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A couple of weeks ago we packed into a wilderness about 8 miles and stayed there for 8 days. I had just bought a Jet Boil and took a bunch of Mountain House meals some of them were real good some of them ended up being Coyote feed. At around $10.00 a meal I hated to dump them but I really didn’t like some of them. I bought some Ramon noodles, some Lo mein from Walmart for about 75 cents a bag and at the end of the day it hit the spot... cook them using the Jet Boil .... Cook up the Lo mein ,apple sauce some bread along with a Pepsi or a Coors we had packed in and whatever else we had made for a pretty good meal in the middle of the wilderness. What’s some food you packin and like besides MH ?
These take up no weight or space, and one packet makes a big glob of mashed potatoes, enough for a meal. They have a bunch of flavor choices as well.
Spam singles and ramen is it bad I also take some Mac n cheese and mix in a pouch of chicken breast meat.
I agree some Mountain House meals are good and some not so much. I absolutely hate their eggs. So over the years I’ve figured out which ones I like and go with those. Chicken Noodle Casserole, which used to be called Chicken ala King is really good. I like the beef stroganoff, beef stew, turkey casserole, lasagna, biscuits and gravy. Lots of my partners like chili mac and so do I but it gives me heartburn. The chicken fajita filling is really good. I also like elk backstraps. ;-)
I dehydrate and vac pack my own food.
Dehydrated and freeze dried are 2 different things.
Mt house is about $6 on sale, 2nd best in my opinion. Peak refuel is the best and I bought it at 40% off.
If you’re packing in coors light I guess weight isn’t a huge concern
We packed in with horses and stuck 12 cans of beer and 8 Pepsi’s where it would fit. We had all the horses could take, not over weight just full loads with gear, tents, water , food and everything else.
"We packed in with horses and stuck 12 cans of beer and 8 Pepsi’s where it would fit."
What did you drink the other 6 days??
LOL Grubby I caught that also. (Maybe his beer is freeze dried?)
GoHunt has Youtube videos comparing MH meals. They just released 2nd video comparing Peak Refuels.
I have yet to find an MH Meal that I cannot eat on the mtn. Some I like more than others. But I won't buy Chili Mac. Not because it tastes bad. (Pretty good IMHO) But my gas will gag a maggot. I cannot stand myself. (And I already stink, so that is quite a statement!)
All meals taste better in the backcountry after a long day. If you can eat them at home, you definitely can eat them on the mtn. But if can't stand a meal, it sucks choking something down because you need the calories.
Alpine Aire worked for me. Low sodium plus good number of calories kept me alive on the mountain for 3 weeks in 2017.
"Chicken Noodle Casserole, which used to be called Chicken ala King is really good."
I laughed. My sheep guide friends contacted MountainHouse when Chicken ala King disappeared. They were livid, as that was their favorite. They were very pleased to hear that it was just renamed.
"We packed in with horses and stuck 12 cans of beer and 8 Pepsi’s where it would fit."
Used beer for load balancing,,,,,,,,,,,, however you can justify it I guess. LOL!
"My sheep guide friends contacted MountainHouse when Chicken ala King disappeared"
I can't blame them, I could eat that for days...my absolute favorite! I found it in a big can on Amazon last year, vacuum packed my own servings out of it!
I would have brought more beer but the horses were tapped out on this trip.
Packing in drinks obviously isn't an efficient use of space, but when your buddy presents you with a cold beer he packed in and stashed in the creek to go with surprise ribeyes he also had in his pack, efficiency be damned!
I like Mountain House but the extra TP required may offset the weight savings.
Dump the Pepsi.....or keep and add whiskey
The reason MH isnt agreeable with your digestive system is because you dont eat it prior to hunting and let your body to adjust to all the additives and the change in diet.
Jdee I’ve done as you did with ramen add a little canned chicken( foil packet) for protein. I also like the flavored rice packets with chicken added.
ZBB --- LOL .. Next year when we leave MN, I'm going to overload on the Chili Mac, it's about my turn to play "stink the truck" during our 18 hour ride. :)
Kscowboy.... that’s funny. I never imagined I wasn’t the only one to contact them to ask wtf happened to chicken ala king??? The person who answered the phone said calm down we just renamed it. Why??? I could eat that one every day too.
elkmtngear's Link
^^^^^^
Joe, Amazon still has the original in a can (see link).
Supposedly they re-named it "Noodles and Chicken"...but it's not the same recipe.
Don't remember the price but buying the 6 pack boxes really cut the cost last year.
jdee, the problem with stuff like Ramen is they lack protein, and you really need protein if you're hunting hard. The Peak Refuels I've had are great, I mix it up with a couple of those and the MH meals I like, although I'm getting sick of the granola and blueberries in the morning. I tried BoBo's breakfast bars this year instead of oatmeal and the MH breakfast, they are pretty good.
You need to shop around a little more and not buy just before you plan on going. I can usually find mountain house for about $5 a meal if you buy in bulk. Sometimes I pay a little more, but never more than $6 a meal. I shop all year for deals.
cnelk's Link
This is what I made for breakfast - add hot or cold water - see link
+1 SlipShot. I do the same. I am on the prowl all year for deals on freeze dried. Last year, I missed a deal on Peak Refuels at Camofire. But found a site that had clearance on MH meals. Watch with Black Friday coming up. Sometimes Costco has them (Although I have only found them once at our local store).
Noodles and chicken is different. Chicken noodle casserole is the same.
I buy a bunch of tuna and salmon foil packets each year. They have some flavored varieties too which are pretty good to combine with other pasta meals.
Saw these when in Maine this past fall. May not be any good but the descriptions sound much better than Chili Mac!
The last time I put cans of Pepsi in my saddlebags we had a big wreck when they exploded !
You need to put the plastics soda bottles on your horse not the cans, same with beer ...bottles only. When the cans blow up everything gets wet.
A buddy brought in some Peak this year. I can almost promise, once you guys try that, you'll ditch Mountain House like a bad prom date. The nutritional values alone blow MH out of the water. I am a Ramen lover as well. I also will bring in Tuna in a pack, crackers, jerky, apples, and yes, this year I ate tenderloins till I nearly puked!