Poor man's mountain house

[Doublelunger]

I'm a cheap skate and started doing this last year in the backcountry after deciding I didnt want to pay an arm and a leg for the fancy freezedried meals.  I'm hoping to start dehydrating my own meals at some point but until that happens here is a decent alternative.

For $1.15 you can get a pouch of starkist tuna and a thing of top ramen and mix them together for a suprisingly decent meal.

Nutrition facts (combined) are around:
Fat- 8g
Carbs - 26g
Protein- 19g

Compare that to MH...For $5.99 you can get youself a single serving of Mountain House beef stew

nutrition facts:                     
Fat- 6g
Carbs-26g
Protein- 13g

Total packaged weight is 116g for the tuna ramen combo and 79g for Moutain house. 

[Fl0und3rz]

How many calories?

This guy has some thoughts on 100 calories per ounce on MH alternatives.

[Stein]

It's super easy to dehydrate ground beef, or even finely shredded meat including turkey, chicken, venison or whatever.  You then pick up a gravy packet, instant potatoes and some dehydrated mixed vegetables and experiment with getting the consistency and taste right (too much gravy = way too salty). 

It takes longer to rehydrate than freeze dried, but it also tastes better, has no mystery ingredients and is a fraction of the cost.

I look at "freezer bag" meal recipes from the hiking crowd, they have done all the work.

[2MANY]

Rib steak, potatos, and beer in the back country for me.

[cougforester]

Tag! Going to start messing around with my own dehydrated meals this year.

[TommyH]

Tag. I’d like to start dehydrating and making more of my meals easy to pack/eat. I usually have a tote stuffed full of various food, but need more ready to go type food options.

[fishngamereaper]

You guys have rich blood...I'm more of a cup a noodles with beef jerky kind of guy. You can fit a weeks worth into a gallon zip lock bag and it weighs about a pound.

[Birdgetter]

Yep I love top ramen in the backcountry! I have added chukar to top ramen at home, it is great. I can only imagine adding grouse to the dish when in the hills. 

[deerlick]

Rib steak, potatos, and beer in the back country for me.

I like your style

[2MANY]

LOL.
It's feeding the stock the rest of the year that sucks.

[deerlick]

that's why I pay the uber mule fee

[baker5150]

I've done the Tuna/Ramen thing and like it.
I toss in some Soy Sauce or Hot sauce to mix it up.

I've packed in a can of SPAM a couple times too, fry it up on a hot rock.

The past couple years I really don't care about food weight though, I'd rather eat a little better, plus it gets lighter the longer your out.  I've gotten dried soup mix from my sisters restaurant and portioned it out.  Man that is some goooood eating right there.

[boneaddict]

that's why I pay the uber mule fee

[Jonathan_S]

My poor mans Mtn House alternative was to buy a $3k freeze drier....may have outsmarted myself on that one

[Fl0und3rz]

How do you like the freeze drier?

[2MANY]

that's why I pay the uber mule fee

You better make sure you confirm your driver's authenticity.

[boneaddict]

My poor mans Mtn House alternative was to buy a $3k freeze drier....may have outsmarted myself on that one

I was thinking the same thing.   I was looking at them though for other reasons.     Pretty dang cool.  The consumables keep adding to that cost too!

[Buzz2401]

I personally think the variety and the ease of use is worth the couple extra dollars for prepackaged meals over making your own.  You can find them on sale alot and its convenient to just add water to the pouch.  But I can see the fun and satisfaction of doing it yourself.  Overall $4-$5 for a meal is not that bad.

[Jonathan_S]

My poor mans Mtn House alternative was to buy a $3k freeze drier....may have outsmarted myself on that one

I was thinking the same thing.   I was looking at them though for other reasons.     Pretty dang cool.  The consumables keep adding to that cost too!

This is true, the oil it burns through isn't cheap!  We use it for putting up all kinds of stuff and a few friends like to have some things made occasionally.  For a couple years, I worked in a place with no fridge but had hot water.  I ate freeze dried meals, two meals a day for months on end and it was delicious.

[Jonathan_S]

To the OP, have you tried just dehydrating simple things like lasagna, chili, soups?  Those turn out pretty good

[huntnnw]

I personally think the variety and the ease of use is worth the couple extra dollars for prepackaged meals over making your own.  You can find them on sale alot and its convenient to just add water to the pouch.  But I can see the fun and satisfaction of doing it yourself.  Overall $4-$5 for a meal is not that bad.

  not like I am eating these everyday

[MonstroMuley]

Tag

[Skyvalhunter]

Double tag

[kellama2001]

 Triple tag? 

[Doublelunger]

To the OP, have you tried just dehydrating simple things like lasagna, chili, soups?  Those turn out pretty good

No, I need to give it a shot though. I don't have a dehydrator but I think I could do some stuff in the oven pretty easy.

[Jonathan_S]

  and honestly if the whole tuna/ramen thing sounds tasty then you'll probably eat anything 

[mburrows]

Instant mashed potatoes and tuna packs are good too! ....at least to my taste buds lol

[KFhunter]

My poor mans Mtn House alternative was to buy a $3k freeze drier....may have outsmarted myself on that one

I was thinking the same thing.   I was looking at them though for other reasons.     Pretty dang cool.  The consumables keep adding to that cost too!

This is true, the oil it burns through isn't cheap!  We use it for putting up all kinds of stuff and a few friends like to have some things made occasionally.  For a couple years, I worked in a place with no fridge but had hot water.  I ate freeze dried meals, two meals a day for months on end and it was delicious.

supposidly they have a new oil less pump, no more replacement oil ?


I don't have one, just doing some reading and thinking on it.   gonna wait a couple years I think

[Doublelunger]

and honestly if the whole tuna/ramen thing sounds tasty then you'll probably eat anything 

Haha well ya this concoction isn't winning any awards but as you know things tend to taste a lot better at the end of a long, hard day!

[MerriamMagician]

For those of you who like the instant mashed potatoes route, if you have a Winco nearby to shop at you can buy huge quantities of them in bulk for very cheap. They also have other good backpacking foods in bulk such as trail mix, nuts, and a bunch of other stuff.