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. 

[7mag.]

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.

I completely disagree. The whole reason to use stock to pack in, is so you don't have to go that light. I've been on several back country horse pack trips, and I always eat real food. Ever been on an outfitted trip? They eat real good, not freeze dried or dehydrated crap. If you get lucky and all tag out early, walk out and have the riding stock pack weight.

[whacker1]

WACoyotehunter - did you come up with anything else? I have been eavesdropping on this thread to get some ideas of my own.
tortillas keep pretty well
noodles of different variety, which all pack small and light, just need water to boil and mix with other things
cooked bacon keeps a long time

[RadSav]

I always like dutch oven chocolate cake one night.  After a few days hot fresh cake is real comfort food for sore bodies. 

Don't forget a bottle of Crown for those celebratory moments!

[JM]

When I go into the backcountry and plan on having a fire I'll make cowboy pockets. I tear off 2 large pieces of foil and fill with Steak or burger, onions, potatoes, carrots, butter and seasoning. Double wrap them and when your ready to cook just throw them on the hot coals for 15-20 minutes. Beats the heck out of mountain house! You can do the same for breakfast.

[j_h_nimrod]

Tortillas are great, many are shelf stable for much longer than 16 days  and they can be eaten with every meal. Also love my bagels which are as good smashed in the pack as fresh from the store:)

I have started getting away from Mountain House for the simple fact that they are ridiculously expensive. I still get a few now and then for extra fodder or a quick meal but rarely are they sole fare for me now. I have started going to Shore Lunch or Bear Creek type meals of chilis and soups. They are about half the price and make about twice as much food as MH but take a little longer to cook and a bigger pot but are great to add a lot of different ingredients to and jazz them up a bit.

I have started dehydrating lean game burger mixed with 1/2c of fine bread crumbs per pound and then browned before dehydrating. You can add onions or other seasonings before dehydrating. Works great and makes for an easy ingredient to throw in chili or other soups. You could probably even reconstitute it with little water in a skillet and make taco meat.

[Skyvalhunter]

Sounds like a good idea as long as you can have a fire. Remember alot of places i.e. wilderness areas don't allow a fire.

[cooltimber]

tortillas, brick cheese,salami,peanut butter,bagels,hot sauce,dehydrated potatoes,rice,and don't forget fruit and tang.    

[grizzlyadams]

tortillas, brick cheese,salami,peanut butter,bagels,hot sauce,dehydrated potatoes,rice,and don't forget fruit and tang.

Sounds heavy. Hope you have pack animals

[The scout]

my go to are the bear creek brand soups, they make like a gallon of soup very light very good food lots of flavors

[MtnMuley]

Beings your taking stock in and can pack in 1200 lbs, I'd seriously bring a cooler with dry ice loaded with frozen meats. If you have the capability,  that's a must in my opinion. Nothing beats real meats. I understand going lightweight for a lot of your other food items, but I definitely wouldn't skip the frozen meat if it was doable.

[Jingles]

Being of a quizzical mind and having just gotten back from 2 day in the wilderness Why Pack horse feed???  Go to a Big R or other farm supply fed store pick yourself up a couple of large cow ( bull) bells and a couple of sturdy Belts.  Do like I and most of the outfitters I know do and when you get into camp turn a Wrangle horse loose for a couple of hours to feed on the grass in the area.. After you put one of the bells on it's neck so you will know where it is when you want to catch it up. Then when you have it caught for the night put the bells on one of the lead mares or other lead horses or one of the mules. Then turn the rest of the stock loose for the night. As long as there is good grass and water in the area they aren't going to go to awfully far and you'll know where they are by the bells ringing.  Take your wrangle horse in the morning and run them into camp. That is when you'll need a bucket of grain to give them a couple of mouthfuls to train them as a reward for coming back to camp. Then you can turn your wrangle horse loose to feed and chances are it'll stick close to the herd in camp. Started Packing for the outfitters in 91 and have yet to loose a horse or mule because of leaving the area, Knock on wood.
This way you can  take a minimal amount of grain and forget taking all that freeze dried ground cardboard and take real food. Bacon and eggs, Biscuits and gravy, Can make and freeze foods like Lasagna, also works to keep other foods cold,  Frozen hash browns REAL MILK, Steaks, Baked potatoes, Fresh fruits and veggies and the list goes on.
OH don't forget if going onto USFS property all feed and hay must be certified weed free.

[j_h_nimrod]

Sounds like a good idea as long as you can have a fire. Remember alot of places i.e. wilderness areas don't allow a fire.

Fires are allowed in most areas with seasonal/area specific closures. Just don't camp there:)

[bobcat]

Jingles,

That must be what our outfitter did a few years ago when we did a drop camp in the Pasayten. The outfitter was camped about a mile from us, and the day they were supposed to pick us up, they showed up late. We were supposed to get packed out first thing in the morning, instead we rode out that night in the dark. We didn't find out until the packer showed up that evening, that all their horses the night before had decided to head back to he corral at the trailhead. Apparently they knew that's where the food was.

Someone had to walk all the way out, which was about 15 miles, and bring all the horses back. Or maybe they did still have one horse, I can't remember. But it was sure a long day sitting around camp wondering if they were ever going to show up. I know another hunter camped near us ended up walking all the way out so he could make it to work the next day.   

[JimmyHoffa]

tortillas, brick cheese,salami,peanut butter,bagels,hot sauce,dehydrated potatoes,rice,and don't forget fruit and tang.

Kind of how I have done it the last few times.  Lots of dense food that doesn't need cooking.  I take dehydrated fruit, nuts and jerky too.  And stuff candy where it will fit in the pack.  Got to get rid of the stove/utensils/pot and eliminated the doing dishes for camp chores.  Also easier for when it rains everyday and you don't like firing up the stove in the tent.

[Magnum_Willys]

Mountain House isn't bad - but the night I had Louisiana Beans and Rice and Son had Texas Chili the lil tent was on fire.   Freeze dried corn and peas are like frozen - much better than canned.  Instant potatoes and gravy mix are great too.  Just added fresh game for this outback meal.  We had moose and goat though Mountain House stroganoff is pretty good after a long day.

[gr8whthunter]

 

[kentrek]

Glorious spam and bbq baked lays

[Magnum_Willys]

Glorious spam and bbq baked lays

Oh man..... you musta been hungry.  Fried spam cubes in waffles or scrambled eggs is not bad but cold with chips....

[kentrek]

Yeah I needed some fast calories, at the time it was pretty dang good !

[magnanimous_j]

Bring a couple goats. They will add 0 weight since they can walk themselves and can carry their own side dishes (I like mashed potatoes and peas), then you can butcher them when you get there.

[boneaddict]

Jingles,

That must be what our outfitter did a few years ago when we did a drop camp in the Pasayten. The outfitter was camped about a mile from us, and the day they were supposed to pick us up, they showed up late. We were supposed to get packed out first thing in the morning, instead we rode out that night in the dark. We didn't find out until the packer showed up that evening, that all their horses the night before had decided to head back to he corral at the trailhead. Apparently they knew that's where the food was.

Someone had to walk all the way out, which was about 15 miles, and bring all the horses back. Or maybe they did still have one horse, I can't remember. But it was sure a long day sitting around camp wondering if they were ever going to show up. I know another hunter camped near us ended up walking all the way out so he could make it to work the next day.   

That's how I met Varrelman.   Idabooner and I were riding back in the sawtooth when we intercepted a saddled and bridled mule, behind all of his stock thundering out.  We captured him and headed up over the hill to their camp.   He was sure happy to see us with his riding mule in tow.   Against his better judgement he allowed a dude to satisfy his lifelong dream of wrangling the stock.  The dude got bucked off from the mule and the herd headed south     Its a long hike in cowboyboots back to the truck.  Oh and those mountain critters that have done this awhile can mozy pretty good in hobbles.