Trail food

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » Feb 01 2002 5:00 am

Any reviews or suggestions on what you eat when you are out on the trails, trail snacks to meals. Freeze dried, dehydrated or prepared ? Alpineaire, Backpackers Pantry, Mountainhouse, MRE's, Richmoor, or other brands ?
For trail snacks I get them from The Good Apple in Apache Junction and is mostly nuts and dried fruit. Meals, usually something from aisle 4, 5 or 10 from Bashas's (oatmeal and cocoa at sunrise, Fremont Saddle next to the pine tree) or the MRE. Last night (3/9) at sundown it was Top Ramen chicken noodles at Hackberry Springs in the Superstitions.

montezumawell · Post by **montezumawell** » Feb 01 2002 5:00 am

Susun likes to say I got a 'MRA.' That's 'Master of Ramen Arts.'
We're only doing day hikes these days--overnighters are now out of the back of a pickup or tenting out of a Suzuki (which is sort of a street legal backpack anyway). Consequently, we only do hot lunches and don't worry about the other meals.

So, Dr. Ramen says: 'Know Your Ramen.' All ramen's were not created equal. Each different brand has a unique flavor. Likewise, if you go to the 99 Ranch Market in the Chinese Cultural Center on 44th St. you will get a whole new spin on ramen noodles and all their noodle cousins. Pretty complicated stuff!

We buy these little plastic containers that hold maybe an ounce or two max. We stuff these little containers with 'ramen turbo boost' Cooked chicken, pork, beef, turkey, salad shrimp, tuna, or sardines; diced green or black olives, feta cheese, chopped almonds or walnuts, finely chopped green and/or red onions, a drop of liquid smoke, green chiles, jalapenos, and a few shreds of frozen broccoli, snow peas, okra or whatever's left in the freezer. Believe it or not, you can pack a real wallop in one of those little containers. Since our cookpot can hold only one package of ramen plus perhaps two additional ounces max, we have to be pretty careful. But you would be pleasantly surprised at how effectively you can doctor up your own ramen. A little bit of complimentary flavor, texture, color and variety goes a long way with ramen.
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When we get tired of ramen (which is not too often) we substitute a different 'base.' Ramen is our main base but we can also turn to instant rice, instant grits, instant potato and, believe it or not, stuffing mixes.
You can split one box of stuffing mix into two lunches. A half box of stuffing mix creates a base almost equal in volumn to one ramen package.
Doctoring stuffing is a tad harder than doctoring ramen but it can be done.

Doctoring rice is a no-brainer. Doctoring grits and potato is sort of a hit or miss deal. Sometimes you get it right , sometimes you're stuck with food that looks and tastes like something your friendly drywall contractor left behind. We usually eat it because of all that 'Leave No Trace' stuff we adhere to but you'd really have to call it more of a duty than a meal.

Once you start thinking real creative about ramen's virtually INFINITE possibilities, you'll look at the store shelves with a whole new attitude.
Anytime Susun sees me standing around some store aisle mumbling and muttering over some esoteric item, she knows Dr. Ramen is at work and that a whole new ramen recipe will soon debut next to some rock on some trail in the not to distant future.

Dr. Ramen says, Ramen Rocks!

J&S in RR

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Feb 01 2002 5:00 am

I typically carry two or three breakfast bars; like the bluberry ones. Can't handle power bars. After chewing one I have trouble working up enough saliva to swallow!....think sawdust with just enough sticky stuff to hold it together would be an improvement. Like jerky as a salty snack to chew on a hot hike where I know I'm gonna lose a lot of salt.

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » Mar 11 2002 10:53 pm

Trail food:
1. Cookie's and Cream Cliff Bar. Tastes NOTHING like a Powerbar. Cliff bar's are all natural, and they taste pretty good. Plus, they don't melt.

2. Boulder Bar. New product, like a candy bar

3. Balance Bar Gold...tastes like a snickers.

Check out Trader Joe's...they have a huge selection and you can buy one instead of a whole pack.

Also take Chewy Granola Bars, Kudos, and my own GORP.

Never cook on day hikes, so when it comes to camping or overnight...nothing special...ramen for breakfast, some of the above during the day, and dinner of whatever...mac and cheese to salmon, all depends on what we felt like bringing along...

olesma · Post by **olesma** » Mar 13 2002 10:21 am

Well, you're multiple angled question - long hikes? short hikes? multiple day hikes? Treks?

Since I primarily do day hikes now (length notwithstanding) I usually carry something fast and light that I can eat while I'm moving in a pinch. I prefer MetRx bars (choc-chip cookie dough, choc grahm cracker and peanut butter cookie dough being the better flavors in my opinion). I also will freely consume Cliff bars.

Personally I'd rather eat soap as eat another PowerBar.

If I know that I'm going to be stopping for a while at the far end of my hike I'll take along some fruit or juice or something to enjoy for lunch. But other than that I am perfectly satisfied to take just the health bars. Recently I have also taken to making a nutrition shake (EAS, MetRex or X-Rated) and pack that away in case I need some a quick boost of energy that will last an hour or so. But a Snickers bar does the same trick.

Sometimes they are difficult to find but if you can get your hands on a Pemican meal bar they are interesting. There was a time when I would go backpacking for 3 days or so and would take a supply of 5 Pemican bars per day for my nutrition. That was all I needed. They don't taste all that great (although I know people that love them) and they require a lot of water on hand to help get them down - but I have never found anything that keeps you on your feet for longer and stronger than those puppies. REI used to carry them - I haven't lookd for them in years.

For overnight hikes I like to get extravegant. I have been known to bring lobster k-bobs and steak. I have a nice big pack and I don't mind carying the extra weight (I like a pack of around 50-60 lbs. - I'm 6' 4' and 210 lbs. so the weight is about right for me). A little luxury on the trail is always a lot of fun and it makes everyone else fuming mad that I brought that stuff while they're munching their Backpackers Pantry.

For longer outings I usually stick with Backpackers Pantry or Mountian House. I find that the pasta-centric dishes are best. I have tried everything they make, most of the dried food manufacturers are similar in quality (the big ones anyway), and I have come up with two general rules of thumb: 1. stick with simple, basic recepies. The more complex and gourmet sounding the recepies - the easier it is to screw up the food (any dish involving fish is a particularly risky proposition). 2. Always bring a nice spice pack/combo to help the food along. Some of those recepies are quite good if you add a little something to them. I am never without a spice pack and a bottle of Tobasco when I go out on a trek.

nealz · Post by **nealz** » Mar 13 2002 11:13 am

[quote='ck1'] Check out Trader Joe's...they have a huge selection and you can buy one instead of a whole pack. [/quote]

Yup, and they have the best prices too. My current favorite are the Iced Chocolate and Orange Clif Bars. ck1, if you shop at the Gilbert Rd. and Baseline store, I'll probably bump into you there.

I take jerky too, and usually GU packets as well. On overnighters I like to take it easy on myself and use freeze dry cuisine, although on one particularly memorable first class trip to Reavis Ranch, we brought sea bass and white truffle risotto, fresh asparagus with some asiago cheese, a little chardonnay followed by a Reavis baked apple.

-Nealz

Snick33 · Post by **Snick33** » Mar 20 2002 12:03 pm

Sardines . . . . . . I started out in life buying the boneless skinless variety but soon found the tastiest ones have both. And you haven't lived until you've taken a loaf of good bread, sliced it lengthwise and placed fresh tomatos, basil, and anchovies, oil and all on it.

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » Mar 20 2002 3:52 pm

[quote='nealz']ck1, if you shop at the Gilbert Rd. and Baseline store, I'll probably bump into you there.-Nealz[/quote]

Sure do! At least until the build one further east!

SARDINES! I thought powerbars were bad.

Snick33 · Post by **Snick33** » Mar 20 2002 4:08 pm

H'mm we might be on to something here.

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Mar 20 2002 5:44 pm

[quote='ck1']Trail food:
1. Cookie's and Cream Cliff Bar. Tastes NOTHING like a Powerbar. Cliff bar's are all natural, and they taste pretty good. Plus, they don't melt.
quote]

Bought several Clif's Cookies and Cream bars yesterday at REI; tried one today on the golf course and pleasantly surprised. Beats hell outta Power Bars. Thanks for the tip!

Pellegrino · Post by **Pellegrino** » Mar 20 2002 9:58 pm

We often pick up a package of sliced salami and a bag of dinner rolls at Sams Club. Both are delicious, with a dab of dijon they make nice yummy little sandwiches and you can't beat the price. Their tough little buggers too and don't squish to much. Add an apple or orange and a bar of some sort and I'm off. Love the GORP from Sam's to. Very fresh and, once again, inexpensive. Not good to have a whole big bag lying around tho :twisted:

I'm pretty picky on bars. Those Balance Bar gold have 7 grams of fat, hmmm. May as well have the Snickers, dontchathink?

So I just continue to buy bars at Well For Life ~ my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, yummmmm.

Going to Trader Joes tomorrow to stock up on my favorite scallops and will check out those Clif's bars. (Gilbert and Baseline store, hope that dang road is done ~ how many times do we have to tear up that road????)

Enough talk about food, back to planning next hike

Pellegrino · Post by **Pellegrino** » Mar 20 2002 10:33 pm

Oh yea, one more thing, don't know how I could have forgot it. Its that 'made it back to the truck refreshment' a beer or glass of wine. One of my favorite parts of a hike.

nealz · Post by **nealz** » Mar 21 2002 9:38 am

[quote='Azscrapper'] (Gilbert and Baseline store, hope that dang road is done ~ how many times do we have to tear up that road????) :[/quote]

Nope. It still looks like downtown Kabul around there. TJ's also used to sell Ahi Tuna jerky which despite how it sounds was mighty tasty on the trail and it had a lot less salt too.

-Nealz

BoyNhisDog · Post by **BoyNhisDog** » Mar 21 2002 12:48 pm

TJ's also used to have Salmon jerky but I didn't see it last week.

That store has a multitude of goodies for the trail. They built one a quarter of a mile away from me.

I drop a lot of food money there.

Pellegrino · Post by **Pellegrino** » Mar 21 2002 6:09 pm

That tuna sounds good. I'll check it out. Didn't make it over there today, oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Sande J · Post by **Sande J** » Mar 24 2002 7:57 pm

Lean Bars by Labrada have low sugar & carbs and high protein and taste pretty good too. They are also bigger than two bites. Cookies and Cream and Texas Pecan Pie are 2 yuppie ( I mean yummie) flavours that arent half bad.
My idea of trail power nutrition is peanut butter on crackers and a fresh orange.
I agree that TJ's has the best options at great prices.... but keep Costco in mind too, a box of Pure Protein bars is a schmokin $15.
Sande J

montezumawell · Post by **montezumawell** » Mar 24 2002 8:13 pm

Thanks, Sande, for your comments! Always informational and appreciated.
Thanks, too, for mentioning Costco. In the candy section there, of all places, is a nifty, economical product: Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars. The box contains 32 2-bar pounches and sells for $6.80 or about 21-22 cents a pouch. We split one so that's 11 cents a serving. :P They are a General Mills product and the box is decorated with 'Proud Supporter of The Nature Conservancy.' Pretty good nutrition for the price. Check it out next time you're roaming the Costco Trail.
J&S in RR

jeremy77777 · Post by **jeremy77777** » Mar 30 2002 9:43 am

Ramen. Dry as could be. Sprinkle seasoning on top. Eat dry. Drink water. Tastes GREAT!1. As for Baseline road, NO KIDDING! Why do they always rip it up!? Enough already!

azhiker96 · Post by **azhiker96** » May 29 2002 8:24 am

It's easy if I'm day hiking. I usually don't eat much on the trail. I have enough stored energy (fat) to keep me alive for awhile. I may pack some snacks though like fresh citrus, roasted almonds, homemade jerky, or raw carrots. If I'm backpacking I usually go lightweight. The pre-packaged helper meals are great (hamburger, tuna, turkey, etc.) They taste just fine without the meat. Get them trail ready by repackaging in ziplock baggies to save on weight going in and trash space when packing out. LeeLee market (Dobson and Warner) has dried shrimp that are great when added to Ramen or other one pot meals. If I'm car camping I'll take supplies to make hobo meals. Yum!!! Dehydrated milk tastes much better if you add a little instant vanilla pudding mix to it. If you take a package of instant pudding mix it's a great treat too!

Cakewalk · Post by **Cakewalk** » May 29 2002 1:45 pm

I thought I was the only one to eat ramen dry...

I usually dont eat while hiking either.. I travel light, usually just water... a granola bar or something in my pocket, but I usually dont mess with it.

Trail food

Trail food

Dr. Ramen

Small and light

Traveling food

Sardine Power Bars

Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars