Showing posts with label Hiking Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hiking Food. Show all posts

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Tramping Food: Pimp that meal- adding extra taste to your freeze dried experience

More flavour in your freeze dried meal...


I'm sure most of us have tasted a freeze dried meal before, they are light weight and easy to prepare but often the taste is less than ideal. There is no reason why eating a freeze dried must be a chore, with a few choice additions you can make it into food worth savouring.

Jon at Mid Robinson Hut, 2015, with freeze dried meal in hand

Tramping food: freezer bag or freeze dried?

I have previously covered suggestions for tramping food in another post, what I am concentrating on here is how you can improve the flavour of Freeze Dried (FD) meals.


When I am out for a overnight trip I generally carry two types of main meal. The first is the home-made "freezer bag" type which I make from store brought ingredients. These consist of a carb (rice/noodles/pasta/instant potato/pearl barley/cous cous/instant stuffing) with the addition of vegetables, protein (meat/chicken/fish/TVP) and some herbs and spices.  

A selection of home-made dehydrated freezer bag meals


Generally these require some "in pot" cooking time although it is possible to make meals that simply require hot water. I eat them from the bag or straight from the pot.


 The second type is the ubiquitous freeze dried (FD) meal to which you add hot water and wait for it to re hydrate. My typical breakdown would be two home-made to one freeze dried meal per trip. If the trip was 5 days or more, when food weight becomes more of a factor, FD meals will dominate.

Enjoying some freeze dried Spaghetti Bolognaise at Hawdon Hut, 2014


The advantage of freeze dry meals is their low relative weight (less than 200gms) and the ease of preparation which negates a whole lot of mess and bother at the end of a long day.

Some notes regarding freeze dried tramping meals

In New Zealand the three main freeze dried ranges are supplied by Backcountry Cuisine Absolute Wilderness and the Outdoor Gourmet Company. These are available at outdoor stores and some supermarkets. There will be a company in your locale which produce these type of meals, check your local camping/outdoor stores.

A Backcountry Cuisine freeze dried meal


Both companies produce a range of 1 and 2 serve meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner items. People will often tell you these rival products are different, i.e. one is better than the other, but in reality the differences are minimal.


Absolute Wilderness Bacon Mash


Outdoor Gourmet just pips Backcountry as their meals look more like real food. 



One of the  Outdoor Gourmet Company meals

Obviously, anything you add to this type of meal needs to be pre cooked, dried and or freeze dried as well. The idea is to add items that will increase the flavor of your meal while still minimising weight and size. 

Freeze dried Butter Chicken Curry and a big mug of Maggi soup...yum!


A note on serving size

Some people are happy to use the single serve freeze dried meals, personally I find this is too small a portion for me. I always buy the two person serves as I find them more filling especially after a long hard tramping day. You will need to decide which is best for you. A two serve will add an extra 50-75 gms to the weight. 

Backcountry Cuisine size comparison: a 2 serve, accessory pack and 1 serve


Alternately you can "bulk up" your single serve with some extra FD rice, cous-cous, par cooked grain or 2-3 dessert spoons of dehydrated potato flakes. Make sure you add water to allow these to hydrate fully.


Dried potato powder: great by itself, as a thickener or to bulk up meals...

Adding extra taste to your freeze dried meal

Below are some additions I have used to make my freeze dried meals more palatable.

Salt, pepper, herbs and spices

  
Freeze dried meals have a high salt content but given the amount of sweat you expend tramping adding a touch of salt to improve taste is acceptable. Taste your freeze dried  first as some are much saltier than others.

 Pepper is a great addition to any meal and adds a complex depth of flavour. I generally carry the small sachets of salt and pepper from take out restaurants, one of each per day used sparingly.

Salt n' Pepper alright!


A touch of dried curry powder, oregano, mint,coriander, chilli or your herb or spice of choice can add a blast of flavour to any meal.  Adding a good Tex-Mex mixture will maximise the taste of chilli and re fried bean meals.

Spice rack at the local supermarket...go mad!

I carry some small resealable bags with a selection of herbs and spices to add at meal time or you can staple your chosen mix in a small bag to the outside of the freeze dried bag.

Why not make a "spice tin" like the one in the photo below...I'm making one myself.

Small spice tin of a US hiker- from Equip2survive.com


Remember weight is important and a little goes a long way with spices; don't go overboard.

Sauce it!

There are a bewildering array of sauces on the market that you can utilise, here are a few I have used:

 Tomato ketchup/sauce/HP is probably the most obvious type, a small takeaway sachet added to dehydrated tomato dishes will maximise the tomato flavour. I use the McDonald's packets because you always get a fist full of them with your McD's meal and never use them.  

Tomato paste sachets can also be used but the flavour is a lot stronger.

Good old Mickey D's ketchup!


Tabasco hot sauce will give your meal a hefty kick,  it is especially good in stews and casseroles adding complexity to the taste as well as heat. I have a supply of miniature Tabasco bottles brought from an Asian food market but you can decant your hot sauce of choice into a lightweight plastic container.

Miniature Tabasco bottle


Soya Sauce is great with any Asian, rice or fish dish, I use the small "fish" shaped serves you get with sushi, again I found a supply of these in a local Asian food market.

Single use Soya "fish"


Worcestershire: I have taken to decanting Worcestershire sauce into a small plastic bottle as I find it adds great taste depth to any venison, beef or lamb meal. Worcestershire is a piquant fish based sauce with a hint of spice and a warm mouth fill, beautiful with all meat dishes (and on a meat pie...).

Worcestershire Sauce
Muoc Nam or fish sauce is a salty additive which is vital in any South Asian recipe. Again it is best with Asian inspired meals but can be used in a wide range of situations for example to give Bolgnaise an unusual fusion taste, or to add another flavour level to stews and casseroles. 

Muoc Nam or fish sauce I use
Dont spill this in your pack, my gawd it stinks, and it will stay there for years! 

Nuts & dried fruit

 Adding a handful of your nut of choice can add a nice crunch to any Asian or rice dish, including Risotto, the nut flavour also brings out the inherent taste of the rice. I personally favour peanuts, cashews and almonds but any nut can be used.

A selection of nuts for hiker meals

A handful of dried fruit is a traditional essential in any North African inspired meal including tagines, lamb cassolets and any cous cous based meal. Think raisins, sultanas, dates, dried apricots....

My home-made Moorish style cous-cous salad with feta, raisins, nuts
  Craisins (dried cranberries) will go well with any venison or chicken meal, they add an interesting sweet-sour note.

Ocean Spray craisins...

Adding vegetables to your tramping fare

 There is no reason you can not add vegetables to your freeze dried meal including your choice of fresh ones. There are also a variety of dried and freeze dried vegetables commercially available which can be added to any meal. 

BCC make a freeze dried vegetable mix (as well as rice/potato/beef mince/cheese and egg) which can be added straight to any freeze dried meal. I know that Backpackers Pantry and Mountain House make similar products in the US.


A quick search of your local supermarket will yield dried onion/shallots, mushrooms, garlic, capsicum, peas, beans, olives and sun dried tomatoes. All of these, properly re hydrated, can be added to freeze dried meals.  Better yet, buy a dehydrator and make your own home made dried vegetables to order.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

Don't forget fresh vegetables; a diced clove of garlic, some sliced ginger,  diced onion or capsicum, freshly sliced mushrooms, carrots and celery can all add a touch of class to your meal.

Preparing vegetables for the dehydrator

Onions and garlic will last a long time in your pack. Do not go overboard with the vege's as the fresh varieties are heavy to carry.

Extra protein for long term energy

 If you want to add extra protein to a freeze dried meal then go ahead. The downside is that adding any form of protein that is not dried will add considerably to the weight of that that meal. Personally I do not do this as I usually find FD meals have more than enough protein already.

Jack Links Jerky is a good source of protein

Good sources include cheese, tuna (or other oily fish), smoked meats (salami/jerky/bacon) and canned chicken and shredded ham. If you are going to use cheese a hard one such as Parmesan, Pecorino, Romano or aged Chedder is best (they last longer) or some form of shelf stable processed cheese.

Olive oil

Long distance "through hikers" in the US and Europe swear by olive oil: they add it too everything. Olive oil is a rich source of fats and anti oxidants as well as tasting delicious.

A local brand of Olive Oil

 A tablespoon of oil added to a freeze dry can make that meal more unctuous as fat is one of the elements the freeze drying process removes.Carry it in a well secured small plastic bottle stored in an outside pocket as it will make a real mess if spilled inside your pack.

Milk powder

Milk powder will add to the creamy  nature of many FD meals, anything with a cheese or cream based sauce will benefit.

A coconut milk powder available in New Zealand


Coconut cream powder is especially good for those who are Lactose intolerant as well as going well with Asian style meals. Make sure you add enough water to reconstitute the powder correctly.

What about crackers?

If you are the kind of tramper who eats crackers for lunch and you have a couple spare, break them up and add them to your freeze dried meal.

Leave some crackers for that tramping dinner...

 Most if not all of these meals are soupy or stew like so anything that adds a crunchy texture is appreciated.


This is hardly an exhaustive list, you should visit your local supermarket or Asian food market and see what they have available.

What about some practical tramping meal examples?

Here a couple of practical examples of how this works using meals from both Backcountry Cuisine and the Outdoor Gourmet Company product lines. I have made all of these additions in the past.


BCC Chicken Tomato Alfredo: add olives, olive oil, diced sundried tomatoes, salt and pepper

BCC Chicken Tomato Alfredo with added olives and tomatoes
BCC Morrocan Lamb: add pine and or peanuts, raisins, olive oil, dried mint/nutmeg, freshly diced garlic clove, salt and pepper (this is my current favourite BCC meal)

BCC Spaghetti Bolognaise: add diced garlic, tomato ketchup, olive oil, olives, freshly shaved Parmesan

BCC Creamy Carbonara: add sliced sautéed mushrooms, garlic, diced salami, olive oil, milk powder, salt and pepper

One of the Outdoor Gourmet Company meals


OGC Lamb and Black Olives: add nuts, raisins, olive oil, mint, garlic salt and pepper

OGC Venison Casarecce with White Wine Sauce: Craisins, garlic, sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper

Absolute Wilderness Bacon Mash: Salami, cheese, oil, chilli sauce, onions

As you can see you could really go crazy with your additions the only limit is your taste buds and imagination. Just remember to keep the weight factor in mind as you could easily negate any initial savings by adding too much to your meals. 


Sunday 15 February 2015

Tramping food: St James Walkway: Food for the trip

Tramping menu for the St James Walkway


Here is the food I am taking with me for my 5 day tramp around the St James Walkway this week. I have been tweaking my tramping food requirements as I look for variety and add a few more calories per day. I've added an extra snack per day as well as adding some extra drinks for re hydration.

The view from Ada Pass Hut veranda, St James Walkway


I try to keep to the "golden" 700gms of tramping food per day rule, this should provide enough energy to propel me on my way. The 700gm rule was thought up by the Peninsula Tramping Club (attributed to Geoff Spearpoint a notable member of that group) as a good average to aim for when planning food requirements.

Packed as a 24 hour 'ration'

I like to pack my tramping food in a 24 hour "ration", it is in a plastic bag and contains all the items I will use in a 24 hour period. This is very military but I find it keeps things better organised than the "everything in one big bag" method of tramping food rationing. 

Backcountry Cuisine have a 24 hour packed ration


My five day tramping menu:


Here is my five day tramping menu broken down into day by day rations....


Tramping Food: Day 1

Instant mash is one of my go to tramping meals...it can be paired with vegetables, meat, cheese, gravy, fish...basically whatever you want to chuck in with it. Super easy to prepare, just add hot water and stir...and packed full of carbs to keep you tramping. It is good for both breakfast and dinner..prepare it in its own plastic bag to avoid mess. 



Tramping food- Day 1

Breakfast:  At home (I often buy MacDonalds Breakfast on the way out of town)
Lunch: Crackers + peanut butter + electrolyte drink
Snacks: le snack + raisin's + Steak bar + Special K biscuits
Dinner: Cheesy spud + Spam n' vege's ( re hydrated and mixed together = yum!) + chicken noodle soup + Refresh sachet (orange)
Extras:  Water purification tablets + salt + pot scrubber + chewing gum
Nestle Iced Tea + tea ( 1 T sugar) (760gms total)


Tramping Food: Day 2

I will take freeze dried meals with me if he trip is going to last for over three days..it is hard to argue with the convenience of these meals. I would much rather have 'fresh' food alas fresh food is very heavy and more difficult to prepare. The mashed spuds are to add some more carbohydrates to the main meal which did not have any pasta, potatoes or grains with it. 

Tramping food- Day 2

Breakfast:  Cream o' wheat + raisins + 1t sugar/milk powder + Tea
Lunch: Crackers + Pate + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Peanuts + Special K biscuit + scroggin pack+ Steak bar
Dinner: BCC Chicken a la King + mashed spuds + Miso soup + Refresh sachet (lemon/lime)
Extras: Puri Tabs + salt + pot scrubber
Nestle Iced Tea + tea ( 1 T sugar) (710gms total)

Tramping Food: Day 3


Tuna fish is the ambrosia of the gods for trampers especially if you get the type with olive oil added to it. Good for lunches and as a dinner addition. I prefer plain tuna unfortunately all the packet tuna we Kiwis can buy is weird...like peri peri spiced, with loathsome coconut or ground rhino testicles added...yeercckkkk!!! Just give us some plain tuna you arses!


Tramping food- Day 3

Breakfast:  Porridge +1t sugar/milk powder + raisins + Tea
Lunch: Crackers + Tuna + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Peanuts (honey roasted) + raisin's + steak bar + cheese quarter
Dinner: Chicken noodles w. beef and vege's + Spring vege soup + Refresh sachet (orange)
Extras: Puri tabs + salt + pot scrubber + chewing gum
Nestle Iced Tea + Cappuccino sachet + tea ( 1 T sugar) (730gms total)

Tramping Food: Day 4: Longest day on this tramp, 17 km's (6-8 hours)

At the end of a long hard tramping day I just want something quick and easy to prepare...freeze dried Spag Bol fits like a glove. You should never discount the reviving power of some drinks...tea, coffee, hot chocolate, electrolyte drinks and powdered fruit drinks..they are all good. I also enjoy a cup of soup in the late afternoon as a precursor to my dinner.


Tramping food- Day 4

Tramping food- Day 4 close-up
Breakfast:  Porridge + 1t sugar/milk powder + raisins + Tea
Lunch: Crackers + peanut butter + electrolyte drink
Snacks: le snack + raisin's + peanut M & M's + Steak bar
Dinner: BCC Spag Bolognaise + tinned herrings ( I like them) + Beef soup + Refresh sachet (lemon/lime)
Extras: Puri tabs + salt + scrubber + 3x fruit chews (candy)
Nestle Iced Tea + Cappuccino sachet + tea ( 1 T sugar) (720gms total)

I'm going to be buggered by the end of this day so just want something quick and tasty for dinner.


Tramping Food: Day 5: Last Day of the tramp (only Breakfast and snacks)


I sometimes eat freeze dried meals for breakfast but not on a regular basis, I usually go for the blander meals; Cooked Breakfast, Scrambled Eggs, Nasi Goreng (rice, veges and eggs) & Creamy Carbonara. I actually switched meals..I gave the Honey Soy Chicken to the TA trampers and had left over crackers and peanut butter for breakfast instead. 


Tramping food- Day 5
Breakfast:  BCC Honey Soy Chicken (2 serve) + tea (1T Sugar)
Snacks: Le Snack + raisin's + Nut Bar+ cheese quarter  (320gms total)


Tramping food- 5 Days + my lunch crackers


All up the food and sundries for this 5 day trip weight 2.7 kg's, or roughly 650 gm's per day.

Post Script: The breakfasts and main meals were fine but too many snacks taken. I ate my tinned herrings on my crackers on day three instead of the peanut butter. Loved the crackers which have now gone out of production....as usual! I had crackers and peanut butter for breakfast on the last day...they were tasty.

Both the Nestle Iced Tea and crackers are no longer available in New Zealand...more is the pity because both of them were excellent.

I ended up giving a bag of 5-6 snacks, one main meal and some drinks to a group of hungry Te Araroa Trail trekkers who were short of food. Better that carrying around useless weight and I like to help people out.


The Henry River Valley sweltering under 32 degree temperatures, St James Walkway


A combination of  warm weather, a trip shortened by one day and lack of appetite meant I didn't use all these calories.  I've adjusted my amounts and now take 2-3 snacks per day.


Monday 20 October 2014

Tramping food: Food for a four day tramp

Tramping food for four days


I'm preparing for a trip this weekend and thought I would show you the kind of food I take with me when I go out tramping. This is for a four day trip, so 4 lunches, 3 dinners and 3 breakfasts. I also take some emergency food, quick cook pasta/noodles/cous-cous and a couple of packages of instant porridge (oatmeal to you Americans).

Four days worth of tramping food laid out for inspection

It is not uncommon for New Zealand trampers to get stuck on the wrong side of a river for a day or two after a touch of rain so you need a small emergency food backup just in case. It is no fun having an enforced hut or tent day with no food.

Why you need spare food: Flooding river (note storm in background)

Breakdown of my tramping meal periods: breakfast, lunch, dinner

What I'm looking for is a good mix of carbs/fats/sugars/protein to keep me going all day long. You also want a mix of tastes and a sweet/savoury mix so your food doesnt become boring.

 Generally, breakfast will be porridge, toaster pastries, freeze dried meals (savoury or desserts) or muesli with milk (powdered), cheese or salami and a cup of tea. I sometimes eat freeze dried eggs cooked and in a tortilla if I have the time. I also love the freeze dried rice pudding which you can buy from Absolute Wilderness.

Breakfast: eating a freeze dried Applepie at Bark Bay Hut


Lunches are crackers or tortillas with peanut butter/tuna/salami/cheese or pate. I will take 2-3 snacks per day as well as drinks like iced tea, coffee, tea and electrolyte mixes. Two minute noodles are also  good for lunch as they are lightweight and quick to prepare.


Lunch on the Lewis Pass Tops: raisins, crackers, tuna, and a lemon lime drink

 My dinner staples tend to be dried foods: pasta/rice/noodles/instant mashed potato with various additions and flavourings.  I usually start with an instant soup followed by my main meal and any left over snacks for desert.

 
Cooking dinner at Lake Christabel Hut..freze dried meal and iced tea

I occasionally take freeze dried meals, they are simple to prepare (just add hot water) and lightweight but expensive to buy. Very occasionally I take thermo-stabilised pouch meals from companies like Kaweka or MTR but weight is an issue with these.

Freeze dried Venison and Rice Noodle stirfry
Freeze dried Venison and Rice Noodle stirfry


I  finish the day with coffee, tea or a cold drink mix. Or hot Raro, yum!


Me drinking tea in East Hawdon Biv, Arthurs Pass N.P


I'm always on the lookout for good dinner meal ideas; ease of preparation, weight and taste are my criteria, not necessarily in that order.

The four day tramping menu...

Below is a representative four day menu showing  different types of main meal options and how they interact with each other. You want a bit of variety in your meals for interest sake..I once meet a person walking the Te Araroa Trail who ate porridge for all three meals.

That may be fine for you but I would hate that with a passion...

Tramping food:Day One

I'm eating a MTR retort curry on day one....with rice as a accompaniment, I would eat these bagged meals all the time but the weight would be prohibitive.



Breakfast:  At home (I often buy MacDonalds etc. on the way out of town)
Lunch: Sandwiches + fruit from home + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Olives + raisin's + scroggin pack
Dinner: MTR Paneer Butter Masala
MTR Jeeri Rice
Nestle Iced Tea + tea ( 1 T sugar) (580gms total)


Tramping food: Day 2

Mashed spuds with vegetables, meat, cheese and sometimes added gravy powder make for an excellent tramping meal...I really like it and it is one of my 'go to' tramping menu choices. 

Im also partial to a good instant Mac n' Cheese but Im not taking any with me on this trip. 




Breakfast:Instant Porridge with Raisins/milk powder/sugar + cheese wedge + tea ( 1 T sugar)
Lunch: Peanut butter (x2) + crackers + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Strawberry toaster pastries + raisins + steak bar
Dinner: Instant Cheese Mash + beef jerky + cheese wedge + dried onion
Nestle Iced Tea + tea ( 1 T sugar) (460gms total)



Tramping food: Day 3

The longer the trip the more freeze dried meals I would be eating. I have usually eaten all the fresh food before day 3-4 so after that it is freeze dried meals for dinner each day.

They may not be the tastiest but its hard to argue with that weight to nutrition ratio..and the taste & quality is geting better all of the time.





Breakfast: Cream of Wheat + raisins + milk powder + sugar + tea ( 1 T sugar)
Lunch:Farmhouse Pate + crackers + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Raisins+ beef jerky + fruit and nut chocolate bar
Dinner: Back Country Cuisine: Roast lamb with vegetables & mash (2 serve)
Nestle Iced Tea + tea (1 T sugar) (475 gms total)



Tramping food: Day 4


I'm eating a single serve freeze dried meal for breakfast on the last day as I am walking for a long distance. I usually eat the bland varieties: Scrambled Eggs, Tomato Pasta Alfredo, Nasi Goreng, All Day Breakfast etc. as I don't want to be tramping with a curry on board.

Me eating a Tomato Pasta Alfredo in Mid Robinson Hut in 2016

Also toaster pastries...they are jammed packed with sugar but also carbohydrates, fats and some protein. Your going to burn it all off over the day so the sugar doesn't mater and they taste good after a couple of days in the bush.




Breakfast: Back Country Cuisine: Nasi Goreng (1 serve) + toaster pastries + tea ( 1 T sugar)
Lunch: Farmhouse Pate + crackers + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Steak bar + raisins + scroggin mix pack
Dinner: At home (or on the way home) (370gms total)

Total weight of food: 2.2kg including the box of crackers

Tramping bread

 I've tried a lot of different things to use as my "daily bread" (bread/crackers/tortilla's/wraps/crisp-bread) but always come back to these beauties. Arnotts Sesame Wheat crackers go great with everything and I really appreciate the salt on them.

Arnotts Sesame Wheat: My daily bread on tramping excursions

My second most popular choice would be Farrah Wraps which come in a variety of different flavours. These will last for 3-4 days if handled with care, I fold them and place them in small zip lock bags.


Farrah Wrap's, spinach is my favourite flavour

MTR thermo stabilised meals for tramping

Here is a new item I'm trying out as tramping food; MTR ready to eat meals. MTR is an Indian brand, imported for sale in New Zealand; they are thermo stabilised pouch meals. You chuck them in a pot of water and boil for 3-5 minutes. The other heating method is by using one of the Back Country flame-less ration heaters, these boil water through chemical action to heat your food.

A Backcountry flameles ration heater


There are 3-4 types of rice and a dozen mains available, I've tried a couple and they are very tasty. I have since discovered that these are in Indian Army, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) ration packs.


MTR Indian Meal - Jeera Rice
This trip I have Jeera Rice and Paneer Butter Masala, the beauty of these meals is that they can be eaten hot or cold (just like a MRE). They have a subtle mix of spices in them, vegetables and this one has cubes of cottage cheese.

MTR Indian meal - Paneer Butter Masala

The realy make a change to your bog standard Backcountry Freeze dried meals.

Or try a Kaweka meal...

A similar idea are the Kaweka Meals, they are also in thermo stabilised pouches that just need to be heated in hot water. They are delicious and consist of a main and a side dish: either rice, mashed potato or cous-cous.

These are used in both Australian and NZ Army issued ration packs.

Some of the Kaweka meal range
Their main meals include:

Butter Chicken and Rice
Thai Green Curry and Rice
Beef and Red Wine Casserole with mash
Beans, Bangers and Bacon
Apricot Chicken with cous cous
Lamb Casserole with mash

These meals are available in all of the larger supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

Kaweka went out of business in 2017 but similar meals are now in Go Native 24 hour ration packs available from most outdoor stores. 


Go Native 24 hour ration packs....taste good but expensive!
The contents of a Go Native 24 hour ration pack

Always keep your eyes open for tasty items you can add to your tramping menus.

Snackage: I love them raisins !


As you can see I like raisins, they are my favourite snack as well as an additive for porridge and cream of wheat. I always carry some with me on every tramping trip. Raisins are heavier than some other snacks but I enjoy the more natural sugar high you get off a pack...much better than that from chocolate. 

Mmmmm...Raisins!

Other snacks I carry include; fresh and dried fruit, muesli bars, chocolate, nuts, toaster pastries, jerky, olives, steak bars, biscuits and cheese slices/wedges/rounds (Baby Bels rock people and last for 2-3 days). I try to take a variety of snacks so I dont get sick of any one item.


Jack Link's Steak Bars..solid jerky bars....yum!!!



Babybel cheese...tasty and will last for 2-3 days


There are many more but what I like is a sweet/savoury mix with a lean to the salty - savoury end of the scale. I am not big on the scroggin/GORP/trail mix however as I find it is heavy and you quickly grow tired of it regardless of the contents.


Classic scroggin/trail mix...I am not a fan.

Anyway, that is just a quick overview of some of my tramping meal ideas.