BWCA Winter Camping Food & Weight Boundary Waters Winter Camping and Activities
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Lailoken
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01/20/2019 05:07PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hei! I've done 25 + BWCA/Quetico trips, including solos with only ferro rod, fishing pole, and wild rice, BUT only two winter camping trips, both guided. One Wintergreen dogsled trip and last year with guide, as was trying to avoid getting Darwin Award.

Planning 2 night/3 day border lake test trip, then later, 6/7 night solo trip, as can't find anyone that wants to join in winter.

Question is, food & weight. I am planning to take MSR dragonfly & MSR whisperlight.
Can I just take frozen chilli? I was thinking coffee, oatmeal, and PB for breakfast, cubed cheeses for lunch, and then, dinner of Chilli, other full on frozen foods, melted/heated on stove. Also, does Scotch freeze?

Any advise will be appreciated.
 
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01/20/2019 06:14PM  
Your scotch will be fine, but you will have to put it in a plastic container just like summer.

Yes, you can just bring frozen chili. I've several times brought bags of stew or chili sealed in food saver bags, but I was doing it in a hot tent with a big pot of boiling water to thaw it out. If using your MSR stoves you will burn through a LOT of fuel just to thaw it - A LOT. If you have a pot with a bail you can hang it over a fire, but you will still burn a lot of wood. You will probably be happier brining something dried that can rehydrate quickly, especially if you somehow find yourself cold and in need of calories. Also wondering if the peanut butter might get hard in cold weather - maybe someone else can pipe in on that.
Mnpat
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01/20/2019 07:01PM  
I bring food and pack it in soft coolers to keep it from freezing. You need a lot of calories and fat so load up with many big meals. You can premake your food but I wouldn’t freeze it. I usually bring a pound of trail mix and try to save half of it for the ski back to the car. I bring 64 oz of liquids for the ski in and then boil water adding cocoa or powder Gatorade occasionally. I don’t worry much about food weight as it’s great to have fresh meals and if you pack right you don’t have to haul it out.
Gadfly
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01/21/2019 08:11AM  
We have really worked on reducing our food weight over the years. we now dehydrate nearly everything we bring especially for longer trips. For a 5 day trip I typically dehydrate 7-8 bananas, a pound of strawberries, a full pineapple & 3 or 4 Kiwi. This saves a lot of weight and you don't have to worry about anything freezing. perfect for quick snacks and great to add to oatmeal in the morning.
My go to meal is dehydrated pasta which consists of mushroom, black olives, tomatoes, pasta of choice and seasoned to taste and cheese. I don't dehydrate my meats but I try to only bring a pound or two of it.
For water I bring about 32oz in and then boil all from that point on.


Lailoken
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01/21/2019 11:01AM  
Thanks, and 100% in non - glass for the Scotch. Okay, I am not taking hot tent, so sounds like more "traditional" dehydrated is better way.
Lailoken
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01/21/2019 11:03AM  
Thanks all, really helpful!
 
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