need advice from hardcore hikers

LifesPilgrim

I have a 4 day backpacking trip coming up this fall with my boyscout troop. I usually dry my own vegetables in the oven, and used purchased jerkies and bagged chicken or tuna for the meats.

My biggest question is how some of you package your food for extended trips like this. I usually put everything in freezer bags and then pour the boiling water in the bag. Recent research into that method brings up a LOT of questions, so I am looking for any advice and suggestions on self-packaging and preparing the food.

BTW: When I do cook in a pot, I use an old style military canteen cup that I can place over the campfire if I need to. It has saved us many times in the past, I hate washing dishes at home and especially on the trail.

Flyntiggr

My whole 'crew' uses zip-lock bags for some of our self-prepared. I also use a Jet-Boil. You might not always have a fire, but I can light that sucker anywhere. Just use the cup it comes with....

Can you provide some insight into your concerns about the freezer bags?

ak_in_ak

they can be a bit expensive but have you though about a food saver. We use them to package smoked salmon and extra veggies to eat during the winter. it is a worthy investment if you have enough uses for it.

LifesPilgrim

The concern with the freezer bags is that carcinogenic chemicals are released when the plastic is heated. We personally have a jet boil, the troop uses pocket rockets for their food.

A food saver is also a thought.

Any recipes would also be welcome. We are a new troop, 1 year this September, but we have VERY adventerous kids.

Anything I learn is what the kids will do as I am the cooking merit badge counsellor and my husband is the scoutmaster. We been in scouting for a long time, but have used MRE's and Mountain House in the past. We are hiking almost everymonth this season, and that is just way too expensive at $5-8 a meal.

coriakin

I assume your thinking about putting hot water into freezer bags that I presume might release toxins? -- I have no idea but it's plastic so it sounds plausible.

Why not use the bags (i love zip-bags) to only transport the food, then cook it in the pot. Normally if I bring any real food from home and I cook rice for instance, I make the rice then pour in the already made food and it will all warm up from the lingering heat of the pot and rice. You'd generally have to rinse the pot anyway and some linger food will wash right of. Also it's such a short trip that even if you were very lazy cleaning (badly) there would hardly build up any yuckiness over that time

When I am on week long excursions I tend to only have fresh food to last me may be 2 days. The rest I pack are freeze dried meals, I find them to be very practical and light weight. Also possible to reuse to carry water in an emergency; as I experienced a year or so ago.

There probably are bags you can buy from the material that the freeze dried meals are made from, but they probably cost a pretty penny and do you really need them, I dunno..

Not sure I helped, but good luck!

PegasusDeb

Love my FoodSaver. The only concern I would have with that method is once you open the bags your done! Where at least zip-loc are reuseable. They have the zip FS bags but haven't used them.

hiddensecant

I got a euroseal a while back and sealed everything with it ... didn't cook with plastic though, I transferred the stuff into foil and tossed it on top of a campfire.

monoxidechick

I dont have any great advice, but I think that I would just carry the food in the bags and then cook in the pot, its not hard to clean out. Sounds like fun though, enjoy!!