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.

Daryl · Post by **Daryl** » May 29 2002 1:59 pm

On the trail, Goldfish crackers!!!! They come in a variety of flavors.

My favorite backpack meal is a can of chili (stagg, dynamite hot) mixed with ramen (throw out the flavor packet). A poor mans chili mac! Not a good meal if your sleeping in a tent though...

Lizard · Post by **Lizard** » May 29 2002 2:27 pm

For dinners I go for the one pot meal typically. I usually hike alone so it works. Most commonly I eat some form of prepackaged pasta and sauce. Mac and Cheese is a perennial favorite. Also, the Lipton noodles and sauce packages that are intended to make side dishs for 3-4 people, are perfect as a meal for one person. Pasta-Roni Angelhair Pasta is great too! You can safely ignore the simmering instructions, just heat to a boil, add pasta and wrap it in my fleece balaclave for 10 minutes or so to compensate for the simmering. On trips longer than a week I usually will home-dehydrate some veggies and occasionally meats to add to the pot. For variety I will also use rice and sauce, instant potatoes or stuffing mix as the base to which to add veggies and other spices.

I found I don't like to linger in the morning. I like to get up quickly and shake the cold evening off by walking, so my breakfast is usually just a granola or cereal bar. I'll have cereal for lunch, or soup, or something else. I rotate through different trail snacks depending on what's available in the trail towns. Stuff that seems to stay on the list is gorp, tortillas/pitas, dried fruit, beef jerky, summer sausage, and cheese.

Lizard

dennisbench · Post by **dennisbench** » May 29 2002 8:39 pm

As far as ramen goes my favorite brand has to be Top Ramen. On overnighters I like to take Mountain House, beef stroganoff is my favorite. Those meals are suprisingly good, although ramen, and mac and cheese are tasty alternatives. I remember the first time I tried a power bar it was like chewing my boot.

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » May 30 2002 10:00 pm

Duh. I am glad it has been clarified that you add instant vanilla pudding instead of rice pudding to powdered milk. The powdered eggs I have been trying taste like a serving of rubber spatula.

MaryPhyl · Post by **MaryPhyl** » Jun 23 2002 1:09 pm

For day hikes I take something sweet and something salty. For longer trips I make oatmeal cookies for breakfast, cream cheese and crackers and dry fruit for lunch and Mountain House for dinner--we like the chili and the turkey tetrazini. Again ,we have something sweet and something salty for snacks.

mttgilbert · Post by **mttgilbert** » Oct 21 2002 3:56 pm

The only trail food I usually bring along is home made trailmix. I usually keep a little bit of everything in my trailmix. I start with a mix of granola cereals and add home dried fruit, jerky and whatever else sounds good (I never use m&ms or choco chips as the sweets don't appeal to me while Im hiking). This actually kept me well fed on a lightweight backpack trip for two days once. Get used to eating it first though as the sudden switch to low-bulk food can wreak havoc on your digestive system.
Good luck.

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » Nov 04 2002 7:26 pm

dry ramen? wow, never considered that before...

Wanted to offer up the Balance Outdoor Bar, crunchy peanut flavor...tried one yesterday...excellent!