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[Yosemite]

Dinners for 4 day trip

Hiking, backpacking, running, biking, climbing, rafting, and other human-powered activities in Yosemite National Park

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Dinners for 4 day trip

Postby mikecain3 » Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:04 pm

We have a trip coming up where we'll be taking a bunch of young adults on a 4 day trip. I am looking for some new ideas for dinners. Something fresh for meat eaters that won't spoil after 3 days of packing in the summer heat. So far we are planning on bbq chicken breast (precooked) w/beans and rice for dinner on the first night and hot dogs with Fritos for dinner # two. (Healthy eating is not a top priority.)

We are only carrying a jetboil so no fancy cooking. The food will be frozen ahead of time and over the trip it will quickly warm up so spoilage is a concern. Unless I try packing in a little dry ice. Does dry ice work if wrapped and stored properly?? I know the hot dogs will keep until day 2 without a problem. It is the third dinner that I'm having trouble with. We will have a camp fire so roasting something over an open flame is a possibility. Burritos could work but I have found that heating them in foil next to a camp fire is a long process. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.
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Postby AlmostThere » Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:02 pm

Whatever you do, make sure you have a bear can big enough for all of it.

I take packets of chicken and fish (tuna or salmon), take dry biscuit or cupcake or cornbread add-water mixes then steam bake in a silicon cup, pack flatbread or tortillas in a large ziploc, dehydrated refried beans/slices of cheddar cut off a small block/dehydrated salsa... flat things that fit in a bear can. Dry salami, pepperoni, chorizo, and other shelf stable meats can be found at packit gourmet (packitgourmet.com).

If you must have fresh meat, freeze it, wrap it in mylar or in those flexible myler bags like they have for soft sided drink coolers, and if the food doesn't all fit in one rental Garcia per person, you can get a Bearikade Expedition or two to carry all the food. they'll rent them to you via mail. One bear vault solo will get one person through four days storing food, trash and hygiene items. The Garcia is about the same volume.

Unless, of course, you are going in places where there are bear boxes - but even then you will need the bear cans, because what if the boxes are all full, or you are forced by unforseen circumstances to make camp elsewhere?
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Postby _Gabe_ » Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:52 pm

Hello Almost,

Have you tried freeze dried foods? There is a particular brand I like, Mountain House. They sell these at Walmart and REI stores and probably in other places too....lots of dinner choices too.

They are very light and all you need is to put in about 2 cups of hot water and you can eat it right out of the packet.

I recommend these for two reasons...they are not bulky so you will be able to fit enough of them into the bear canisters. I highly recommend that you dont start your hike without a bear cans. Second, like I mentioned, these food packets are very light...every pound makes a difference especially on a 4 day hike.
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Postby _Gabe_ » Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:53 pm

Sorry AlmostThere, I meant to reply to mikecain3.... :)
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Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:10 pm

No prob, I figured you were talking to the OP...

The only problem I have had with prefab meals is the sodium content and portion size. Repackaging fixes the latter, but there's no way to remove salt from an oversalted dinner. Mountain House was like licking a block of salt to my low sodium lovin' taste buds. There are other brands I have yet to try, Alpenaire and Enertia for example. Packit Gourmet has great quality meals and excellent packaging - they would be getting all my business if not for the availability of instant potatoes, freeze dried veggies, TVP, dried/shelf stable meats and other goodies from the grocery stores. A few hours at trailcooking.com, a few hours at the grocery, an hour or so remixing and repackaging, and I'm set for the season for a fraction of the cost. I have recipe books like Fork in the Trail and Lipsmackin' Backpackin'. No more MREs or Mountain House and no difficulties with space in the bear can. Pretty much everyone else in my hiking group brings Mountain House and stares at me while I bake cornbread to go with my homemade chili, rehydrated by cooking for five minutes in the pot.

Which is not to say that I even do well at making my own food, but none of this is going to be the same as fresh... I'd be packing the real stuff but fresh is bulky, and heavy, and impractical on longer trips. Dry hamburger gravel in a vac sealed bag is going to be less likely to draw that hungry bear over to your canister than a partially frozen slab of meat. I frequently take fresh foods on a day hike or overnighter, or as a first night indulgence - a ripe avocado, tub of cream cheese, and handful of Craisins is my favorite flatbread sandwich - but something longer than three days and I'm packing in the dehydrated stuff because it fits in the bear can with room for my toothbrush and lip balm.

But not everyone goes out as often as I do, and not everyone has the same tolerance for occasional crunchy bits in the chili mac... just mentioning the pros and cons for consideration.
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Postby mikecain3 » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:53 pm

Thanks for the replies.
We are all carrying bear cans. The first night the cans will be very tight but it will improve after that. I’m usually disappointed in the freeze dried meals. The group will be 19 year old girls so I’m trying to offer fun meals.
Almost There – I like your suggestions. I’ll have to look up how to cook/bake in a silicon cup. That opens up many possibilities. And, I had forgotten about packaged chicken. Dehydrated salsa is something I haven’t seen. I’ll try packit groumet. Thanks again.
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Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:58 pm

Look for the fauxbaker at trailcooking.com - most of my suggestions, and some of my gear like the cozy and the white box stove, came from her store/website. She has a book and will be publishing a second soon. I made my fauxbaker from an aluminum pan. If you find the silly feet silicon cupcake cups, you won't even need the fauxbaker.

Glad to be of service. :)
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Postby Hikin Mike » Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:46 pm

There's always Pizza. :D
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