Thread: Light weight food options

What does everyone do on their longer trips for lunch and snack options?

There's only so many backcountry meals I can handle in one day. Generally I save them for dinner/dessert. Last roar my lunch was:

- rice crackers
- cheese
- salami
- whole lot of water because that meal sucks every drop of water from you.

I survived but looking to mix things up a bit.

Elliott

bacon!!!
i wont use freeze dry meals as they are full of vege, evil horrid stuff from the depths of hell

Originally Posted by gonetropo

bacon!!!
i wont use freeze dry meals as they are full of vege, evil horrid stuff from the depths of hell

So far my shopping list consists of whisky - so bacon may actually be a step in the right direction.

whisky: well i have a yet unopened bottle of gelnfiddich ale cask which i will open on my birthday next month.
ok back to the task in hand, i used to get meat nitrogen frozen and it didnt thaw for days unless you put it into the local stream (inside a plastic bag)

Originally Posted by gonetropo

whisky: well i have a yet unopened bottle of gelnfiddich ale cask which i will open on my birthday next month.
ok back to the task in hand, i used to get meat nitrogen frozen and it didnt thaw for days unless you put it into the local stream (inside a plastic bag)

Good call - I've made a bunch of biltong for snacks. I work in a lab with liquid nitrogen, so snap freezing is actually an option.

Ive tried a bit of everything but I keep going back to cheese crackers and salami. Longer trips I throw in a few ramen noodles to mix it up.

Depends if fly in or walk in...

Fly in you can live for at least a week with fresh food in a good icebox. I generally pre-make meals and freeze them and take them out to thaw as required. I can't be bothered spending too long cooking as try to be on the hill for all available light. So quick and simple is the go.
favourites are:
Nachos
Casseroles
curries
good fry up!
Despite what gonetropo thinks I like to take plenty of evil vege too!

Walk in:
Think lightweight but mix it up if possible. We bought a dehydrator and often make bigger meals at home and dehydrate the leftovers for hunting trips. (hot tip, weight the meal before and after it goes in the dehydrator and the difference is the water water to add to re-hydrate (usually plus a bit). Homemade venison jerky is ace too!

Yeah bacon is good, decent bacon will be okay for quite a few days without refrigeration, then cook whatever is left and it will last for a few more.

The ultimate lightweight food is to carry in a round of ammo and turn it into 30 kg of venison!

Originally Posted by Edunn

So far my shopping list consists of whisky

I like the way you think, sir. It won't help you out in the boonies, but my sense of humour awards you 3 gold stars.

On our latest trip we had a sausage butty for lunch - mate cooked a packet of them for his breakfast and the balance went into a ciabatta bun with a load of chipotle sauce.

Went down a treat after a long steady climb.

Originally Posted by Hunty1

Depends if fly in or walk in...

Fly in you can live for at least a week with fresh food in a good icebox. I generally pre-make meals and freeze them and take them out to thaw as required. I can't be bothered spending too long cooking as try to be on the hill for all available light. So quick and simple is the go.
favourites are:
Nachos
Casseroles
curries
good fry up!
Despite what gonetropo thinks I like to take plenty of evil vege too!

Walk in:
Think lightweight but mix it up if possible. We bought a dehydrator and often make bigger meals at home and dehydrate the leftovers for hunting trips. (hot tip, weight the meal before and after it goes in the dehydrator and the difference is the water water to add to re-hydrate (usually plus a bit). Homemade venison jerky is ace too!

Yeah it's a walk in mission so jerky and biltong are on the cards. What sorts of meals do you throw in the dehydrator?
@Cigar there are craploads of goats where we're going. I'll be taking some extra ammo to cull a couple so will definitely be going for the fresh meat option too.

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

I like the way you think, sir. It won't help you out in the boonies, but my sense of humour awards you 3 gold stars.

It's always the first thing on my shopping list for longer trips. No sense in filling a camelbak with water when you're walking beside a river!

I’ve not got past crackers salami cheese mainly because it’s so light, meets my calories and stays fresh for the trip. Choc nutty bars muesli and coffee sees me ok til dehy evening meal time.
There was a dude in the states I think that wrote some blogs around making his own meals up. Adventure Alan. Might give you some ideas
https://www.adventurealan.com/nutrit...-meal-recipes/

Originally Posted by stu#71

I’ve not got past crackers salami cheese mainly because it’s so light, meets my calories and stays fresh for the trip. Choc nutty bars muesli and coffee sees me ok til dehy evening meal time.
There was a dude in the states I think that wrote some blogs around making his own meals up. Adventure Alan. Might give you some ideas
https://www.adventurealan.com/nutrit...-meal-recipes/

Yeah I'm in the same boat mate, but assumed I was being stupid and everyone else was rocking some gourmet AF lightweight lunches on the hill. Seems like cheese and crackers is the business though so will likely continue with that for now.

Will definitely have a browse of that blog though, cheers.

The Radix Meals are alright and not full of the shot in BCs. Servings are not bullshit like backcountry. They take less water which is huge on saving gas on the hill. The breakfasts are mint and don't need hot water however are nicer warm. The dinners have a similar/slightly more calories than a backcountry double serving and the ingredients list is all food not preservative 362 or whatever. The breakfasts have quite a bit more calories that a double serve bc. I find eating these I feel way better than with BCs. Then midday I snack away on typical lightweight shit. If your walking in I'd say they pay for themselves just by only needing half the water that Backcountries do.