pack in trip food

[vandeman17]

We will be packing in for an archery elk hunt in NE Oregon on August 30th and out September 8th. It will be about a 14 mile ride in so the plan is to take two smaller coolers and then our gear. On our last few hunts, I have burned a lot of calories and ended up losing a good amount of weight each trip. I am trying to dial in what to bring to eat that will not only be convenient since the days are super long this early in the season but also that will last for the duration of our trip. I normally pre cook big things of stews and such and vacuum seal/freezer for our suppers. These stay in one cooler that we try to only get into when we have to so we can try to stretch out the cold effect as long as we can. Snacks during the day are your usual trail mixes, jerk, snack bars and all that but I am trying to figure out breakfast/lunch. Some ideas I had for breakfast would be to make wraps with scrambled eggs, peppers etc and individually wrap and freeze but not sure how they do going that route and how long they last. Hard boiled eggs are another option but again, not sure how long they will last since we aren't sure how hot it will be.

Thoughts?

[mburrows]

I think Im late to the game but I recently discovered overnight oats. Pretty good tasting, convenient and you can tailor to your preferences.  Also super light to pack in.

In a zip lock bag, mix in your chosen amount of oatmeal, add in some dehydrated fruit, protein powder, some nuts or seeds.  Before you go to bed add water and let it sit out or in your cooler over night.  When you wake up, dig in. 

Im adding some coconut oil to my next batch for some extra calories.  Still doing some fine tuning to my food list as well.

[vandeman17]

I think Im late to the game but I recently discovered overnight oats. Pretty good tasting, convenient and you can tailor to your preferences.  Also super light to pack in.

In a zip lock bag, mix in your chosen amount of oatmeal, add in some dehydrated fruit, protein powder, some nuts or seeds.  Before you go to bed add water and let it sit out or in your cooler over night.  When you wake up, dig in. 

Im adding some coconut oil to my next batch for some extra calories.  Still doing some fine tuning to my food list as well.

Good call on those. I used to eat them at home a lot but didn't even think about bringing them for the hunt. Good grief

[WapitiTalk1]

Vande, you're packing coolers in 14 miles?  When you say riding, are you talking horses or quads?  Just getting clarification on your mode of ingress before I chime in 

[vandeman17]

Vande, you're packing coolers in 14 miles?  When you say riding, are you talking horses or quads?  Just getting clarification on your mode of ingress before I chime in 

Pack string so riding in on horses with a few mules for gear

[Stein]

My favorite camp food is razor clam chowder without a doubt.  Smoked salmon chowder is a very close second.  You can really bulk up the calories with cream and butter and the taste is beyond good.

I would also bring some frozen steaks, maybe lasagna.  If you fill a quality cooler with frozen stuff it will stay that way for a week easy.  Nothing is easier than plunking a bag into boiling water as soon as you get back to camp and then having a ready meal by the time you sort, clean and prep your gear for the next day.

[2MANY]

In one cooler I would pre freeze everything, Pack dry ice, small piece of block ice, and duct tape all that cooler's seams. In the other one I would pre freeze everything possible, add a block of ice, and treat it more like a fridge. If necessary I keep the coolers against each other, store in 100% shade, and even wrap them with the horse blankets. I've gone 14 days with this approach and eaten like a king. Of course some of that is driven by how many times you open coolers and ambient temps. Usually my frozen cooler is packed tight and everything is 100% frozen. Plan ahead and thaw frozen items in the fridge to help keep those things cool too.
I also do the pre cooked breakfast wraps you described. I pre wrap them in foil and toss on the top of the wood stove in the am while making coffee. Yum.

[theleo]

How many guys? Cooler = 1 pannier? 2 coolers + 1 box for dry goods? How many pack animals and how much extra crap? I need more details.

[2MANY]

LOL.
Oh so true.

[vandeman17]

How many guys? Cooler = 1 pannier? 2 coolers + 1 box for dry goods? How many pack animals and how much extra crap? I need more details.

2 guys and we get two mules each but doubt we will need that many. Plan is 2 cooler and our gear which will be camp clothes, hunting clothes, boots, bows, the normal stuff.

[dilleytech]

Sounds like a very comfy vacation. If you want more calories why not just pack a bunch of noodles, rice and bread? That should keep a person fat and happy.

[vandeman17]

Sounds like a very comfy vacation. If you want more calories why not just pack a bunch of noodles, rice and bread? That should keep a person fat and happy.

I am an active gym/crossfit guy so I track what I eat at home and no those type of calories just make me slow and sleepy. I perform and feel better are more complete or calorie dense foods.

[bornhunter]

Canned meat from costco. Chicken, tuna, beef. Dont have to worry about keeping it cold.

[Skyvalhunter]

 :yeah:Or the extra weight it entails

[Jpmiller]

We did a mess of fried chicken on our last pack trip and froze it in vac seal bags. We brought way more food than we ate but none of the chicken came home.

[theleo]

How many guys? Cooler = 1 pannier? 2 coolers + 1 box for dry goods? How many pack animals and how much extra crap? I need more details.

2 guys and we get two mules each but doubt we will need that many. Plan is 2 cooler and our gear which will be camp clothes, hunting clothes, boots, bows, the normal stuff.

2 pack mules a piece will make for pretty easy living. Something I always take is biscuits that I've baked at home then the making for gravy in camp. Pork chops, steak, some potatoes, onions, lunch meat, condiments. My approach is just figuring out meals that I can make with a pot and a pan in camp. I'm don't know if you've done this sort of thing before but what I've found to be the easiest thing to do is grab a snack or something really lite first thing in the morning before heading out and then have my real meals when I come back mid day to check on/water the stock. If you guys pack remotely like I do you've maybe got 2 mules worth of camp/hunting stuff between you including the food (3 mules if you're not comfortable with top packs). That'd leave 2 mules to pack cubes on if you're not planning on having the animals graze for a while during the day. 

[TommyH]

Tagging to improve my backcountry breakfast.... 

[vandeman17]

How many guys? Cooler = 1 pannier? 2 coolers + 1 box for dry goods? How many pack animals and how much extra crap? I need more details.

2 guys and we get two mules each but doubt we will need that many. Plan is 2 cooler and our gear which will be camp clothes, hunting clothes, boots, bows, the normal stuff.

2 pack mules a piece will make for pretty easy living. Something I always take is biscuits that I've baked at home then the making for gravy in camp. Pork chops, steak, some potatoes, onions, lunch meat, condiments. My approach is just figuring out meals that I can make with a pot and a pan in camp. I'm don't know if you've done this sort of thing before but what I've found to be the easiest thing to do is grab a snack or something really lite first thing in the morning before heading out and then have my real meals when I come back mid day to check on/water the stock. If you guys pack remotely like I do you've maybe got 2 mules worth of camp/hunting stuff between you including the food (3 mules if you're not comfortable with top packs). That'd leave 2 mules to pack cubes on if you're not planning on having the animals graze for a while during the day.

We have done this before so my main goals are foods that will keep for the duration of the trip, be higher in calories and also trying to keep prep and clean up down. We are the type that is gone well before daylight and back after dark so that means for some long days and short nights. Having to cook too much, clean up etc gets rough after a few days of only a couple hours sleep each night

[Tjv28]

PB&J, biscuits and gravy, summer sausage, cheese

[huntnfmly]

Peanut butter and bacon wrapped in tortilla. High in calories and delicious

[xX Let ER Rip Xx]

I second the tortillas with peanut butter and bacon...... I add granola and honey to mine!!! Makes for some delicious stuff out on the mountain. I eat two a day for lunch and mountain house stuff for dinner......

[OutHouse]

Peanut butter and bacon wrapped in tortilla. High in calories and delicious

Ha! Glad to see this on here. A New Zealander I hunted with a few times swore by these and I really enjoyed them. He is a beast of a hiker and needs the calories. I suggest the peanut butter and bacon with a bagel for bread. I would keep it in my coat to warm up just a bit before eating.

[vandeman17]

Peanut butter and bacon wrapped in tortilla. High in calories and delicious

Ha! Glad to see this on here. A New Zealander I hunted with a few times swore by these and I really enjoyed them. He is a beast of a hiker and needs the calories. I suggest the peanut butter and bacon with a bagel for bread. I would keep it in my coat to warm up just a bit before eating.

I usually make pbj on the little sandwich thins so maybe I will add bacon

[Jpmiller]

Peanut butter and bacon wrapped in tortilla. High in calories and delicious

Ha! Glad to see this on here. A New Zealander I hunted with a few times swore by these and I really enjoyed them. He is a beast of a hiker and needs the calories. I suggest the peanut butter and bacon with a bagel for bread. I would keep it in my coat to warm up just a bit before eating.

No honey? I used to do alot of peanut butter bacon and honey sandwiches. Need to peanut butter both bread pieces and I liked to leave the bacon a little greasy. Really good.

[Lady Grouse hunter]

M.R.E.'S!!!

[jeffro]

The frozen food cooler is a must, a block of dry ice plus one regular will do the job nicely, duct tape the seams if it’s not a Yeti etc. Plan your meals so that the meals are in order top to bottom. Meals that can be boiled in bag are best for cleanup purposes.
Depends on how much water is available? Campfire only or will you have a stove also?
You didn’t mention cooking methods. A couple cat iron pans is a must either way.
Always nice to have a couple nice meals as celebratory rewards after a kill. And back straps with sautéed mushrooms, onions and bacon just seem easier on a stove.
Pre-made wraps are definitely the way to go for breakfast and lunch. Put half in the freezer box. Scrabbled eggs w/bacon sausage ham or chorizo + cheese perfect.
Lunch wraps? Think of your favorite sandwich’s and roll them in a tortilla.
Roll tightly in plastic wrap then tin foil. They will take a beating in your pack and still be perfect whenever you eat them.
I could go on....
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