Pack in hunting - food and stuff

[LKH]

Coffee
Plastic insulated cup w/snap on lid.  Pour boiling water over the loose grounds, stir and snap on the lid.  After 3-4 minutes, open and stir, let sit 3-4 more minutes and open.

Spoon off the floating grounds and drink. Spit as needed and be careful at the bottom.

Makes for a very strong coffee if you grind fine and helps with fiber in your diet.

[Gatekeeper]

Get the book "Supermarket Backpacker" you can find it on Amazon. There is a used one listed on Amazon for $3.

Its an older book, printed in the 70's, but it will give you some ideas for different meals that you can prepare for a backpacking trip.

[Rufus]

Yeah Centaur, they pretty much sucked. Put the peanut butter on the hardtack and sprinkle the little packet of sugar on that. Trade everything else off or bury it. Cigs would nearly get you gold sometimes.

[PeteA]

Great thread.... I have a small alcohol stove and cook kit I'm going to be bringing stumping. Hoping to fire it up to make a quick hot lunch while out and about.

[Lost Arra]

Tortillas are not light weight but they survive in a backpack well, much better than bread or crackers. The pita suggestion is a good one.

[ron w]

Originally posted by PeteA:
Great thread.... I have a small alcohol stove and cook kit I'm going to be bringing stumping. Hoping to fire it up to make a quick hot lunch while out and about.

I use a alcohol stove all the time even on a day trip hunting. A hot cup of tea or coffee or instant soup can put the spring back in these old legs when you are 3 miles off the road. I also use the bagel idea because they pack well. The tuna in the envelope is good also for a light lunch.

[JJB]

Here is my set up, very similar to others..

Breakfast:  2 packets of oatmeal (variety of flavors).  Starbucks via for coffee.

Lunch/snacks:  crackers with peanut butter or cheese, gorp and dried fruit.

Supper:  Lipton rice (variety of flavors) with turkey, tuna or salmon (comes in small packs).

I like alternating gatoraide and water during the day.  This doesn't sound like much but I never really feel hungry. Be sure to try out what you plan on bringing so you know it won't upset your stomach.  Altitude, exertion and new foods can do funny things to a body.

Jay

[Bill Sant]

bobert,  some good advice has been offered for the coffee snob in you....I'm the same way.  Have you seen the coffee press that fits onto the jetboil mug??  As long as I'm heating water for the freeze dry I just heat a bit more than I need and use their coffee press system.  Just like getting it from the java hut.  No need to go without.

[Bill Sant]

Oh and one other thing.  If you are doing the freeze dry thing, do yourself a favor and eat a couple of meals BEFORE you go on your hunt.  Freeze dry may be light but it doesn't agree with everybody and hunting camp isn't someplace you want to be,,let's say a little loose>

[Homebru]

Better loose than "passing a brick" I sometimes say.
homebru

[Steve O]

Here is food for 2 full weeks in Alaska.

On the right of the JetBoil (which I use exclusively for meals when backpackin) is a BUNCH of Starbuck Via's.  Costco has 30 packs very reasonable and if you watch close, there are $3 off coupons for them there as well.

I always have a 2 person Mountain House, Backpackers Pantry or more recently Hawk Vittles (those actually DO feed 2 people, so only use half), or home made freeze dried meal for dinner.  I use more water than called for always.  Soupy is better and more water in my system in the mountains is always good.

Lunches are typically a foil pack of tuna, salmon, or chicken with some type of noodle mix or instant potato.  Hot lunch is good!

 

Breakfast is a couple packs of oatmeal with some of my trail mix or some cereal with Carnation instant milk premade along with some of my trail mix as well.  On long trips I will throw in a few MH egg type breakfast meals.

I will pack 2 energy bars per day and always have a bag of trail mix made of Dark M&Ms, almonds, walnuts, dried cherries and other dried fruits.  That is over on the left with a couple of MH ice cream sandwiches      :D

[mparks]

The Jet Boil is real nice.  Nice to be able to make a cup of coffee and a freezer bag of oatmeal in under 5 minutes.
 

[FarmerMarley]

Great thread guys.
I definitely agree about trying everything you plan on eating BEFORE your trip!!!

Also have to agree with this piece of wisdom from Homebru:
   

 Better loose than "passing a brick" I sometimes say.

:mad:

[Homebru]

An interesting post by SteveO.  Two things I'll comment.

1.  I believe SteveO knows what he's talking about.
2.  Most of us eat WAY TOO MUCH food.

Just two thoughts,
homebru

[monk2015]

I do alot of backpacking and one of my favorite meals the wife and I make is super simple
INGREDIENTS:
1 PACKAGE STOVE TOP STUFFING
1 PACKAGE PRE COOKED CHICKEN BREAST
1 CUP OF DRIED CRANBERRIES

simply cook the stove top, throw in the chicken and dried cranberries and enjoy!

[Michael Pfander]

Since I am a tea drinker the Via doesn't do much for me.  As far as boiling water goes a Kelly kettle can't be beat.  No fuel to pack, repeat no fuel to pack.  And will boil water as fast as anything I've used.  my diet is instant oatmeal mixed in my tea, my home made trail mix[I have lived on it alone for three days] Mountain House 2 man for dinner.  I carry a filter and a 6 liter water bag.  I pump water at mid day, my pack carries 3 liters, the rest is dinner and breakfast.  Lately I have added dry electrolite mixes to my menu.
MAP

[freebird134]

We do week long bivy trips in Idaho, and I take instant coffee from Trader Joes (has cream and sugar in it, which i like!).  I think they are cheaper than Starbucks too.  And I like them more.

If you are a true coffee snob, JetBoil has a lightweight attachment to convert the pot into a french press.  So if you hate instant coffee, it's a lightweight alternative.  Its less than an ounce, I think.

Regarding the Jetboil being heavy, it really isn't.  I have the titanium, and when you factor in the extra efficiency of the Jetboil (ie, less fuel to carry), the Jetboil is about as good an option as anything.  However, with all canister stoves, they can be a problem if you are in really really cold weather--but probably not the kind of cold you'll experience on a bivy hunt.  And, if it did drop low unexpectedly, you can warm the canister in your bag.


Mountain house meals are hard to beat, but you can make your own too.  I like to dehydrate venison and add instant potatoes, gravy powder, boulon, salt, pepper, and top with french fried onions (like you would put on top of green bean casserole). Keep the onions seperate while the rest rehydrates---delicious!  Plus, those onions are like 200 cal/ounce!

I go heavy on nuts, especially macadamia nuts, because they are the heaviest per ounce.  Sunflower seeds too (shelled).

[lpcjon2]

Do they still make the military heat tabs? I think they are trioxaline or something like that.Small and just hit it with a match and it will boil a canteen cup of water.

[centaur]

lpcjon, C4 works pretty well, too, but probably isn't too available as a civilian.

[lpcjon2]

Originally posted by centaur:
lpcjon, C4 works pretty well, too, but probably isn't too available as a civilian.

I'm from Jersey "I know a guy"...LOL