Food for a backpack hunt
Wild Sheep
I am trying to figure out food for my hunt. Planning on possibly 4-5 days at a time. I mostly decided against carrying a jet boil. I am not very fond of mountain house meals. I would prefer to keep weight down. I like the idea in the attached link for the most part other than a bit spendy. I like the idea of snacking through the day and not sitting down for one big meal. I finding eat a mountain house at end of day is hard to do. Only down side to not taking the jet boil is coffee in the morning.
Who has done a similar diet on hunt? Any other options you have done and works well. Especiallybreakfast on the cold side?
What do those "Meals 2 Go" weigh? I use freeze dried mainly for the weight savings. There is so much variety in MH, so I pack 4 or 5 different varieties that I can tolerate. My Snow Peak stove weighs 2.5 oz, plus a small fuel canister. But like you, I'm not that fond of having to boil water frequently. So I eat cold granola cereal (premixed in a small bag with powdered milk, just add water) in the AM, and drink cold coffee. I've also packed those Starbucks chocolate covered coffee beans as an alternative to morning coffee, which still provide the caffeine boost. Lunch is cracker packs, candy bars, jerky, etc. Can't handle protein bars of any kind....but I can make a peanut butter Snickers disappear in a flash.
I like the idea of stoveless to be lighter. But I also enjoy hot coffee..
Dehydrated foods and freeze dried have to be the lightest option.
When it comes to sheep and backpack hunting. The lightest option is the best I think. So You just have to figure out what system is the best weight savings.
Depends on how long you plan to be out there. If you are talking 2 day trips you could certainly shave weight leaving the stove behind.
Guys claiming to save weight on a 7-12 day trip by leaving a jet boil behind really should re evaluate the weight savings of dehydrated meals. I personally enjoy hot meals and a coffee or cider occasionally way too much to eat dry cliff bars for a week straight.
Dehydrated meals and various things like protein bars, trail mix, jerky, beef sticks. I a So usually have a bag of pistachios. There are some ultra light stoves like from snow peak. You'v gotta eat well, or you won't have the energy to hunt.
I tend to eat protein bars for breakfast, snacks during the day and something hot at night. It works well with minimal weight and provides enough variety over a week out. I do this whether hunting or just backpacking. I have found a jetboil to be invaluable to my meal system.
I do pack a stove for one hot meal a day and coffee. Breakfast and lunch are just bars/nuts/trail mix.
I did buy some of the greenbelly meals this summer and tried them for my lunches at work. They're pretty good (especially the cranberry imo) so I will be taking them to mix things up on lunches this year. If I was going stoveless they would definitely be a big part of my plan.
I dont think I could go all stoveless for an extended hunt. Hot coffee is a big moral booster for me!
For short duration trips I prefer not bringing a stove. For extended trips such as Alaska sheep and goat it's really nice having cooked meals. I would agree that freeze=dried and dehydrated is the way to go. I find when I'm hungry I'll eat just about anything and Mtn House makes some pretty good stuff! As mentioned above it's super important to keep your energy level high...especially on long trips! If you are hunting from a base camp a lightweight stove, pan, and fuel doesn't weigh much.
On another side note I’ve found jetboils to be heavy. IVe been using a pocket rocket 2 and a titanium cup. Very Light and works great
Try it out first on a scouting trip and see how you do....
I eat most of the stuff on that list but I like an actual meal for dinner, I take a few packs of ramen too so a stove is a must for me...
I don’t like mountain house, I like peak refuel and wild zora
Look into the MSR Pocket Rocket, excellent lightweight stove. Cutting down on weight is important, more important is to properly eat the food required for energy. Never go on a long hunt without your stove, also small bagels, salmon, salami and cheese, works great.
I could eat mountain house biscuits and gravy for 30 meals straight. On elk hunts I like to pack some jerky, peanut butter, bagels and packets of chicken to diversify my diet a bit but I’m not watching weight like you will be. I usually take Lara bars as well. They are made mostly of dates and help keep you regular if that’s a problem. I usually don’t have trouble going with all the mountain house. ;)
