Hey man. So, I'm watching this video and it occurs to me how much effort went into this and how informative it was for me. I really appreciate your stuff. Thanks!
Just a little tip, when making your oatmeal or Knorr Rice or potato’s in the bag. If you turn the bag upside down and shake it then flip it over and open it, the sugar or heavier spices will then be on top and easier to mix
I like food, so I spend the winter dehydrating vegetables and all the other ingredients needed to make my own dehydrated meals. I think last winter I put together 150 lunches/dinners for my sons and I to take on our backpacking trips. If you look at the ingredients on the meals that you can buy (mountain house, pack-it gourmet, etc..) you can put together the same meal and season it the way you like and by doing it yourself you save a lot of money.
I make a ratatouille out of as many vegetables as the season allows, add beans and whole grains, then some proteins and even dairy... spice it to my personal tastes and then freeze dry. When the proportions are adjusted properly I can get my daily requirement of nutrients in 3 or 4 out of the 5 food groups (Protein, Grains, Vegetables, Fruit, and Dairy), depending if I use dairy by eating 4 to 5 cups of the rehydrated mix. No chemicals. low in sodium, no separate plastic containers for everything you put in your mouth. Can be eaten alone or added to other foods and cost pennies per serving. Eating crap with long lists of ingredients off the shelves of modern markets is foolish at any time.
Cliff, I think you're a man after my own heart. Not only do I 'borrow' from their ingredients lists, I add and make better! Recently I have been dehydrating veggies from my dad's allotment. Soon I'll be dehydrating food from my OWN allotment!
A handful of these ideas are just "ok" in everyday life, but out in the woods hiking they turn into highly delicious meals! I will be using several of these suggestions.
Velveeta makes mini blocks of cheese. Small, easily packable rectangles. I like to slice them into a tortilla, wrap in foil and toast in a campfire. SOOoooo good!
My issue is that it's not real cheese. It's processed cheese food product. Yuck. Give me the baby bell cheeses or cracker barrel or Cabot instead any day of the week.
I recommend going to an international or Asian grocery store because they sell instant coffee packets that already have the cream and sugar included. They’re amazing
Bit of a note on those freeze dried fruits, if you open the package before you go you can put three or 4 bags in one before you hit the trail, save space and garabage
The Knorr sides are the bomb!! The easiest way to fix these, is by using powder milk and olive oil!! The alfredo with a pouch of chicken meat mixed in after it is cooked, is super great on the trail!! Easy to make and very filling!! Thanks for posting the video!!
this is actually a great video, it’s nice to see something beyond just prepackaged meals. i do want to note that dehydration can cause soreness as well, so if you are experiencing soreness, consider your water intake as well.
Maybe try to pre-measure and take along some powdered milk, like the Nido brand, for those Knorr or Lipton noodles. Does make them a little better with very little trouble or added weight.
I take avocados and use a wrap mash the avocado up spread it on the wrap and add pepperoni, also im a hugh fan of pixie sticks for quick energy when doing climbs
All good stuff! Thanks! Oatmeal for breakfast every day! I prepackage in a 1 qt freezer bag: oatmeal, walnuts, craisins, ground flax, chocolate protein powder. This is 700 calories and 30+ grams of protein for a 6 to 7 oz amount. Add boiling water, mix with spoon and zip close. No mess, no pot clean-up. Cheap, too. The bag becomes a trash bag for used toilet paper and spitting out tooth paste into.
Have you done that? I guess they probably have more neutral flavored powders (as opposed to chocolate or something), but it could still potentially effect the taste and texture in a negative way. Taste and texture are huge for me because I won’t get the calories I need if the food is bad. The extra weight can be worth it for better foods in many cases. Interesting idea nonetheless. At the very least, you could just bring the protein powder and make protein drinks rather than doing something more unconventional.
I've done it mostly with oatmeal, using 'vanilla' protein powder. The vanilla taste is not strong and doesn't affect the flavor much. ( I also add a powdered fiber supplement to some of my meals as otherwise I tend not to get much in the sorts of meals I use backpacking. )
Cold soak couscous with dried peppers and tuna packs. Works great with taco seasonings chili seasoning, pesto, ranch powder and brown mustard packets. I eat them for lunch at work. They are versatile. 7 teaspoons of couscous and just fill water just over the top of it in the container. No cooking or boiling. 150-200 cals for the couscous and 100 or so for the mustard and tuna.
This was incredibly helpful. I find most meal ideas online are way too complicated. Your plan is practical. I'll be using your ideas on my upcoming trip.
We also carry Butter Buds with us. The kids called it magic butter when they were little. lol. When hiking with a companion, we carry the Tyson Premium Chunk White Chicken Breast, 7 oz Pouch (Walmart less than $3) and mix with stuffing.
I find Jolly Ranchers make for a great pick-me-up on the trail. 3 of them is 90 calories. When I start to feel a little drag I open up a Jolly Rancher and it gives just enough boost to keep hiking.
McLost In The Woods I hadn’t had a Jolly Rancher in over a decade and picked one up at water stop about 23 miles into a marathon. Couldn’t believe the little jolt and how much the tartness took my mind off the pain. They’re a staple now.
Also cuts down on water usage, your throat stays moist when working on a Jolly Rancher than w/o.. the lack of moisture when not using a hard candy/lozenge equals increased water intake
Grew up hiking in norway mountains, breakfast is flourmix with grains + water cook in pan = good breakfast Dinner high energy rice, basmati is usually good, and just usual dry soup bags.
Whatever I take along to cook, I always take little tubs with salt, pepper, chilli flakes cinnamon. As well as a small plastic bottle of oil and one of soy sauce. You don't need much of them at a time so don't need to take much but they can really take the boredom out of food.
Thanks so much for sharing this. Some great tips! Another fan of the "eat the oatmeal out of the bag" trick. I have found that it helps to flip the bag and open from the "bottom" side. It helps get the yummy stuff that collects in the corners. Stove Top Stuffing is a great add, the cornbread flavor with the Chil Mac Mountian House is great. Make the Spicy Ramen, drain the water, add a scoop of peanut butter, on the trail Pad Thai! Love the Ramen Bomb idea! I am not a fan of tuna but I haven't seen the Chicken Creations, I will have to keep an eye for them.
flapjacks and cliff bars are also very great snacks since you can add whatever you want to flapjacks "within reason" and cliff bars have tons of flavours and are pretty nice
Look for "Better than Boulion". Its near soups. Replace electrolytes. Get Ramon noodles crush them up to save space. Great on the go: Power bar and dip in peanut butter. Multi Vitamin and water. If you get night leg cramps probably a magnesium deficiency, everyone thinks potassium.
Missing Beef Jerkey, love that stuff when hiking... also just a bag of crisps or doritos is great. You can use those as a fire starter too. Great video!
Good suggestions. Going on several backpack hikes this summer. I've given up alcohol, coffee and soda. Get the craving from my system. Don't want to deal with coffee in the morning. Wake up, eat, pack and go.
What about taking a small thermos or a couple double walled stainless steel bottles, not to cook in (unsafe). but for thermos cooking. Boil the water, add food item to thermos or double walled bottle and wait. would work great for over night to have breakfast ready and when you cook lunch, you could cook dinner at the same time. Might be something to test out, i've only done the thermos cooking camping.
Have some plain powdered mashed potatoes to add to meals to thicken them up. Especially helps if you accidentally add too much water. Thanks for the ideas.
Just have to say, I love how many aldi products I’m seeing in this vid. Working on doing an over night kayak camping, and hope in a few years to hike the AT with my daughter.
Yesterday I found these at the Dollar (Twenty-Five) Tree. Each package contains four 3/4 cup servings at 200 calories a serving and cook in boiling water in 2-3 minutes. Unfortunately a package is HEAVY: Almost 18 oz. and then you need something with which to sauce them. Anyway it's an option YMMV.
I know this is a few months old now. Something to keep in mind about dehydrated foods on the trail when looking at saving weight. I'm not against the idea and it is great for preservation. You will usually need extra water to rehydrate the food. That adds your weight back, or at least some of it.
I have found that buying freeze dried foods from Thrive or Honeyville is really great and super lightweight. I like to take the scrambled eggs and some sausage add some bell pepper and onion top with some salsa and put it on a tortilla. Really good breakfast. Nuts and pro bars for a snack, then for dinner shredded beef with veggies(potatoes, carrots, onion, peas) or instant rice with chicken, veggies and a powdered sauce like marinara or alfredo. The options are healthy and endless, and way cheaper than Mountain House meals, and better quality.
For the packs of knorrs use powered coffee creamer plus i make my own Ghee "great favor and lasts along time without frige. You'll be surpised what these two things can do..
KnorrsTeriyaki Rice Side with Mediterranean Pink Salmon packet is almost a Gourmet meal in the woods! I also order one Trailtopia meal (Like Mountain House but better iIMHO) per week or trip so I can then cook the Ramon Bombs or other Knorrs sides in the pouch. Also for evening drink, there is powdered Apple Cider mix that is awesome in warmer weather. Of course nothing beats Hot chocolate and Starbucks Via instant for a Hit desert drink with the Snickers Bar! Great Video overview of what I used and saw on the AT as far as resupply available at Walmart or Dollar General!
just wanted to give a shout out to a little trick ive learned in the past , for butter you can usually go to any kfc a few days before your departure and ask for a few packets of butter and get them for free as well as honey, the knorr milk based meals a trick is to use a packet of mayo instead.
If you look on Amazon, you can get a whole box of empty tea bags for next to nothing that you can put your own coffee in, as well. Works great if you're a coffee snob, or just want to save some money.
Dehydrate your own fruit-apples and strawberries are easy to do. Snacks or add to oatmeal or whatever-its cheaper and you don't have to lug trash around. Another note there was no added protein in your AM meal. Hunger will come quick with all of that dough-flour and carbs. Add some powdered eggs or peanut butter in there somewhere.
near east couscous, seeds of change meals, hummus with spinach on warps, baby food veggie/fruit squeeze packs, granola with milk powder. Just to name a few.
I brought couscous down and completely forgot to show it. It's in the big bin at the start of the video. Love that stuff and very easy to make on the trail.
I love making savoury oatmeal with chicken seasoning garlic powder and a spoonful of mushroom cupa soup. About 1/2 a teaspoon of each of the above really addictive and gives easy 450 Cals per cup of oatmeal.
I usually just start out my morning with bullet proof coffee. That gets me through a couple of hours, then I will have something else, like boiled eggs and precooked bacon (if the weather is cool), or maybe a low-carb tortilla with PB. Almost forgot, my favorite dinner is Instant mashed potatoes, a can of diced ham (I think the brand is Butterfield farms, 4ish ounce can) and about a 1/4 cup or so of good shredded cheddar cheese: Good! Pepperoni and cheese, yeah! I also like the yellow fin tuna packed in olive oil; I add a pack of mayo, stir and chow it out of the pouch. This is a great video! Should give folks a lot of great ideas for non-boring food choices.
@@lisaray6493 I have not, but am certainly considering it for my trips, would be lighter and less chance of me making an oily mess. Have you ever baked it into anything? Have been wondering about that, maybe making protein pancakes to take and upping the fat content for morning energy by adding some in.
Make your own instant oatmeal! Whirl baby flake oatmeal with brown sugar and powdered milk. Add in nuts/ dried fruit, etc. Place in plastic baggies. Pour boiled water into packet, eat, dispose of baggie.
I am doing the Appalachian trail this summer, call me old school, but I'm packing a bag of corn meal, and flour because I love bread. Just plain rice is easy to make on the trail, as are macaroni, or any pasta will give you carbs, powdered eggs, and milk are great to add as well. pinto beans take a long time to cook but I will only be making them on Sundays as I rest on Sundays when backpacking. These basics along with wild foods that you see along the trail will keep you eating well. I hit most of the things you showed in your video, I missed the spam packets, and the chicken. thanks for that.
I will be leaving the springer mountain trail head on the 27th or 28th of April I wont be moving very fast taking my time for the first couple of weeks till it gets easier. I will be turning 70 yrs old in Nov. haven't been hiking in over 20 yrs. but I refuse to just set in this house waiting to die .LOL that's what I feel like I've been doing.@@rockycharles3724
greg mason good luck and keep on! I love your attitude. I have spent my life caring for others and had a health scare last summer. Need to stop living for me. I doubt I’ll catch up with you. Do you have a trail name? I will look for you.
Tortillas even though they're kind of cooked. You're supposed to finish cooking. Best way flip over a pan let it heat up and just put your Tortilla on it flip it over more than once and it Cooks it fully before eating. Also if you'd like to take Bread Italians make long bread white rye pumpernickel. 1Avocado also they make 3 pk Ramen Cup a Soup cook's in 3 minutes. You can take them out of the cups and put them in a freeze dry bag and later just pull one or two add boiling water 3 minutes. Small little Potatoes for French Fries. Eggs will stay fresh for 6 days. Same with Butter. To keep certain things a little cooler a real thin walled metal box tin or aluminum
My happy food on trail is lays classic, I keep them on the outside of my pack. So good after a big climb! I get most of my calories and protein from breakfast; 1500 cals of porridge with milk powder, chocolate, and lots of nuts and seeds. I always calculate calories per gram and the best ratio I've come across is tahini (7 cal/g), second only to oils (9 cal/g). But if I have room I love to carry a loaf of fresh sourdough (only 3 cal/g) and a whole block of cheese (4 cal/g). Tahini almond date and cheese sandwiches are worth the weight to me for the first couple days but then I'm the type to carry out beers too.
We all deal with information/ ideas overload. You presentation is one of the best yet. Coming from an Army Vet. and Civ. Law Enforcement we did not have all the great stull available at that time. Bottom line, You nailed it ! Thank You ! Would love to visit with you. randall
Mountain house granola with a vanilla breakfast essentials dumped in is a ton of calories, no cook, and delicious. If you have time to pre-prep, throw in a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
Very thorough video on all things caloric. Don't forget about beef jerky and Slim Jims. Also there are these pouch meals called "ready meals" from Campbell's or Presto etc. They are basically MRE's, they can be boiled in the bag or cooked in a pot or eaten cold.
Okay so you take your velveta cook that along with a romen packet leave out the romen seasoning next you take your spam cut that up or tuna what ever you prefer. Mix it all together with the cheese spread from the velveta slap that in a tortilla and sprinkle seasoning on top as desired can add crushed cheetos on the bottom for some flare and crunch. Thats called the jail house special right there
Great video and I can't believe hot water right into the oatmeal package worked(didn't leak). Also I was happy to see granola bars and snacks I recognize. Too many hikers bring foods that cost too much money or I have to go to a specialty store to buy.
Look at Europe for other options. Bla Band from Finland or Kala Kalle tinned meat from Varusteleka are excellent options. May weigh a little more, but the taste.......GREAT!
When in the Air Force and we had to get ready for an ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection) I would go to the base exchange and load up on foods which I could eat out of the packets and also snack food because we could spend half a day or more away from the food service facility. That was good for nutrition and helped me to stay hydrated while in the field, or isolated in a hanger playing dead.
The Velveta, just repackage in a quart bag less volume... Use the olive oil to substitute for butter anytime. Pepperoni and peanut butter on a tortilla, super tasty. Sardines and PB is good as well. PB on the ramen bar, very good. PB and cheese top notch
bought a few of the mircowave mac & cheese meals. what i was looking for was how much water to add. my measurement came out to 1/2 cup. so for the camping project, open the mac & cheese at home , repack into a ziplock bag. this way you cut down the major con,(the bulk). boil your water. an make like you normally do.
Good way for coffee is pre mix powdered creamer , sugar, and coffee packets in a ziploc bag. Eliminates the packaging and you just pour some in hot or boiling water
A good hefty dinner is a bag of Mahatma yellow rice from walmart, $.76. And some summer sausage, $4. Delicious and sticks to your ribs. Makes a good lunch for 2 or hefty dinner for 1.
Love the video, but love the table more. Awesome idea with the caps. Would love to trek with you sounds like food would be crazy. Keep the video's coming.
i know eggs in a bottle add water weight, but they taste so much better than the powdered crap. add it in the pan with some bacon jerky and slap that on a piece of flat bread for a quick and easy breakfast
+1 on the Knorr bags, those things are yummy and easy on the wallet. I also like sardines in oil; 200 calories, calcium 7%, iron 8%, potassium 6% vit D 15%, 22g protein, and 1700mg Omega-3 fatty acids. All for 5.3 ounces! Great vid, thanks for posting!
This is really just building your own MRE (Meal Ready to Eat). Id like to see MRE rations get a little tweak to meet the needs of cycling adventures. Working on it.
If you have a Korean/Japanese supermarket near you you should have a good look in it, they have some great retort pouch stuff that is very well priced as well as freeze dried items such as soups etc... :)
Great video! One of our Boy Scout Troop’s favorite trail lunches is peanut butter and honey on flour tortillas. The boys always vote for it when planning a trek! We also do just about everything else you have listed here.
I hv a Asian grocery store locally and I found a Ramen that had toasted noodles in it and I tasted the noodle by itself and was amazed at how flavorful it was compared to our oodles of noodles, I really recommend it i just wish i remembered the name 😅
Pop tarts were my go to snack..also pb, tortilla, and crushed up flaming hot Cheetos. As far as protein goes, after the first couple weeks, once you get your trail legs and your eating 4000 calories a day, you will have no problem getting your protein. Even 4000 calories of pop tarts or ramen has your daily protein needs. Your body will only use so much protein a day, when you're burning 6000+ calories it will be converting everything else into energy. Also for electrolytes, a couple servings of potato chips have all the sodium and potassium you need (plus calories) 👍🏻
Hey man. So, I'm watching this video and it occurs to me how much effort went into this and how informative it was for me. I really appreciate your stuff. Thanks!
Best comment I've ever read man, thanks!
Just a little tip, when making your oatmeal or Knorr Rice or potato’s in the bag. If you turn the bag upside down and shake it then flip it over and open it, the sugar or heavier spices will then be on top and easier to mix
I like food, so I spend the winter dehydrating vegetables and all the other ingredients needed to make my own dehydrated meals. I think last winter I put together 150 lunches/dinners for my sons and I to take on our backpacking trips.
If you look at the ingredients on the meals that you can buy (mountain house, pack-it gourmet, etc..) you can put together the same meal and season it the way you like and by doing it yourself you save a lot of money.
Cliff Nelson I’ve done stuff like that on a smaller scale. Never got ballsy enough to dehydrate vegetables though. I’ll have to try it.
I make a ratatouille out of as many vegetables as the season allows, add beans and whole grains, then some proteins and even dairy... spice it to my personal tastes and then freeze dry. When the proportions are adjusted properly I can get my daily requirement of nutrients in 3 or 4 out of the 5 food groups (Protein, Grains, Vegetables, Fruit, and Dairy), depending if I use dairy by eating 4 to 5 cups of the rehydrated mix. No chemicals. low in sodium, no separate plastic containers for everything you put in your mouth. Can be eaten alone or added to other foods and cost pennies per serving. Eating crap with long lists of ingredients off the shelves of modern markets is foolish at any time.
Cliff, I think you're a man after my own heart. Not only do I 'borrow' from their ingredients lists, I add and make better! Recently I have been dehydrating veggies from my dad's allotment. Soon I'll be dehydrating food from my OWN allotment!
It also cuts down on weight! We are looking into a dehydrator before our next big hiking adventure!
Cliff, you have my attention. Where would one look to get his foot in the door for this?
Always good entertainment for the trip when TSA finds all the tiny baggies filled with white powder XD
Just mix the cocaine with the spices, they'll never find it and you'll march like the duracel bunny after lunch.
A handful of these ideas are just "ok" in everyday life, but out in the woods hiking they turn into highly delicious meals! I will be using several of these suggestions.
Velveeta makes mini blocks of cheese. Small, easily packable rectangles. I like to slice them into a tortilla, wrap in foil and toast in a campfire. SOOoooo good!
My issue is that it's not real cheese. It's processed cheese food product. Yuck. Give me the baby bell cheeses or cracker barrel or Cabot instead any day of the week.
I recommend going to an international or Asian grocery store because they sell instant coffee packets that already have the cream and sugar included. They’re amazing
you can also get great breakfast sachets with creamer and sugar included... :)
Powdered egg(+bacon bits)
Oats(+banana chips)
Powdered milk (+hot choc)
PB(powdered)
Trail mix
Multi vit
I tried powered Pb. It was disgusting.
Aleksfoxtrot, Maybe you just tried the wrong one
I'm curious whether powdered egg in ramen noodles would be nice? I've never tried it, but poached egg goes nicely in ramen.
Bit of a note on those freeze dried fruits, if you open the package before you go you can put three or 4 bags in one before you hit the trail, save space and garabage
The Knorr sides are the bomb!! The easiest way to fix these, is by using powder milk and olive oil!! The alfredo with a pouch of chicken meat mixed in after it is cooked, is super great on the trail!!
Easy to make and very filling!!
Thanks for posting the video!!
powdered goat milk in my oatmeal, powdered goat milk (whole foods) is really high in calories and protein too.
this is actually a great video, it’s nice to see something beyond just prepackaged meals. i do want to note that dehydration can cause soreness as well, so if you are experiencing soreness, consider your water intake as well.
Lactic acid build up after intense physical activity causes muscle soreness. You can walk it out in a couple miles though.
Maybe try to pre-measure and take along some powdered milk, like the Nido brand, for those Knorr or Lipton noodles. Does make them a little better with very little trouble or added weight.
I take avocados and use a wrap mash the avocado up spread it on the wrap and add pepperoni, also im a hugh fan of pixie sticks for quick energy when doing climbs
All good stuff! Thanks! Oatmeal for breakfast every day! I prepackage in a 1 qt freezer bag: oatmeal, walnuts, craisins, ground flax, chocolate protein powder. This is 700 calories and 30+ grams of protein for a 6 to 7 oz amount. Add boiling water, mix with spoon and zip close. No mess, no pot clean-up. Cheap, too. The bag becomes a trash bag for used toilet paper and spitting out tooth paste into.
Super smart move! The freezer bags are solid enough, I assume, to hold boiling water?
Yes, good quality freezer bags can withstand boiling hot water -- test some at home. I prefer Ziploc or Hefty.
You could add some protein powder to a lot of these meals. It's lighter to carry than even the Spam or tuna packets or whatnot.
Have you done that? I guess they probably have more neutral flavored powders (as opposed to chocolate or something), but it could still potentially effect the taste and texture in a negative way. Taste and texture are huge for me because I won’t get the calories I need if the food is bad. The extra weight can be worth it for better foods in many cases.
Interesting idea nonetheless. At the very least, you could just bring the protein powder and make protein drinks rather than doing something more unconventional.
I've tried it before. Add some extra water to your meal. We are talking normal protein powder and not whey protein.
I've done it mostly with oatmeal, using 'vanilla' protein powder. The vanilla taste is not strong and doesn't affect the flavor much. ( I also add a powdered fiber supplement to some of my meals as otherwise I tend not to get much in the sorts of meals I use backpacking. )
Cold soak couscous with dried peppers and tuna packs. Works great with taco seasonings chili seasoning, pesto, ranch powder and brown mustard packets. I eat them for lunch at work. They are versatile. 7 teaspoons of couscous and just fill water just over the top of it in the container. No cooking or boiling. 150-200 cals for the couscous and 100 or so for the mustard and tuna.
Summer sausage is a great energy source of high protein and fat dense food. Walnuts and pecans are great sources as well.
This was incredibly helpful. I find most meal ideas online are way too complicated. Your plan is practical. I'll be using your ideas on my upcoming trip.
We also carry Butter Buds with us. The kids called it magic butter when they were little. lol. When hiking with a companion, we carry the Tyson Premium Chunk White Chicken Breast, 7 oz Pouch (Walmart less than $3) and mix with stuffing.
I find Jolly Ranchers make for a great pick-me-up on the trail. 3 of them is 90 calories. When I start to feel a little drag I open up a Jolly Rancher and it gives just enough boost to keep hiking.
McLost In The Woods I hadn’t had a Jolly Rancher in over a decade and picked one up at water stop about 23 miles into a marathon. Couldn’t believe the little jolt and how much the tartness took my mind off the pain. They’re a staple now.
Also cuts down on water usage, your throat stays moist when working on a Jolly Rancher than w/o.. the lack of moisture when not using a hard candy/lozenge equals increased water intake
Peanut butter and Nutella in a tortilla. Never look back.
I've yet to try Nutella. Gotta get on that.
tortilla doesn't go with peanut butter or Nutella. There are some multi grain flat breads that it could go with but not those white flour tortillas.
Bob Preis with a banana 🤷♀️
@@FrozensAdventures its good but a lot of sugar
@@gummybear41283 that, and palm oil
Grew up hiking in norway mountains, breakfast is flourmix with grains + water cook in pan = good breakfast
Dinner high energy rice, basmati is usually good, and just usual dry soup bags.
Oat meal, instant mash knorr potatoes, rice, beef jerky, German salami, corned beef, cans of fish, chocolate covered expresso beans, 3in1 coffee sticks, iodine, condiments sachets,
Cliff Bars!!!! A must for me, they boost my energy and get me going for the rest of the trip lol!!!! They also have protein!!!
Cliff bars are the best!
🤮 I ate too many
@@FrozensAdventures thats like me with Ramen, I hate it but ill still eat it cuz its cheap and lightweight!
Whatever I take along to cook, I always take little tubs with salt, pepper, chilli flakes cinnamon. As well as a small plastic bottle of oil and one of soy sauce. You don't need much of them at a time so don't need to take much but they can really take the boredom out of food.
Thanks so much for sharing this. Some great tips! Another fan of the "eat the oatmeal out of the bag" trick. I have found that it helps to flip the bag and open from the "bottom" side. It helps get the yummy stuff that collects in the corners. Stove Top Stuffing is a great add, the cornbread flavor with the Chil Mac Mountian House is great. Make the Spicy Ramen, drain the water, add a scoop of peanut butter, on the trail Pad Thai! Love the Ramen Bomb idea! I am not a fan of tuna but I haven't seen the Chicken Creations, I will have to keep an eye for them.
Just a suggestion space wise... you can turn your freeze dried fruit into a powder to add it to your oatmeal. Great information!!! Thank you!!
Nice thanks!
flapjacks and cliff bars are also very great snacks since you can add whatever you want to flapjacks "within reason" and cliff bars have tons of flavours and are pretty nice
Look for "Better than Boulion". Its near soups. Replace electrolytes. Get Ramon noodles crush them up to save space. Great on the go: Power bar and dip in peanut butter.
Multi Vitamin and water. If you get night leg cramps probably a magnesium deficiency, everyone thinks potassium.
Missing Beef Jerkey, love that stuff when hiking... also just a bag of crisps or doritos is great. You can use those as a fire starter too. Great video!
Dennis de Melker I never get tired of beef jerky
Good suggestions. Going on several backpack hikes this summer. I've given up alcohol, coffee and soda. Get the craving from my system. Don't want to deal with coffee in the morning. Wake up, eat, pack and go.
What about taking a small thermos or a couple double walled stainless steel bottles, not to cook in (unsafe). but for thermos cooking. Boil the water, add food item to thermos or double walled bottle and wait. would work great for over night to have breakfast ready and when you cook lunch, you could cook dinner at the same time. Might be something to test out, i've only done the thermos cooking camping.
Do whatever feels right to you.
Have some plain powdered mashed potatoes to add to meals to thicken them up. Especially helps if you accidentally add too much water. Thanks for the ideas.
Im glad I’m not the only one who’s done this with Ramen noodle packets before, it sounds weird but I personally think that dry Ramen is pretty good! 🍜
13:40 This is basically what we call a pepperoni roll in West Virginia. It’s a staple in our state
Just have to say, I love how many aldi products I’m seeing in this vid. Working on doing an over night kayak camping, and hope in a few years to hike the AT with my daughter.
My personal food loadout is 5 pounds of beef jerky, 5 pounds dried fruit, 5 pounds trail mix and 7 chocolate bars.
Zer0 Deaths sheesh that’s 15 pounds of food plus 7 chocolate bars. How long are you on the trail?? 😂
Troll alert.
I take the easy mac cups and empty 2 into a ziplock to cut down on the space. Makes the perfect side for dinner or just a meal in itself.
Another idea is those packets of dried gnocchi. You can find them on occasion at Aldi or the Dollar (Twenty-Five) Tree.
Yesterday I found these at the Dollar (Twenty-Five) Tree. Each package contains four 3/4 cup servings at 200 calories a serving and cook in boiling water in 2-3 minutes. Unfortunately a package is HEAVY: Almost 18 oz. and then you need something with which to sauce them. Anyway it's an option YMMV.
I know this is a few months old now. Something to keep in mind about dehydrated foods on the trail when looking at saving weight. I'm not against the idea and it is great for preservation. You will usually need extra water to rehydrate the food. That adds your weight back, or at least some of it.
19:10 Sodium is your friend when you’re sweating a lot. You need to replace it or you’ll get muscle cramps, from my experience. 🧂
Exactly! A lot of people look at sodium the wrong way. With enough water it is needed.
Definitely especially when your on a bike with weight on and you can't Bend your legs to get off 🤣🤣🤣🤣.
Baby food is good to add like those smashed apples etc. And add to water pancake mix. And taco seasoning for flavour for rice.
I have found that buying freeze dried foods from Thrive or Honeyville is really great and super lightweight. I like to take the scrambled eggs and some sausage add some bell pepper and onion top with some salsa and put it on a tortilla. Really good breakfast. Nuts and pro bars for a snack, then for dinner shredded beef with veggies(potatoes, carrots, onion, peas) or instant rice with chicken, veggies and a powdered sauce like marinara or alfredo. The options are healthy and endless, and way cheaper than Mountain House meals, and better quality.
For the packs of knorrs use powered coffee creamer plus i make my own Ghee "great favor and lasts along time without frige. You'll be surpised what these two things can do..
KnorrsTeriyaki Rice Side with Mediterranean Pink Salmon packet is almost a Gourmet meal in the woods! I also order one Trailtopia meal (Like Mountain House but better iIMHO) per week or trip so I can then cook the Ramon Bombs or other Knorrs sides in the pouch. Also for evening drink, there is powdered Apple Cider mix that is awesome in warmer weather. Of course nothing beats Hot chocolate and Starbucks Via instant for a Hit desert drink with the Snickers Bar! Great Video overview of what I used and saw on the AT as far as resupply available at Walmart or Dollar General!
Instant grits in the packet with cheese one with bacon bits and some powered eggs I'm good for up to 5 hours depending on how hard I'm pushing it
Great job. I think squinches are awsome. Especially drinking all the fresh water in the mountains and not enough electrolights. Thanks
Nice spread! You pretty much hit all of my favorites. I also like the Pro Bar Meals and energy chews for on the go.
just wanted to give a shout out to a little trick ive learned in the past , for butter you can usually go to any kfc a few days before your departure and ask for a few packets of butter and get them for free as well as honey,
the knorr milk based meals a trick is to use a packet of mayo instead.
Recommend maxwell house coffee bags. Better than instant and you just heat water and drop in the bags like tea
Actually called Folgers singles
If you look on Amazon, you can get a whole box of empty tea bags for next to nothing that you can put your own coffee in, as well. Works great if you're a coffee snob, or just want to save some money.
@@nottoostabby That's a great idea, thanks!
Dehydrate your own fruit-apples and strawberries are easy to do. Snacks or add to oatmeal or whatever-its cheaper and you don't have to lug trash around. Another note there was no added protein in your AM meal. Hunger will come quick with all of that dough-flour and carbs. Add some powdered eggs or peanut butter in there somewhere.
near east couscous, seeds of change meals, hummus with spinach on warps, baby food veggie/fruit squeeze packs, granola with milk powder. Just to name a few.
I brought couscous down and completely forgot to show it. It's in the big bin at the start of the video. Love that stuff and very easy to make on the trail.
Dehydrated beef patties with ramen noodles and a cube of beef bullion. Tastes pretty good .
I love making savoury oatmeal with chicken seasoning garlic powder and a spoonful of mushroom cupa soup. About 1/2 a teaspoon of each of the above really addictive and gives easy 450 Cals per cup of oatmeal.
I usually just start out my morning with bullet proof coffee. That gets me through a couple of hours, then I will have something else, like boiled eggs and precooked bacon (if the weather is cool), or maybe a low-carb tortilla with PB. Almost forgot, my favorite dinner is Instant mashed potatoes, a can of diced ham (I think the brand is Butterfield farms, 4ish ounce can) and about a 1/4 cup or so of good shredded cheddar cheese: Good! Pepperoni and cheese, yeah! I also like the yellow fin tuna packed in olive oil; I add a pack of mayo, stir and chow it out of the pouch. This is a great video! Should give folks a lot of great ideas for non-boring food choices.
KuntryRD, have you tried the powdered Mct oil?
@@lisaray6493 I have not, but am certainly considering it for my trips, would be lighter and less chance of me making an oily mess. Have you ever baked it into anything? Have been wondering about that, maybe making protein pancakes to take and upping the fat content for morning energy by adding some in.
@@KuntryRD I've used it in smoothies, oatmeal, keto peanut butter bombs, and muffins. Still need a tad of oil when baking
@@lisaray6493 Thanks! I will order myself some and give it a try to see what happens.
@@KuntryRD make sure you check for fillers, all powders are not equal! Good luck
Your buddy ate an entire jar of PB on a two week hike.....I do that on a two day hike.
Thanks for the post. Love the table top
Actually haha, He had 3 jars over that 3 weeks.
Make your own instant oatmeal! Whirl baby flake oatmeal with brown sugar and powdered milk. Add in nuts/ dried fruit, etc. Place in plastic baggies. Pour boiled water into packet, eat, dispose of baggie.
I am doing the Appalachian trail this summer, call me old school, but I'm packing a bag of corn meal, and flour because I love bread. Just plain rice is easy to make on the trail, as are macaroni, or any pasta will give you carbs, powdered eggs, and milk are great to add as well. pinto beans take a long time to cook but I will only be making them on Sundays as I rest on Sundays when backpacking. These basics along with wild foods that you see along the trail will keep you eating well. I hit most of the things you showed in your video, I missed the spam packets, and the chicken. thanks for that.
greg mason I'm starting the approach to amicalola mid June to mt Rogers. Where and when will you be out
I will be leaving the springer mountain trail head on the 27th or 28th of April I wont be moving very fast taking my time for the first couple of weeks till it gets easier. I will be turning 70 yrs old in Nov. haven't been hiking in over 20 yrs. but I refuse to just set in this house waiting to die .LOL that's what I feel like I've been doing.@@rockycharles3724
greg mason good luck and keep on! I love your attitude. I have spent my life caring for others and had a health scare last summer. Need to stop living for me. I doubt I’ll catch up with you. Do you have a trail name? I will look for you.
greg mason ❤️!!!
Best dinner I've ever messed around with was MH biscuits and gravy meals with the spam packet and hot sauce
salted nut rolls are easy to pack, wont melt and a pretty complete snack!
The mashed potatoes - or ova easy eggs - are excellent with Durkee's French Fried Onion Rings on them. It adds flavor and crunch.
Tortillas even though they're kind of cooked. You're supposed to finish cooking. Best way flip over a pan let it heat up and just put your Tortilla on it flip it over more than once and it Cooks it fully before eating. Also if you'd like to take Bread Italians make long bread white rye pumpernickel.
1Avocado also they make
3 pk Ramen Cup a Soup cook's in 3 minutes.
You can take them out of the cups and put them in a freeze dry bag and later just pull one or two add boiling water 3 minutes.
Small little Potatoes for French Fries. Eggs will stay fresh for 6 days. Same with Butter. To keep certain things a little cooler a real thin walled metal box tin or aluminum
My happy food on trail is lays classic, I keep them on the outside of my pack. So good after a big climb! I get most of my calories and protein from breakfast; 1500 cals of porridge with milk powder, chocolate, and lots of nuts and seeds. I always calculate calories per gram and the best ratio I've come across is tahini (7 cal/g), second only to oils (9 cal/g). But if I have room I love to carry a loaf of fresh sourdough (only 3 cal/g) and a whole block of cheese (4 cal/g). Tahini almond date and cheese sandwiches are worth the weight to me for the first couple days but then I'm the type to carry out beers too.
Canadian Sled Dog Liam Quigley, Interesting suggestion
Canadian Sled Dog Liam Quigley, banana chips are a little over 5 cal per gram. Just a heads up. One 6 oz bag is a little over 900 calories.
Lots of great tips here. 👍
Making my own dehydrated meats & meals is half the fun!
We all deal with information/ ideas overload. You presentation is one of the best yet. Coming from an Army Vet. and Civ. Law Enforcement we did not have all the great stull available at that time. Bottom line, You nailed it ! Thank You ! Would love to visit with you. randall
Mountain house granola with a vanilla breakfast essentials dumped in is a ton of calories, no cook, and delicious. If you have time to pre-prep, throw in a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
Dude this is super helpful for my car camping, keep making videos I really enjoyed watching
Very thorough video on all things caloric. Don't forget about beef jerky and Slim Jims. Also there are these pouch meals called "ready meals" from Campbell's or Presto etc. They are basically MRE's, they can be boiled in the bag or cooked in a pot or eaten cold.
I used to bring all that stuff, I've shy'ed away. Maybe I just got burned out on them.
My mother used to put spam in everything, scalloped potatoes ect. I can not eat spam ever again.
Okay so you take your velveta cook that along with a romen packet leave out the romen seasoning next you take your spam cut that up or tuna what ever you prefer. Mix it all together with the cheese spread from the velveta slap that in a tortilla and sprinkle seasoning on top as desired can add crushed cheetos on the bottom for some flare and crunch. Thats called the jail house special right there
Great video and I can't believe hot water right into the oatmeal package worked(didn't leak). Also I was happy to see granola bars and snacks I recognize. Too many hikers bring foods that cost too much money or I have to go to a specialty store to buy.
The oat meal cooking is very convenient.
Look at Europe for other options. Bla Band from Finland or Kala Kalle tinned meat from Varusteleka are excellent options. May weigh a little more, but the taste.......GREAT!
When in the Air Force and we had to get ready for an ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection) I would go to the base exchange and load up on foods which I could eat out of the packets and also snack food because we could spend half a day or more away from the food service facility. That was good for nutrition and helped me to stay hydrated while in the field, or isolated in a hanger playing dead.
Oh, Also Chili Cheese Fritos or Honey Twist Frtitos added to any Tortilla Tuna or Spam Wrap makes for a mouth watering experience!
Chili cheese or honey twist fritos are awesome on sandwiches, especially egg salad. Not necessarily trail food, that. :)
Informative video. Been backpacking quite some time and didn’t realize you can actually cook in those Knorr pouches. Thanks for that tip!
Add dried stinging nettles to your meals or use for a hot cuppa. Full of vitamins, minerals and protein. Easy to prepare and pack.
The Velveta, just repackage in a quart bag less volume... Use the olive oil to substitute for butter anytime. Pepperoni and peanut butter on a tortilla, super tasty. Sardines and PB is good as well. PB on the ramen bar, very good. PB and cheese top notch
bought a few of the mircowave mac & cheese meals. what i was looking for was how much water to add. my measurement came out to 1/2 cup. so for the camping project, open the mac & cheese at home , repack into a ziplock bag. this way you cut down the major con,(the bulk). boil your water. an make like you normally do.
Good way for coffee is pre mix powdered creamer , sugar, and coffee packets in a ziploc bag. Eliminates the packaging and you just pour some in hot or boiling water
I love the knor packets !
I love the oatmeal package dry with coffee to wash it down. Simple easy and no mess.
Oven bags in cooking pot or crock pot bags no real clean up sept utensils and you can toss them to pack out what you bring in or make sure its gone
A good hefty dinner is a bag of Mahatma yellow rice from walmart, $.76. And some summer sausage, $4.
Delicious and sticks to your ribs. Makes a good lunch for 2 or hefty dinner for 1.
I dehidrate my meals from scratch. But I will use the store bought brands as well. Cant wate to see your trip on the AT.
Peanut butter, fruit roll up, tortilla. BAM. PB&J?
William is upset he didn't find Mountain House 'chitlins' 🖕
Love the video, but love the table more. Awesome idea with the caps. Would love to trek with you sounds like food would be crazy. Keep the video's coming.
i know eggs in a bottle add water weight, but they taste so much better than the powdered crap. add it in the pan with some bacon jerky and slap that on a piece of flat bread for a quick and easy breakfast
This was a good good video!!!
Many cool creative ideas with everyday things you can buy.
Thank you!
+1 on the Knorr bags, those things are yummy and easy on the wallet. I also like sardines in oil; 200 calories, calcium 7%, iron 8%, potassium 6% vit D 15%, 22g protein, and 1700mg Omega-3 fatty acids. All for 5.3 ounces! Great vid, thanks for posting!
This is really just building your own MRE (Meal Ready to Eat). Id like to see MRE rations get a little tweak to meet the needs of cycling adventures. Working on it.
Back in the 70s, we used to mix peanut butter and wheat germ. Was hard to find things that were freeze-dried lightweight food.
Love the table!
Ha thanks, unfortunately I don't have it anymore. Hoping to build a smaller one at some point.
If you have a Korean/Japanese supermarket near you you should have a
good look in it, they have some great retort pouch stuff that is very
well priced as well as freeze dried items such as soups etc... :)
This is all the type of stuff we would pack when we went out on training missions when I was in the Army. The skittles were a must! lol.
Wayward Waggs I remember I packed skittles during a winter hike, not the best idea, almost broke a tooth
Great video! One of our Boy Scout Troop’s favorite trail lunches is peanut butter and honey on flour tortillas. The boys always vote for it when planning a trek! We also do just about everything else you have listed here.
Put some pepperoni on that!
I hv a Asian grocery store locally and I found a Ramen that had toasted noodles in it and I tasted the noodle by itself and was amazed at how flavorful it was compared to our oodles of noodles, I really recommend it i just wish i remembered the name 😅
A block of Parmesan or Romano cheese last for days and if it dries out boil it add whatever to it. The cheese adds umami savoury flavor.
Beef jerky, banana chips, freeze dried mushrooms
Pop tarts were my go to snack..also pb, tortilla, and crushed up flaming hot Cheetos.
As far as protein goes, after the first couple weeks, once you get your trail legs and your eating 4000 calories a day, you will have no problem getting your protein.
Even 4000 calories of pop tarts or ramen has your daily protein needs. Your body will only use so much protein a day, when you're burning 6000+ calories it will be converting everything else into energy.
Also for electrolytes, a couple servings of potato chips have all the sodium and potassium you need (plus calories) 👍🏻