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meal planning for longer than 3 days ?

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    • meal planning for longer than 3 days ?

      I confess. I've never had to plan for more camping meals than for 3 days. A total of 5 meals.

      I can buy and carry several pounds of mixed nuts for snacks. Freeze dried entrees for more tan 3 days. Plenty of water.

      I'm willing to try the dried cereal with blueberries...

      Macaroni and cheese nauseates me.

      I have bought some instant breakfast drink packages, but my stomach will likely want more than that.

      What do you suggest ?

      Thanks ! ?(
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.
    • my 4 day food bag in maine was ramen,stove top stuffing,instant mashed potatoes,knorrs rice sides. i carry packets of various spices,cayenne,cajun spice, garlic salt, slat and pepper, tuna and salmon packets,squeeze bottle of tartar sauce, sopressata,precooked bacon, belvita breakfast biscuits, 6pack pkgs of crackers and cheese, half a can of nido powdered milk, half container of instant breakfast.12 pkts instant coffee
      its all good
    • Cheese, sausage, pepperoni, dried meats, dried fruts, nuts. Tuna or chicken in foil packets. Energy bars you don't mind eating, eg. Larabars. Instead of Mac & Cheese, try the Knorr/Lipton offerings, or Bear Creek soup mixes (repackaged into smaller servings.) For a real treat, bring along a few of those fruit-cup things meant for kids' lunches. They are heavy, but they will make an amazingly delicious dessert.

      Granola, M&Ms, bits of chocolate or other crunchy stuff to mix in with oatmeal to make it palatable.

      Salty snacks for hot weather, eg. pretzels, potato chips. For cold weather, dark chocolate and sugary snacks.

      Edit: not all ramens are created equal. Try the spicy stuff -- Nongshim brand "Shin Ramyun".
    • my 6 day food bag is the same as my 3 day food bag...the same stuff just more of it. breakfast is always the same. lunch is always the same. etc. so if you know what to bring for 3 days you know what you need to bring for 6 days. easy.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • hikerboy wrote:

      my 4 day food bag in maine was ramen,stove top stuffing,instant mashed potatoes,knorrs rice sides. i carry packets of various spices,cayenne,cajun spice, garlic salt, slat and pepper, tuna and salmon packets,squeeze bottle of tartar sauce, sopressata,precooked bacon, belvita breakfast biscuits, 6pack pkgs of crackers and cheese, half a can of nido powdered milk, half container of instant breakfast.12 pkts instant coffee
      I would take 3 ramen noodles, 2 commercial freeze dried/dehydrated meals (for 2), a pint of real milk, enough commercial muesli/cereal for 3 small breakfasts, some Slim Jims, lots of m&m's, some Swiss Miss chocolate sachets and probably a couple of citrus fruit. I would expect to finish with enough food to stay out another day.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.
    • OzJacko wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      my 4 day food bag in maine was ramen,stove top stuffing,instant mashed potatoes,knorrs rice sides. i carry packets of various spices,cayenne,cajun spice, garlic salt, slat and pepper, tuna and salmon packets,squeeze bottle of tartar sauce, sopressata,precooked bacon, belvita breakfast biscuits, 6pack pkgs of crackers and cheese, half a can of nido powdered milk, half container of instant breakfast.12 pkts instant coffee
      I would take 3 ramen noodles, 2 commercial freeze dried/dehydrated meals (for 2), a pint of real milk, enough commercial muesli/cereal for 3 small breakfasts, some Slim Jims, lots of m&m's, some Swiss Miss chocolate sachets and probably a couple of citrus fruit. I would expect to finish with enough food to stay out another day.
      Good point about the extra day of food. I try to cut as much as I can out of my base weight, but you never know when that extra day of food might really help you out (or even just half a normal day's worth to get you through). Needless to say things do not always go exactly as planned.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • OzJacko wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      I would expect to finish with enough food to stay out another day.

      that is also my philosophy.

      i take one additonal day of food than i need. that extra couple of pounds gives you a lot of flexibility. if you sprain an ankle or catch a cold you can take longer to get to town. same thing if the weather is really bad. and while i prefer to hike until dusk, with that extra day of food i can stop for the day at noon if i want with no worries about running out of food.
      2,000 miler
    • I remember the rule of 3. 3 weeks without foods, 3 days without water, and 3 minutes without air. Of course that is what will Kill you, and of course you should not want to get anywhere close to that.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • When I say enough for an extra day that doesn't mean exactly one days food, but enough to have something if I stay out another day. I expect to hit town hungry. Not to is to me pointless. Town is always going to have better food. If it didn't there wouldn't be much point in going to town. I refuse to get hung up about trying to eat well on the trail. Rather enjoy being out there with a light pack and half a belly of ramen than a heavy pack, much more food prep time, and what in the end is a marginally better meal.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.
    • Taste of Thai makes a peanut sauce mix. Two foil pouches per box. One pouch with one pack of ramen makes a dinner. Also fond of black beans and rice mixes. JIF to go tubs are convenient. 1 per day for lunch on tw flour tortillas with jam (those little Smuckers tubs from the restaurant tables). Cheese and salami and fruit bars for breakfast. Trail mix and Jerky for snacks.
    • I pretty much pack a variety of everything everyone here has mentioned and usually end up with a day's worth of food. I always over pack because I think "hmmm I think I might like this for lunch!" And usually change my mind.
      I have a love/hate relationship with the last day on the trail. I love knowing I'm going to eat like an animal when I get to town but hate that all I can think about is all that good food when I do end up off trail!
      RIAP
    • Ramen does weird thngs to my insides. Thats without the spice packet.

      But I do like the tuna packages. Especially the lunch ones; tuna, crackers, small spon to spread the lite mayo.

      I have a Sams card, so I can go there and buy boxes of peanut/cashew mixes that are packaged in 1 and a half ounce plastic tubes.

      I found a Sawyer filter 1 liter water bottle I had bought for riding out a hurricane with. So I have the ability to carry almost 2 gallons of water. 8.337 pounds per gallon, so that would be heavy but good to have.

      I located some Gatoraide powder, but it has lot of sugar in it. I would prefer diabetic/low sugar gatoraide. I'll try it in November and see how it is in cool weather out camping.

      Also found pound packages of hard salami, no refrigeration.

      Chicken noodle packages by Lipton. I did see the Bear soup/bean mixes. I'll use one of the chicken noodle 'envelopes' to test my new stove with.

      The reason I asked for ideas is I used to typically take fresh food like hamburger mat, eggs, and hog bacon. And canned food for the other meals.

      I did have a large selection of freeze dried food bookmarked, but some of them came up 'no longer available' when I tried the links a couple of weeks ago. That one had around 6 or so different entrees in one plastic box.

      MH seems to have just 3 or 4 same meals for their 3-day and 4-day packages now.

      I do tend to have extra food. Some of the suashable stuff, like fruit/grani bars, goes in hard plastic waterproof boxes I get from wallyworld.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.
    • One Mountain House meal can be divided into two meals. If the portion size is too small after dividing, and depending on the meal, you can add minute rice, couscous, etc.

      Dividing it also decreases your sodium intake per meal.

      Like others, I like tortillas for lunches. They're easy to carry and you can put almost anything on them. One day, you can do peanut butter, the next you can do pepperoni (or ready made bacon) and cheese.

      Is it just "Ramen" you can't eat or other type noodles? These are good and rehydrate quickly. They don't really need to be cooked, just added to hot water.

      anniechun.com/our-food/noodles/maifun-rice-noodles
      Lost in the right direction.
    • TrafficJam wrote:

      One Mountain House meal can be divided into two meals. If the portion size is too small after dividing, and depending on the meal, you can add minute rice, couscous, etc.

      Dividing it also decreases your sodium intake per meal.

      Like others, I like tortillas for lunches. They're easy to carry and you can put almost anything on them. One day, you can do peanut butter, the next you can do pepperoni (or ready made bacon) and cheese.

      Is it just "Ramen" you can't eat or other type noodles? These are good and rehydrate quickly. They don't really need to be cooked, just added to hot water.

      anniechun.com/our-food/noodles/maifun-rice-noodles
      Great idea, now that 39% salt is only 19% salt, still enough to give most a stroke, but only half as fast. Seriously though, a good idea. I get ramin type noodles at the Asian store with just the noodle (no little packets of salted death) and in a much larger pack to be added to whatever.
    • LIhikers wrote:

      OzJacko wrote:

      I was told many years ago, it takes weeks to die from lack of food, days from lack of water and minutes from lack of air.
      Without tp I would have to hold my breath.
      <X
      Instead of ramen I've bought regular spaghetti, broken the noodles to shorten them and put them into zip lock bags. They take a little longer to cook but are pretty OK.
      angel hair cooks in about 3 minutes
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123
    • Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but is sodium really bad for a fit hiker? I know it's bad for folks with certain cardiac conditions, but those folks generally won't be hikers, will they?

      I mean, hikers drink crap like Gatorade just to replenish their "electrolytes" -- which I presume is a fancy word for salt.

      Me, I don't drink Gatorade, dislike the stuff, but I find I crave salty stuff when hiking in hot weather.
    • Astro wrote:

      socks wrote:

      ...as I'm stuck in a old people traffic jam.
      I am assuming you do not consider yourself old yet. :D
      Not just yet. :D We barely got out of there alive today, check out was a bitch, these two women were goin' at it over the price of apples...crazy.

      rafe wrote:

      Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but is sodium really bad for a fit hiker? I know it's bad for folks with certain cardiac conditions, but those folks generally won't be hikers, will they?

      I mean, hikers drink crap like Gatorade just to replenish their "electrolytes" -- which I presume is a fancy word for salt.

      Me, I don't drink Gatorade, dislike the stuff, but I find I crave salty stuff when hiking in hot weather.
      @ 39% it's bad for everyone.
      yes, we cardiac hikers as, we like to be called, still hike...albeit seldom.
    • For the first couple days I take 6 hard boiled eggs, 8 oz. block of cheese, pack of real bacon bits, instant potatoes, baby carrots(allowed to dry out overnight), very dark chocolate bars, nuts and dried fruit. Longer hikes include butter, freeze dried hamburger, freeze dried chicken dices, freeze dried cooked scrambled eggs, instant rice, dried onion, dried tomato paste, parsley, black pepper, salt, dried carrots, and freeze dried peas. With these ingredients many good meals can be made. Quantity of each is determined by days out. Long hikes, I don't make up meals, short hikes I use freezer bags to make meals. All food is pre-cooked and can be rehydrated cold in a pinch, but I do carry a stove for hot food.
    • That picture of spam brought back some of the most negative moments of my youth. I could only eat the stuff if it was fried, and still didn't care for it.

      But at least I now know why they are still making it, some people actually eat it by choice.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      That picture of spam brought back some of the most negative moments of my youth. I could only eat the stuff if it was fried, and still didn't care for it.

      But at least I now know why they are still making it, some people actually eat it by choice.
      The chocolate granola is what you should be focusing on. :P
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      That picture of spam brought back some of the most negative moments of my youth. I could only eat the stuff if it was fried, and still didn't care for it.

      But at least I now know why they are still making it, some people actually eat it by choice.
      The chocolate granola is what you should be focusing on. :P
      The Almond Butter and Mountain House are probably more what I would go for. I must commend you though on your variety!
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • TrafficJam wrote:

      One Mountain House meal can be divided into two meals. If the portion size is too small after dividing, and depending on the meal, you can add minute rice, couscous, etc.

      Dividing it also decreases your sodium intake per meal.

      Like others, I like tortillas for lunches. They're easy to carry and you can put almost anything on them. One day, you can do peanut butter, the next you can do pepperoni (or ready made bacon) and cheese.

      Is it just "Ramen" you can't eat or other type noodles? These are good and rehydrate quickly. They don't really need to be cooked, just added to hot water.

      anniechun.com/our-food/noodles/maifun-rice-noodles

      Some of the MH packets I have say 1 serving, some say 2.5 servings.

      Hadn't thought of tortillias. Easier than taking whole wheat bread slices.

      I can eat regular pasta, but packaged noodles but not chicken and noodles, doesn't sit well with me. No idea why.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.
    • On a three day trip, try as I may, I always seem to bring twice as much food as I need. I'm just too excited that first day or two to be hungry.

      Justin's Almond butter and tortillas would be fine for my lunch. A block of Jalapeño cheader and a dark chocolate bar for snacks. If I am cooking the Near East Couscous boxes are simple and cook quick, I like to mix something in. I always try to have some hot sauce to spice things up.

      Last hike I tried some of the Packit Gourmet meals and I thought their 'Big Easy Gumbo' was great. Really great. I mean I plan on buying a few packs just to eat around the house sometime.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier