I'm heading up to camp in Ontario on the 31st with a good buddy of mine to whitetail hunt for 10 days. When we first get there we are planning on riding the ATVs 8 miles, boat across a lake, hike in 2-2.5 miles and camp for 3-5 nights. The one thing I was curious about is what you guys do for food on this kind of trip. Mountain House meals are obvious, but what else should I consider that would be easy? Trevor?
Got a good water source?...filtration?(if you don't have to carry in the fluids it's nice) Oatmeal, butter, salt, onion, coffee, hardtack/saltenes/ritz, peanutbutter, pork&beans...then some stuff to ease a sweet tooth(granola bars/candy/chocolate) and quick energy. I would bring a pack rod to get me some fish(if a possibility) and perhaps a .22 for small game to eat for a change of pace. Anyway -those were my basics for 3 to 5 miles hike into the Porkies for early spring steelhead for 4 days/3 nights....less weight carried the better IMO.
If you have a military surplus store around check on MRE's. Most of them aren't bad and they pack a lot of calories to fuel the body for long hikes.
Bread, cherry pie filling cooked over the fire in a pie iron is amazing this time of year..... Jerky is always good. I usually try and do like polish sasuages, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc the first couple of nights when camping too (before ice and stuff becomes an issue)....
Vienna sausage. The only meat you don't have to worry about keeping cold Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
MREs are way too heavy. So are any canned goods. I've always packed a few Clif bars for breakfast, some jerky, trail mix and the rest would be those dried mountain meals. Can you kill small game? If so, bring some seasoning.
Oh, and AlpineAir and Backcountry Pantry are better than those Mountain House meals. Don't get the chili or anything with curry though.
Spam singles roasted over a fire will keep you warm and alive. Easy to pack and doesn't taste to bad. I also like to bring packs of instant oatmeal for breakfast.
Peanut butter, honey, and bacon bagels/sandwiches. Use single serving packets of the spreads and make em in the field so they don't get soggy. Ramen noodles. Clif bars, granola bars, etc. bars.... Any of the dehydrated meals are usually pretty decent. I prefer Mtn House to the others unlike Hook tho. My taste buds are simpler than most I fear. Food is a hassle on these type of trips to me so I pack very basic. Two granola bars for breakfast, a pb bagel or dry bag of ramen noodles for lunch, and a Mtn house meal for 2 in camp before bed. For Fewer days like you are going you can obviously afford to pack in a little heavier luxury foods vs a 10 day stay. Backcountry does these frequently, I'd say he may have a few helpful hints up his sleeve. I'm not a huge help in this dept as I can eat just about anything so idc what I pack
I started this thread a little late last night and didn't go into enough detail I don't think. Some of you think that I'm staying at a KOA. We already have the water covered. For food, I already planned on bringing Veni Jerky, Granola bars, Trail Mix, Ramen Noodles and some dehydrated meals. I guess I was looking for other alternatives to the Mountain House meals. Thanks for the other brands Hooker. Trevor, I'm not all about the flavor either, more about sustenance and getting enough calories to get by. Like you said, its not a long trip so I can take a couple luxuries along, but don't really plan on it. Except maybe a little Crown Royal for sitting around the fire at night. I'll make note of your other suggestions as well. If the weather is decent and we are getting into some areas for deer we really like, it could easily be 5+ nights. As for killing small game out there, not much of an option. The only small game there is Ruffed and Spruce Grouse. I'll bring a sling shot and if I run into any, I'll try killing them. They cook up nice around the fire.
I don't drink coffee. Never have and probably never will. I do love tea though. I'll be bringing some Lemon Verbena and steeping balls to make it every morning.
Thanks Finch! Its not a bowhunt, but a rifle hunt. Going back to my roots of exploring the North Country, getting to places no one hunts and seeing deer that have never seen a person before. I can't handle sitting in a tree up there, when there's so much to see and explore. Hopefully this will be the result, only bigger........
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal! Dumb question....on a hunt like this, will you find a place to camp first, then hunt and move accordingly or visa versa? Sorry to slightly hijack...
