Do you Eat Funny/Different Food on the Trail Only? Like SPAM!

[peakbagger]

Oatmeal, fruit by the foot and peanut butter and nutella on burrito shells. None of them appeal to me execpt when I am backpacking.

 

[skiguy]

Ah yes, SPAM... the stuff is great for getting something nice and heavy in your stomach.

An all time favorite is also Vienna Sausages... YUM!!

I always get a good laugh at the grocery store when I see Spam Lite and Vienna Sausage Lite on the shelf.....YEA RIGHT!

 

[TDawg]

Sardines and Beef Jerky...wont touch either unless Im starving.

 

[marty]

Dr. Steiner Bagel Energy Bars

Dr. Steiner Bagel Energy Bars rock as a trail food. They can be found at Costco, but I haven't seen them anywhere else. They are much tastier than your standard energy bar. Buy a big bag and freeze some. Highly recommended.

 

[Maddy]

Where do you get "chicken flavored peanuts"?

 

[Gris]

Wild blueberries... I crave citrus but usually forget to take any. Dried fruit is good too. Chocolate icing in a can goes good with Guinness after you make camp.

 

[skiguy]

Where do you get "chicken flavored peanuts"?

I was wondering about that too So far it looks like we have been talking about "Eat on the Go" food. What about that special meal that has to be heated.I find myself on multiday trips looking forward to that "HOT Thing" that will keep me going. Wether it be at the end of the day or a pick me up to get me out of my bag in the AM. Preperation is always a consideration..Stove,cookware, cleaning the pan, and of course carrying along whatever food it might be in the first place. Have you ever gotten in to that ambiance of perpetual eating while being out there, knowing what creation might be next based upon what you've got left in your pack, and been proud of your resourcefullness of your creation? I guess I am driving towards "COOKED FOODS" and any recipees you all might want to share.

 

[gaiagirl]

I can hardly muster the energy for cooking off the trail, nevermind on the trail when I'm hiking/backpacking !! The bagged backpacking meals that are so alluringly packaged at EMS are a joke, too .... Not a lot of calories or food given how much is needed over the course of a long day on the trail and way too much $$$. I go the easy route every time .... Bars, nuts, hummus and whole grain crackers, etc. I occassionally eat the sugary stuff (candy, fluff, etc.) while hiking and I rarely touch any of that stuff at all otherwise.

 

[Gris]

Well why didnt you say so? That's a horse of a different color! Boil 2 cups water, add 1/2 cup quick (not instant, you damn yankees!) grits and 1 teaspoon salt, bring back to boil for 3 minutes, cover and simmer 10 minutes stirring often. 1 minute before done stir in 1 packet Old El Paso Taco Seasoning. If you got some cheese (cheddar best) to put on top all the better. Goes great with anything that corn goes with, meat, veggies, etc. There you have it: "Gris' Mexicali Grits." Guaranteed to stick to yer ribs and warm yer gut.

 

[skiguy]

Well why didnt you say so? That's a horse of a different color! Boil 2 cups water, add 1/2 cup quick (not instant, you damn yankees!) grits and 1 teaspoon salt, bring back to boil for 3 minutes, cover and simmer 10 minutes stirring often. 1 minute before done stir in 1 packet Old El Paso Taco Seasoning. If you got some cheese (cheddar best) to put on top all the better. Goes great with anything that corn goes with, meat, veggies, etc. There you have it: "Gris' Mexicali Grits." Guaranteed to stick to yer ribs and warm yer gut.

NOW THAT'S WHAT WE"RE TALKING ABOUT! RecipeeeeeesANYONE?

 

[jade]

I remember reading somewhere about the 'self heating' bags o' coffee. You rip off the top of the packet and some chemical reaction causes heat (DougPaul, have you an explanation?)....wonder why these are not available as trail food?

Cous-cous can be softened to an edible degree by adding cold water...good source of carbs--just add olive oil, tamari (soy) and dried tomatos for a good source of carbs, sodium and potassium....yummm!

...Jade

 

[DougPaul]

I remember reading somewhere about the 'self heating' bags o' coffee. You rip off the top of the packet and some chemical reaction causes heat (DougPaul, have you an explanation?)

I presume it is an exothermic (heat producing) chemical reation between something in the packet and oxygen or moisture in the air. Just a guess--I'm not a chemist.

Doug

 

[giggy]

I remember reading somewhere about the 'self heating' bags o' coffee. You rip off the top of the packet and some chemical reaction causes heat (DougPaul, have you an explanation?)....wonder why these are not available as trail food?

Cous-cous can be softened to an edible degree by adding cold water...good source of carbs--just add olive oil, tamari (soy) and dried tomatos for a good source of carbs, sodium and potassium....yummm!

...Jade

I think what your talking about is the army MRE's, I was in during the early 90's and recall then starting around then to be included in the mre's. I thought then and still do - they are a waste of space better off with a small stove and boiling water

 

[jmegillon149]

Foods I only eat on the trail:

1. Chicken jerky
2. Chocolate covered pretzels
3. Peanut butter and jelly bagel sandwiches
4. dried fruit
5. banana chips
6. Dehydrated backpacking meals (could you imagine having one of these sitting around the house)

And what is with the power bar bashing - I LOVE those things!!

Reading others' posts brings me to a weird realization. Why do people who engage healthy activities like hiking, tend to eat so unhealthy, especially on the trail? Lets face it spam, pepperoni, beef (jerky or otherwise) chocolate bars and stuff like that are not exactly good for you.

I guess one could make the argument that exercise makes it ok to not eat as good.

 

[skiguy]

And what is with the power bar bashing - I LOVE those things!!

Reading others' posts brings me to a weird realization. Why do people who engage healthy activities like hiking, tend to eat so unhealthy, especially on the trail? Lets face it spam, pepperoni, beef (jerky or otherwise) chocolate bars and stuff like that are not exactly good for you.

I guess one could make the argument that exercise makes it ok to not eat as good.

First I have to agree with the Power Bar Bashers. Those things taste like sugar coated cardboard (even during and/or hiking), not to metion you could rip a filling out chewing on one. Sorry jmegillon149 but there are Soooooooooo many other energy bars out there that I like way better.
Secoundly I think we eat alot of the above mentioned foods because we do rationalize but more so because they taste good. More so though I think alot of it comes down to convience and ease of preperation. If you put your mind to it you can eat healthy on the trail and have it taste good too. Longer trips nutrition becomes more of an issue as we all know that eating lousey has its drawbacks.Here is a link to a great book for those Trail Chef's out there.

 

[sleeping bear]

6. Dehydrated backpacking meals (could you imagine having one of these sitting around the house)

I know I said I don't usually eat that stuff, but I have had the Mountain House Lasagna, and it was good enough, I could consider eating it at home.

As far as eating healthy- eating healthy usually requires eating fresh stuff, not pre-packaged, which is far more convenient (and safe? think meat), at least for trips longer than one day.
Just try to carry green peppers with you for more than a day or two in a pack, go ahead, I dare you... Trying to get rotten pepper stink out of your gear while in the woods is no fun!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Self heating coffee

Talk about waste in packaging...

http://www.chem.soton.ac.uk/index.htm?http://www.chem.soton.ac.uk/news/stories/coffee.htm

No, they are NOT MRE's.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Where do you get "chicken flavored peanuts"?

I was wondering about that too

I find them at a local Chinese supermarket, a great place to find all kinds of things that are great for hiking. Ever chew on squid jerkey?

For those who may not beleive that chicken flavored peanuts exist:

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/tmp/peanuts.jpg

BTW, the thing next to it is not hiking food. It is a prop. I frequently speak at networking conferences. At the beginning of my talk, I put that can up on the podium. For some reason, it gets a laugh.

 

[skiguy]

BTW, the thing next to it is not hiking food. It is a prop. I frequently speak at networking conferences. At the beginning of my talk, I put that can up on the podium. For some reason, it gets a laugh.

I beg to differ and I bet I can change your mind and/or your stomach. You must try my recipee called "Spam de la ronge". First take spam and slice into medium size pieces.Lightly sizzel then add one cup of premixed Tang juice and simmer till Tang Juice is cooked off.

 

[4000'er]

Specially Processed American Meat, is that really what SPAM means??
...jade

What does SPAM stand for?
One of the world's most asked and most incorrectly answered questions. The truth is, SPAM doesn't really stand for anything. When SPAM first came out, it was marketed as Hormel Spiced Ham (see The SPAM Story), and it soon had many competitors. In order to get the lion's share of the market, Hormel decided their Spiced Ham needed a catchier name. A prize of $100 was offered for a new, memorable name. The prize was won by Kenneth Daig neau, brother of a Hormel executive, when at a New Year's Eve party he suggested the name "SPAM". The rest is history. If the truth isn't what you hoped for, why not check out some of the theories people have come up with over the years?