Gas from freeze-dried food?
Elk
Has anybody else experienced unbelievable gas from freeze-dried food? It seems like a lot of people love the freeze-dried meals but a couple of my friends and I have had gas that would run us out of our own tents.
Is there a particular meal that you've had good luck with? We think that the spaghetti Mountain House meals are the culprit.
I'm always thankful for the learning experiences on this site.
Thanks
My regular diet is pretty high protein, so I'm gassy most of the time anyway but when I eat the chili mac, my carbon footprint increases big time!
Shockingly more gassy and it's not the "hey I smell a hint of something" rather "what the hell died?"
Chili Mac had me gagging in Alaska back in 2009. I've since stayed away from that flavor although it was my favorite taste wise.
We packed up a soaked tent last weekend! Upon arrival at home I layed it out to dry and unzipped the door POW, right there stuck inside 4 days worth of Freezedried gas! As far as the chili Mac, I can not eat it and have a hope to hunt, as I am leaning aginst every avaliable log out there! You could follow my TP trail for miles!
Yup. Don't follow your hunting buddies to close when traveling down a trail either.
I melt the tent when I'm on that stuff! Can't stand even my OWN flavor, never mind the other guys in the tent.
WTH do they put in there??
All freeze dried food tears me up.
Chili Mac is pure evil re-incarnated ;-) I get woozy at the mere sight of the package. Another bad one is Jamaican Chicken (contains Scotch Bonnet Habanero Peppers). Mercifully, they stopped making that one.
No problems with any other flavor of Mountain House for me. I think it helps to drink lots of water before, during and after the meal though.
try eating a bag of dried sulfered apricots, washed down with prun juice, let me know if your wife kicks you out.
I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one. The Chili Mac tastes great but my hunt is over unless there's hurricane-force winds. The spaghetti only makes me a little gassier than usual but the stink is shocking. Makes it hard to breathe.
I think I've had better luck with Beef Stroganoff.
Has anybody had good luck with any specific meals or are all freeze-dried meals detrimental?
I mostly stick with these entrees:
Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes
Chicken Ala King
Noodles and Chicken
Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stew
Just don't do the tamale pie..... it speaks for itself...
now there's an interesting thread..
One of many reasons my stove now stays home!
lasagne with meat sauce smels and looks same going in and coming out
lasagne with meat sauce smels and looks same going in and coming out
Mountain Chili. Stay the F away from that stuff. Considerin your in the back country with only a couple changes of clothes, its one way to F up your hunt and lose a hunting partner in the process.
Flat tears me up......especially the chili mac.
I learned to combat the gas by taking an Axid about thirty minutes before eating freeze dried.
If you don't do it for yourself....do it for your hunting partner....LOL!
I think it is safe to say that you guys will never make it to the Food Network:)
didn't notice the gas with the freeze dried meals, but protein energy bars give me an almost instant case of the walking farts!
Try a tablespoon of peanutbutter after meals, it keeps the gas in check.
The scentloc/ozonic marketing geniuses are salivating right now lol
lmao. thats all i got to say.
Triple dose of imodium AD if you have to eat the chili Mac!
Next year if I see that stuff in my buddies pack I am installing locks on the tent and soaking the TP in cayenne pepper! It will be a painful way of breaking him but that smell is still in my tent after hanging it now for two full weeks!
I quit eating the freeze dried stuff a few years ago, and I'm much happier, as are my camping & hunting partners. Look at the ingredients, there's a ton of chemical name bullshit on the label. Most of them are labeled with so many chemicals, it's no wonder they can't be digested.
Think about this: if the food can't be broken down by micro-organisms, how do you think your gut is going to break it down? Our digestion depends in large part on micro-organisms to break stuff down, and if the bacteria can't digest it, you can't either.
For me, it's real food or none at all. I eat a high fat, high protein diet. Homemade pemmican (kidney fat plus ground jerkey & spices), elk jerky, cashews, sardines, and some energy bars that are really simple & only have a few ingredients, like Lara bars or Kind bars. I eat this even when backpacking & bivy camping. I will carry heavier food so that my gut is happy. I have some Mountain House and similar on hand for emergency use, but I don't use it, unless it's an emergency. And MRE's?? I'd rather eat squirrels than eat that chemical crap.
We just call this whole gas thing....."playing the fart game"......as I tell my wife, "Don't overestimate the simplicity of the male mind!"
Mark
Thanks for all of the advice above. We just returned from our hunt in NM and have some answers.
Stalker and Teeton were absolutely right: Beano is great stuff. We hadn't used it before but it works! Chew Beano right before eating freeze-dried and it cuts the gas in at least half! And the gas isn't nearly so toxic either!
Before Beano I could never trust a fart!
