BackpackingFood Favorites

In the article Backpacking Equipment Checklist,I touched on the food requirements for backpacking. In this article, I’m going to discuss the food favorites for both my group of backpacking friends and myself. And I will provide some tips and advice on preparing food, and alternatives to freeze dried backpackers pouches.

Eating well while backpacking is both necessary and pleasurable. It’s easy to understand that your likely going to be very hungry after burning a tremendous amount of calories. But in addition, it just seems that your senses are heightened out in the wood. To go along with that hunger is the added benefit that your senses of smell and taste might just give you some super feedback assuming you are eating something that appeals to you. I’m always trying new foods and approaches to making meal time great. I want to enjoy what I’m eating where ever I am – It’s about Passion, and I am Passionate about food.

Camp Fire Meals:

Most of the locations we break camp allow for and support a camp fire. The group puts in the effort to build a rock ring barrier and find the wood to use as fuel to make the camp fire a reality. There will be meals and appetizers that we are going to cook on that fire. When we build our camp fire site, we do create a cook area inside the fire pit. We place a few level support rocks near an edge for easy access. On the rocks we place a small grill, on the order of 5×7 inches. And we get fire coals under that grill. Cook section complete.

It is highly likely that there is steak (frozen) and potatoes in my pack on the first day out as discussed…and it’s worth its weight. And on most days, more likely than not, we have the ability to catch fresh fish. The fish and/or steak is going on the grill and getting cooked – with spices. Without a grill, the common way to cook fish is add spices, wrap in tinfoil, and place in the fire directly (but be careful it’s not too hot of an area). The potatoes are getting rapped in tinfoil and placed in the fire. 

Another camp favorite is “meat log and cheese” appetizers. It just seems that we always have some variety of meat/sausage stick/logs, with various flavors and spices. And we always seem to have various cheeses. Sliced cheese goes on sliced “meat log” which goes on grill until it’s hot and melted. Wonderful happy hour appetizer. Overly peppered “meat logs” are not recommended as all you will taste is pepper. 

To finish off this topic, my personal favorite spice for steak is “Spade L Ranch” beef spice. And for fish, a very mild spice is called for. Most mountain fish are delicious, but they are light flavored and if you overwhelm the delicate flavored fish with something very strong  all you will taste is the spice. I’ve put together salt, pepper, lemon powder, and garlic mixes that work well for mountain fish.

Safety is something to consider. Your “cook site” needs to be distant from your tent area. Obviously, food smell is going to attract animals and some animals are friendlier than others – like bears. It’s best to minimize your mess and minimize smells.

More On Dinner:

For me dinner is the most important meal. So when the steak is gone, and there is no fish to be had, we head to the pouches. I’ve mentioned before that I am typically buying pouches that are 1.5 to 2 meals and 2 is my preference. And all of it, both servings, is getting devoured or shared. My own preference is that the pouch is not hard (like a brick) but malleable so it’s easy to shove into my backpack or a bear vault. Some manufacturers of pouches have what they call “pro packs” which are bricks, and given a choice I don’t use them. 

Also, I have a few tips on cooking pouch food. First, if it’s supposed to be “saucy” then using extra water can be a plus. But it’s it not supposed to be “saucy” and you use too much water it’s going to be soupy. My advice is to use the recommended amount of water unless you know that you want “saucy” for this particular pouch. In some way, you need to be able to measure your water and use the amount you mean to.

Secondly, you have to add time to your cook time at altitude or it’s not going to be cooked. I’ve never had a pouch meal that is overcooked – so let it have extra time. (Eat some grilled meat log and cheese while you wait!). When I add the boiling water, I mix it up with my long shaft spork. Then I seal it up and I don’t open again until I’m ready to eat. I also work the pouch once I have it sealed up with it’s hot water inside. Shake shake shake, mold mold mold. Wait wait wait. Some salt, some cayenne pepper, I mean – how much do they weigh? Bring a little.

There are a few brands I really like. Some brands have come and gone over time. But currently, the ones I’ve enjoyed are Alpinaire Foods, Wild Zora aka Paleo Meals To Go, MaryJanesFarm Outpost, Backpackers Pantry, and Mountain House with the latter two having the most selection I believe.

So the part you are likely waiting for: Which are the favorites: Without question, the fan favorite is: