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back or bike packing foods

2K views 22 replies 9 participants last post by  Alex MacDonald 
#1 ·
Hey guys, we've been trying some new freeze-dried stuff for bikepacking adventures. I'm singularly tired of the small selection of Mountain House singles-not that they're bad, just a very small choice here. So we found a company in Austin, TX called Packit Gourmet. Now I'm still in the process of trying before I commit to trail use, but their Polenta with Sausage was absolutely OUTSTANDING this morning!!! I might want to add a little Parmesan cheese into the mix, but other than that, it's the absolutely best trail breakfast I've ever had! I'll be trying their other offerings on an ongoing basis all this month, and will write reviews "from the kitchen of Chef Ptomaine" here..... We've tried their Pico de Gallo, and I wasn't impressed though. There's a spice in it that I can't put my finger on, but it gives an "off" taste that I don't care for. Their offerings are unique, different, and really add to the variety, BUT...they're all single servings (an FYI). However, this breakfast was more than enough for me. It could easily work for 2 by adding something additional. Not sure what, though, because it was very filling. Maybe some dried fruit on the side? The sausage in the mix is very mild, and there are also a few pieces of veggies. Seasoning is perfect!

And unless you like bitter coffee, stay away from REI's Alpine Gourmet instant coffee-stuff can't be made palatable even by adding heavy cream. Maybe it'll make decent Irish coffee, but Mt. Hagen instant is far better!
So, from the "Kitchen of Chef Ptomaine"....get out there!
 
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#4 ·
Just tried the second offering; Dottie's Chicken & Dumplings. While the "dumplings are wide noodles, the rest of the mix was easily on a par with any Mountain House stuff I've had. Definitely worth an addition to the pack, especially since it's a single serving. Damn! Guess I need seconds, and that's pretty much what it works out to. First helping is "just enough" for a hungry guy, but the second, that rounds it off perfectly. You might want to add some salt and pepper to your bowl.
 
#5 ·
So this morning it was their "West Memphis Grits Souffle"...My thought on finishing this was, "damn...hard to lick the bag, as opposed to a plate"! Would i order this again? Hell yes!! Their breakfast polenta with sausage was a little better, but not much!
 
#9 ·
Yes, I agree that it's very high. I don't bother checking the salt content since I'm using the food during high output events like mountain biking, or backpacking. Based on taste though, I don't think there's anywhere near the salt levels in this stuff compared to Mountain House. Especially for biking, I'll augment my fluid intake with a dehydrated sports recovery drink like Wilderness Athlete's products.
 
#17 ·
well, I gotta hang my head in shame. I didn't wander through ALL the offerings they have. I'm totally amazed at the depth of the stuff they have. If you can't find it here, it ain't available. I mean...whoever heard of zucchini dice, little packets of hummus, tomato chunks or dices, singles of frikking SPAM for God's sake! Individual packets of miso soup, long grain rice, hot sauces, hoisin sauce, chopped spinach...the list seems pretty outrageous! All dehydrated or freeze dried! Diced jalapenos, pineapple chunks, meats, wild game sausages, the only thing I didn't see was freeze dried instant coffee! All this is contained in their General Grocery category. think about this: you drop your crawdad trap into the bayou at Crab Creek for a morning, and pull it up in the afternoon full of crawfish, drop them into the pot with their dehydrated peppers and onions, add some cajun spice and Andouile sausage, and you got a crawfish boil!! I could spend weeks playing with the stuff they have for sale!
 
#19 ·
I build my own meals and use Pack it for some ingredients.I had a couple of back to back bad experiences years ago with mountain house.I could eat the stuff for a couple of days but for a week, no.Gave me the worst gas of my life.Dehydrating to the fullest will head some of this off.Made me afraid of the prepackaged.I love Pack its grocery store!

You might enjoy Sarahs blog http://www.trailcooking.com/trail-cooking-101/freezer-bag-cooking-101/

She was my inspiration to build my own before the books and the blog she was very active and sharing on the local hiking boards.Still is.
 
#20 ·
So far everything I've tried with the exception of the Pico de Gallo was excellent!

Now, the challenge has arrived though: packets of the holy trinity of Cajun cookin`=green bell pepper, onion and celery. So, having some crawdad parts in the freezer, once I kick this sucky Summer cold, I'll have a run at crawfish etouffee with dehydrated veggies. If I can make the roux and put some in a seal-a-meal packet for use later, maybe I can whip up some really neat stuff on the trail without too much work...we'll see!
 
#21 ·
the folks at Packit Gourmet also sent-as a gift!!-one of their Big Easy Gumbo meals. Haven't tried it yet, but i'm thinking about a first night meal, and adding some Andouille sausage to the mix. that way the sausage will be OK, and Andouille can never make a gumbo turn bad!
 
#22 ·
We just tried their Moonshine Margarita Mix. And for something you backpack, it was absolutely AMAZING!!! Almost as good as my own limeade and tequila mix! Don't overlook this! I can just imagine the decadent camp I could have with their food. I've eaten freeze-dried backpacking stuff since it came out; used it on mountaineering expeditions and pretty much anywhere light weight food was a plus, and I've never had anything as good as this stuff. Give it a try! Tomorrow, I'm using some of their general grocery veggies to give crawfish etouffee a go; we'll see how that goes....
 
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