backcountry meal ideas....

[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.