I'm leaving for an elk hunt in a couple days and need some suggestions for breakfast while I'm spiking out from base camp. I will start out saying that I HATE oatmeal. I take those instant packs with me because they are convenient, but I can't stand eating them. Looking for lightweight alternatives that are simple and easy. As always, thanks for the help!
Mountain house. Those things are pretty darn good and more nutritious than just oat meal. Will last longer than oatmeal too cause it has protein. And it's a just add water product.
At home. Before we leave for camp. I open the package and empty the contents into a vacuume sealer bag. Then I seal it smaller than the factory packaging. About 1/2 the size. (And it's all bulk with no weight) leaves more room for "stuff". I pack along the original packaging. To cook the meal in (sealed) i use 1 package for 2 meals a day.
QuoteOriginally posted by Matty:
Mountain house. Those things are pretty darn good and more nutritious than just oat meal. Will last longer than oatmeal too cause it has protein. And it's a just add water product.
At home. Before we leave for camp. I open the package and empty the contents into a vacuume sealer bag. Then I seal it smaller than the factory packaging. About 1/2 the size. (And it's all bulk with no weight) leaves more room for "stuff". I pack along the original packaging. To cook the meal in (sealed) i use 1 package for 2 meals a day.
x2....cant beat em unless you have a dehydrater and whip up some of your own. :thumbsup:
Power Bars or similar. That and a cup of coffee will get you going. I usually do that before first light, and then come back mid morning and get some 'real' breakfast.
tried some really great meals from Hawk Vittles. Dehydrated and not freeze dried.
http://hawkvittles.com/index.html
Single serving packs of instant grits. Variety box. Bacon, ham, cheese, plain....etc
Two packs, same or mixed, make a good hot breakfast.
Boil once......then coffee and grits.
Mountain house.
Granola and powdered milk with dried fruit is good also. But it's hard to beat some of the good power bars out there. Try a bunch as some taste terrible.
I like taking some powdered protein. I just mix in my water jug or bottle and drink it up. I think its good way to get some good protein in your body fast. Chase it with a cup of coffee.
Gilbert
Pro Bar Super food slam. Great for breakfast, very filling. I carry them in my pack when I'll be out all day. I also like the Quest protein bar, particularly the "Double Chocolate Chunk". The Quest bar has less sugar than the Pro-Bar, but not as much fruit and fiber. :campfire:
Trying something different this year. Last time we did the Mountain House breakfasts, (pretty good) but we found that they were just too time consuming in the morning, especially when the goal was to get out on the mountain like 3:00 - 4:00 am to listen for bugles and do locating prior to sun-up and then move in. I'm not all that big of an oatmeal guy in the morning either - I like the stuff I can make at home on the stove top, but those instant packets are like eating wallpaper paste.
This year our plan is to get up real early and smack down some energy bars and drink water laced with those flavor additives that are on the market, that also contain caffeine and electrolytes. That should get us through the morning. I never eat a big breakfast anyway, or at all, except on Sunday mornings. We are packing a Mountain House meal and our pocket rocket stove in day packs and will eat a hearty regular meal during the mid day heat when action is typically slow. Possibly take a little 30 minute siesta as well.
This way we get a good solid hot meal at midday when we are actually hungry and have several hours of grinding under our belt, as opposed to chewing on a granola bar or jerky. That will carry us until evening when we can have another hot meal before hitting the sack to start it all over the next day.
As a side note, similar to what Matty described above, we bought our Mountain House flavors in large #10 cans (a lot cheaper in bulk), breaking them down into the serving sizes we prefer and then re-vacuum sealing them into much smaller compact single serving pouches. The bags they normally come in work well, but are quite bulky. Like Matty we are bringing a few of the original packages empty and flattened out and re-using them throughout the trip to rehydrate/heat our meals
If you have a dehydrator you can make most any back packing food. Those mountain house breakfast are ok but not cheap. The big zip locks can withstand boiling water and can be used the same as the packaging for other freeze dried meals. Also my favorite quick and easy meal with no cooking is fruit like and orange and a couple granola bars for protein.
Mountain House blueberries and granola. Add suggested amount of water and you have the best Mountain House breakfast meal they make.
I would take it with in the morning and once I found a good place to sit for awhile, I would dig it out and have a great breakfast out on the mountain.
FYI, I cant stand any of their egg meals. Then trail mix and jerky for lunch. I was good to go until nightfall back at camp.
Clif Bar and Starbucks VIA in the morning here. I'll occassionally do an oatmeal laced with brown sugar and pecans but I'm not a huge fan of the instant oatmeal either. I've also been known to pack enough of Patrick Smith's Wild Casserole to just eat it in the morning. I'm a night shifter though too, so morning is usually when I'm looking for "Real" food.
Mountain House is too expensive and takes too much time for me, and most other options don't have any "meat" - just carbs. I make ziplock baggies of granola with powdered whole milk and vanilla protein powder, and mix in some dried fruit (usually blueberries) and flax meal. That way I at least get some protein and fat, and it's fast. Just add water!
Matty, I'm going to have to try your Mountain House trick with removing them from packaging and vacuum sealing them again. Genius. Headed up tomorrow night and I've got a big wad of Mountain Houses taking up pack space.
No need to vac seal, just stick mountain house in quart freezer bags. They stand up find to the boiling water.
QuoteOriginally posted by Biathlonman:
No need to vac seal, just stick mountain house in quart freezer bags. They stand up find to the boiling water.
Yes this works as well. I have learned the hard way however. If the food has jagged or hard edges it can put little pin holes in the ziplock bag. Even the freezer type. Usually when my back pack is full there can be pressure from other articles in there. I use the vacuume sealer bags now cause they are a bit stronger.
Granola bar and/or pop tarts and coffee. I don't do much for breakfast. Just a cup of coffee or two and I'm on my way. Granola and jerky for lunch, Mountainhouse meal for dinner.
I don't care to eat oatmeal, either. Granola, powdered milk and freeze dried fruit in a baggie, pre-packaged for each day.
I just posted a granola recipe in the Recipe section.
My favert . I take a Tenkara rod with me and have 1-2 fresh brook trout cooked on a stick over an open fire and a cup of strong black tee .
My wife eats oatmeal every morning. I almost gag watching her eat that stuff.
To me, it feels like you're eating a big steaming bowl of boogers and snot!
Nature Valley granola bars all the way!
A lot of oatmeal dissing going on here!
I agree that the instant packs are like a bowl of snot.
I buy the old fashion kind. Throw some in a mug and fill with boiling water.
let it sit for five minute(don't mess with it,don't stir it)
In five minutes it will be as good as grandma made. Add sugar,syrup,wiskey,coffee, your choice or just eat plain.
x2 on the Clif Bars. Decent nutrition that will last you a while and you can eat them on the go. Power bars are good to throw in there with them as they have more protein. When I was hiking on the Appalachian Trail I got sick of the oatmeal packets real fast. I was eating three every morning and felt like my energy levels were crashing within a couple hours. Clif bars did right by me and I was hiking 15 - 20 miles a day burning around 5k calories per day
Idahoan instant mashed potatoes will hit the spot. They have some different flavors and all are delicious. Not exactly a breakfast food but they are cheap and delicious when you really need something hot.
Fresh Back Strap!
elk tenderloins and eggs. good luck.
Cliff Bars are great. Prefer eating a couple during the morning than fixing by a breakfast. At least every 2 out of 3 days. I also like trail mixes for snacks through the morning too.
Along with a number of other things mentioned, try Carnation Instant breakfast. Quick and lots of protein.
Nature Valley makes bagged granola with 10 grams of protein. I like the oats and dark chocolate. I mix it in yogurt. Also, Cliff bars.
Camp food.. jerky! Granola,protein powder,nuts,vitamins, cereal,dried fruit,peanut butter(smuckers natural)and whatever bug flies into your plate at the time.
"Pure protein" bars. They have 20 grams protein and not much simple carbs and sugar.They dont cost alot either.
One or two dehydrated meals for me to break up the dry food but they are expensive and are usually not very good for you.
If Iam going to eat sugar I will just bring some dark chocolate bars.
I like those little meo (spelling)? flavoring things for water. Just squirt it in,no mess no fuss.
Instant oatmeal has alot of sugar and wont give you lasting energy,use regular oats,I just eat them raw and dry.
I dont drink coffee but if I did I wouldn't drink it right before bow hunting without cleaning my mouth as it has a strong smell that can stay on your breath.
Tuned in, I like a hot breakfast but am not big on oatmeal paste, ruins my backcountry bowls! Stuff is like concrete
Great tip on breaking down the mountain house meals! I got a nine day elk\\deer hunt starting next week. That will save a ton of pack room. I like oatmeal in the morning don't care what kind as I am usually to zonked to really savor anything, after day 5 on the mountain I could be eating a pine cone and only notice on the last bite! A cup of coffee, tea or a little hot cocoa is nice on chilly mornings. I started taking KIND bars as an alternative to some of the other protein bars, pretty good stuff. Like a lot of fellas on here I have trouble eating first thing in the morning so I usually get breakfast going mid morning while glassing. Good luck to everyone on the mountain and stay safe!
Gabe
"ziplock baggies of granola with powdered whole milk and vanilla protein powder, and mix in some dried fruit (usually blueberries)"
x2
Just searched the hawkvittles site... They look awesome. Who has tried them?
2 Hard boiled eggs and Oatmeal topped with All Bran, bran buds, (or grape nuts) that takes care of most of your fiber for the day and it helps you poo regularly.
Mountain house is good
Try some instant potatoes with gravy from a "country style" gravy packet on top. Powdered milk helps make the gravy pretty good. Some summer sausage cut up in there is really good.
"Slap some bacon on a biscuit & saddle up!!! We're movin' out..." John Wayne..."The Cowboys"
YUCK!!! Glad I'm not hunting with you guys!!!!! Ule Gibbons must be your camp cook!!! :rolleyes:
Pack a frying pan Waysiah!!!!! Bacon lasts forever!!! Get a big hunk of slab bacon & some "add watter" pancake mix... Every day, about noonish... You'll be thanking me!!!!! :notworthy:
Good Luck, My stub legged Brother!!!!!
The best way to ruin a hunt and come home dejected and early is to not eat well. I've read through this thread and it's pretty obvious you have not put enough thought into meal planning.
Jason and I prepare and dehydrate all our meal to take on any hunt where weight is a factor. This year we have 8 meal already prepared for four hunters and will get the other 7 done this next week. Those are just the dinners. Because we are doing a drop camp with a wood stove we are building an oven to be able to do bisquits, muffins, baked potatoes etc.
Pancakes are very easy to preplan and package so you just add a predetermined amount of water and you have the right amount of batter for the right amount of cakes. Easy to cook on a non stick back pack fry pan. That and a protein bar and your are fueled for the day.
I read to many times guys going on a two week trip and losing 20 pounds. That's plain crazy and dangerous.
Mike
Tenderloin/backstraps from whatever critter you're hunting, lol.
Chuck beat me to it, but bacon and pancakes is a killer breakfast IMO too. :bigsmyl:
Bob
I eat Jerky for breakfast and snacks plus a Snickers for my power protein bar and wash it down with a powdered drink mix with caffeine in it Hate Coffee. Widow
I here good things about heather choice, new vender in the mountain food business.
Oatmeal with dried fruit plus and Ensure drink. Being doing the same for the last 20 years.
Granola with vanilla flavored protein powder, add water and go. For a more portable meal to eat on the trail, we bought some MRE type energy bars, one of the local surplus stores to me carries them, taste fantastic!
It's been awhile for me since hunting out of a tent camp high up. We did not cook much while hunting for the week, But we used to make trail mix with mostly unsalted peanuts, raisins, cashews, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, dehydrated banana, and break up pieces of jerky in it. Then constantly snack on it all morning in small amounts. Every couple of days we would open a vacuum pack of smoked salmon fillets and plow it down before heading out.
But have to watch the salt in all this, too easy to dehydrate.
Lots and lots of water, which is most of the weight I would try and carry. Gets awful hot in those Colorado mountains sometimes.
I like a big giant bowl of black walnut ice cream for breakfast. that or some cathead biscuits and pan gravy
Biscuits & Scrambled Eggs!!!!! Throw in some steak, if you get Lucky!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Try to find a local source of properly cured/smoked slab bacon. This stuff will be fine un-refrigerated for a 10-day long trip. Also, un-washed eggs need no refrigeration for safe storage for a good while (especially if laid from salmonella-vaccinated hens).
While it may be a pain to haul eggs and bacon up a mountain...that breakfast on a fire in camp would be well worth it to me. I'd probably grab some bars/fruit for pre-dawn hunt-snacking and plan on coming back for proper breakfast mid-morning.
Also, I really enjoy pan-fried Spam...fat/protein rich, and salty with a bit of sugar to help keep your neurons firing. I also tend to bring along lots of cured meats; jerky, pepperoni and dried salami are stable for a a year in the pantry.
Another trick is to use your pack, sleeping bags, or insulated clothing as a make-shift temporary cooler. Take some breakfast sausage or pre-cooked casseroles, or anything you can freeze....vacuum seal two days worth of food in several smaller serving-size packs, and then freeze them so they are flat-ish....then right before you head out....pack your pre-chilled sorta-spoil-ey stuff like eggs and bacon in between the frozen things (in a garbage bag or two so the moisture stays in there), then pack in such a way around the meals, so they stay insulated in you pack by the clothing or sleeping bag. The frozen stuff can get eaten up in the first day or two, and will help cool and extend the other stuff's stability.
I really like the casseroles and other "freezer meals" vac-sealed for dinners, because they are as easy as boiling the bag in a pot of water and eating...no prep, less dishes...and you got hot water for any clean up or "showering" needs at the end of the day....try soaking your tired achy feet in hot water while you eat a hot, home-cooked meal, all by a fire out in the wilderness! Heaven on Earth!