THE FLIP SIDE: Backpack Meals Bring Convenience To Camp

FREEZE-DRIED CUISINE IS FIVE-STAR DINING

Freeze-dried meals are a delicious, convenient treat at the campsite.
Freeze-dried meals are a delicious, convenient treat at the campsite.

Four days of floating the Kings River last week presented an opportunity to explore new worlds of campsite cuisine, to boldly stir where this camp cookie has never stirred before.

For years I’ve wanted to try some of the freeze-dried backpacker meals you see at outfitter stores and sporting goods departments. They’re a complete meal in a bag.

Just tear open the top, add boiling water and stir. In a few minutes you’re in fine dining heaven no matter where you pitch your tent.

I’ve flinched at taking the freeze-dried plunge because this is pricey grub at $6 to $8 per meal.

That bit of folding money can buy more food at the grocery store that’s suitable for backpacking or river camping.

The bright blue bags of Mountain House dinners and breakfasts called my name when I went shopping to pick up some camping odds and ends. What a better time than this fl oat trip to try some new haute cuisine to enjoy on the river. I plucked a dinner and a breakfast from the racks of freeze-dried fare.

My first night on the Kings I couldn’t wait to try the beef stroganoff and noodles dinner stashed there in my food box. I fi red up the trusty one-burner Coleman stove and put on a pot of water to boil.

The directions were simple. Tear open the bag at the notch, pour in 2 cups of boiling water, stir, zip the bag shut and wait 8 or 9 minutes. Hey, I could do this.

When I opened my finished stroganoff, it looked and smelled as good as anything you’d fix in the kitchen. I was ready to spoon my dinner on to a plate, but the directions said you could eat it right out of the pouch. That was worth a try.

I took a bite and was more than amazed. This backpacker beef stroganoff was delicious. What a nice, hot and satisfying meal after a full day on the river. No need to add hot sauce or seasoning. It was fine on its own.

Not only that, the pouch is sturdy and oval-shaped at the bottom. It stands up on its own if you set it down between bites. The serving size is generous, big enough to satisfy any appetite.

When you go to a convenience store you pay for convenience.

It’s the same with these freeze-dried meals. But it’s convenience that’s over the top and worth the price for a nice treat. Dinner is served from start to finish in about 10 minutes.

Impressed? I’ll say I was.

My last morning on the river, on Sunday, I broke out my Mountain House freeze dried breakfast. It was the skillet meal, sort of a freeze-dried hobo hash with potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausage, the works. The package suggests making tortilla wraps.

Into the bag went the boiling water. In 10 minutes I was looking at a breakfast that appeared more inviting and delicious than my stroganoff dinner. I spooned some onto the tortilla, folded it over and chowed down. This wrap was so good I howled in my camp chair, more than pleasantly surprised.

One breakfast wrap was enough, so I zipped up the bag, put it in the ice chest and finished this breakfast the next morning at home.

These freeze-dried meals weigh next to nothing, take up little room and they’re tasty. There’s no mess to clean up. I’ve already picked up another dinner and breakfast for the next river camping trip. My only regret is I waited until now to try them.

FLIP PUTTHOFF IS OUTDOORS EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.

FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER, WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWAFLIP.

Outdoor, Pages 6 on 05/30/2013

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