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Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking


Postby BobMcBob » Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:52 pm

Trying to pick the collective brains of WalkHighlands. I've had the urge to do some overnighters, camp out in the wilderness, etc etc and I was wondering what were the tricks/tips/favourites when it comes to food and cooking?

I've just, as an experiment, boiled-in-the-bag a Wayfarers Beans and Sausage meal, which was perfectly edible but is what I'd describe as a light snack (and I'm a skinny bugger). So there must be plenty of experience on here: what's your backpacking food of choice, do you heat it or eat it cold, and what do you take for cooking equipment? I've got a gas stove and a pan...
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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby mrssanta » Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:12 pm

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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby Rudolph » Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:25 pm

Everyone is different but here are some of my thoughts

Wayfarer meals come with all the water in them so are heavy - and as you say the helpings are not large. If you are taking that weight make your own which will be much nicer. Basscadet has some good recipes I think. Freeze dried meals (from outdoors grub) do us for main meals out in the wilds but are expensive

I like muesli / oats/ raisins in the morning with mixture of concentrated fruit juice and water. MrsSanta likes Eccles cakes!

Cheese (baby bel) / oatcakes / trail mix / pepperami /flajacks through the day.

Dairy stix (now back in production apparently) mean we can have coffee and tea in the morning. My one luxury is an espresso maker with a small plastic jar of ground coffee.

The above means we only have to take something to boil water - nowadays usually an older design MSR whisper light gas stove and a tiitanium pot.
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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby BobMcBob » Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:49 am

Thanks you two, a useful thread and useful thoughts. I'm going to have to do some rethinking. Where do you get those freeze dried meals from Rudolph? They sounds like the kind of thing I'm looking for.
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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby fowlersworld » Sun Jun 02, 2013 2:34 pm

Look for anything light and high in calories. I like porridge dried fruit breakfast bars chocolate .
Also i have a msr mini works for cleaning water saves carrying to much weight.
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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby Rudolph » Sun Jun 02, 2013 6:03 pm

This should do it...

Oddly enough we prefer the potato based meals at the moment

http://www.outdoorsgrub.co.uk
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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby Backpacker » Sun Jun 02, 2013 6:20 pm

I think I've posted on this before.

I use the zip lock freezer bags to carry food, rice, pasta, coffee, porridge oats etc

Here's one recipe I've used costs and weighs next to nothing.

Half zip lock bag rice
1 chicken stock (cube or stock pot)
Tin dressed crab

Boil water and add stock and stir till stock disolves
Add rice and simmer for about 20-30mins (Rice soaks up water)
Mix in crab meat
Enjoy

I add a couple of dashes of hot sauce to it as I always have a wee bottle to help liven up my meals

That will cost about £2 and weigh about 100g
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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby BobMcBob » Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:34 pm

Great tip about the ziplock bags, but crab meat makes me very ill :D In fact, seafood is a no-go area for me. Perhaps I should bring some quorn? :D
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Re: Food for overnight/multi-day backpacking

Postby BobMcBob » Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:59 pm

Thanks Rudolph. I'm thinking that dehydrated meals are the way to go for me, as weight is a major concern what with all my camera equipment. I'll have a closer look at those.
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