Backpacking Food

[BobW]

The OTC "back-packing" stuff is too darn expensive.  Do it yourself.  Great book is:  The Hungry Hikers Book of Good Cooking by Gretchen McHugh (ISBN: 0-394-51261-8)

Look at things like: ground venison (best choice as the fat content is low), dehydrates to the consistency of coarse ground coffee and rehydrates back to a wonderful shape for use, ... dehydrated refried beans, many store purchased rice/bean mixes are excellent and only require water.  Lots of good and easy stuff on the normal store shelfs now.  And I am NOT talking Ramen Noodles (though they work in a pinch)!

We did a week in the Boundary Waters which 4 of us ate like kings/queens on about 20# of food products, and brought half of it back!  Three meals a day. Never hungry or not satisfied with the meals.  

On couple day trips, I even do pizza!

Creativity rules!  Eating well is a good thing!

[Burnsie]

Thanks again guys.
Burnsie

[John Scifres]

The Lipton meals top out at almost 600 calories and are great tasting, easy to cook right in the pouch and at $1 apiece, they blow Mountain House, at $4-6 each for about the same calories, away.  I add a tuna in oil pack for dinner and I get about 1000 calories.  Add some GORP through the day at 1000 calories, 2 oatmeals and a couple granola bars in the morning for another 500 calories, granola bars and peanut butter for lunch and you can easily get 3000 high potency calories.  For about $6 total for the day.  You can also cook the oatmeal in the pack.  Just use hot water, not boiling.  A coffee mug is the only "pot" I carry and I don't do dishes.  I use a MSR Pocket Rocket stove.

You won't be gaining weight but go into the hunt a few pounds over your peak conditioned weight and you will have some spare energy to burn.  Drink lots of water and get sleep.  I sleep over 8 hours a night.  It takes lots of oxygen to convert fat so rest is critical.

[Talondale]

Originally posted by John Scifres:
  It takes lots of oxygen to convert fat so rest is critical.

I better take an oxygen tank then.
   
Good tip guys.  Don't forget squeezable margarine.  Just a teaspoon has a ton of calories for a quick pick-me-up.

[alaskabowhunter]

Lots of information in this thread, good luck.
 http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=30135

[ethan]

These are some good ideas!  You can also buy Hamburger Helper and Kraft maccaroni and cheese in individual packages. They're made to put in the microwave, but will work fine by just adding hot water and letting it sit a few minutes.

[rtherber]

I make room in my pack for "Jolly Ranchers",(I like the watermelon flavor) when in the high country. Helps with the "dry mouth" so I can get a decent sound out of my mouth calls when hunting elk. I gargle with a mouthful of water from my Camelbak before I sound off. It seems to help me.

[Stumpknocker]

I second John's post.  Sounds just like my camping menu.  One other thing we love is instant blueberry pancakes (oh yeah!) and instant grits (cheese, of course), and don't forget cous cous with a side of chicken or salmon...very, very tasty...and instant mashed potatoes in all kinds of spicy flavors, and tobasco sause...