Backpacking Gear

Wiszard

Wiszard

Long Time Member
Messages
11,222
Firstly- I'm looking into buying some freeze dried food for backpacking. From what I've seen, Mountain House is a brand that comes up a lot. What brand do you guys eat?

Secondly- What kind of micro burner do you use? I see that most of them are around 4 oz and use 70/30. Do you have a preference on match light or electronic ignition? What do you use? Thanks!

Steve
 
>Love Mountain House. I use a
>Snow Peak Giga Ti with
>a Ti Cup and spork.
>Very lightweight.
>
>JR

+1, I use the same setup. Just make sure you get a mug large enough to boil 2 cups of water for the mt house. Mine is a snow peak ti 600ml.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
 
Wiz,

I eat mountain house, they seem to have the flavors in stock that I like and the size I need. I can't remember off of the top of my head the brand of the burner, it has a self ignition but I always carry backup matches. A lot of guys I know use the jetboil and like it.

Rich
 
mountain house here as well and I have the Jetboil and for my purposes I haven't found anything that I like better.
 
I eat Mountain House and have a Brunton burner with the auto ignition, which conked out almost immediately. They said they'd replace it but I never sent it back in. It works fine....I just have to light it with matches.


Within the shadows, go quietly.
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I've been looking for good prices on the food but I think for the most part, most are around $5-$6 per 16-20 oz pouch. I've been searching on ebay and they're not much cheaper. Thanks again guys.

Steve
 
I wouldn't say getting serious about getting a "trophy" buck...just one a bit better than average! :) My Dad and I haven't backpacked in a while so I thought when we draw our Nevada tag this year, it would be the perfect place. I really hope we get drawn! I'm putting in a lot of time researching. I have received a ton of good info from everybody regarding the backpacking gear as well as where I'm planning to hunt. Most of the guys here are genuinely good people. I say "most"...HaHa.

Steve
 
Mountain House for me too. I generally don't like the fancy sounding menu items. All the basic pasta ones are good (lasagna, spaghetti, etc.). If you like mushrooms, the beef stroganoff is my favorite. The bacon & eggs aren't too bad. The granola/blueberry/milk is pretty tasty. How good all the food is usually depends on how hungry you are! I use a pocket rocket. It is cheap and works well. Good luck!
 
Make sure you get the double serving Mt House Meals. The singles just don't have enough in them. Like suggested crystal light is awesome for a little flavor.

I personally quit packing a stove cause its just to much weight. Its also easier to eat cold food. And cheese is a good suggestion. It makes weight and stays good.
 
You get a little price break on the Mountain house if you buy the "serves 4" portion and then split is into two portions at home.

When it says serves 2 that means, 2 little girls, cause I wolf the whole thing.

Change it up with Ramen and like Deerlove said, string cheese.
 
I don't pack a stove either, I just don't want to have to fool around with the burner, fuel canisters, or pots or pack the extra weight. There have been times though when a hot meal would sure have been good!
 
Another trick is to eat a different MH everyday. If I go for 4 days I will usually take 5 different ones. I use a small 1/2 full propane bottle with a single burner. I've always worried about the gas leaking or not lasting. Weight isn't that much different but the propane takes up more room. If they made a propane bottle half the size of the normal one it would be a great system.

HK
 
Wizard,
My son and I went on a back pack hunt for 8 days. We packed 7 miles in from the nearest road. We ate Mountain House and I must say for the most part they are pretty tasty specially the Chili Mac and cheese. I barrowed a stove. It was the type that used white gas. We mostly cooked and boiled water over a fire but the stove saved a lot of time in the mornings. No trying to start a fire and waiting on it to boil. The stove boiled water pretty quick. It was great for coffee and oatmeal and we didn't have to worry about being sure the fire was dead out before we left to hunt. We tried the MH breakfast eggs and beacon. I love egg and beacon but I did not like the MH breakfast. I also packed in some hunter sticks. I would cut up small pieces and add them to whatever meal I wanted it in. Sure made for some good meat in the food. Also we took some instant potatoes, removed them from the box and vacuum sealed them. That and powdered gravy worked great for filler food if you were still hungry and for the most part we were good and hungry. This was our first pack trip and we took a little too much clothes. The food was perfectly planned though. We pack 60lb packs which isn't too bad but a lot of hiking was steep up hill going.
Have fun and good luck!!

GBA
 
GBA- Thanks for the info. A 60 lb pack? Damn....I'm hoping I can keep mine under 50. Maybe I'll make my Dads pack 70 and mine 40!!

Steve
 
I agree with Bamacpl. MRE'S are the way to go, just add a small amount of water to the pouch and they are self heating. This way you eliminate the need for the stove and fuel and you already have water with you. They come in many different meals and are really not bad at all.
 
Another trick I learned was from reading eastmans. They always talk about bacon,honey, and penut butter sandwiches. I had to try em and I have to admit there pretty damn good. They should last 2-3 days in your pack as long as its not to hot and the calorie to weight ratio is high.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
 
You guys talking about going without a stove, does the MH stuff still set up alright and taste normal with just adding water?
I've wondered about that before, but always used boiling water.
 
1) Mountain House Meals.....Granola
2) JetBoil Stove
3) Water Filtration Unit
4) Chrystal Light Quick Packets

Always have liked Mountain House. Some are better than others. I always load up on the granola with blueberries. You can pick it up for $4.00 if you keep your eyes open. It's lightweight and you dont have to boil the water before eating. Just add water. I load up on those in the off season and then during the hunts always have 3-4 in my daypack. Great energy food too and taste great. JetBoil is the stove/burner I've had great luck with. Lightweight and compact with the fuel cylanders fitting inside the stove when packing around. I always keep a water filter in my pack too. Not overly heavy and always nice to have in the back country when hydration and water is needed. Chrystal light single packets are nice to add to any water that is filtered or carried in. Again, lightweight to carry and good to add some flavor! Good luck!
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-30-10 AT 03:54PM (MST)[p]I have nothing against MH except the price. Back when I back packed a lot MH was out of my price range. We looked around and found boxed dinners that taste just as good. Not quite as convenient as MH but some are "just add boiling water" or water and butter. If you're on a budget check out what's available at all supermarkets. You'd be surprised at how much money you can save.

Eel
here is a link just to give you some ideas.

http://www.shopfoodex.com/boxed-dinners-sides-c-2127.html

Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
 
I take salt & pepper and shoot somthing. (Just kidding)
I used M/H, other than the cobler I hate it. The breakfast was terrible even the camp robbers were throwing up. I pack MRE's anymore, open them at home and strip them down from the things you do not want, keep the self heaters of course and double zip lock (I hate the smell). A little more weight but no stove or fuel to pack.
 
I don't take the MH meals because I don't take a stove. I just get by with bagels, peanut butter, jerky, trail mix and granola. I don't carry a water filter either, just iodine tabs.
 
I don't eat mt house anymore. It costs to much, and the CPO is not that great. I just take whatever looks good and has a high CPO. A guy can easily do 120 CPO now days.
 
MRE's are heavy. Don't even think about taking those. You can do way better then that. Also, I don't take a filter either. It is also heavy, and they take a lot of pumping.
 
I used the JetBoil for quite a few years. It finally crapped out on me and I went with the MSR WindPro. I like the WindPor better.

1601.jpg


I also prefer Mountain House.

My stove fits well in my Titanium pot.

19537_1116524092722_1815571206_237564_8037348_n.jpg
 
I liked either the Mountain House freeze dried stuff or MRE's. I always took along a Coleman dual fuel stove, and white gas as well as a First Need water pump.
4abc76ff29b26fc1.jpg
 
Wizard, it is like everything else in life. It's all a matter of preference. You can go stove or no stove, dehydrated meals, MRE's or foods that don't need boiling water. Water filter or iodine tables. Bivy shelter (tent) or bivy sack. You have to try certain things out and see what works for you.

As far as weight goes 50 - 60 lbs seems pretty heavy now a days. Then again it depends on what time of year your hunting. During the hotter months you can go lighter than the colder months because you are not carrying as much clothing. I try to keep my pack close to 37-39 lbs which includes gear, food, water, xtra clothing and my bow.

As with most everything money plays a big role. Lighter gear is usually more expensive. Good luck.

JR
 
Aw, c'mon men!!! Are you men or are you boys!!! When I'm out in the hills I eat dirt....amd when I'm thirsty i drink mud! Or, if flavor is wanted, I drink my own piss. It's high in nutrients and vitamins. And i Love It!! Once, on a three month trek across hells backbone I had to eat rocks every day for a week!! Rocks!!!! I loved every bite and came home all the tougher!!!! So man up! Eat dirt! Eat rocks! Drink mud. Drink Piss! Carry in nothin but your pride and grit and walk out a man!!!! C'MONE!!!
 
Ha ha, that's funny Luckyshot! Yes carrying a 60 pound pack was a bit heavy but we went for 8 days and this was in December. As it was we got snowed on our last two days so I was happy for the heavier clothing. MH foods are the lightest by far and for the most part taste pretty good. Someone mention bagels and PBJ?s but I would guess they are only out 3 or 4 days at the most. I would also guess that to be much heavier than MH or other dehydrated foods as well. I know we could have done better on weight with packing clothing but as mentioned above we were on a budget and lighter warmer clothing is pretty pricey. I will do more trips like this again and learn how to pack better and to go without some items. I would also like to mention that the MH foods are packed in a foil type pouch that seals shut. We took some top Ramon soup got it good and hot and then reused the MH food pouches. We wrapped them in clothing in our daypacks to keep them warm and had them for lunch, that worked out well. Only drawback to any of the Dehydrated foods is having to take the pouches out with you. They don't burn so well.

GBA
 
If weight is an issue, I wouldn't even consider anything but freeze dried meals. MH makes some great tasting meals. Their lasagna,and spagetti for dinner,and bluberries and granola for breakfast are the best IMO.Yes they are a bit pricey, however were talking about 3-10 day pack trips not eating them 365 days a year.

Snow peak titanium with a auto ignitor is about the lightest stove on the market and is great for 3-4 day jaunts. Anything longer and I'd go with a JB.
 
I have that stove and love it. The stove, fuel can (2/3 full) titanium cup, and spork weigh about 440 grams or 15.5 oz. Very light. The pezo lighter on the stove works every time. It is not that expensive either.

JR
 
Idahoan brand pouch instant potatoes, Roasted Garlic is my favorite, but there are others for variety. Half a pack and a cup of warm water and its done. Will eat half a freeze dried meal and half a pack of potatoes, cuts the cost and makes a better meal. Last trip discovered the white meat chicken that comes in a foil pack, (tuna come in a similar pack), but anyway, try that heated up, with the potatoes on the side, hard to beat, not as light as freeze dried, but you can carry 2 or 3 in without noticing. Cheaper too.

Ryan
 

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