backcountry meal ideas....

[WAcoyotehunter]

I am planning a hunt in Idaho this month and am putting together a food list... there are four of us for ~16 days.  We have stock and will be able to pack ~1200lbs into the woods... that sounds like a lot, but half of it is horse feed....then the tent, bedding, gear.... takes a lot of space. 

I am trying to figure out a meal schedule that includes as few mountain house meals as possible.  Breakfast will be oatmeal and coffee pretty much every morning.  Lunches will be salami wraps and granola and candy bars... dried fruit and smoked oysters for a treat.

Dinner- we want to eat well.  I will be taking some fresh meat packed on dry ice, but it won't last 10 days.  Ham seems to last pretty well, so it will be last to get eaten. some canned meat including spam, canned roast beef, tuna, chicken... I will also pre cook and vacuum seal a few meals of last years elk, sausage and elk/gravy

Our basic staples will include:

Dried potatoes, both sliced and mashed.  Gravy mix added.
Stovetop Stuffing mix
Instant brown rice
Some biscuits (lightweight Dutch oven style...)  Recipes anyone??
Dried Fruit
Pastas


Should I take cans of condensed milk or powered milk?  I don't have much experience with either
Any decent freeze dried vegetables?

Please share any decent backcountry meal ideas.  We are big eaters



 

[Bowflinger]

Sounds like you got a pretty good start there. Just curious why you don't want to take many mountain house meals? I swear by them just because they are super lightweight, an easy meal and just 16 oz of water and you can fill your gut. They are a bit spendy, but 4 guys and 16 days, I'm sure you know lighter is better. I got to imagine you guys must be boiling your water up there so don't forget a strainer and a funnel. One thing I learned the hard way is to let your water cool off a bit before you pour it in water bottles. My water bottles shrunk about half size. The less cans you take the better, so vacuum seal everything that is canned. Oh, a customer of mine managed a million acres in the panhandle of Idaho and did guided hunts for about 10 years and he swore by Bisquick. You can make all kinds of meals with it (he said guys would even shave with it). And if you take a small ziploc bag with you out on your hunt, pick up all the huckleberrys, blueberrys and blackberrys as you can so you can make delicious pancakes. Other than that mabey take a collapsible fishing pole and some lures and you might have a chance at having fresh trout 4 dinner.

[Bowflinger]

I almost forgot, GOOD LUCK and give it hell!

[WAcoyotehunter]

Good advice with the bisquick.  I will grab some of that!  Thanks!

[grizzlyadams]

I'm curious about the mountain meals too. I swear by them too. I guess if you have pack animals and don't need to save the weight taking some fresh food can be a treat. I know some guys have some digestive issues with mountain house.  I just take along some fiber tablets. One with each meal keeps everything regular.

[7mag.]

Mountain House is disgusting and unhealthy, I don't blame you for not taking it. I will only eat that crap while backpacking.

Freeze your meat, it will last a long time if in a cooler with dry ice. Look up freezer bag cooking. You pre-make meals such as; chili, stew, spaghetti, etc. Then portion them into 1 gallon Ziploc Freezer bags, and freeze them. To reheat them, put the frozen(or thawed) bag in a pot of boiling water until hot. I've done this for years on horse pack trips, works really well. All the frozen meat and freezer bag meals, along with dry ice, will keep everything nice and cold for most of your trip.

[jackelope]

You could always invest a little $$ into a dehydrator and dehydrate DIY meals. It works great. It's a little work but for an excursion like that, it might be worth it. 

[Houndhunter]

I've never done 16 days, sounds like a fun trip, but on the horse back trip I took we cooked all our meals than froze them and vacuum sealed em. All we had to do was heat them up over the fire.

One thing I'd add for a tip is bring protein powder, doesn't do much to fill up an empty stomach but its light and all you need to do is add water. I like to mix it in with the meals I eat too, sounds gross but any food tastes great when your in backcountry and protein powder really helps a lot with recovery and what not. I have it on all my hiking trips, that and a loaf of cheap white bread are my go to for light weight energy .

[MtnMuley]

You can dehydrate basically any veggie, and I've never had one that I didn't like. Super lightweight and easy to reconstitute.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I have two dehydrators and will try to dehydrate a few veggies this weekend.  Thanks for that tip. 

[jackelope]

I have two dehydrators and will try to dehydrate a few veggies this weekend.  Thanks for that tip.

You can dehydrate venison stew if you want....don't have to stick to veggies.
Let us know how it works out.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Thanks- I will give it a try

[jackelope]

Thanks- I will give it a try

Use the tray liners designed to make fruit leather. I've not tried it yet, but I'm just about to give it a go.

[stryker]

My wife doesn't tolerate preservatives very well. She dehydrated everything needed for a bunch of different recipes. Then she would vacuum seal the ingredients for specific meals and label the package. Just add meat and water and cook in the Dutch Oven over some coals. AMAZING! 

[Bowflinger]

Keep in mind, light in, heavy out. If you 4 get lucky and have to pack out your gear, food, and game in the first couple days you might break those horses getting everything out in 1 trip, or on your 2nd trip out. So keep in mind that everything needs to be feather weight.