Food Supply for Hunting in remote areas accessible by Bushplane only.

[Ardent]

Sounds like riverjest has flown a lot of bushplanes heavy into alpine landings in mountain goat country.

I was thinking the exact same thing! LOL!

That’s a lesson that’s not glamorous, but it’s a thing, include no fibre and you can throw a pall of gastro discomfort over a trip that’s hard to forget in short order.

Dishsoap isn't just for washing dishes.

Fortunately never had to administer the treatment. Like the worst sort of first aid.

 

[MiG25]

I was wondering if anyone found something better the Mountain House Meals when weight is of primary importance.

Thanks in advance for any experience based recommendations and comments.

Cheers

Go to the grocery store and read labels, those Mountain House Meals are vastly over rated. Anything over 5 calories/gram is high calorie.

I like the PC Blue Menu Granola, it is more calorie dense and cheaper than the MH stuff. Add some All Bran Buds if you're worried about gettin bunged up... Ive never laid a solid #2 in the bush in my life.

Granola, powdered milk, raisins, nuts, peanut butter/hazelnut spread, fish in oil, chocolate bars, instant mashed potatoes, cheese (maybe powdered), ritz crackers, jerky, butter/ghee, etc

Jello as a hot drink. Orange Tang and some 151 rum for a nightcap. Instant coffee or tea.

The old rule was 3lbs of food per day, you may get to 2lbs/day with the high calories stuff, if you're not doing this you are going to lose condition as time goes on. As an example, the RCAF ration was 3900 calories/day.

Less than 2lbs/day and a guy will be living on his spare tire if he has one.

 

[riversrest]

Sounds like riverjest has flown a lot of bushplanes heavy into alpine landings in mountain goat country.

Only as a passenger Mr. Asdent. Flying out is usually heavier then going in but that seem to be a strange concept to someone leaving half the meat in the bush.

 

[Ardent]

Only as a passenger Mr. Asdent. Flying out is usually heavier then going in but that seem to be a strange concept to someone leaving half the meat in the bush.

You’re colouring in your experience, choose the words carefully. You can’t lift more out than in, especially from tight or high landings. Coming out, it’s one goat, one dude at a time. Inbound you get more but weight and volume are always at a premium in bushplanes. Just as the OP is looking to optimize for.

Where’s all this flying passengering you’ve done taken place and who’s flying it?

 

[bearkilr]

If you prepare your hunt well enough one wouldn't need much "freeze dried" stuff.

All legit outfitters I went with didn't serve that ####t. Didn't know the freeze dried folks took over.

Less carbon tax for the NDP boys, I guess ?

What makes you think the OP is going with an outfitter? Since he's asking which meals to take, they're likely not provided, and it's a DIY hunt.

 

[riversrest]

Where’s all this flying passengering you’ve done taken place and who’s flying it?

Who I'm flying with is none of your business. Where ? Northern BC and Yukon.

 

[MiG25]

MH Beef Stroganoff has 4.7 calories per gram and costs $15+

Nissan Beef Noodles has 4.8 calories per gram and costs ~$1.

Both are simply add boiling water. The packages are not the same size but MH is ~10x the cost.

The Cheezit Crackers I have in my cupboard beat anything MH for weight vs calories at a fraction of the cost.

MH is for the same guys that wear Kuiu, especially around town.

 

[Ardent]

Who I'm flying with is none of your business. Where ? Northern BC and Yukon.

It’s alright, good chance I know them in that case, and we’re all forced all operate by the same laws of physics. That’s what this thread is about, packing lighter and smaller for a bushplane in hunt, something for better or worse I’m rather familiar with having done both the flying and the provisioning.

 

[riversrest]

What makes you think the OP is going with an outfitter? Since he's asking which meals to take, they're likely not provided, and it's a DIY hunt.

I didn't. I was saying if you go with an outfitter in my experience they don't serve freeze dried food.

If I'd pack my own food I'd bring cured meats like Jerky, european style bacon and peperoni sticks. Dried / half dried or smoked candied salmon, instant noodles, Quaker oats and powdered milk, instant mashed potatoes (Idahoan), rice, dehydrated vegetables, fruit bars, cookies and bisquits, flour mix for pancakes and campfire bread / bannock,...

What's on your pack list ?

 

[MiG25]

I forgot a salami in the toe of a glacier 25 years ago, wonder if it's still there.

 

[bearkilr]

What's on your pack list ?

Pretty much whatever i want. We use Beavers and Otters here, so fill 'em up. No mountains, flat country with big lakes. But if you are going with a sheep or goat outfitter out west, your spike camp meals could very well be freeze dried.

 

[crazy_davey]

Pretty much whatever i want. We use Beavers and Otters here, so fill 'em up. No mountains, flat country with big lakes. But if you are going with a sheep or goat outfitter out west, your spike camp meals could very well be freeze dried.

If you’re heading out from a main camp to hunt in the mountains for 3, 4, 5 days with just backpacks, the guide isn’t going to pack steak, bacon and eggs for you.

 

[riversrest]

If you’re heading out from a main camp to hunt in the mountains for 3, 4, 5 days with just backpacks, the guide isn’t going to pack steak, bacon and eggs for you.

IMO, I've spent more time on mountains than most average Canadian will ever do. Goes from professional work in mining & exploration to hunting and hiking.

I'm one of the guys who actually built remote camps for that matter. Never ever have I eaten a freeze dried "fancy" meal on a mountain in 20+ years nor have I seen an outfitter serving them.

 

[MiG25]

If you’re heading out from a main camp to hunt in the mountains for 3, 4, 5 days with just backpacks, the guide isn’t going to pack steak, bacon and eggs for you.

Why not? Bacon is high calorie density. There was a famous climb in sheep camp not far from here with no talking allowed (this may have been a 1000 year old rule) they lived on bacon while there, soft guys would complain about eating green bacon for 2 weeks. Powdered eggs are 6 calories per gram, hard to find things that beat that.

Bacon and powder eggs spanks any of the MH meals for calories/gram, never mind cost.

 

[legi0n]

I did try to make dehydrated meals.
found out spices lose most of their flavor during dehydration.
even my best curry beans lost flavor and took ages to rehydrate.
dehydrated mushrooms are great though but have next to no nutritional value.

soooo... freeze dried foods are my go to meals

 

[riversrest]

I did try to make dehydrated meals.
found out spices lose most of their flavor during dehydration.
even my best curry beans lost flavor and took ages to rehydrate.
dehydrated mushrooms are great though but have next to no nutritional value.

soooo... freeze dried foods are my go to meals

 

[Gatehouse]

Dehydrated vs Freeze dried comes down to water sources, fuel sources and time.

Before the proliferation of freeze dried meals like Mountain House, We did just fine backpacking for 3 weeks at a time with dehydrated meals, pancake mix, tins of meat and fish, noodles, rice, granola, instant mash potatoes, powdered milk, cheese, salami and landjaeger, Lipton dried soup packs, homemade jerky, dried fruit and some bulk bin hard candy. We would supplement with fish we caught in streams and lakes, berries we picked, grouse we killed with rocks and sticks and rabbits we snared.

Pancakes take a long time to cook with only one frying pan so we saved those for times we were spending two days in the same location.

But food choices when living out of a backpack will always come down to what I said at first- water, fuel and time. If you are able to build a fire and have lots of water and time, dehydrated stuff works fine. If you are on top of a mountain and the only water and fuel you have is that which you brought on your back, MH style makes a lot of sense. If you are always in a hurry, again MH makes sense.

 

[Gatehouse]

I did try to make dehydrated meals.
found out spices lose most of their flavor during dehydration.
even my best curry beans lost flavor and took ages to rehydrate.
dehydrated mushrooms are great though but have next to no nutritional value.

soooo... freeze dried foods are my go to meals

Always bring some salt, pepper and dried chili flakes and maybe some dried garlic or other spices. They don't weigh much but make your life so much better, especially if you snare a rabbit or catch a fish.

 

[Ardent]

Why not? Bacon is high calorie density. There was a famous climb in sheep camp not far from here with no talking allowed (this may have been a 1000 year old rule) they lived on bacon while there, soft guys would complain about eating green bacon for 2 weeks. Powdered eggs are 6 calories per gram, hard to find things that beat that.

Bacon and powder eggs spanks any of the MH meals for calories/gram, never mind cost.

They shut down after Lincoln didn’t see a single legal ram, and word spread fast in the Union.

 

[MiG25]

A guy should probably start with the question of what does he want to eat for each meal.

There's quite a bit of overlap between what I'm trying to say and what this guy says, including the 2lbs and 4000 calories, 'cept I like oily canned fish and crackers and I prefer tang and recognize that alcohol is second only to fat in calorie density and a 151 Tang Sunset is nice after a day outside.

https://blackwoodspress.com/blog/37650/4000-calorie-ultralight-backpacking-meal-plan/