Hiking/camping primal question page

[Trau]

Hi all, this is my first post, I've been lurking around for a while getting lots of great tips from this blog and forum, so thanks for that! I've also been living primal for 3 weeks now and am very happy with the results -- my stomach feels amazing, I lost roughly 10 pounds, and just in general I feel better. Today is my first crack at IF.


On to my question: I've read Mark's blog post in response to the question about what to eat on the trail, and I've also read the post on pemmican and the great responses/suggestions to that.


Just wondering if anybody here can take the conversation any further regarding some good, easily packable, energizing trail foods that remain in the primal realm. I take off for week-long hikes pretty regularly and pride myself on my "backcountry gourmet" skills... but a lot of that relies on carb-heavy grain-based foods. So my repertoire could use a jolt.


I'm looking for anything from snacks to non-cook lunches to dinners that could be made with the basic backpacker's stove/pot/pan. I would appreciate any ideas, recipes or points in the right direction.


Thanks!


Trau

[rsgrice]

Hey, I've been doing the blueprint since November and also have an interest in hiking and camping. An injury has slowed my adventures recently so I've been getting my gear lined up etc.


Best trail food ever is jerky. Beef, Chicken, Turkey. If you go my route the same dehydrator can do veg etc. For packable soups that only need water. Check out Nesco they have a recipe section.

[Accipiter Circus]

rsgrice is definitely right. Jerky is great. For more protein and fat I usually pack some cans of tuna/salmon/sardines and just pack the cans out.


Nuts/seeds are also a great source of energy. Depending on how efficient of a packer you are you can bring a couple pieces of fruit, like apples and bananas.


If you are backpacking then you'll be burning a lot of energy so eating dried fruit won't really be too big of an issue if you're worried about sugar (as long is there's no extra sugar added!!!). A nice trail mix of nuts/seeds/raisins is always good


If you're like me and love 100% chocolate you can bring individually wrapped squares of Baker's chocolate which is very high in fat


Maybe Mark can do a post on Primal Dining when backpacking???

[Trau]

Yeah, jerky is high up on the list for me for sure. I actually just ordered a jerky gun so I can try some ground meats and maybe some mixtures too.

[andyincc]

Ok, I read the same posts and have been thinking about it too, but all that making pemmican business seems like too much brain damage to go thru to end up with a nasty, unappetizing, bad tasting goopy mess.


So if you're talking about avoiding carb overloading on hikes, then what you're really you're talking about is PROTEIN. And if you're talking protein, you're talking MEAT.


The first obvious choice for meat is jerky, commercial or, even better & healthier, home made. I've been making beef jerky in my oven racks with just a little added salt, it's WAY better than store bought, and thicker too, better value for the money. The stuff that's at gas stations and 7-11 is cut so **tissue paper** thin you can almost see thru it, and it's usually $2.00 a slab, EXPENSIVE!!


Out here in L.A. there's lots of little mexican markets, "Carnecerias", some of them sell thin sliced top round they call "millenesa" that I use for making Jerky. I've been paying $3.79 a pound, I get 6 or 8 pieces, sprinkle seasoning salt on the top side and stack them up, stab 'em all over with a fork and just let it sit in the oven on 140 degrees overnight. Easy and good.


The next, most easiest meat is FISH, canned, smoked or in one of those flat foil envelopes. I have to go to Oahu this week (again) and I'm thinking about seeing if I can get past the check with one one those foil tuna packs in my cargo pocket and/or backpack. If it gets picked up I'll just let 'em toss it since it's only 3.5 ounces & I only paid 99 cents for it at the 99 cent store anyway.


I figure they'd make good survival rations in case I'm held hostage by the airline for 9 hours on the plane. I'm also gonna take a couple packages of smoked salmon, I know I won't have any trouble with that cause it's just vacuum packed in thick clear plastic, so it shouldn't set off any alarms. I don't know what the other passengers will think of me stinking up the plane but if I get beat up it'll probably be for not sharing and for making everyone even hungrier, I'll take my chances.


And how 'bout chicken?? There are many types of foil packed foods these days, not just tuna, just take a look around next time you're at the store.





Since we're talking about protein don't forget about protein powder supplements. It's lightweight, just keep it dry, either one serving pre measured in little zippy bags or for bulk, or in a clean water bottle of whatever size is handy. I discovered that if you add half a scoop of non dairy creamer it helps it mix without clumping by just shaking. Another thing I discovered is using cold coffee instead of water, it's like a latte or iced coffee, really good in the hot summer months when mixed with ice.


And also don't forget about the good old MRE and all the usual freeze dried fruits and other camping foods, besides taking your own home cooked meats, somewhere on a survival blog I saw an article about packking your own cooked frozen steaks, keep'em wrapped inside your polar fleece or parka and they'll last a couple days easy.

[andyincc]

SPAM! SPAM! SPAM! SPAM!





SPAM! SPAM! SPAM! SPAM!

[AmyMac703]

I'll second the suggestions about meat that comes in those foil envelopes.

One thing I've found -- that isn't very tasty mind you but seems to do the trick -- is powdered egg whites. They usually come in a cardboard can which is pretty light so it's not as much of a potential problem as carrying canned meat (which can end up being pretty heavy depending on how much you're carrying).

Also Justin's Almond Butter comes in little serving-sized packets that are great for on the trail.

[Caveman Sam]

I always pack at least one tinfoil dinner. Usually a uncooked hamburger patty with peas and beans and carrots in a cream cheese sauce. Wrap it all up in foil and seal it tight. Around dinnertime throw it on the fire and wait 15-20 minutes. Pure deliciousness. They're usually only good for the first night unless you have a way of keeping them cool. After that it's jerky and cans-o-meat.

[mindreader]

I have been Salmon in foil packs for the last few years. Always have jerky but have carried Macadamia nuts on the last few big trips. Never get tired of the stuff. Next big trip I'm going to order real Pemmican. I'm excited about that. Also going to take Lara bars. Pure fruit and nuts. I'd like to see what can be done with powdered eggs for breakfast. Hard choices for dinner but I'm working on it. Perhaps the effort of hiking will allow some simple carbs. I don't think we can eliminate them completely and maybe shouldn't. I'm half way to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Next section is over 200 miles in August. See you on the trail.

Dana Law

San Diego, Ca

pctdanalaw.blogspot.com

[Trau]

good suggestions, guys, thanks! My girlfriend and I are testing ways to pre-make an almond-meal pie crust and pack it in to make backcountry pies out of wild berries. I'll be sure to return with results.


I'll also note that REI sells powdered eggs (not just whites) that we tried this weekend. You can tell they're not real eggs for sure, but they taste pretty good and hit the spot when you're hungry.


We're considering pre-mixing the powder with dried vegetables and meat to take out on the trail, then pouring water into the bag to reconstitute the veggies and hydrate the meat and eggs altogether and seeing how well that cooks up.