Mountain house side effects
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Tried my first mountain house meal the other day, lasagna. The gas it produced could have powered a small city. Recommendation on which to try that does not have side effects. I know this thread will go south fast so let it rip.
The only one that bothers me is "Chili Mac". Lasagna gives me no problems, so I'm of no assistance. I need a one man tent if Chili Mac is on the menu.
Try something without "sauce"...Noodles and Chicken comes to mind.
Sweet and Sour pork, chicken and rice, stroganoff don't gas me up. Chili Mac is explosive.
My wife and I love the Beef Stroganoff with lot's of black pepper in it. Yes, chilli mac is explosive, but so yummy! Chicken and Rice is pretty good. My son's fav is the the Mac-N-Cheese of course!
X4 on the explosive powers of Chili Mac. Damn!
Same here, and I have had the Blueberry breakfast upset my stomach a time or two. Kinda bloated and gassy feeling.
Oh, that's GREAT news - I need to get even with my hunting partner. I'm going to "Chili Mac" up big time just before we leave MN this year. Ha, 20 hours of total "revenge" power.
I love this site!
I love the chicken and rice. Simple but tasty. Beef strogonoff is decent, the breakfast skillet is AMAZING especially when you throw it in a tortilla shell, I'll even do that one for dinners! Pasta primavera is also good.
I don't get very gassy with it, but when it decides to leave it is like NOW. Fairly slippy if ya know what I mean, but for me the only downside is when you feel that first rumble it's time to start making plans. I once had to unload in the dark with a bugling bull only a half mile away. Still got on him shortly thereafter though :)
I don't like the majority of their flavors, as my taste buds like bland food. But beef stew, chicken w/ mashed potatoes, chicken & rice, and breakfast scrambled eggs are all good for me and I live off them on bivy hunts no problems.
I got a chicken and rice at home to try, I liked the lasagna but it didn't like me. I'll try the breakfast skillet, looked at it at the store and thought no way that would be good.
Any places on line to get good prices?
Be sure to have a comfy seat in the woods after chili mac.
Turkey Tetrazzini and Chicken Ala King are my current favorites.
Only side effect for me is the morning "Lincoln Log"...usually somewhere on the trail.
What can I say...I'm just a "regular guy" :^D
Chili Mac is trouble. I have not had issues with any others I've tried. I have yet to find one I do not like.
they all do that to me. To be fair, everything else does too.
What's the sense of eating it if you don't get the pleasant side effects? ;^)
I agree that the breakfast skillet in a tortilla is amazingly good!
chili mac in, chili mac out.
In terms of intestinal fortitude the MH spaghetti isn't too bad. The MH beef stroganoff is the best. For any other flavors I go to other brands like AlpineAire .
To reduce the effects it's best to gradually switch to MH. In other words, eat one two weeks in advance and then eat a few more right before your trip. What has hurt me the most was eating regular food and then suddenly having two MHs per day. The human body just can't prepare for that. On about day three I wonder if there's going to be enough TP.
Teeton's Link
I'm glad I don't seem to have the problems you all have.
As for a place to get them I use Nitro-Pak, they also have,,, Wise and Alpinefaie.. Here's a link,, http://www.nitro-pak.com/?gclid=CNfiydyYu9QCFdJLDQodoygMgQ
Ed
For me, anything with tomato sauce in it is not among my favorites. Big time gas and explosive results. The following have been my favorites:
Chicken and Rice Beef Stroganoff Chicken and Dumplings (Fantastic) Sweet and Sour Pork
For breakfast it is hard to beat Breakfast Skillet. Bring some little packets of hot sauce from Taco Bell to add to it. For some reason their Eggs with Bacon are not good for me. The Granola and Blueberries is also very good for breakfast and lunch as well.
Start eating some at least once a day before you leave and you will become accustomed to it.
Have to second some of the bests.... Chicken and dumplings, Chicken and rice and breakfast skillet. Good!
Elkstabber... LOL! At first you have 4 rolls and by day three, you have none. :)
Scrappy...Don't try them at home. They taste NOTHING like they do on the mountain.
I will absolutely second the NOT trying them at home advice. It's amazing the taste difference in your kitchen. They are NOT tasty. When you hit your tent in the dark and you're starving, they'll keep you alive. Everyone that makes the claim that they eat them at home is full of crap, or has no sense of taste whatsoever.
Teenton thanks for that link, looks like some good buys.
Kota, I know what you mean, I learned that in the corps. Freeze dried pears, whoever would of thought those would be edible.
Here's my story: My wife was having a hard time envisioning what I was eating while "on the mountain". I explained to her the Mountain House thing but she just couldn't wrap her head around it. I said, fine, I will buy one of my favorites (Lasagna) at the local Scheels and we'll eat one for dinner. Long story/short, it was the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten and she was not impressed.
Like Haibutman says, "when you hit your tent in the dark and you're starving", they're pretty tasty. At home...GROSS.
Second on the meals with tomato sauce. I don't like them and they don't like me! I do like the chicken breasts with mashed potatoes, it is my favorite. Also like beef strogonaff. If anyone wants some chili mac or lasagna meals I'd be glad to send them to you.
I see your MH Chili Mac discomfort and raise you with a bid of sugarfree bear snacks.
https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B008JELLCA
Treewalker those reviews are hilarious.
EmbryO-klahoma: it seems that a 1:1 ratio is about right. 1 MH per 1 roll of TP.
Kota-man: I suggested eating them in advance of the trip so that your digestive system isn't shocked. Yes, they suck if you eat them in the comforts of your own home, especially with your spouse. But, if you go out in the backyard and pretend like you're camping with little kids MH isn't bad at all. Think of it like a science experiment that you can eat.
Biscuits and gravy is my favorite. More tolerable to eat half dry in a hurry.
I must be one of the lucky ones. None of them bother me really at all. The taste is another story!! I do like the breakfast skillet in a tortilla or in a tomato basil wrap. The beef stroganoff, chicken and rice, sweet and sour chicken and yes the Chili Mac. I do not like the lasagna all and for some reason I do not like the mac and cheese. I also make up a bunch of my own small bagged meals. Scooby
I can't remember which is worst for gumming up a spork: lasagna or spaghetti. I like'm both, but scraping the remainder off your spork sucks (unless you just leave it there until you have to stir the next boiling hot meal, then it's fine ;^)). Several of them make me a little gassy, but not unbearable. However, I think I have stayed away from chili mac for that reason.
Can't remember which flavor, but don't eat one that's a decade old! ("Duh!" I can hear you say.) Several square miles of Oregon woods were permanently cordoned off by the EPA after I did that.
I don't have issues with any I've eaten. Breakfast scrambles, stroganoff, fried rice and sweet&sour are our favorites. We like mixing sweet&sour with the fried rice.
My former best friend and elk hunting partner is still no longer speaking to me. Would that be considered a "side effect"?
I think it was the chicken teriyaki that pushed him over the edge.
I like all of the MH meals. But Chili Mac is a WMD. Unlike Brotsky, I cannot even stand myself after eating Chili Mac.
I really like all of the MH meals that I have ever tried. I don't recall flatulence as a significant side effect (anymore than it already is from non-MH meals). The spaghetti and lasagne meals are my favorites. I have to disagree with halibutman....I have eaten several MH meals at home, when I was too lazy to fix a "real" meal....and they tasted just like they do on the mountain. My biggest complaint about MH is that each pouch is supposed to be TWO servings....and one pouch doesn't normally fill me up.
But doesn't your $400 Scent Locker/Blocker suit keep farts in??? If not then what's the point (other than to make the scam artists that make and promote them rich)?
Several of these posts made me chuckle...Fuzzy made me LOL.
I think they're made of 50% old farts and they give me "soft serve" for an exit. At least it only takes 4 seconds to crap in the morning after eating those things. I've never measured, but I think I've sprayed some of those close to 4'. I couldn't imagine eating those at home on purpose; that's crazy!
OK........this has officially turned into a TMI thread!!!
He's prolly right...... Have you ever seen what "everything else" is to Fuzzy?
=D
If you had to pick for your wilderness survival team..... Fuzzy's my first pick.....
Raise your hand if you knew this thread would end up in talking about taking a dook?
Ehh?
I love em all ! but haven't had Chili Mac in several years.
I really like to cook and enjoy the act of meal preparation almost as much as consumption. I ate a mountain house meal at home exactly once. It was so bad that I threw it out and made a meal on the stove in spite of my former lack of enthusiasm to do so. I'd just spent 20 days eating mountain house meals, many of which were the same flavor as the revolting one. I'll never eat one at home ever again.
Taste is literally the most subjective thing on earth. I just feel sorry for anyone that eats a mountain house at home and thinks it's at all appetizing. Maybe I should be jouslous of them instead? Lord knows I'd be richer if I could tolerate freeze dried dinners all year.
I cook too and appreciate good food. I hardly eat MH anymore in the back country. There's better alternatives, they just weigh more. If forced due to weight, the only one I can stand anymore is the chicken breast with mashed potatoes. It's not bad. It's much better with some dried red pepper sprinkled on it.
Cup-o-noodles is actually much better than MH, they're just very low calorie. But oh do they hit the spot, especially when you're cold. Supplement with some beef jerky, wasabi soy sauce almonds, corn nuts, and some pepperoni/cheese. I can eat that for weeks. MH I just cant do for long stretches anymore. Too many 1-2 week trips where that's all I ate.
My big problem is I have to eat two of them to avoid losing too much weight. It's amazing how a few thousand feet of climbing/descending pegs your metabolism. As far as side effects, what is in there that does that? Aside from the obvious chili mac ingredient?
Thanks for feeling sorry for me....
I like MH, I love the warm meal at the end of the day... never had I'll side effects outside of what you'd expect from fast food.. man I miss being on the mountain sleeping out in the tent, the next time can't come fast enough!
Williamtell, I lose wt too and the best way to power down some serious calories with minimal pack weight: Pringles. You can smash them up and get 2 cans in one and eat potato crumbs. Great way to get calories. They're basically oil-soaked carbs.
Compare the weight of everything else. The only better way to get calories is drinking straight olive oil and that's nasty as Hell. I'd prefer to pour olive oil onto crushed Pringles :)
I love a Mt House supper....especially hot. I used to eat them with cold water after letting them sit for 15 minutes on some fast 3 day back country elk hunts in the 1980s.
Modern Chili Mac is much better than the first ones I bought in the late 1970s. Anyway, was glad my pallet is easily pleased and the after effects are no worse than from other food.
ME and chili mac are on are way to Alaska this fall so will see if i have a hunting bud when it's over ?? we only have one tent !!!!
I like most MH meals and Chili mac is a favourite! And ,c'mon guys, everybody loves a real good wreaking fart, especially if you're the originator!!
The "ice cream" was a huge disappointment after looking forward to it for several days. Don't care for a couple of the egg breakfasts either.
But hunger makes the best sauce, and after working hard all day, a MH meal is a very welcome, easy meal.
I have hunted with Kurt a lot and gut looking at food made him fart. but it made him a good hunter ??
Had the chicken and rice for lunch today and actually liked it, no ill side effects so far. Gues i will take the advice and steer clear of the ones with sauce.
Like I said Jake, taste is subjective. Planning trips, equipment, everything is subjective....especially what you eat and enjoy. You do your thing and I'll do mine.
After all, I managed to tolerate Grise Fiord without sitting in a walk-in cooler or having an enema. C'est la vie.
I like mtn house at home or on the mountain! I guess I am lucky...........................no ill effects and I like the stuff. Favorites are: Chili Mac, Chicken Teriyaki, Sweet and Sour Pork, Beef Stroganoff and beef stew.
I just had a beef stew on Sat. nite that was from 2011. No side effects and it tasted fine. You can't beat the stuff for ease of use, taste and packability. I have found that the PRO PAK's are just the right size(calorie count) for me and take up less room than the standard 2 meal size.
I also like the fact there is no cleanup. Just boil water and pour in pouch. I will admit the cheese does stick on your spork from the lasagna. But I rarely eat the Italian flavors.
I stay away from anything with beans in it, I also shy away from anything with tomato sauce as it doenst sit well with my palette, yes being Italian makes me a bit of food snob. Otherwise mountain house has served me well enough for what I needed it for. I really don't think any of it tastes good, overly salty and manufactured tasting. However it doesn't seem to give me the runs, it convenient and light weight. So it has some upside.
If a person had a problem with the runs you could always alternate MH with a good cheezy MRE..... between the two you should be able to find a happy medium..... or a machine gun, depending.....
We ate them on the ice cap in Greenland for a week or so. They were ok. Definitely needed hot sauce though. MRE's were better IMO.
To me, they all have a similar taste. If I'm truly having to live on them I try to find the ones with the highest calorie and carb intake, which is usually not the chicken flavors. I also only do the pouch's that are 2+ servings. The single serving packs I wouldn't even count as an appetizer.