scoutergriz wrote:

Trippythings; Hate to say it, but I agree with Steve! I've got a bad ticker and the amount of salt in Alpineaire is far too high! My allowance for an ENTIRE day is only 2000MG, so one meal and a chocolate bar can put my BP way into the red zone, and the amount of actual salt you lose is, at most, a couple of hundred MG, you lose far more potassium!
 

Oh I definitely agree that they're high in sodium. My point was just that someone shouldn't say Alpine Aire is a worse brand than Mountain House because of sodium content, when there are MH meals that have more sodium than AA meals. It's a silly argument to make.

My other point about losing sodium while active was just a separate 'food for thought' point about how a high-sodium meal might not be as bad as people think in certain situations, but that's obviously person-specific (e.g. works for me, doesn't work for you).

Another vote for Black Bart chili! Love this thread...particularly enjoyed Kevin's YouTube 'how to' and CanoeClaire's insights, ty . I like to pack tuna in a pouch (widely available in the US but haven't found it here yet), tortillas (flat, easy to pack, great for breakfasts, lunches) and those little packs of peanut butter from restaurants (great, simple source of protein...save them up all year). And, just found Jack Links bacon jerky at the grocery store - yum!

Chuck Enwinde wrote:

A little goes a long way, between that and bacon, you pretty much have culinary duct tape.  

CULINARY DUCT TAPE!
I have never heard a more accurate description of bacon and parmasean. 


Also, old cheddar lasts a good long while even when it's hot out. It will get a bit sweaty but it's still tasty and ok to eat.

swedish pimple wrote:

just back from canadian tire,,,, they are now selling freeze dried products called " wise company " i have not heard of this brand before,,, made in the u.s.a  
     has anyone tried these freeze dried meals while tripping 
 

That brand is worse than AlpineAire.


Kidding everyone, relax..lol. Hey Swede.
 

Hey there,
Okay, I'm really disappointed I didn't log in earlier to truly express my love and potential helpfulness of Dehydrating meals.
I bought a dehydrated (basic one) 5 years ago and loved it... 4 years ago I was gifted an Excalibur and now I don't bother buying any of the Freezedried meals anymore!
Okay, with exception of the Desserts...  and the occasional Mountainhouse Breakfast Skillet.
Just goes to show you, the only true review to trust is the one you write.  I've had good and bad experiences with all of the major brands.
NOW back to Dehydrating.  In my experience, nearly any meal you make at home, you can turn it into a Dehydrated meal.
- Spaghetti is the easiest and comes back the best.  Only thing I don't Dehydrate are the Noodles (some people cook everything, then run it over night).
- Don't underestimate the many meals you can put together with 'gravel' or ground beef, e.g. Chili and especially, Sheppard's pie.
- you don't have to lose the bacon, just use the precooked stuff. It may not taste 100% the same, but make it in a breakfast sandwich and you'd never notice.
For pack ability and portion size, I'd ultimately test it out for yourself.  If you're a big eater, no matter what, the prepackaged or portion size recommendations might not fit your appetite.

Most of all, have fun with it!   If packed correctly, you can fit 10 days worth of food (Breakfast, lunch and dinners) for a group of four in a 30Litre Food barrel. 
JB

Last edited by JB (4/18/2019 3:21 pm)

Have a look at ca.iherb.com they have some.
No experience with it though.

In addition to making and dehydrating your own meals, you can save weight and effort by using a pot cozy.  To re-hydrate and cook the food you simply put the dried food in the right amount water, bring to a boil, shut off the stove and then stick the pot in the cozy and wait 45 minutes to an hour.  You only need a small amount of fuel as you are only using the stove for long enough to get the water boiling.  With simple meals like this you don't need much in the way of kitchen items.  When I go solo, I'm eating out of the pot with a spork.

When I dehydrate my meals, I vacuum seal them, and store them in the freezer.  Vacuum sealing reduces the volume somewhat and significantly reduces food smells.  You just have to be careful that the hard dehydrated food doesn't pierce the plastic.

I do weigh the food before and after drying to figure out the right amount of water to add.  I also usually eat one meal when the food is prepared to get a rough idea of what a serving weighs, so I know how much to pack for a meal on the trip.
 

Swift Fifteen wrote:

RobW wrote:

If it works for you great. For us dinner is the largest meal of the day, so no we don't consume roughly equal amounts of calories at each meal. Eating patterns vary a lot between people and I personally know people who will go off for a multi day trip with pretty much nothing but a bunch of granola bars and other folks who plan gourmet meals. Overall I hear far more people saying they need 2  pre-packaged dinners per person than I do people who are fine with one.

This is where i am as well.  Two meals a day plus some gorp. Often i skip breakfast simply because i enjoy extending my fast, even while i'm tripping. Breakfast is often consumed around noon or 1pm.  And then diner is around 6pm - little to no snacking at night. My meals are as fat as i can manage without carrying any unnecessary extra weight. My lifestyle is keto and my body has been in ketosis (running off ketones [fat] as apposed to glycogen [sugars] for fuel and energy) for awhile now. Although I have no issues suspending this "diet" temporarily, i try to remain as focused as possible, even when vacationing or tripping throughout APP. Ive manged some very interesting meals that keep me fueled and alert and i'm rarely hungry - even with all the calories burned while portaging and paddling.

But the bottom line here is, dehydrate your own meals if you want proper nutrition and low sodium.
 

^ this
 

Awesome info and suggestions here folks, thanks a lot!