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I don't see a thread on this, so...

I want to do a multi-night trip into the Gila Wilderness this summer. I have used, can use, and will use the common freeze dried backpacking food you can find in stores. I would like to know if someone has explored other options for longer back packing trips? What secrets have you learned that you might like to share?

Water will not be an issue as I plan to follow the river for a significant portion of the trip.

Will you be taking a photo of Humphreys with you?

viewforum.php?f=19

Enertia Trailfoods have a much better taste then freeze-dried, but a little pricier. Not as much food in a serving either, I topped my last one off with a snickers bar for desert

Here are some of my favorites that are (mostly) available at the grocery store:

Ramen
Idahoan mashed potatoes
Mac and cheese (cook and dehydrate the macaroni)
Tortillas
Sausage (especially summer sausage or pepperoni)
Hamburger (cook and dehydrate with taco seasoning)
Cheese (blocks of parmesan or cheddar)
Fantastic Foods dehydrated refried beans (or dehydrate your own)

'Lipton Sides' offers various flavors and the calories are generally equivalent with the $6.00+ F.D. meals ... and they're generally just a BUCK!
I add either chicken from a pouch, or, on longer trips, I add M.H. freeze-dried chicken chunks (available in a #10 can). You can also use the marinated chicken or tuna steaks in the foil pouches as well.
re. the earlier post about dehydrated ground beef... M.H. makes it in #10 cans with an extended shelf life - in addition to taco seasoning, try some powdered chorizo spice and use Betty Crocker freeze-dried hash browns to make a nice burrito.
I concur that Fantastic Foods makes good freeze dried refried Black Beans.. again, use some chicken, and add some green chilies - wrap in a tortilla and wallah!

I'm not a big breakfast eater, so I generally just eat a bar of some type - usually rasberry/blueberry, etc.

For lunch, etc. when backpacking I have found that, on an extended trip, I perfer some variety, so I bring: summer sausage, Jack Link's STEAK NUGGETS, wheat thins, dried fruits, sesame sticks, M&M's, honey cherrios, tuna pouches, nuts, etc - I merely bring out the whole bag and pick at what appeals to me at the time.

Being in Flagstaff, you have the benefit of a wide variety of 'health food' stores - when time allows just wander through and think like a backpacker - there are TONS of options, especially with some of the eastern Indian foods, if you like that.

I almost never take freeze-dried foods. I'd have to buy them on the internet as none are available nearby. Besides, they are expensive. I like the above suggestions (but mac and cheese and ramen noodles are not on my menu--that's all we ate on bp trips with my two sons' Scout troop in the 90's, and I can't face eating them now! ) I like Safeway Select soups in a cup. I think they changed the name of them recently, but anyway they are a house brand of Safeway's. Lentil, black bean, Texas beans and rice, split pea, potato--like that. I get rid of the cups and put them in small zippies. At camp, just put soup into your cup and add boiling water. I bring bagels or rice cakes to have with them. I'm not a big eater, so one of these is enough for me, but for most people one would not suffice.

If you have a food dehydrator you can make all sorts of things. I'm not that creative, although I do have the dehydrator. I just never get around to it. But I'm told, for example, that you can make the spaghetti sauce and noodles and freeze dry the whole thing. Then, very important, for longer storage, you put it into double freezer bags and store it in the freezer. If you don't store it in the freezer it can get funky pretty quick. You can make up a bunch of casseroles and other stuff like this and portion it out into your freezer bags into one or two-portion amounts. Then when you go backpacking take the number of portions you'll need for that trip.

joe bartels wrote:Will you be taking a photo of Humphreys with you?

viewforum.php?f=19

I never leave home without my wallet sized photo of the Peaks.