I hate bacon grease mess when I camp, but I love bacon. Also not a huge fan of the prepackaged store-bought bacon. If I made bacon at home and vacuum sealed it, how long refrigerated could I keep it safe - four days?

I have heard of people doing it, but beyond that I couldn't comment on the safety.

Seems like what you get would be pretty similar to the store bought version of pre-cooked bacon. So why take chances?

I have carried uncooked double smoked bacon for 2 days unrefrigerated and had no issues. I would think you would have no trouble carrying already cooked and vacuum sealed bacon for 4 days.

I do regularly. Using Nueske's Applewood smoked medium or thick cut laid on a rack without overlapping, place in a pan to catch drippings. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes depends on the cut. It will still be floppy but nearly cooked to serving doneness. Separate drained bacon into packet sizes separated with parchment paper and vac-seal.

I freeze until leaving on a trip. It has kept for seven days for me and was not rancid or spoiled at seven days just did not last! Pan fried until crisp at camp with minimum grease to drain.

Want a special snack? Lay the bacon out separated slices on a kitchen board sprinkle with brown sugar and press into the bacon, flip and do the other side. Bake in oven as above til the slices just bend slightly. Cool and drain on crinkled aluminum foil, it will stick to paper towels. Package as above. CANDIED BACON!!!

butthead

I've taken regularly packaged store bacon into the woods for up to a week. No probs.

I took some pre-cooked shelf stable bacon on a trip once. I just did not like it, ended up giving it all to my dogs. I have a couple times brought my own pre-cooked bacon and I like that approach. I usually just put several pieces in tin foil and freeze after cooking, then put a couple packs of bacon in a zip lock baggy. Can either toss in a pan to crisp up, or toss pack on the edge of the fire grate. I think I've had it last up to either 4-5 days - then it was all gone! Weather on those trips was a bit cooler in the evenings which should help. In the hot days of mid summer, I'd maybe not push past 3 but thats just my best guess.

AmarilloJim: "I've taken regularly packaged store bacon into the woods for up to a week. No probs."

+1. I start with mine frozen.

If you kept the grease in a jar and then sealed the jar so no air was allowed in, or sealed with parafin wax I think it would last indefinitely, it's just lard. We used to do this back on the farm in the old days and it kept for years.

Forgot to mention, I used to cook bacon in the morning for breakfast and used to left over grease to fry fish at night. You run the risk of bears smelling the grease but if you hang it for the day and used it that afternoon night, should be good. Bacon grease used to fry fish is great.
Let the grease cool after cooking, cool while you eat and you should be able to pour it in a zip lock bag to store for the day.

I have done this, 4 days should be easy. I freeze it and keep it frozen until I go in. You could probably get more days unless it was 90 every day.

T