Wow, wow, wow, thanks a lot Paul, as a50yr old father of an 8yr old daughter I have promised we will go camping(tent) some time soon as we have both never done it before and we both enjoy walking on nature trails was thinking how I was going to cart around all the tins and jars etc so thanks for those great alternatives some people may say what a divy which is fine by me as we have never been camping before stumbled on this video by accident, so thanks again Paul and I look forward to seeing more of your videos soon.
Paul, this is probably the third or fourth time I have watched this. I really enjoy your videos. I use the same pack, and pack similarly. What I found works for ME, and as an alternative to how you pack yours, is to make a 24 hour "ration pack". Essentially, it is simply putting in all the food for a day, into a gallon zip lock bag. In it, you have your breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, and drinks. This organization has worked for me in the past, and, to be honest, I copied it from somewhere else. It certainly makes it much easier when hiking, as I can simply use the pack that is on the top, and I dont have to worry about portions on the trail. Anyway, just thought I'd share.
Each bag becomes its own rubbish bag too, and if you don't eat everything in a day, you can identify trends later i,e, Sunday I wasn't hungry as I left xyz uneaten, Monday I ate all except xyz, Wednesday, bad weather so ate previous 2 days leftovers to buffer and comfort, Thursday not hungry so drinks only until suppertime. Etc etc.
We have used the rat pack system for over 30 years as well. A day's rations parcelled out and packaged in freezer bags. Our treks (Pyrenees, Alps, Lakes, Welsh hills etc) were normally three weeks. Ten days rations, spare fuel, spare batts, maps for second part of the trip etc would be cached in a black bin bag (usually buried as per army days) at a halfway point on the trek. Then we went back to the start of the trek and start out with 10 days rations. Breakfast: oats+milk powder+dried fruit+sugar+butter. Lunch: (grazed during the day) traditional bag of 'gorp' nuts, granola, raisins, chips of chocolate, boiled sweets, mint cake, etc. Evening meal: pasta/bulgar/couscous/rice with spices, home made dried veg, butter, cheese or homemade dried meat. Then rehydrated fruit, usually apple. Hot chocolate. Bear in mind we are walking/climbing 12 hours a day often with gear including crampons, ropes, ice axes etc so we were consuming lots of calories hence lots of butter and oats. These days my treks are less extreme and so I need far fewer calories but I still like individual rat packs. All the best.
Very nice! My personal additions: 1. A small flask of olive oil to season any foods at 850 cal/100g. 2. Peanut butter. Dark chocolate. Biscuits. Mixed dried fruits. Honey to sweeten tea & breakfast. Dried seaweed, is Asian superfood. 3. Campfire bread At home premix flour and a teaspoon each baking powder, salt, sugar in a zip lock. At camp just add tiny amount of water, mix into dough _inside the zip lock_ , shape into ball and throw in the coals. Optionally add olive oil, raisin, nuts, oats etc. Yes, fresh baked rustic bread... 4. Asian instant noodles. 500cal/100g. Not the healthiest but no fuss at all, just add warm water and it tastes good. Powdered porridge too. Add Olive oil or honey&fruits..
Thank you, Paul! I had absolutely no idea how what to pack for a week's backpacking trip...or for a week's forced excursion due to natural disaster, etc...Now, I have not only a place to start, but a full menu! For me, this video is foundational. It compares to finding that one book that suddenly becomes a plan of organization, or a key to unlocking a mystery....such as I found when I discovered a book that explained the historic uses of California plants, breaking them down into suitability for food, soap, making baskets, etc...and allowing me to begin to organize the abundance of plant information to those available in my neck of the woods. I am so grateful. Thank you!
Hi paul , I add to items to my kit that I find very light, easy to pack and store, and have massive benefits 1 Soft flour tortilla, 140 Calories in each and come in packs of 8, not very heavy and don’t freeze. I use one at the end of my main meal to clean the inside of the packet. 2 Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 200ml, it’s a salad dressing so comes in a push spray 206 Calories in every 25ml portion. It’s in a small strong plastic bottle with lid. I find that 25ml added to food actually improves the taste. It’s also very good for you; I consider it a camp super food.
One good alternative/variety for carbohydrates is buckwheat. Also, I add some olive oil and home-dried beef meat, as well as dried hard cheese like Parmesan. On strenuous hikes a 100g chocolate bar per day is helpful for me. Dried fruits like raisins go along with nuts very well. I aim around 3.000kcal/day and well below 900g/day of food for hikes from early spring to late fall. ATB, Gereon
Kestrel Bushcraft There's actually 3,000 calories per day. It's the items you choose that make the differernce. Here's a breakdown of the nutritional content: paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/nutritional-breakdown-of-the-plce-side-pocket-menu/
Simply brilliant. Exactly what I was looking for and more. I'm a total noob to camping and am slowly obtaining all the gear as I have none and it can be quite pricey as a whole. I like to be informed and find the right gear so I only have to buy once and slowly edit my loadout as I gain more experience. However, food has been quite the challenge to find basic broken down info on and this has been enlightening. Thank you so much, brother. Happy trails!
I really like little packets of dried soups (chicken and vegetable are my favourites). Really they are just flavoured salt, but when in the bush, you need salt, and it's nice to curl up around a cup of soup. Excellent video.
As a beginner hiker/backpacker I was thinking about which food to carry with me, and I also thought it would be best to carry dehydrated food. Your video gave me confidence that this is actually a good idea. Thanks and have a nice day!
I think you hit the nail on the head by stressing how important flavour and variety are aswell as calories it can really lift the spirits if the going gets a little tough either through terrain or weather great advice at usual
Massively useful, Paul - thank you. A couple of possible alternatives I'd add are compressed stoned dates, and pumpernickel (dark German rye bread, comes in foil or sealed plastic wrappers). And your oatmeal biscuits can always be crumbled up and boiled to make porridge.
Oatmeal with ready-seasoned tuna... Sounds good. Quaker Oats for breakie, quite a few flavours available. Instead of chorizo (love the stuff! But is messy) I take salami in one piece as it keeps well or smoked meats which have lost practically all the water as part of the process. Rye crisp bread has a good calories to Weight ratio. The round ones travel better than the usually available v thin ones like Fincrisps. I do favour pasta coming with a base sauce like Carbonara and can then be added to, as opposed to starting with plain pasta - repackaging not as easy, though. Out of cheeses, Parmesan a real calories bomb... And who would eat pasta without parmesan! Flakes save a lot of work but a right kind of knife can do the grating from a block, too. Like you, I take the coffee sachets with powdered milk and sugar in them. Too sweet though, so in the summer I mix with normal instant and in the winter when volume of hot drinks is important I use a coffee filter stand that slots straight on top of a mug. Cheers, Pete
This video is fantastic! Food is something that always struggle with when backpacking. Apart from taking snacks and expensive boil in the bag meals but this video has given me plenty of great ideas. Thank you
Thank you for this video, anytime that I go to a supermarket (I live in Brazil) I've found some new dehydrated 'food' to be used. But this video opened a new way of thinking for me, thank you very much.
just found this channel tonight will be busy watching the back catalogue lightweight bivy and tarp is my kit so light weight food ideas are great. thanks
I use a lot of the 2 minute rice/couscous/grains packets you get in supermarkets. They can be chucked in a billy can of hot water for 5 mins (and the hot water makes your brew/soup/sauce) or can be eaten cold out the packet. They are almost dry and don't weight a lot so I use them as my main meals. I take loads of proper Jerky and a trail mix, and loads of energy bars. A few effervescent vit tablets turns ditch water into something almost nice to drink too. Great videos, keep 'em coming!
Oats placed in the blender then put into a big mortice and pestle add sugar to suit and then add a flavour cinnamon works well the grind it together with some dried milk and it will be just as good as the expensive shop version for pennys the longer you grind and blend the smoother the texture.
Great video Paul. Well presented and unlike many videos, no complicated jargon, just simple practical advice. Spring is here and I'm looking forward to some good camping this year. Top job!
Thanks for this video. I'm just starting to plan a three-five day unaided hike and it's given me some brilliant ideas without spending an arm and a leg.
After seeing Dave Canterbury on a video I got hooked on bush craft and camping again!! Your one of the few that give great information and step by steps !! Thanks so much for all you do. Blessings and merry Christmas all!!
Super ideas, many thanks. There's an excellent strong cheddar called "Black Bomber" that's available in small rounds (about 8cm diameter) that comes coated in black wax. The wax would keep it fresh until the cheese was cut, and then you'd only have the cut side to worry about. Must give it a go!
That is a lot of food. I like the thought of sauce packets never thought of that but those selections are great choices. I use to carry a fair bit of dried fruits but you really need to be careful on how much you eat at any one time...LOL. Also a good selection of spices and herbs. Appreciate your hard work Paul. atb Opal
I always carry a mixed bag of chocolate covered peanut and raisins gives you a mix of fast release sugar (in the choc) protein and fats( in the peanuts) plus carbs and slow release sugars and vitamin c( in the raisins) plus they taste great!!!
Well done Paul, a common-sense video for real world application, and it's a well-balanced menu. As I saw mentioned in another comment, peanut butter would be a welcome addition for fat, caloric and protein value. It's messy unless you buy tubes of PB, re-packing it's a mess. I know it's not a common sight at markets but dehydrated vegetables are a nice addition and have little weight addition. I learned a lot from this video so many thanks.
Paul, enjoyed the video. I'm always on the lookout for new trail meal ideas. Let me share a few of mine. I have found lentils to be a great source of calories for the bush. Some of my more favorite uses: lentil chili with beef jerky, curried lentils with chicken and a lentil stew with a sausage or two. With the chili, I dehydrate salsa to give it a little kick. With the curry I add some raisins and nuts for a topping. In fact, I got the idea for the curry when I did some training with the British army. Wednesday in the officer's mess was always curry day. With the stew I usually use summer sausage. But, you could use any kind of jerky. Again, thanks.
Thx for this detailed video will refer to it in the future. Planning on doing the John o groates to landsend walk next summer maybe and want to stay away as much as possible form eating in pubs and whatnot to keep costs down, having usually used ration packs on wild camping trips in the past this has given a me a lot of good ideas of how I’ll approach food.
Very good video! So many people run through what is in their ruck then at the end of the video simply say, “and plenty of room left for food and clothes” when there really doesn’t appear to be “plenty of room”. This video provides good advice on what food to pack, how to pack it, and where to acquire it.
Speaking of dehydration, I eat all the stuff you've mentioned and find all the cooked stuff much, much nicer and healthier by adding a pinch of dehydrated appropriate veg to taste. Very light, very cheap, nutritious, healthy. Last forever if kept dry. Multi win. Peppers (bell type) and green onions are probably up there with my top choices, but it really matters what you like
Thanks Paul for a very informative video. I'm about to go on a canoe camping week in Sweden and couldn't decide what food to take. Now I have a much better idea! The reframing of volume vs calorific value was especially enlightening. Just off to check out the other videos.
I'm going with Intrepid Expeditions, so to be honest, I'm not too sure whereabouts the route goes just yet. I am planning to go on similar courses in the UK as well. I'm a hiker/camper trying to stretch myself now into bushcraft and learning new skills.
an excellent and very informative video on food for backpacking hiking and bushcraft. The best I have seen on the topic. Agree totally with your views on dried foods as opposed to carrying heavy hydrated products. Good to see some excellent alternatives to the over-priced and un-necessary branded outdoor products that cost a fortune. really appreciated the breakdown of weight and calorific values etc. regards
Great video. I'd throw in some small resealable sachets of various herbs and spices and maybe a few stock cubes. it helps to add a bit of variety and the stock cubes can be used as a drink if you're yearning after that sort of a strong flavour
nice video, thanks for making it. in my opinion a dehydrator can be a back packers best piece of equipment that you do not take with you! you can buy what ever produce you prefer, and preserve it while also decimating the weight of it in a dehydrator. you can make soups and stews and dehydrate them (don't forget the broth, it contains a lot of flavor and calories!) once you are familiar with the process. add a bit of pasta and you can get a good filling meal, minus the water, for under 100g. for a starter soup try a basic chicken and veggies soup. be sure to cook the chicken, or what ever meat you are using, thoroughly first. cut it into regular size pieces, and perhaps a bit smaller than you would normally, so it dries out properly. add onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, kale, spices and/or what ever you prefer, and some bullion for stock. remember that with a dehydrator you can make your own bullion without all of the added salt and chemicals. with or without added pasta you can have a good, healthy, lightweight meal. some of the denser veggies, like carrots, or potatoes, I prefer to cook before dehydrating. others, like peppers, or leafy greens, can just go in fresh. some, like onions or garlic, I have done both ways. again, on anything going in a dehydrator, it is best to try for regularly sized pieces so that they dry evenly and properly. you can also dry any fruits that are in season, and create your own fruit leathers and jerky. a dehydrator, in my opinion, is a backpacker's best friend.
+Ghostfather I couldn't agree more. Having a food dehydrator has transformed my backpacking. Going for 6 or 7 days between re-supplies with minimal weight and carrying minimal fuel is now relatively easy. Not to mention the fact you get tasty home cooked meals out in the field. It just requires putting the work in before you leave on a trip, rather than during the trip. I make big batches of bolognaise or chilli con carne or carbonara or curry. I also pre-cook the spaghetti or the rice and mix it with the sauce and portion it up. I then dehydrate the whole lot and bag each portion up in 'pour n store' bags and keep it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. That way, once I'm out in the field, I can just add a mug of boiling water directly to the bag, drop it in my homemade bag-cosy and it's ready to eat in 10-15 minutes. Saves on washing up too, although I do rinse out the bags and take them home to re-use. There's plenty of tutorial videos here on TH-cam for making your own dehydrated backpacking meals. My dehydrator cost £35 off Amazon.
Yes, But..... it uses too much power. It has to run for hours on end to dehydrate even a small amount of food .I had one, but I'm not using it anymore, just not cost effective.
awesome suggestions and tips! your other commenters also give out some great choices and tips also.I can only add to this by adding a second side pouch for a pork roast and a rack of lamb! just alittle humor as no one left any open blanks! thank you, thank you!
Excellent thank you. As a vegetarian the Smash/dried mash is one of the top foods I take, I love it and so easy to do, especially with pre-grated cheese. I like to take some spicy sausage which is vegan and doesn't need refrigeration as it's sealed in plastic, so won't go off and doesn't even need cooking. The nuts I always take as of course I don't eat tuna etc. There's vegan jerky I like to take too and meat eaters could take the meaty one of course, it's handy as a filling snack or to have with pasta etc. I have bought packets of expedition food to try out but like you say you can get lots from the shops. Great video.
Interesting video and you certainly put a few ideas in my head, you could even say it was food for thought (pardon the pun). I noticed that you included good calorific food, and no signs of the dreaded pot noodle and tin of spam, that most people take with them. Very inspiring. Keep up the good work. Cheers Chris
Draconian Survivalist Thanks for your comments Chris. If you'd like more info on the nutritional breakdown of the menu, then please check out the follow-up article on my blog here: paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/nutritional-breakdown-of-the-plce-side-pocket-menu/ Warm regards, Paul
by far one of my all time favourite videos on youtube, it's the sort of topic which isn't given much thought of but everyone at some point has got stuck over food particularly on long hikes. tuna on oatcakes is brilliant josh
Good video ,I carry a big jar of peanut butter to eat ,but you can also use for fish bait, trap bait, and I have a big container once im done eating it. good in fat ,protein, calories.
Thanks for sharing your menu ideas Paul. I've found a selection of dried fruit to be great for energy and flavour. Mixed with nuts in a handy hip belt pocket you can keep fuelling all day.
Hi Paul and thank you very much for your free and wide, knowledge transfer. You should maybe specify for what kind of climate and activity is this type of example adequate. Beginners might get the wrong idea. I would also add crumbled and repacked potato chips mixed with asian noodle soups as an in between hot meal. Also butter or lard to go with the mashed potatoes and others in the winter. Thanks again and good luck! Yours sincerely, me :)
Hello Mr. Kirtley. I always look forward to a new video from you. Most people don't realize how hungry your NOT at lunch time . Especially when you're trekking hard. It's very important to get calories in you but that's really the only reason your eating . I enjoy relaxing and enjoying my breakfast and dinner . I have a rocket pack and I too carry all my food in one side pocket . We have a lot of black bears here in North Georgia so it makes it easy to unzip it and tie it up in a tree. I got a lot of new meal ideas from this video . Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us . ATB . Steven
***** Hi Steven, good to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. I like the point you highlighted about a side pouch being easy to hoist it up a tree. A good additional tip there. I'm glad my video was useful to you. Thanks for your feedback. Warm regards, Paul
Yeah food n water tend to be my heaviest items Paul. I've found a way I can cut down on the amount of food I need to load on my bike when I go on a trip. Like most of us I carry a bit of bodyfat so I've started doing intermittent fasting when I'm camping. I still pack some food but only enough for one meal a day. IF-ing from bedtime through til making camp the next afternoon switches me into fat-burning mode, without which it can be quite hard to utilise bodyfat for fuel. For a snack I'll stop around mid-morning for a cup of matcha made on my tiny stove - I like to find a nice quiet spot on a creek bank, with some wildlife or cows around for company. Cows are particularly good value as they'll come over to check out what I'm up to, and hang around til I make what one of them considers to be a sudden move, at which point they'll stampede for about 50 metres then stop and watch from a distance before venturing closer again. Later in the day when I come to a town I'll pull in at a cafe for a long black while I'm on my phone watching a video or journalling (I email the entries to my desktop to be collated after I get back home). Having a coffee around lunchtime makes fasting easy once I'm in the groove, and it's quite enjoyable. It also gives me more time for travelling, not having to mess about making and eating 3 meals a day. And when I get home I'm always several kilos lighter. Part of the routine is, once a week I'll find a gym in the town I'm passing through and do a short but intense weights workout. This is to protect doubly against muscle-wasting and make sure it's my unwanted fat that gets burnt. It also gives me the chance to have a nice long hot shower every week. Cacao is another drink I like to have; when the fasting's over for the day I'll add a little coconut milk that I carry in a screw-top plastic jar. Btw, it's good to add a pinch of salt to matcha-coffee-cacao, to add to the flavour while fasting and not having milk. Thanks for all your videos Paul - I've just bought an SF bivvy and an Integral Designs flye and I'll be leaving the tent (and the Helinox table and chair) behind next trip.
I wish I had watched this before the BF and I went wild camping in Skye last week! half the car was taken up with food! and not all of it worked well on a camp fire. I had never been camping before so it was very much a learning experience but absolutely loved it and your videos are fantastic! Hopefully I'll be a bit less rubbish/inept at it next time!
We found this really useful recently prior to our first long distance hike (West Highland Way). Thanks Paul! Oatcake and cheese lunches as well as pasta after a long day hiking were really appreciated.
Thank you so much! 👍🏻I like to take ameri dates and sesame based halva. Lemon, mint or orange boiled candies can be added to the tea to enrich the flavor. Lentils with rice prepared meal also rich in protein, carbohydrates and fibers.
Thanks Paul, great video. I'm a 300lbs+ weight lifter and I stress over carrying enough calories to feed myself when I wild camp. This has inspired me. Also wasn't aware of some of these products like tuna in a pack instead of a can.
i certainly learned from this video. Dry fruits is a must for me in my kit and smth to deal with a lack of veggies. I always bring a piece of a garlic and fresh ginger with me, can be used for cooking, but usually i just eat a clove of garlic together with a meal, and making fresh ginger tea. Believe me, on a cold wet day it lifts u up so much, especially if u r already a few days into hiking and camping. It also helps to prevent catching a cold during the trip,or deal with it if u have one, instead of taking bold medicines. Vlad S
Hi paul this has been the best video ive seen on sensible lightweight but small food choices. Im like you there isnt anything i wont eat. A lot of people forget the importance of water and of course the weight carrying a litre or two. Have good food choices and eating foods you like like your boiled sweets can be a great morale booster when the going gets tough ie heavy rain and up to your knees in mud. Even ascending and you get to that point breathing hard and you just keep pusing yourself. Only thing i would change is i would definately take the nuts lol
Peanut butter in a camping tube, as well as butter; all purpose flour mixed with baking powder and a bit of salt for pancakes/bannock/flatbreads; beef jerky; pemmican; dried berries; raisins; cacao, and on and on. I learned years ago how to dehydrate food and bulk pack it in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. A most handy skill to acquire.
Big Thank you for the video!! it helped me reduce the weight of my rucksack and i also have saved about a third of space...while boosting the energylevel it contains. Thx again! Greetings from Austria :)
Great points, because you'll always find water like most trekkers. It doesn't make sense to carry ready-made food in cans to weigh you down. And with the plastic bags you store dehydrated foods in, if you have to veer away from a water source, you still have those bags to store water in when you leave that water source.
Very helpful, didn't think you could get a weeks supply in there but you proved that you can. I try to carry Kendall mint cake (about 325 calories per bar). Cheers for the vid.
Great video, thank you so much. I like taking dried beans and rice with dehydrated veggies. Although the beans and rice take a long time to cook compared to pasta. Anyone else use those?
Hello Paul, another very informative video of yours. I like the dried tuna, as i've never seen anything like it here in germany. I will look out for something similar. I like taking cornmeal or polenta with me. It's 345kcal/100g and 4 parts water are needed for preparation which makes it a very substancial meal. Some mixed in parmesan cheese makes it a very tasty meal too. thank you for your ideas and videos. keep up the great work, i appreciate it very much. all the best, Ferdinand
Great video - you explanned in 20 minutes what took me 2 years to learn myself. I also take dried soup vegetables. You can buy them in the supermarket, they weigh nothing but expand like crazy when they absorb water in your sauce mix, and add a lot of flavour and texture. I also use ramen because you can add it boiling water in an insulated mug and it cooks itself in 5-7 minutes without using anymore fuel. I also take hot sauce, and sachets if salt /pepper from fast food restaurants to liven up the food, as some of the dehydrated pastas etc are super efficient in terms of weight /nutrition, but I find the taste bland sometimes.
It is nice Paul.I use to dehydrate my own(home) cooked food with my dehydrator.This way ,you can control your calories/u can carry a bigger amount of food.(up to 10 days) tnx 4 the video
Minute/Instant rice works well too. it is very light and cooks quickly. Btw, ramen cooks much faster than regular pasta, which reduces stove fuel weight. GORP - good old raisans and peanuts for trail mix. Almonds and cranberries are good additions.
Another great video, thank you Paul. A few ideas from my rucksack if I may. I don't like porridge or milk so dehydrate a lot of fruit when in season (apples, plums and peaches) and then on the trail re-hydrate it into a sauce and have it with my musli. It is like eating a fruit crumble and pot clean up is minimal. Can even add a bit of cinnamon or brown sugar. A small dehydrater is a great low cost investment as one can do a lot yourself as you mentioned with the mushrooms but also with fruit, pasta sauces etc. Not a lot of work, can make in batches and store, saves money and you know what your eating, pack in ziploc bags as you do so minimal bulk. As a treat I usually put an apple and a few carrots in the top of my rucksack so I have a bit of fresh food for the first lunch on the trail. All the best.
I wrote down the whole kit, I like it! I will shop for the items not already in my cupboard. The powdered milk idea is going to make coffee and granola much better. I do motor camping these days, and the 2 - 32 liter panniers fill up fast. Thanks for the video.
Michael Workman Hi Michael, thanks for your feedback on the video. I'm glad you found it all useful with some good takeaway points you can apply to your trips. ATB, Paul
Great video Paul, thanks. I have done a few multi day hikes now and have struggled to get the right balance between sufficient calories vs weight. I was using Army boil in the bag rations which taste good and pack the calories but really add up in weight. Really useful, many thanks.
Very informative as I'm planning a weeks trip up to Scotland this summer and was looking to drop some weight with the food as most my other kit iv managed to shed the pounds
Hi Paul this is the first video i have watched by you..It was informative,clear and concise,, i often take dried fruits done in my hydrator aswell as jerky and sometimes dried salmon which greatly helps in reducing weight when your carrying kit and equipment for a longer duration,,, I too to add to my meals and i do love a werthers original to chomp on when im bimbling.Cheers Des
des cattys Hi Des, yes it's hard to beat a few Werthers in your pocket :-) I've not tried salmon dried in the deyhydrator...so that's one for my list...thanks for sharing. ATB, Paul
This gave me some good ideas for my next trip, thanks! One food item I like to bring when I'm hiking are those Justin's nut butters single serve packets. They are good straight or spread on a granola bar. And the perfect size to carry in your pocket :)
six*impossible*things Hey, thanks for your feedback. Glad you found this provided some ideas. I like your idea about the single serving peanut butter. I've had these sachets left over from Backpackers Pantry meals (think it was the Phad Thai or Schezuan dishes) and have used them in porridge but it never occurred to me to spread on granola bar. Good tip. I'll try that. Cheers, Paul.
A very useful and interesting video Paul, Thank you. The foods that you've suggested are also so much less expensive than buying dehydrated meals in pouches which cost about £6 each, you've saved a fortune on a week's food by buying in supermarkets and avoiding specialist camping foods. Can I just say that I use Nestle NIDO powdered milk, absolutely brilliant, mixes easily into hot or cold water and provides full fat milk which is really tasty and nutritious. ASDA stock it in their larger format stores. Thanks for the video.
Very sensible. Mountain guides in the Alps often go for Saucisson Noissette. Nut/meat fat sausage. Tube of Bovril also good as a drink or for flavouring - less faff than teabags/milk/sugar. Once talked to an alaskan guide who explained how they required 10K cals per day in the cols so they carried loads of butter and even buried it in containers under the snow (with gps co=ordinates for later retrieval). Works if your butter isn't going to get warm !
bb dean Yes, good combo of fat and protein with the nut-meat sausage. Good idea with the Bovril. I also like stock cubes/bouillon, particularly in cold conditions. It gets some fat mobilised around your system. Very flavoursome too. With respect to butter, yes we add it to dishes when snowshoeing/winter camping, an idea I got from reading about polar journeys. It works a treat. I've never tried geocaching butter though... :-) Always more good ideas out there. Thanks and warm regards, Paul
Paul Kirtley If you're a regular caffeine user and you stop suddenly you may be subject to 2/3 days of splitting headaches and more than a little crankiness, not recommended while having to deal with wild places and it would ruin your time out. It's easy to forget caffeine is an addictive substance that many people have been taking since childhood so although the Bovril idea is great be wary of what suddenly dropping caffeine can do.
jelkel25 Very interesting to read this here. Had this when hiking in France. My brother and me both we quite effected by this until we realized that we just needed some coffee. ;)
Yes, It definitely needs to be spaced out through the day or the negative effects increase and the positive ones lessen, if you need more stimulants maybe something herbal like Ginseng might work (but doesn't work for everyone) and green tea increases the metabolism with a lot less caffeine, there are options out there a little easier on the system than coffee.
Damn, you're eating like a king out there. I do the tuna packets, but other than that, a weeklong backpack trip for me constists of a pound of homemade beef jerky and four freeze dried meals. I do see your point on using things from any supermarket. Good video
This is a great idea. I have to give you a big thumbs up. The strategy probably works better when you have a meal plan and you're car camping or backpacking rather than section or thru hiking a trail.
Good selection of foods and great to see someone talk some common sense on back packing food with regard to the mix-and-match of the resources you take. I also like the point of decanting into better storage bags, excellent point. I don't have granola or pasta due to being Gluten Free but use my own porridge mix for breakfast and my own lentils mix for dinners which contains quinoa, mixed herbs and spices. The gluten free foods are much better recently so I will start to have a play with the GF Pastas and see how it goes because its touchy to cook right in the best of conditions and turns to must if you over cook slightly. Many thanks for your insight and taking the time to make this video, very helpful. ATB Richard
Plce is normally on a bergen military pack, patrol or battle belt. Usually with molly on it. But idea is good keep scoff in one or two places. They can be used for anything really.
Ye this is great. Very helpful. Lately I've been toiling over food in my kit. Obsessively actually. What bag/pouch? What foods? Everyone here can relate I'm sure. I'm still looking for that perfect pouch/bag. Thanks for the vid
Very interesting I think actually you could go 10 days with that same kit if you were real in trouble not able to move normally for what ever reason .The key to this video to me any way it's all out of a store at probably a 10th of the coast of some outfitter food . Happy Trails young man and thanks a bunch
Gotta have some.....bacon!!!! You can pre cook it and reheat on the go. Another favorite is the cured ham. Keeps good and frys up nicely. Eggs will keep with out refrigeration for a while. But cook and eat those very early on. (Keep them in a Tupperware type container wrapped in cloth or napkins. ) butter keeps good as well. Just make sure that it is a sealed container. Honey never goes bad and very high in sugar. My favorite snack is jerky. Walking food. Protein sugar, salt, coffee, the sealed bricks. Any type of dried noddles.(ramen, etc.) And save the flavor packs for a tasty broth of seasoning for something else. Thank u . I am inspired. Must go repack now.
Great video Paul! Very inspiring and full of good solid info, as always. Good to see a few still that has budget as one of the factors. its easy just to list expensive expedition food, but you keep it so everyone can learn and use your knowledge. Thank you! Keep up the excellent work. Cheers from Sweden.
After some trial and error, I have devised a similar list with items from Asda and Aldi, and tested it for 7 days (eating only from the items in the side pouch, and cooking only in a Crusader cup). Key differences: My side pouch is the larger 12L one. Total weight: 6.3kg. Total calories: 24,500 (3,500/day). By the end of the week, I still had enough for another 2-3 days! I would recommend including 700g of peanut butter (100g per day) , which is very calorically dense (and 100-200g pouch of peanut butter in your pockets - 1st Line, or in 2nd Line belt kit). I also add quite a bit of nuts and dried fruits to nibble on - it goes. I eat a lot of meat and protein. My main source of meat on the trail is Beef Tushyonka (braised beef) from Russian food stores. Ideally, you want to ration 300g/days, but those cans come in 400g and up (which means that you're carrying at least 700g more in total weight). So Polish Krakus Pork cans (these days available in Tesco, Asda and everywhere), although not as nice as Russian Beef Tushyonka, are exactly 300g (330g with the can) if you want to watch the weight of your food pouch. Conclusions: breakfast and lunch are mostly dry and uncooked: granola, oats, jerky, oatcakes, snickers. Ramen noodles takes too much volume and doesn't really add that many calories. Macaroni from ASDA takes up less space than Macaroni from ALDI, but cooks longer and doesn't seem as nice. Orzo might be a consideration for small-packing carbs, if you can come up with a nice and simple recipe for it. Sesame bars and/or Greek/Armenian Halva - definitely worth adding. Small cheddar cheese pieces can be kept for couple of days, but in a hot environment (even British summertime) anything beyond that seems like a major risk! so they need to be eaten first. Not sure how safe it is to keep Chorizzo sausage out of the fridge for a week. Jerky packs can take up quite a bit of volume even when folded - I don't know how safe it would be to prick the pack to let the air out. Snickers and chocolate will melt. Add 50g-100g of tomato paste and a small bottle of multipurpose sauce (like Buffalo RedHot Wings). Though calorically not dense and mostly water, good for taste, good for morale. Have a simple "spice-rack" in plastic containers (always watch the weight): salt, pepper, garlic powder, chicken seasoning mix (good for anything) or paprika, dry coriander, Knorr Aroma. Remember, you're packing for a week, so you don't really need more than 15g of salt for example. I sew my mini spice rack along with brew-kit into the top lid of the side-pouch. Add 100g of ghee or olive oil to your pack (again, plastic container). You can't carry butter for many days, but you can carry ghee. (Never ever fry anything in your crusader mug - cleaning afterwards is a nightmare) You have to come up with 2-3 hearty recipes that are palatable to you, which you can eat HAPPILY over and over again during your evening camp meal, which are simple (not many ingredients), easy to prepare, easy to clean afterwards (good luck cleaning the Crusader cup after you've made macaroni with cheese and your water supply is limited), and can be eaten with a spoon. Normally, my recipes involve boiling some carbs and mixing in the meats, much like how you'd prepare the Caribbean Bully-Beef (Corned Beef macaroni) or macaroni Puttanesca. My staple food during camp is the Russian army Field Kasha that they've been eating for the past 200 years - boil some buckwheat (100-125g), add garlic (1 big clove, or tbs of dry), 1 chopped carrot (if you're lucky), 200-300g beef Tushyonka -- let it all simmer, mix periodically until buckwheat has expanded and your Crusader cup is full. Preparation time:15min (but the longer you let it sit, the nicer it becomes). To me this seems to be much healthier food than any of the MREs that I've tried from various armies (buckwheat is one of the slowest carbs and high in fibre, Tushyonka gives you good quality relatively lean beef (you need to buy the highest quality), carrot adds some fibre and taste, and garlic is a natural antibiotic). You can add black pepper, milk powder, ghee and Knorr Aroma to taste. To me Field Kasha is in the list of great Cossack inventions along with AK-74, sharp e-tool, Gorka, поджопник (underass-nik) and Plasch-Palatka (poncho-tent). , which is very calorically dense, which is very calorically dense
Hi Paul, fell over this one again, absolutely brilliant, i learned from it, if you do set up 'APK' and do it once a month, maybe add a few 'tips and hints', to help people find your other stuff not found on, 'APK', Keep yourself, family and friends safe. Nige.
Very good. I had to look up PLCE - Personal Load Carrying Equipment (British Army) - there had to be some reason the "side pocket" was about half the size of my pack! I gave up on normal chocolate bars, particularly for the warmer weather, as they melt and make an unpleasant mess in the wrapper, but Minstrels are an exception - the candy shells stop that as long as they're kept dry. It's worth a balance of slow-release calories and things that make you feel satisfied for longer, rather than lots of sugar, which can lead to highs and lows. As a vegetarian, I can't turn to the meat options for the protein, but vegetables have a lot more protein than people realise, especially pulses: peas, beans and lentils. I also discovered early on that nuts are about the most calorie-intensive food, at least of solid foods, as well as giving us protein and a bunch of good vitamins and other nutrients. The protein component of food actually only gives us about 70% of the calories used in calculating packet labels, so high protein foods won't be as calorific as they look by the numbers. On the other hand, they give us that slow-burn effect and make us feel fuller for longer.
God Bless you for the cheese. A multi-vitamin every morning. Dehydrated fruit, rice, jerky, beans (soaked 8 hrs they can be eaten raw), oatmeal of course, frozen vegetables aren't as light-weight as dehydrated but are precooked and will keep several days, chili-powder, cayenne, sugar, onion and garlic powder, salt, lard or oil (very high calorie), cornmeal, wheat flour, baking powder (bread on a stick), bacon will keep for a long time. The list of grocery food items suitable for backpacking is immense. Paul got my sub by pointing out the money to be saved in the grocery store versus dehydrated meals. The key is learning how to cook.
A bit late but I'd take care to cook the beans anyway. They contain toxins which could kill children easily already in small amounts and adults as well if you eat enough of them. Only heat will break them up and leave them safe to eat.
Wow, wow, wow, thanks a lot Paul, as a50yr old father of an 8yr old daughter I have promised we will go camping(tent) some time soon as we have both never done it before and we both enjoy walking on nature trails was thinking how I was going to cart around all the tins and jars etc so thanks for those great alternatives some people may say what a divy which is fine by me as we have never been camping before stumbled on this video by accident, so thanks again Paul and I look forward to seeing more of your videos soon.
Paul, this is probably the third or fourth time I have watched this. I really enjoy your videos.
I use the same pack, and pack similarly. What I found works for ME, and as an alternative to how you pack yours, is to make a 24 hour "ration pack". Essentially, it is simply putting in all the food for a day, into a gallon zip lock bag. In it, you have your breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, and drinks. This organization has worked for me in the past, and, to be honest, I copied it from somewhere else. It certainly makes it much easier when hiking, as I can simply use the pack that is on the top, and I dont have to worry about portions on the trail.
Anyway, just thought I'd share.
Each bag becomes its own rubbish bag too, and if you don't eat everything in a day, you can identify trends later i,e, Sunday I wasn't hungry as I left xyz uneaten, Monday I ate all except xyz, Wednesday, bad weather so ate previous 2 days leftovers to buffer and comfort,
Thursday not hungry so drinks only until suppertime.
Etc etc.
We have used the rat pack system for over 30 years as well. A day's rations parcelled out and packaged in freezer bags. Our treks (Pyrenees, Alps, Lakes, Welsh hills etc) were normally three weeks. Ten days rations, spare fuel, spare batts, maps for second part of the trip etc would be cached in a black bin bag (usually buried as per army days) at a halfway point on the trek. Then we went back to the start of the trek and start out with 10 days rations. Breakfast: oats+milk powder+dried fruit+sugar+butter. Lunch: (grazed during the day) traditional bag of 'gorp' nuts, granola, raisins, chips of chocolate, boiled sweets, mint cake, etc. Evening meal: pasta/bulgar/couscous/rice with spices, home made dried veg, butter, cheese or homemade dried meat. Then rehydrated fruit, usually apple. Hot chocolate. Bear in mind we are walking/climbing 12 hours a day often with gear including crampons, ropes, ice axes etc so we were consuming lots of calories hence lots of butter and oats. These days my treks are less extreme and so I need far fewer calories but I still like individual rat packs. All the best.
Great idea...then no waffling over what to have for lunch or dinner, it's what's in the 24 hour ration pack. Love it. Thanks!
Very nice! My personal additions:
1. A small flask of olive oil to season any foods at 850 cal/100g.
2. Peanut butter. Dark chocolate. Biscuits. Mixed dried fruits.
Honey to sweeten tea & breakfast.
Dried seaweed, is Asian superfood.
3. Campfire bread
At home premix flour and a teaspoon each baking powder, salt, sugar in a zip lock. At camp just add tiny amount of water, mix into dough _inside the zip lock_ , shape into ball and throw in the coals. Optionally add olive oil, raisin, nuts, oats etc.
Yes, fresh baked rustic bread...
4. Asian instant noodles. 500cal/100g. Not the healthiest but no fuss at all, just add warm water and it tastes good.
Powdered porridge too. Add Olive oil or honey&fruits..
Thanks a lot for this vid! I greatly appreciate that you chose normal supermarket products instead of relying on highly specialised trekker food.
Thank you, Paul! I had absolutely no idea how what to pack for a week's backpacking trip...or for a week's forced excursion due to natural disaster, etc...Now, I have not only a place to start, but a full menu! For me, this video is foundational. It compares to finding that one book that suddenly becomes a plan of organization, or a key to unlocking a mystery....such as I found when I discovered a book that explained the historic uses of California plants, breaking them down into suitability for food, soap, making baskets, etc...and allowing me to begin to organize the abundance of plant information to those available in my neck of the woods. I am so grateful. Thank you!
Kees Roma hi! would you mind sharing the name of this book, sounds great!
Kees Roma I
Hi paul , I add to items to my kit that I find very light, easy to pack and store, and have massive benefits
1 Soft flour tortilla, 140 Calories in each and come in packs of 8, not very heavy and don’t freeze. I use one at the end of my main meal to clean the inside of the packet.
2 Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 200ml, it’s a salad dressing so comes in a push spray 206 Calories in every 25ml portion. It’s in a small strong plastic bottle with lid. I find that 25ml added to food actually improves the taste. It’s also very good for you; I consider it a camp super food.
I like trail food: Raisins, M&Ms, and nuts of any kind mixed together in whatever proportion you like. Wonderful stuff!
One good alternative/variety for carbohydrates is buckwheat. Also, I add some olive oil and home-dried beef meat, as well as dried hard cheese like Parmesan. On strenuous hikes a 100g chocolate bar per day is helpful for me. Dried fruits like raisins go along with nuts very well. I aim around 3.000kcal/day and well below 900g/day of food for hikes from early spring to late fall. ATB, Gereon
Nice to see how little food you actually need for a weeks camping, very insightful.
Kestrel Bushcraft There's actually 3,000 calories per day. It's the items you choose that make the differernce. Here's a breakdown of the nutritional content: paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/nutritional-breakdown-of-the-plce-side-pocket-menu/
Simply brilliant. Exactly what I was looking for and more. I'm a total noob to camping and am slowly obtaining all the gear as I have none and it can be quite pricey as a whole. I like to be informed and find the right gear so I only have to buy once and slowly edit my loadout as I gain more experience. However, food has been quite the challenge to find basic broken down info on and this has been enlightening. Thank you so much, brother. Happy trails!
Hey, thanks for your comment and feedback on this. Glad it was super useful to you. Happy trails indeed. Warm regards, Paul
Very informative.I will be backpacking 315 miles shortly, so my son directed me to this site. Many thanks!
Mel Brunskill How was your hike? Where did you walk?
I really like little packets of dried soups (chicken and vegetable are my favourites). Really they are just flavoured salt, but when in the bush, you need salt, and it's nice to curl up around a cup of soup. Excellent video.
As a beginner hiker/backpacker I was thinking about which food to carry with me, and I also thought it would be best to carry dehydrated food. Your video gave me confidence that this is actually a good idea. Thanks and have a nice day!
I think you hit the nail on the head by stressing how important flavour and variety are aswell as calories it can really lift the spirits if the going gets a little tough either through terrain or weather great advice at usual
Massively useful, Paul - thank you. A couple of possible alternatives I'd add are compressed stoned dates, and pumpernickel (dark German rye bread, comes in foil or sealed plastic wrappers). And your oatmeal biscuits can always be crumbled up and boiled to make porridge.
Oatmeal with ready-seasoned tuna... Sounds good. Quaker Oats for breakie, quite a few flavours available. Instead of chorizo (love the stuff! But is messy) I take salami in one piece as it keeps well or smoked meats which have lost practically all the water as part of the process. Rye crisp bread has a good calories to Weight ratio. The round ones travel better than the usually available v thin ones like Fincrisps. I do favour pasta coming with a base sauce like Carbonara and can then be added to, as opposed to starting with plain pasta - repackaging not as easy, though. Out of cheeses, Parmesan a real calories bomb... And who would eat pasta without parmesan! Flakes save a lot of work but a right kind of knife can do the grating from a block, too.
Like you, I take the coffee sachets with powdered milk and sugar in them. Too sweet though, so in the summer I mix with normal instant and in the winter when volume of hot drinks is important I use a coffee filter stand that slots straight on top of a mug.
Cheers, Pete
This video is fantastic! Food is something that always struggle with when backpacking. Apart from taking snacks and expensive boil in the bag meals but this video has given me plenty of great ideas. Thank you
Thank you for this video, anytime that I go to a supermarket (I live in Brazil) I've found some new dehydrated 'food' to be used. But this video opened a new way of thinking for me, thank you very much.
just found this channel tonight
will be busy watching the back catalogue
lightweight bivy and tarp is my kit so light weight food ideas are great. thanks
I use a lot of the 2 minute rice/couscous/grains packets you get in supermarkets. They can be chucked in a billy can of hot water for 5 mins (and the hot water makes your brew/soup/sauce) or can be eaten cold out the packet. They are almost dry and don't weight a lot so I use them as my main meals. I take loads of proper Jerky and a trail mix, and loads of energy bars. A few effervescent vit tablets turns ditch water into something almost nice to drink too. Great videos, keep 'em coming!
Oats placed in the blender then put into a big mortice and pestle add sugar to suit and then add a flavour cinnamon works well the grind it together with some dried milk and it will be just as good as the expensive shop version for pennys the longer you grind and blend the smoother the texture.
I'm taking 3kg of beef
Great video Paul. Well presented and unlike many videos, no complicated jargon, just simple practical advice. Spring is here and I'm looking forward to some good camping this year. Top job!
Thanks for this video. I'm just starting to plan a three-five day unaided hike and it's given me some brilliant ideas without spending an arm and a leg.
After seeing Dave Canterbury on a video I got hooked on bush craft and camping again!! Your one of the few that give great information and step by steps !! Thanks so much for all you do. Blessings and merry Christmas all!!
Super ideas, many thanks. There's an excellent strong cheddar called "Black Bomber" that's available in small rounds (about 8cm diameter) that comes coated in black wax. The wax would keep it fresh until the cheese was cut, and then you'd only have the cut side to worry about. Must give it a go!
Rub a little oil/marge/butter on the cut side...
Way less trash as well. Stumbled on this video looking for ideas on space-saving ideas for ADV motorcycle travelling. Well done.
That is a lot of food. I like the thought of sauce packets never thought of that but those selections are great choices. I use to carry a fair bit of dried fruits but you really need to be careful on how much you eat at any one time...LOL. Also a good selection of spices and herbs. Appreciate your hard work Paul. atb Opal
Thanks, Paul. I'll be sharing this with my Scouts to get them out of their meal planning routine. Very useful info on econonical, lightweight food.
I always carry a mixed bag of chocolate covered peanut and raisins gives you a mix of fast release sugar (in the choc) protein and fats( in the peanuts) plus carbs and slow release sugars and vitamin c( in the raisins) plus they taste great!!!
Well done Paul, a common-sense video for real world application, and it's a well-balanced menu. As I saw mentioned in another comment, peanut butter would be a welcome addition for fat, caloric and protein value. It's messy unless you buy tubes of PB, re-packing it's a mess. I know it's not a common sight at markets but dehydrated vegetables are a nice addition and have little weight addition. I learned a lot from this video so many thanks.
Paul, enjoyed the video. I'm always on the lookout for new trail meal ideas. Let me share a few of mine. I have found lentils to be a great source of calories for the bush. Some of my more favorite uses: lentil chili with beef jerky, curried lentils with chicken and a lentil stew with a sausage or two. With the chili, I dehydrate salsa to give it a little kick. With the curry I add some raisins and nuts for a topping. In fact, I got the idea for the curry when I did some training with the British army. Wednesday in the officer's mess was always curry day. With the stew I usually use summer sausage. But, you could use any kind of jerky. Again, thanks.
I've heard many conversations about what food to take on the trail, but this was one of the best; concise and well thought out! Thank you.
Thx for this detailed video will refer to it in the future. Planning on doing the John o groates to landsend walk next summer maybe and want to stay away as much as possible form eating in pubs and whatnot to keep costs down, having usually used ration packs on wild camping trips in the past this has given a me a lot of good ideas of how I’ll approach food.
Thanks for your comments Chris. I'm glad this has given you a few ideas. Let me know how you get on with your walk. All the best, Paul
Very good video! So many people run through what is in their ruck then at the end of the video simply say, “and plenty of room left for food and clothes” when there really doesn’t appear to be “plenty of room”. This video provides good advice on what food to pack, how to pack it, and where to acquire it.
Glad you appreciated the video Richard. Thanks for your feedback.
Speaking of dehydration, I eat all the stuff you've mentioned and find all the cooked stuff much, much nicer and healthier by adding a pinch of dehydrated appropriate veg to taste. Very light, very cheap, nutritious, healthy. Last forever if kept dry. Multi win. Peppers (bell type) and green onions are probably up there with my top choices, but it really matters what you like
Thanks Paul for a very informative video. I'm about to go on a canoe camping week in Sweden and couldn't decide what food to take. Now I have a much better idea! The reframing of volume vs calorific value was especially enlightening. Just off to check out the other videos.
Andi Scott Thanks Andi. Glad you found this useful. Whereabouts in Sweden are you going?
I'm going with Intrepid Expeditions, so to be honest, I'm not too sure whereabouts the route goes just yet. I am planning to go on similar courses in the UK as well. I'm a hiker/camper trying to stretch myself now into bushcraft and learning new skills.
Well enjoy it Andi Scott Sweden is a beautiful country. I look forward to hearing about it in due course :-)
Thanks, Paul. Your videos are invaluable to my prep for the trip. Best wishes.
Andi Scott
My pleasure.
an excellent and very informative video on food for backpacking hiking and bushcraft. The best I have seen on the topic. Agree totally with your views on dried foods as opposed to carrying heavy hydrated products. Good to see some excellent alternatives to the over-priced and un-necessary branded outdoor products that cost a fortune. really appreciated the breakdown of weight and calorific values etc. regards
Great video. I'd throw in some small resealable sachets of various herbs and spices and maybe a few stock cubes. it helps to add a bit of variety and the stock cubes can be used as a drink if you're yearning after that sort of a strong flavour
nice video, thanks for making it.
in my opinion a dehydrator can be a back packers best piece of equipment that you do not take with you! you can buy what ever produce you prefer, and preserve it while also decimating the weight of it in a dehydrator. you can make soups and stews and dehydrate them (don't forget the broth, it contains a lot of flavor and calories!) once you are familiar with the process. add a bit of pasta and you can get a good filling meal, minus the water, for under 100g.
for a starter soup try a basic chicken and veggies soup. be sure to cook the chicken, or what ever meat you are using, thoroughly first. cut it into regular size pieces, and perhaps a bit smaller than you would normally, so it dries out properly. add onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, kale, spices and/or what ever you prefer, and some bullion for stock. remember that with a dehydrator you can make your own bullion without all of the added salt and chemicals. with or without added pasta you can have a good, healthy, lightweight meal. some of the denser veggies, like carrots, or potatoes, I prefer to cook before dehydrating. others, like peppers, or leafy greens, can just go in fresh. some, like onions or garlic, I have done both ways. again, on anything going in a dehydrator, it is best to try for regularly sized pieces so that they dry evenly and properly.
you can also dry any fruits that are in season, and create your own fruit leathers and jerky.
a dehydrator, in my opinion, is a backpacker's best friend.
+Ghostfather
I couldn't agree more.
Having a food dehydrator has transformed my backpacking.
Going for 6 or 7 days between re-supplies with minimal weight and carrying minimal fuel is now relatively easy.
Not to mention the fact you get tasty home cooked meals out in the field.
It just requires putting the work in before you leave on a trip, rather than during the trip.
I make big batches of bolognaise or chilli con carne or carbonara or curry.
I also pre-cook the spaghetti or the rice and mix it with the sauce and portion it up.
I then dehydrate the whole lot and bag each portion up in 'pour n store' bags and keep it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it.
That way, once I'm out in the field, I can just add a mug of boiling water directly to the bag, drop it in my homemade bag-cosy and it's ready to eat in 10-15 minutes.
Saves on washing up too, although I do rinse out the bags and take them home to re-use.
There's plenty of tutorial videos here on TH-cam for making your own dehydrated backpacking meals.
My dehydrator cost £35 off Amazon.
Ghostfather ... I like the idea of hydrated food.. maybe I would do two nights now 👍
I dehydrated semen, took me 3 months to get a salt alternative that is very high in protein and very low in sulphur.
Ghostfather
Amazing, thanks.
Yes, But..... it uses too much power. It has to run for hours on end to dehydrate even a small amount of food .I had one, but I'm not using it anymore, just not cost effective.
awesome suggestions and tips! your other commenters also give out some great choices and tips also.I can only add to this by adding a second side pouch for a pork roast and a rack of lamb! just alittle humor as no one left any open blanks! thank you, thank you!
Excellent thank you. As a vegetarian the Smash/dried mash is one of the top foods I take, I love it and so easy to do, especially with pre-grated cheese. I like to take some spicy sausage which is vegan and doesn't need refrigeration as it's sealed in plastic, so won't go off and doesn't even need cooking. The nuts I always take as of course I don't eat tuna etc. There's vegan jerky I like to take too and meat eaters could take the meaty one of course, it's handy as a filling snack or to have with pasta etc. I have bought packets of expedition food to try out but like you say you can get lots from the shops. Great video.
Interesting video and you certainly put a few ideas in my head, you could even say it was food for thought (pardon the pun).
I noticed that you included good calorific food, and no signs of the dreaded pot noodle and tin of spam, that most people take with them. Very inspiring. Keep up the good work. Cheers Chris
Draconian Survivalist Thanks for your comments Chris. If you'd like more info on the nutritional breakdown of the menu, then please check out the follow-up article on my blog here: paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/nutritional-breakdown-of-the-plce-side-pocket-menu/ Warm regards, Paul
by far one of my all time favourite videos on youtube, it's the sort of topic which isn't given much thought of but everyone at some point has got stuck over food particularly on long hikes.
tuna on oatcakes is brilliant
josh
Good video ,I carry a big jar of peanut butter to eat ,but you can also use for fish bait, trap bait, and I have a big container once im done eating it. good in fat ,protein, calories.
Good luck with the water you will have to drink to dilute all that sodium and all the sweat you will produce
Thanks for sharing your menu ideas Paul. I've found a selection of dried fruit to be great for energy and flavour. Mixed with nuts in a handy hip belt pocket you can keep fuelling all day.
Stuart Telford Yup it's good to keep the fuel tricking in.
Hi Paul and thank you very much for your free and wide, knowledge transfer. You should maybe specify for what kind of climate and activity is this type of example adequate. Beginners might get the wrong idea. I would also add crumbled and repacked potato chips mixed with asian noodle soups as an in between hot meal. Also butter or lard to go with the mashed potatoes and others in the winter. Thanks again and good luck! Yours sincerely, me :)
I believe he mentioned British / Northern Temperate in the first couple of minutes.
Hello Mr. Kirtley.
I always look forward to a new video from you. Most people don't realize how hungry your NOT at lunch time . Especially when you're trekking hard. It's very important to get calories in you but that's really the only reason your eating . I enjoy relaxing and enjoying my breakfast and dinner . I have a rocket pack and I too carry all my food in one side pocket . We have a lot of black bears here in North Georgia so it makes it easy to unzip it and tie it up in a tree. I got a lot of new meal ideas from this video . Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us .
ATB . Steven
***** Hi Steven, good to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. I like the point you highlighted about a side pouch being easy to hoist it up a tree. A good additional tip there. I'm glad my video was useful to you. Thanks for your feedback. Warm regards, Paul
I always come back to these videos to refresh my knowledge and to keep learning! Thank you for this Paul! Great Teacher!
Yeah food n water tend to be my heaviest items Paul. I've found a way I can cut down on the amount of food I need to load on my bike when I go on a trip. Like most of us I carry a bit of bodyfat so I've started doing intermittent fasting when I'm camping. I still pack some food but only enough for one meal a day. IF-ing from bedtime through til making camp the next afternoon switches me into fat-burning mode, without which it can be quite hard to utilise bodyfat for fuel.
For a snack I'll stop around mid-morning for a cup of matcha made on my tiny stove - I like to find a nice quiet spot on a creek bank, with some wildlife or cows around for company. Cows are particularly good value as they'll come over to check out what I'm up to, and hang around til I make what one of them considers to be a sudden move, at which point they'll stampede for about 50 metres then stop and watch from a distance before venturing closer again.
Later in the day when I come to a town I'll pull in at a cafe for a long black while I'm on my phone watching a video or journalling (I email the entries to my desktop to be collated after I get back home). Having a coffee around lunchtime makes fasting easy once I'm in the groove, and it's quite enjoyable. It also gives me more time for travelling, not having to mess about making and eating 3 meals a day. And when I get home I'm always several kilos lighter.
Part of the routine is, once a week I'll find a gym in the town I'm passing through and do a short but intense weights workout. This is to protect doubly against muscle-wasting and make sure it's my unwanted fat that gets burnt. It also gives me the chance to have a nice long hot shower every week.
Cacao is another drink I like to have; when the fasting's over for the day I'll add a little coconut milk that I carry in a screw-top plastic jar. Btw, it's good to add a pinch of salt to matcha-coffee-cacao, to add to the flavour while fasting and not having milk.
Thanks for all your videos Paul - I've just bought an SF bivvy and an Integral Designs flye and I'll be leaving the tent (and the Helinox table and chair) behind next trip.
I wish I had watched this before the BF and I went wild camping in Skye last week! half the car was taken up with food! and not all of it worked well on a camp fire. I had never been camping before so it was very much a learning experience but absolutely loved it and your videos are fantastic! Hopefully I'll be a bit less rubbish/inept at it next time!
onward and upward !Glad you had a great time.
We found this really useful recently prior to our first long distance hike (West Highland Way). Thanks Paul! Oatcake and cheese lunches as well as pasta after a long day hiking were really appreciated.
Just getting into outdoor activitys, this was a very informative and also very interesting video to watch, thanks Paul!
Thank you so much! 👍🏻I like to take ameri dates and sesame based halva. Lemon, mint or orange boiled candies can be added to the tea to enrich the flavor. Lentils with rice prepared meal also rich in protein, carbohydrates and fibers.
Nisim - Fabulous idea re. The candies !!
Thanks Paul, great video. I'm a 300lbs+ weight lifter and I stress over carrying enough calories to feed myself when I wild camp. This has inspired me. Also wasn't aware of some of these products like tuna in a pack instead of a can.
i certainly learned from this video. Dry fruits is a must for me in my kit and smth to deal with a lack of veggies. I always bring a piece of a garlic and fresh ginger with me, can be used for cooking, but usually i just eat a clove of garlic together with a meal, and making fresh ginger tea. Believe me, on a cold wet day it lifts u up so much, especially if u r already a few days into hiking and camping. It also helps to prevent catching a cold during the trip,or deal with it if u have one, instead of taking bold medicines.
Vlad S
some people even make citrus chips, or drying marinated meat using dehydrator. i gotta try it some day!
Love the supermarket buys. Spent a fortune on ration pack and dehydrated meals. Thanks paul
Hi paul this has been the best video ive seen on sensible lightweight but small food choices. Im like you there isnt anything i wont eat. A lot of people forget the importance of water and of course the weight carrying a litre or two. Have good food choices and eating foods you like like your boiled sweets can be a great morale booster when the going gets tough ie heavy rain and up to your knees in mud. Even ascending and you get to that point breathing hard and you just keep pusing yourself. Only thing i would change is i would definately take the nuts lol
Peanut butter in a camping tube, as well as butter; all purpose flour mixed with baking powder and a bit of salt for pancakes/bannock/flatbreads; beef jerky; pemmican; dried berries; raisins; cacao, and on and on. I learned years ago how to dehydrate food and bulk pack it in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. A most handy skill to acquire.
Expertly presented Mr Kirtley. I definitely picked up a couple of handy tips. Stay well my friend.
Hi Paul, You really put a lot of work into your study on nutrition. Thank you for all your helpfully ideas
I never imagined the Couscous. Great idea. Tinned Salmon ... simple, but never entered my mind. Thank you.
Big Thank you for the video!!
it helped me reduce the weight of my rucksack and i also have saved about a third of space...while boosting the energylevel it contains.
Thx again!
Greetings from Austria :)
This is wonderful! Looking for resources for camping food, and I think I have found it. Cheers mate.
Great points, because you'll always find water like most trekkers. It doesn't make sense to carry ready-made food in cans to weigh you down. And with the plastic bags you store dehydrated foods in, if you have to veer away from a water source, you still have those bags to store water in when you leave that water source.
Very helpful, didn't think you could get a weeks supply in there but you proved that you can. I try to carry Kendall mint cake (about 325 calories per bar). Cheers for the vid.
I copied exactly this food for my 1 week trip in northern sweden and it worked out perfectly! Thx!
Great video, thank you so much. I like taking dried beans and rice with dehydrated veggies. Although the beans and rice take a long time to cook compared to pasta. Anyone else use those?
Hello Paul, another very informative video of yours. I like the dried tuna, as i've never seen anything like it here in germany. I will look out for something similar.
I like taking cornmeal or polenta with me. It's 345kcal/100g and 4 parts water are needed for preparation which makes it a very substancial meal. Some mixed in parmesan cheese makes it a very tasty meal too.
thank you for your ideas and videos. keep up the great work, i appreciate it very much.
all the best, Ferdinand
Great video - you explanned in 20 minutes what took me 2 years to learn myself.
I also take dried soup vegetables. You can buy them in the supermarket, they weigh nothing but expand like crazy when they absorb water in your sauce mix, and add a lot of flavour and texture. I also use ramen because you can add it boiling water in an insulated mug and it cooks itself in 5-7 minutes without using anymore fuel.
I also take hot sauce, and sachets if salt /pepper from fast food restaurants to liven up the food, as some of the dehydrated pastas etc are super efficient in terms of weight /nutrition, but I find the taste bland sometimes.
It is nice Paul.I use to dehydrate my own(home) cooked food with my dehydrator.This way ,you can control your calories/u can carry a bigger amount of food.(up to 10 days)
tnx 4 the video
Great vid Paul.
I scroll down and see wonderful suggestions from all.
Minute/Instant rice works well too. it is very light and cooks quickly. Btw, ramen cooks much faster than regular pasta, which reduces stove fuel weight. GORP - good old raisans and peanuts for trail mix. Almonds and cranberries are good additions.
Another great video, thank you Paul. A few ideas from my rucksack if I may. I don't like porridge or milk so dehydrate a lot of fruit when in season (apples, plums and peaches) and then on the trail re-hydrate it into a sauce and have it with my musli. It is like eating a fruit crumble and pot clean up is minimal. Can even add a bit of cinnamon or brown sugar. A small dehydrater is a great low cost investment as one can do a lot yourself as you mentioned with the mushrooms but also with fruit, pasta sauces etc. Not a lot of work, can make in batches and store, saves money and you know what your eating, pack in ziploc bags as you do so minimal bulk. As a treat I usually put an apple and a few carrots in the top of my rucksack so I have a bit of fresh food for the first lunch on the trail. All the best.
Thanks for sharing. Good tips and ideas. Happy trails! Paul
I wrote down the whole kit, I like it! I will shop for the items not already in my cupboard. The powdered milk idea is going to make coffee and granola much better. I do motor camping these days, and the 2 - 32 liter panniers fill up fast. Thanks for the video.
Michael Workman Hi Michael, thanks for your feedback on the video. I'm glad you found it all useful with some good takeaway points you can apply to your trips. ATB, Paul
Great video Paul, thanks. I have done a few multi day hikes now and have struggled to get the right balance between sufficient calories vs weight. I was using Army boil in the bag rations which taste good and pack the calories but really add up in weight. Really useful, many thanks.
Very informative as I'm planning a weeks trip up to Scotland this summer and was looking to drop some weight with the food as most my other kit iv managed to shed the pounds
Hi Paul
this is the first video i have watched by you..It was informative,clear and concise,, i often take dried fruits done in my hydrator aswell as jerky and sometimes dried salmon which greatly helps in reducing weight when your carrying kit and equipment for a longer duration,,, I too to add to my meals and i do love a werthers original to chomp on when im bimbling.Cheers Des
des cattys Hi Des, yes it's hard to beat a few Werthers in your pocket :-) I've not tried salmon dried in the deyhydrator...so that's one for my list...thanks for sharing. ATB, Paul
This gave me some good ideas for my next trip, thanks! One food item I like to bring when I'm hiking are those Justin's nut butters single serve packets. They are good straight or spread on a granola bar. And the perfect size to carry in your pocket :)
six*impossible*things Hey, thanks for your feedback. Glad you found this provided some ideas. I like your idea about the single serving peanut butter. I've had these sachets left over from Backpackers Pantry meals (think it was the Phad Thai or Schezuan dishes) and have used them in porridge but it never occurred to me to spread on granola bar. Good tip. I'll try that. Cheers, Paul.
A very useful and interesting video Paul, Thank you. The foods that you've suggested are also so much less expensive than buying dehydrated meals in pouches which cost about £6 each, you've saved a fortune on a week's food by buying in supermarkets and avoiding specialist camping foods. Can I just say that I use Nestle NIDO powdered milk, absolutely brilliant, mixes easily into hot or cold water and provides full fat milk which is really tasty and nutritious. ASDA stock it in their larger format stores. Thanks for the video.
I carry one luxury. A single serve mocha pot. Pre ground coffee. It is worth carrying it and making space for the moral boost of real coffee
+1 morale
- 1 fatigue
Very sensible. Mountain guides in the Alps often go for Saucisson Noissette. Nut/meat fat sausage. Tube of Bovril also good as a drink or for flavouring - less faff than teabags/milk/sugar. Once talked to an alaskan guide who explained how they required 10K cals per day in the cols so they carried loads of butter and even buried it in containers under the snow (with gps co=ordinates for later retrieval). Works if your butter isn't going to get warm !
bb dean Yes, good combo of fat and protein with the nut-meat sausage. Good idea with the Bovril. I also like stock cubes/bouillon, particularly in cold conditions. It gets some fat mobilised around your system. Very flavoursome too. With respect to butter, yes we add it to dishes when snowshoeing/winter camping, an idea I got from reading about polar journeys. It works a treat. I've never tried geocaching butter though... :-) Always more good ideas out there. Thanks and warm regards, Paul
Paul Kirtley If you're a regular caffeine user and you stop suddenly you may be subject to 2/3 days of splitting headaches and more than a little crankiness, not recommended while having to deal with wild places and it would ruin your time out. It's easy to forget caffeine is an addictive substance that many people have been taking since childhood so although the Bovril idea is great be wary of what suddenly dropping caffeine can do.
jelkel25
Very interesting to read this here. Had this when hiking in France. My brother and me both we quite effected by this until we realized that we just needed some coffee. ;)
Yes, It definitely needs to be spaced out through the day or the negative effects increase and the positive ones lessen, if you need more stimulants maybe something herbal like Ginseng might work (but doesn't work for everyone) and green tea increases the metabolism with a lot less caffeine, there are options out there a little easier on the system than coffee.
Awesome, I've never seen this done before. Thank you!
Damn, you're eating like a king out there. I do the tuna packets, but other than that, a weeklong backpack trip for me constists of a pound of homemade beef jerky and four freeze dried meals. I do see your point on using things from any supermarket. Good video
This is a great idea. I have to give you a big thumbs up. The strategy probably works better when you have a meal plan and you're car camping or backpacking rather than section or thru hiking a trail.
Good selection of foods and great to see someone talk some common sense on back packing food with regard to the mix-and-match of the resources you take. I also like the point of decanting into better storage bags, excellent point. I don't have granola or pasta due to being Gluten Free but use my own porridge mix for breakfast and my own lentils mix for dinners which contains quinoa, mixed herbs and spices. The gluten free foods are much better recently so I will start to have a play with the GF Pastas and see how it goes because its touchy to cook right in the best of conditions and turns to must if you over cook slightly. Many thanks for your insight and taking the time to make this video, very helpful. ATB Richard
Plce is normally on a bergen military pack, patrol or battle belt.
Usually with molly on it.
But idea is good keep scoff in one or two places. They can be used for anything really.
Ye this is great. Very helpful. Lately I've been toiling over food in my kit. Obsessively actually. What bag/pouch? What foods? Everyone here can relate I'm sure. I'm still looking for that perfect pouch/bag. Thanks for the vid
Another wonderful video from you Paul, I wish i had 3% of your knowledge. I would be very satisfied with that. 10/10
+PIPERJIM08 Happy to share as much as possible. Thanks for your kind words :-)
Very interesting I think actually you could go 10 days with that same kit if you were real in trouble not able to move normally for what ever reason .The key to this video to me any way it's all out of a store at probably a 10th of the coast of some outfitter food . Happy Trails young man and thanks a bunch
The music on this channel sounds like the soundtrack from the children's sci-fi we used to get on the BBC in the eighties. It's great.
Gotta have some.....bacon!!!! You can pre cook it and reheat on the go. Another favorite is the cured ham. Keeps good and frys up nicely. Eggs will keep with out refrigeration for a while. But cook and eat those very early on. (Keep them in a Tupperware type container wrapped in cloth or napkins. ) butter keeps good as well. Just make sure that it is a sealed container. Honey never goes bad and very high in sugar. My favorite snack is jerky. Walking food. Protein sugar, salt, coffee, the sealed bricks. Any type of dried noddles.(ramen, etc.) And save the flavor packs for a tasty broth of seasoning for something else. Thank u . I am inspired. Must go repack now.
Great video Paul!
Very inspiring and full of good solid info, as always.
Good to see a few still that has budget as one of the factors.
its easy just to list expensive expedition food, but you keep it so everyone can learn and use your knowledge.
Thank you!
Keep up the excellent work.
Cheers from Sweden.
Thank you! :-)
Great video thank you.
I always pack peanut butter. Very calorific at 600kcal/100g and goes very well on any oat biscuit.
fantastic vid, never really thought about supermarket food before .
Thank you Paul it was very helpful. I had no idea you could carry that much less to have more if that makes sense lol
Thanks Paul, lots of good tips and ideas in this video. Well done! Thanks for sharing!
You just earned a sub mate! BEST video i've seen about what to pack regarding food on long hikes.. thanks for all the sugestion!
After some trial and error, I have devised a similar list with items from Asda and Aldi, and tested it for 7 days (eating only from the items in the side pouch, and cooking only in a Crusader cup).
Key differences: My side pouch is the larger 12L one. Total weight: 6.3kg. Total calories: 24,500 (3,500/day). By the end of the week, I still had enough for another 2-3 days! I would recommend including 700g of peanut butter (100g per day) , which is very calorically dense (and 100-200g pouch of peanut butter in your pockets - 1st Line, or in 2nd Line belt kit). I also add quite a bit of nuts and dried fruits to nibble on - it goes. I eat a lot of meat and protein. My main source of meat on the trail is Beef Tushyonka (braised beef) from Russian food stores. Ideally, you want to ration 300g/days, but those cans come in 400g and up (which means that you're carrying at least 700g more in total weight). So Polish Krakus Pork cans (these days available in Tesco, Asda and everywhere), although not as nice as Russian Beef Tushyonka, are exactly 300g (330g with the can) if you want to watch the weight of your food pouch.
Conclusions:
breakfast and lunch are mostly dry and uncooked: granola, oats, jerky, oatcakes, snickers.
Ramen noodles takes too much volume and doesn't really add that many calories.
Macaroni from ASDA takes up less space than Macaroni from ALDI, but cooks longer and doesn't seem as nice.
Orzo might be a consideration for small-packing carbs, if you can come up with a nice and simple recipe for it.
Sesame bars and/or Greek/Armenian Halva - definitely worth adding.
Small cheddar cheese pieces can be kept for couple of days, but in a hot environment (even British summertime) anything beyond that seems like a major risk! so they need to be eaten first.
Not sure how safe it is to keep Chorizzo sausage out of the fridge for a week.
Jerky packs can take up quite a bit of volume even when folded - I don't know how safe it would be to prick the pack to let the air out.
Snickers and chocolate will melt.
Add 50g-100g of tomato paste and a small bottle of multipurpose sauce (like Buffalo RedHot Wings). Though calorically not dense and mostly water, good for taste, good for morale.
Have a simple "spice-rack" in plastic containers (always watch the weight): salt, pepper, garlic powder, chicken seasoning mix (good for anything) or paprika, dry coriander, Knorr Aroma. Remember, you're packing for a week, so you don't really need more than 15g of salt for example. I sew my mini spice rack along with brew-kit into the top lid of the side-pouch.
Add 100g of ghee or olive oil to your pack (again, plastic container). You can't carry butter for many days, but you can carry ghee. (Never ever fry anything in your crusader mug - cleaning afterwards is a nightmare)
You have to come up with 2-3 hearty recipes that are palatable to you, which you can eat HAPPILY over and over again during your evening camp meal, which are simple (not many ingredients), easy to prepare, easy to clean afterwards (good luck cleaning the Crusader cup after you've made macaroni with cheese and your water supply is limited), and can be eaten with a spoon. Normally, my recipes involve boiling some carbs and mixing in the meats, much like how you'd prepare the Caribbean Bully-Beef (Corned Beef macaroni) or macaroni Puttanesca. My staple food during camp is the Russian army Field Kasha that they've been eating for the past 200 years - boil some buckwheat (100-125g), add garlic (1 big clove, or tbs of dry), 1 chopped carrot (if you're lucky), 200-300g beef Tushyonka -- let it all simmer, mix periodically until buckwheat has expanded and your Crusader cup is full. Preparation time:15min (but the longer you let it sit, the nicer it becomes). To me this seems to be much healthier food than any of the MREs that I've tried from various armies (buckwheat is one of the slowest carbs and high in fibre, Tushyonka gives you good quality relatively lean beef (you need to buy the highest quality), carrot adds some fibre and taste, and garlic is a natural antibiotic). You can add black pepper, milk powder, ghee and Knorr Aroma to taste. To me Field Kasha is in the list of great Cossack inventions along with AK-74, sharp e-tool, Gorka, поджопник (underass-nik) and Plasch-Palatka (poncho-tent).
, which is very calorically dense, which is very calorically dense
Hi Paul, fell over this one again, absolutely brilliant, i learned from it, if you do set up 'APK' and do it once a month, maybe add a few 'tips and hints', to help people find your other stuff not found on, 'APK',
Keep yourself, family and friends safe.
Nige.
Very good. I had to look up PLCE - Personal Load Carrying Equipment (British Army) - there had to be some reason the "side pocket" was about half the size of my pack! I gave up on normal chocolate bars, particularly for the warmer weather, as they melt and make an unpleasant mess in the wrapper, but Minstrels are an exception - the candy shells stop that as long as they're kept dry. It's worth a balance of slow-release calories and things that make you feel satisfied for longer, rather than lots of sugar, which can lead to highs and lows. As a vegetarian, I can't turn to the meat options for the protein, but vegetables have a lot more protein than people realise, especially pulses: peas, beans and lentils. I also discovered early on that nuts are about the most calorie-intensive food, at least of solid foods, as well as giving us protein and a bunch of good vitamins and other nutrients. The protein component of food actually only gives us about 70% of the calories used in calculating packet labels, so high protein foods won't be as calorific as they look by the numbers. On the other hand, they give us that slow-burn effect and make us feel fuller for longer.
God Bless you for the cheese. A multi-vitamin every morning. Dehydrated fruit, rice, jerky, beans (soaked 8 hrs they can be eaten raw), oatmeal of course, frozen vegetables aren't as light-weight as dehydrated but are precooked and will keep several days, chili-powder, cayenne, sugar, onion and garlic powder, salt, lard or oil (very high calorie), cornmeal, wheat flour, baking powder (bread on a stick), bacon will keep for a long time. The list of grocery food items suitable for backpacking is immense. Paul got my sub by pointing out the money to be saved in the grocery store versus dehydrated meals. The key is learning how to cook.
Hi Tom, and thanks for your comments. Welcome to my channel. Glad you have you onboard. ATB, Paul
A bit late but I'd take care to cook the beans anyway.
They contain toxins which could kill children easily already in small amounts and adults as well if you eat enough of them.
Only heat will break them up and leave them safe to eat.