want to do is do two rounds of cooking. Same question for boxed mac and cheese.
Our family loves RX bars, they don't melt and get extra messy. We tried Bob Red Mill's muesli mixed with dried mango, conconut and almonds, added powdered milk and cold water and that's a great breakfast. You can mix in a bowl or directly add the water to the freezer bag for less cleanup. Another meal that was a hit was thanksgiving on the trail. Each serving gets 3/4 cup stuffing, 1/2 a 4oz bag of instant potatoes, 1/2 to 1/4 cup dehydrated veggies, 2tsp chicken gravy and half a pouch of chicken. Add approx 1.5 cups boiling water, stir and massage. Allow to sit 10 minutes.
You can do the darn good chili that way yes, but I wouldn't recommend for Mac n cheese. Noodles won't get the right texture and they turn to mush. I love your Thanksgiving idea!
@@BackpackingTV great thank you! Will give it a go.
I like sardines in evoo, great trail snack
Try Knoors sides like Alfredo. They are only $1.00 and you get at least two meals from each pouch. Just add butter and dehydrated milk. Delicious!
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Knoors sides are great, but why/how would you make 500 calories last 2 meals while backpacking?
I love Annie's mac n'cheese! I'm curious, by what do you substitute the 1/2 cup milk for the sauce? Milk powder?
Nido
Milk powder is great if I remember to pack it. Otherwise I just don't drain all the water. It's not as creamy or tasty that way but it works.
The sausages are a great idea. I love you videos and your shows. Epic to be outside!
I'm sitting here trying to make a list and do some research on backpacking gear because I really want to get into it this spring/summer. I haven't even thought about food other than basic dehydrated/MRE types... Not only did this make me hungry, it made me realize I'm gonna have to pick up a bigger bag lol.
Really informative video though, thank you. I subscribed and EVEN TURNED ON NOTIFICATIONS. I never do that.
Haha, thanks! Dehydrated food is great for getting started. But it's expensive and I get tired of eating them all the time. Glad you found this helpful!
Your delicious grocery list would kill my heartburn and indigestion every night 😆
Luckily Rolaids and Nexium don't add much weight.
Thank you for saving me from falling for freeze dried meals. I am not paying those prices lol
Perhaps you should freeze the Adell's Sausage ahead of time in the summer. I prefer to have them frozen before heating, otherwise, for me, they taste dry.
Dude! Great video! You should check out La Preferida's "Spanish Rice". It is easy, just add boiling water, and some of your andouille. Yum!
Ooh I gotta try that!
I like to buy freeze dried or dehydrated vegetables. It's really nice way to get veggies in your food. Like for example in case of tacos, just rehydrate some corn and bell pepper.
Overall freeze dried vegetables are actually not that expensive. Just look it up on Amazon.
You can actually craft amazing custom foods that are not necessarily too expensive by buying individual items from internet.
Freeze dried meat costs a ton so I wouldn't buy that though. You can just use any other shelf stable protein.
Oh yeah. I just bought a big bag of dehydrated (maybe freeze dried) veggies from the co-op. Very excited to cook with them!
Lunch on the Run is a good meal for backpacking and you don't need to cook anything.
Oh cool! Thanks for the rec!
Too much packaging and poor weight to calories ratio. I guess if weight and size isn't important, like an overnight trip, it is fine, quick and easy, but for any long or hard trip, they aren't good.
Really helpful information, thanks!
You're welcome!
I agree with the Bear Creek option....that entire line of soups/stews are great.....but Annie's Mac and Cheese? That's straight garbage. Don't get me wrong I love mac and cheese....but Annie's is super low quality flavorless mush. Just go with Kraft or Amy's. That's just my opinion.
Quaker out meal with a hand full of trail mix!
I like that!
Those flavored tunas are amazing!! Lemon pepper and Buffalo are my favs 🍴🍴🍴
So good!
My biggest regret from my last trip was eating anything besides beef jerky
Was waiting for this video, great content as always
Me as well. I also love TJ’s mini dried bananas. They taste like they cinnamon and sugar but it just dried bananas. Give it a go.
Thanks! Hope it is helpful!
@@lostnwater mmmm. that's a winner.
Great! Quaker oats have too much junk IMO. Premix my own; rolled oats, milk powder, raisins, nuts, anything else. Also; instant coffee! Delicious cappuccino oatmeal😋
That’s the way to do it!
Minute Rice, Capellini, Stovetop Stuffing, rice noodles all make quick cooking good starch bases to add protein and sauce to for a main meal. Getting it all into a bear cannister for a multi-day trip is an issue. Flour tortillas, wraps, that sort of thing pack well conforming against the wall of a container. Summer sausage is a good long keeping meat. It's designed to be ok unrefrigerated. A big issue I have with REI sourced food is that it's rather calorie deficient for a strenuous trip.
Nice breakdown here. And yeah sometimes it’s better to build your own meals for better calorie intake.
Thank you for the video!
What vegetables do you bring along? Are there dehydrated or foil packed greens? I might suggest fresh carrots as they don't require refrigeration; are crunchy and sweet; can be cooked in boiling water or with ramen noodles. Similar root vegetables offer carbohydrates and nutritious minerals.
I like bringing peppers and garlic for flavor. Carrots a great for a couple days, but like anything can get mushy out there. Just got to eat them within the first couple days and you're golden!
Dry sausage and dried shrimp for protein.
solid choices.
thank you for your educational videos!
Glad you like them!
I like these tips, but what about veggies? They tend to get really heavy and/or bulky. How do you keep your vitamins and mineral intake on a decent level?
Why does the darn good chili sound really good with ramen in it? The flavoring packet would be optional but like noodles in chili...
I bet that'd be great.
Preecooked polenta, canned tuna and parmesan cheese all the way
I am a peanut butter fanboy. I put it on pancakes instead of syrup at home. Tuna pouches are great. I like your note on trash. In my experience i always packed too heavy and had items i never ate but thought id eat them on the trail. I was usually so tired i wanted something fast cause sleep was coming nomatter what. A good hot meal is that..... hot mac and cheese with some sausage would be 5 stars. Cause imma sleep till 3 am solid and i gotta pee. Somehow that craft mac and cheese keeps you 15degrees warmer(:
thanks loved the vid
keep up the good work
Freeze them before your trip..
Then you get more time with the sausage
Annie's makes a squeeze cheese version. Boil noodles. Squeeze the cheese. Ketchup packets. Mmm.
Squeeze Cheese?? Yes please!
I wouldn’t be as concerned with the nutrition quality of the oatmeal as I would be concerned about the cheese and sausage
What are you talking about? Cheese is cheese. Outside of the most processed stuff, Sargento's or the store brand should be fine. Meat could have a bunch of unwanted fillers and preservatives, but you kinda need some of that if you are going to make it last over a few days without refrigeration.
Or...you know...pepperonis.
Hard cheese and smoked/cured meats were created long before refrigeration for this very purpose
If it's only a day or two, get some good Campbells soups, in cans, and you cook the food in the can, use the can to make coffee. IT then becomes a good container to pack out some BS waste. You can use the first can to make a stove to cook the second can , if you have to. I like cashews and milk chocolate. stimulated with low cholesterol protein and a lot of it . you're not gonna bet the value of cashews by weight... but it takes some getting used to making it a meal on that walk
Useful video, thank you.
G7 Coffees! A must have on the trail! I prefer the stronger 3 in 1.
I've found a version of those that I really like! Coffee video coming soon...
Where do you get this?
@@susan3200 Many local Asian stores have them but you can also check out Amazon: www.amazon.com/G7-Instant-Coffee-One-Sachets/dp/B008KZAFZM/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=g7+coffee&qid=1621621857&sr=8-8
Thank you 😊
Chilli, ramen, sausage (non breakfast any kind) and some cheese, eaten alone or on tortillas. Millions of inmates can't be wrong.
solid options. I support.
focus.....................................................
pace ready meals!