Post by: kselkhunter on July 15, 2017, 08:08:55 AM
I have 5 backcountry hunting trips planned this year. Ranging in length from 3 days to 10 days. I've always been a creature of habit for meals. Usually settling on the Mountain House meals for my dinners. Having worked there in college a few decades ago I got to taste all the meals and have some favorites that I stick to. I normally camp next to a water source with my Base Camp filter bag. This year I'm thinking on a couple of the shorter trips camping in a dryer area. So am thinking of leaving the filter and stove at home for those couple of 3 day trips. So planning some pre-made dinners.
I've been testing some new recipes for my breakfasts and lunches already (protein rice krispies are my new favorite), so looking to test some dinner ideas before the first backcountry bear hunt is in 3 weeks.
Post by: jackelope on July 15, 2017, 08:14:14 AM
Sorry...jacked thread already.
I like jerky, but don't think I could make a meal of it.
Post by: kselkhunter on July 15, 2017, 08:18:04 AM
I'm packing in my water for the first trip. Not sure on the second trip; may take my Sweetwater along and top up as needed.
Post by: vandeman17 on July 15, 2017, 08:36:09 AM
Post by: fireweed on July 15, 2017, 08:53:12 AM
Post by: fowl smacker on July 15, 2017, 08:58:40 AM
Post by: jackelope on July 15, 2017, 09:02:12 AM
Packing in water for 3 days sounds really heavy. I'd have to have 20 pounds of water.
Post by: kselkhunter on July 15, 2017, 09:19:05 AM
I've got the breakfasts and lunches covered. Just brainstorming non-cook/non-rehydration dinners.
Not worried about water weight on the short trips.
Post by: jackelope on July 15, 2017, 09:21:21 AM
Bagel, peanut butter, honey, bacon. (carbs, sugar, fat and protein) AKA butt hole sandwiches.
So good and they'll last for a few days.
Post by: vandeman17 on July 15, 2017, 09:29:34 AM
Mountain man sandwiches.
Bagel, peanut butter, honey, bacon. (carbs, sugar, fat and protein) AKA butt hole sandwiches.
So good and they'll last for a few days.
Those are money!
Post by: fishngamereaper on July 15, 2017, 09:32:54 AM
Mountain man sandwiches.
Bagel, peanut butter, honey, bacon. (carbs, sugar, fat and protein) AKA butt hole sandwiches.
So good and they'll last for a few days.
:yeah: Same idea but use a tortilla if you want to save space. You can pre make a bunch and fit like 3-4 in one sandwich baggy. I will mix em up and add Nutella to some and craisins. You can also mash up reeses peanut butter cups and put them in with bacon and jam/jelly.
Post by: kselkhunter on July 15, 2017, 09:35:34 AM
Mountain man sandwiches.
Bagel, peanut butter, honey, bacon. (carbs, sugar, fat and protein) AKA butt hole sandwiches.
So good and they'll last for a few days.
Oooh, we might have a winner. That sounds like a good idea. Was contemplating tortillas rolled with something one night and bagels with something the other night. These sound great. Will test them out this week. Thanks guys.
Post by: jackelope on July 15, 2017, 09:46:10 AM
Post by: timberghost72 on July 15, 2017, 09:51:04 AM
Mountain man sandwiches.
Bagel, peanut butter, honey, bacon. (carbs, sugar, fat and protein) AKA butt hole sandwiches.
So good and they'll last for a few days.
I have done this several times and love it but the bagels get rock hard after a day. Probably the brand of bagels. What do you use for bagels? Fresh from the bakery, packaged or???
Also if you like bacon (who doesn't) this company makes a bacon jerky that is freakin unbelievably awesome! I've tried several flavors and OMG I love them. I think Target carries these but my wife bought them online. I highly recommend trying them. a little spendy but worth it. I'm not sure why they call it jerky though. It's flavored uncured bacon. It is not chewy like jerky.
https://www.porkbarrelbbqstore.com/collections/pork-barrel-bbq-bacon-jerky
Post by: deerslyr on July 15, 2017, 09:53:22 AM
Blue berry pancake mix
banana creme protein powder
peanut butter
mix pancake mix and protein in a ratio that you like, make 2 cakes and sandwhich with peanut butter in the middle.
Post by: Alchase on July 15, 2017, 10:00:02 AM
When hiking I throw in a couple single serving Peanut Butters and some jelly packs or single serving tuna packs. Neither have to be refrigerated. You can add condiment packs (mayo, mustard, onions) as well they weigh almost nothing.
Post by: Okanagan on July 15, 2017, 10:30:54 AM
For a three day hunt you don't have to cook anything nor carry any cooking gear. My comments lean more to the 3 day trip than to longer. Here are some alternatives to the usual freeze dried.
Dry roasted soy beans are light, loaded with calories and are a complete protein. I like them and have carried them more in recent years than I have trail mix. Bulk food section.
Another option that keeps for several days is pre-baked potatoes, a bit overdone with less water content. Clean, tidy to carry and eat and you eat peel and all. They go better with a smidge of salt. I love small baked yams and they are terrific nutrition but they retain more weight and are messy to carry so I usually don't.
A chub of summer sausage is not light weight but you eat all of it and it packs protein and salt. In Fall weather a chub of sausage will easily last three days without refrigeration. A chunk of cheese and crackers go well with it. The weight saving is no cooking gear of any kind, which is a double bonus because when you eat stuff, the weight/bulk is gone, with no pot or stove etc. to continue carrying.
I've carried a ziploc bag of cooked macaroni and a cooked steak or hamburger patty for the first evening meal, before it spoils.
Raw oatmeal is plenty good if soaked in a bit of powdered milk. Put milk and oatmeal in bag, and add water when you want to eat it. Use a separate bag for each planned meal of it. One pink Baskin Robbins spoon makes it taste better, as does mixing it with granola. I don't add sugar.
If you are going to cook, the dehydrated veggies in supermarket bulk sections are light to carry and a handful of them tossed into most pot-cooked meals adds favor and nutrition.
I hiked with a couple of Himalaya climbers, serious dudes, who carried whole barley. It is about all that they ate, and each night when we camped they would start a cup or two of it soaking which they would cook and eat the following day.
Post by: vandeman17 on July 15, 2017, 11:26:51 AM
I've thought about the tortillas wrapped around this combo, but I worry about the honey soaking through. It will soak through bread....which is even more delicious it seems, but it does make for a sticky mess. The bagels are stout and don't get messed up too easily. They will get squished in your pack and the bagels just seem more robust.
Put pb on them first and leave out for like 10-15 minutes then add honey, bacon and roll. Haven't had it soak through yet.
Post by: kselkhunter on July 15, 2017, 12:17:42 PM
Post by: kselkhunter on July 15, 2017, 12:22:37 PM
What is your priority?
Priority is a dry camp. No cooking stove or fuel for this trip. Not going for ultralight on this trip. And just two nights, 3 days for this specific trip. For my longer 10 day backcountry hunt I'll be near a water source and have the freeze dried meals.
Thanks for the food advice. I'll be bringing up some fried garbanzo beans as one of the snacks. I might give the pre-baked potato a try. Maybe pre-stuff it with some protein. That's a good idea.
Post by: jackmaster on July 15, 2017, 12:31:12 PM
Post by: swift on July 15, 2017, 08:23:06 PM
I've thought about the tortillas wrapped around this combo, but I worry about the honey soaking through. It will soak through bread....which is even more delicious it seems, but it does make for a sticky mess. The bagels are stout and don't get messed up too easily. They will get squished in your pack and the bagels just seem more robust.
I just mix my PB and Honey together with a little powdered pb2 ( to thicken a touch)
Put pb on them first and leave out for like 10-15 minutes then add honey, bacon and roll. Haven't had it soak through yet.
Post by: couesbitten on July 15, 2017, 08:49:36 PM
Post by: trapp01 on July 15, 2017, 09:03:38 PM
Post by: JL on July 15, 2017, 09:16:39 PM
Post by: THunt on July 15, 2017, 09:40:31 PM
Post by: haugenna on July 15, 2017, 10:22:43 PM
Post by: Seahawk12 on July 15, 2017, 11:21:59 PM
MRE,S they require no water or heat and you get everything you need and then some!! The new ones they have out now are way better than the ones we had in the late 80s early 90sWhere do you buy your mres?
Post by: Smokey Bear on July 15, 2017, 11:25:38 PM
Post by: jackelope on July 16, 2017, 07:28:45 AM
Post by: kselkhunter on July 16, 2017, 09:17:41 AM
I tried the bagel with PB, honey, bacon suggestion last night. Tasty. Thanks for that. Definitely doing that at least one night.
Going to try the baked potato idea that was suggested up thread, this week for lunch.
Tried making my protein rice krispies recipe yesterday except with with apple cinnamon cheerios instead of the plain rice crisps. Nah, going back to the usual recipe...little bit of an odd mix of flavors for me. Quite a bit a protein when using the brown rice crisps, protein powder, and peanut powder. Those will be breakfasts on the trail. Light and high in protein.
I have protein bars I make for the trail, a couple different recipes. Although am also giving these Green Belly bars a try. Got a few arriving this week to try out.
Anybody else tried those Green Belly bars?
Post by: JL on July 16, 2017, 01:28:39 PM
Post by: Stein on July 16, 2017, 05:14:10 PM
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Post by: kselkhunter on July 16, 2017, 05:19:10 PM
Toast the bagels first, make the sammy then vac pack them.
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Yep that's the plan. I toasted them as part of the trial last night. Tasty.
Post by: Camo on July 16, 2017, 08:41:49 PM
Post by: yakimanoob on July 17, 2017, 10:09:52 AM
A tip on honey: just get a little plastic bottle and apply it to whatever right before eating. The bottle costs almost no weight and will save you a lot of sticky headache.
There are lots of great ideas here. But I have to admit I'm a lightweight guy and some of these seem waaaaayyyy heavier than I'm willing to carry. For the same reason, you'll never catch me hauling 3 days worth of water! :chuckle:
Post by: jackelope on July 17, 2017, 12:12:29 PM
Seahawk, I just purchased a box of 12 entrees off Sportsmans Guide. I won't pack entire MRE's. I'm not sure how an 8 oz "entree" is considered heavy to some of you when you're packing potatoes lol? Just one of these entrees per day + some misc forage could sustain you indefinitely.
I'm not packing potatoes.
Post by: JimmyHoffa on July 17, 2017, 12:16:55 PM
Post by: Alchase on July 17, 2017, 12:33:20 PM
To me the worst part about backpacking, is the "excepted backpacking food".
LOL
Post by: kselkhunter on July 17, 2017, 01:06:13 PM
I also pack lots of Jerky and O'berto cocktail peps, bagged in ziplock bags.Yep, which is why I'm on here soliciting recipe idea. :-)
To me the worst part about backpacking, is the "excepted backpacking food".
LOL
Post by: love to hunt on July 17, 2017, 03:07:04 PM
Post by: fillthefreezer on July 18, 2017, 09:05:31 AM
Post by: 92xj on July 18, 2017, 11:29:02 AM
Breakfast was coffee and a breakfast bar I created at home. Protein powder, honey, peanut butter, cashews, other nuts, quinoa, spice stuff. baked, then cut into 6 bars which equaled around 360 calories per bar and turned out amazing tasting.
Mid morning snack was a nut trail mix
Lunch, I took a package of tortillas, a single serve peanut butter cup, I vacuum sealed single serve honey packets, and vacuum sealed a serving of cooked bacon. I made my wraps on the mountain each lunch time.
Afternoon snack was elk jerky I made
Dinner was dehydrated homemade meals.
One meal that I ate 2 of the 4 nights was chicken breast cut up small cooked in cream of mushroom soup, cooled and dehydrated. Place that chicken mix in a vacuum seal bag with a ziplok end and pour in a half box of cous cous from the store. Seal and hit the mountain. Dinner time, open the ziplok end, pour in boiling water and wait a while to eat. Was amazing!
The other meal I did was ground elk with steak sauce cooked and dehydrated, half an onion cut and dehydrated, 1/2 cup mushroom dehydrated. Throw those three in the vac bags, add half a box of cous cous seal and pack. When ready to eat add water and eat a while later. Also an amazing meal and way freaking cheaper and better for you than what you can buy. Super easy to make and prep.
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on July 18, 2017, 01:25:42 PM
More recently, I packed premixed instant coffee, creamer and sugar; MREs; pita pocket bread and tuna pouches or turkey Spam singles with individual mayo or mustard packs; summer sausage and block cheese; dried fruits; and a trail mix consisting of premium mixed nuts, M&Ms, and raisins. I've bought lots of freeze dried meals over the years and the weight is great, but I don't care for them and I was only spiking out 1-3 nights when hunting.
Post by: JL on July 18, 2017, 08:12:00 PM
Post by: fowl smacker on July 18, 2017, 08:32:38 PM
Post by: Eric M on July 18, 2017, 08:51:50 PM
Post by: KFhunter on July 24, 2017, 08:57:14 AM
Just a couple of ideas, if I double tap someone my apologies.
Pack a small dried salami, Italian prosciutto, or other cured meat and cheese with tortilla or crackers
I like packets of tuna/salmon/spam singles/chicken mixed up in a cup with mayonnaise packets/relish packets/mustard packets. Make a sandwich salad to eat with tortillas or crackers.
By a good country ham (real salt/sugar cured) and slice off portions, pack in a zip lock with the air pressed out of the bag. Can be eaten as a sandwich or breakfast and requires no refrigeration.
I like to pack home made biscuits, I wrap them up still warm in aluminum foil and slide them in a tennis ball can. Goes good with everything above.
I hate to admit it but I raid the local KFC for honey packets and butter packets. If you have a KFC/Taco Bell combo you can also get hot sauce, salsa verde, and sour cream packs.
A few airline sized single malt whiskeys and you'll be set.
:tup:
Post by: blackpowderhunter on July 24, 2017, 09:55:46 AM
awesome for single serving sauces, peanut butter, jelly, olive oil, etc :tup:
makes packing that stuff WAY easier.
Post by: Jpmiller on July 25, 2017, 09:58:44 AM