DIY elk hunting food

by **Ponyboy_jonas** » 04 12, 2015 • [Post 1]

I am planning a DIY Colorado elk hunt. All I have left is to figure out what I am going to eat. I'm looking for something that is very light. Let me here your thoughts.

by **jmez** » 04 12, 2015 • [Post 2]

http://www.trailcooking.com/

by **Brendan** » 04 13, 2015 • [Post 3]

Similar Discussion:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5991

by **Freebird134** » 04 15, 2015 • [Post 4]

I've made my own backpacking food by dehydrating ground venison and veggies, and mixing them with instant potatoes and gravy mix. Add a cup of boiling water or so, and you soon have a delicious, cheap, homemade shepherds pie of sorts.

by **zpd307** » 04 27, 2015 • [Post 5]

I am going to instant potatoes to my list this year. noodles everyday just got old....

by **Ponyboy_jonas** » 04 27, 2015 • [Post 6]

zpd307 wrote:I am going to instant potatoes to my list this year. noodles everyday just got old....

I believe I will be going with the freeze dried meals from mountain house. They are really light and easy to pack. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

by **Heartwood** » 04 27, 2015 • [Post 7]

Google "backcountry bars" you will find various recipes for homemade energy bars. I prefer to use them for breakfast when backpacking. Also, add potato flakes (instant potatoes) to your store bought backpack meals. It will bulk up your meal a little.

by **Ponyboy_jonas** » 04 28, 2015 • [Post 8]

Heartwood wrote:Google "backcountry bars" you will find various recipes for homemade energy bars. I prefer to use them for breakfast when backpacking. Also, add potato flakes (instant potatoes) to your store bought backpack meals. It will bulk up your meal a little.

Thanks for the info! I will look into it!

by **Lefty** » 04 29, 2015 • [Post 9]

I hike a lot and do a little back packing.
Even at the decent prices Costco has on MH I would rather eat something a bit less "preserved".
I am a huge fan of Idahoan Potatoes.
There are lots of decent dried soup mixes.
Granola bars choices by the dozens,.. I just don't like the real sweet bars.
Go to your local Health food store and check out The freeze dried foods

by **ferris bugler** » 05 04, 2015 • [Post 10]

There are a million websites with back country cooking in mind. You can get as advances as you want with dehydrating all your own meat, or just make some additions to certain menus. Look for some dishes that have a lot of dehydrated veggies and then add some summer sausage or some jerky. A food dehydrator is a must to own in my opinion. Dried fruit and jerky are a staple in my pack when out for the day or a week. Mountain house is great for a meal or two but they beat the crap out of my guts. I've made some dehydrated meals that the guys I was with were fighting over and they cooked just as fast as a mountain house and weighed about the same. Let us know if you find some good recipes.

by **dapper** » 05 10, 2015 • [Post 11]

I always liked Mountain House. We backpacked in so I had one heated up meal, MH for supper(after dark) and for breakfast cold oatmeal. We didn't want to carry anymore fuel or take anymore time than needed in the morning. The oatmeal initially seemed to sweet cold, so on the second hunt, I blended sweet with non-sweetened. My favorite snack during the hunt was trail mix beefed up with cashews. I aimed for 2300 calories, so once the calories of the MH, oatmeal and a few powerbars were totaled, I weighted the trailmix to bring the calorie count up to 2300. I tried putting the powerbars in the same Ziploc to save weight, but they kind of became fused together as the hunt went on. The Idahoan potatoes aren't bad either, but I would mix them in with the mountain house for a change. My son went with mostly these potatoes and was getting sick of them at the end of the 14 day hunt.

Dan

by **_rj_** » 07 23, 2015 • [Post 12]

PBJ. I'm only half kidding. I ate MRE's everyday for 3, 7 month deployments. So my standards are probably lower than yours haha.

by **Mikeha33** » 07 29, 2015 • [Post 13]

I live by the 100;1 law when prepping & packing backpacking food. If it doesn't have 100 calories for every 1 oz, it doesn't make the cut. That does not apply to coffee. I don't care if that weighs 2 lb's, its going.

by **Navesgane** » 08 04, 2015 • [Post 14]

I look for as much calories and protein under the 'nutrition facts' and try to stay away from sodium as much as possible unless you have an endless water supply and urinating often isnt a factor or if you plan on sweating alot, as well as saturated fats, due to my high cholesterol via genetics. Also keep in mind that what you eat, you secrete. If it has an odor before you consume it, it will more than likely have one when you secrete it, be it on your breath, pores, or otherwise. You and your hunting crew may not be able to smell it but elk surely will. Tunafish aint native to these mountains.

by **Vanish** » 08 04, 2015 • [Post 15]

Couscous. Boil a cup of water and dump it in, wait 10 minutes. I pre blend in spices and dehydrated veggies and/or meat. Others even eat it with cold water (needs to sit longer) or mixed with fruit and nuts for breakfast.

by **CurlyTail** » 08 04, 2015 • [Post 16]

I like: Mountain House meals - Lasagna is my favorite
Idahoan instant potatoes - tasty, quick, not messy
a couple of mini chocolate bars for desert
powdered Tang in my Nalgene
Oatmeal and breakfast bars for mornings
Gorp, tortillas with peanut butter and honey, smoked almonds, jerky for lunch

by **Ponyboy_jonas** » 08 04, 2015 • [Post 17]

CurlyTail wrote:I like: Mountain House meals - Lasagna is my favorite
Idahoan instant potatoes - tasty, quick, not messy
a couple of mini chocolate bars for desert
powdered Tang in my Nalgene
Oatmeal and breakfast bars for mornings
Gorp, tortillas with peanut butter and honey, smoked almonds, jerky for lunch

I have been trying a few of the mountain houses at home. The lasagna one is pretty good

by **DirtyErn** » 08 04, 2015 • [Post 18]

Few years ago I tried the Wise freeze dried food wasn't bad and comes in handy plastic container. I've also brought in cured meets such as Landuger, a smoked "pepperoni stick " and summer sausage. Since they don't need refrigeration , then add some to your rte meals or just by them selves as your hunting partners eat there mre sandwiches.

by **zpd307** » 08 05, 2015 • [Post 19]

the trick is variety...... I will pack in some ramen, mtn house, and potato meals this year dinner. as others have said, mornings are instant oatmeal. lunches are snickers, meat/cheese sticks, granola bars, and precooked chicken in the foil packs. and I use caffeinated crystal light to feed my caffeine habit during the day.

by **Passin Thru** » 08 08, 2015 • [Post 20]

Coucous with vegetable broth which comes in a pint jar and you can premix it. Puts lots of flavor in it and then Mtn House, lots of Blueberry breakfast, COSTCO trailmix with Raisins and cashews. I also love dried fruit, any kind. I hole up in my Travel Trailer so eat steak and or Hamburger at night.

by **powderhogg01** » 08 09, 2015 • [Post 21]

my best hunting trip to date(most memorable) I did not bring any food. I planned on staying all day and hiking out but ended up surrounded by elk and could not leave. I built a a brush shelter and slept in the dirt for 2 nights. never did harvest a bull, but I did take a bunch of grouse and plenty of fish from the stream. its for that reason I always keep a small game head in my quiver. I spent 3 days total in there and brought only a snickers which was gone by hour 2 of the first day.. I do not recall every feeling drained or hungry.. a trout packs a wallop of energy, and grouse are just plain tasty.
If I were not in an area with abundant resources, or perhaps actually planning overnight trip in some distance I like the MH as mentioned above. I also make a big batch of jerky, and make a bunch of dehydrated eggs and fruits. I like to bring in a couple cans of smoked clams or oysters and well as a fell candy bars. In my firstaid kit is a sucrose pack, basically a gel of good sugars in case someone goes down. Even if you do not typically have blood pressure issues, being at altitude putting our bodies through so much, things happen... this gel can bring someone back after they have fainted, and can really help get a sick person off the hill, I know first hand as i got a bad case of crypto one year and had to make a ten mile hike while throwing up and needing constant poo breaks. with no energy at all the stuff really helped me get the muster to hike out.