I’ve tried shelf-stable bacon on one trip, and it did not please me. I ended up feeding most to my dog. I do not remember what brand it was. I’m game to try it again, but thought I’d ask the “collective wisdom” what brands people like? Any favorites?

I’ve had the same mixed results. I wouldn’t make this mistake again. It looks paper thin, almost translucent, yuck.

It’s back to thick cut fresh bacon for me. It has enough salt and preservatives in to last a trip.

It works well if you are trying to keep a clean, low odor camp - like when you are soloing. My favorite is Hormel Black Label. Good flavor and a little thicker than other brands. Sold at Cub Foods.

gkimball: "It works well if you are trying to keep a clean, low odor camp - like when you are soloing. My favorite is Hormel Black Label. Good flavor and a little thicker than other brands. Sold at Cub Foods."

I’ve always used this one too. Frying it up will help bring it back to life.

Obviously not in the same league as the real thing but good enough for the woods.

I've used whatever brand woodmans sell. Ok, but not great.

What about frying your own at home and then vacuum sealing it? It may not last as long on the trail as the shelfstable stuff, but I think it would be better than uncooked fresh bacon. You wouldn't have all that grease to deal
with at camp, and vacuum sealed it shouldn't have much smell -,until you open it.

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Pancakes and bacon breakfast - a favorite and hard to beat!

We bought real bacon bits this year for the first time. Going to add it to soup and mix with eggs.

Back in the early 90's you could buy a full pound of bacon in a can. It was made in Yugoslovia and Cub or someone sold it. It was actually pretty good. We dumped out the bacon and it slurped a bit on it's way out like canned cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving.

With that, bacon is usually salt-cured so I try to take fresh frozen bacon on my trips and do my best to keep it cool. Even after a day of being warm is just fine.

Tom

tarnkt: "

gkimball: "It works well if you are trying to keep a clean, low odor camp - like when you are soloing. My favorite is Hormel Black Label. Good flavor and a little thicker than other brands. Sold at Cub Foods."

I’ve always used this one too. Frying it up will help bring it back to life.


Obviously not in the same league as the real thing but good enough for the woods."

With two votes, I’ll pick up a pack and sample it at home. Thanks.

4keys: "I've used whatever brand woodmans sell. Ok, but not great.


What about frying your own at home and then vacuum sealing it? It may not last as long on the trail as the shelfstable stuff, but I think it would be better than uncooked fresh bacon. You wouldn't have all that grease to deal
with at camp, and vacuum sealed it shouldn't have much smell -,until you open it. "

I don’t know what Woodsmans is - a local store? I actually do regularly fry up some Nueskes or if I can get it Coburns own bacon, wrap it in foil and bring it along for the first 4-5 days or so. I’m hoping to get in a longer trip this year, and am looking for bacon that could last into week 2 of a trip in warm weather. Vacuum sealing would help extend real bacon, but by how long??

Longest I've kept Nueskes bacon pre-cooked at home is 11 days with no noticed taste texture or appearance change. I bake the fresh bacon in an oven, How to Cook Bacon in the Oven I like to cook a bit longer maybe due to using thick cut, if you know Nueskes it sells in thick, medium, thin, and slice your own. Cook to the point where they still flex a bit, they stiffen as it cools, and vac-seal individual servings. I like to bag the slices between layers of parchment paper to keep from holing the vac-bag. If you use a sugary coating, brown sugar mixes, drain on crumpled aluminum foil till cooled before bagging.

butthead

PS: "How is cooked bacon made shelf stable?
To make bacon safe to store at room temperature (shelf stable), it is precooked in the plant to have a water activity at or below 0.85 to control Staphylococcus aureus. The cooked yield is 40% of the raw weight." quote from Bacon and Food Saftey bh

Freeze-dried bacon is a convenience but I've also found it's too much a compromise on flavor. Nueske's ham sticks are a great alternative for trail protein-fix and as a breakfast meat. Bit of sugar in the ingredients so has a sweeter taste than bacon. Has held up fine on a 4/5 day solo trip. They freeze well for future use.

butthead: "Longest I've kept Nueskes bacon pre-cooked at home is 11 days with no noticed taste texture or appearance change. I bake the fresh bacon in an oven, How to Cook Bacon in the Oven I like to cook a bit longer maybe due to using thick cut, if you know Nueskes it sells in thick, medium, thin, and slice your own. Cook to the point where they still flex a bit, they stiffen as it cools, and vac-seal individual servings. I like to bag the slices between layers of parchment paper to keep from holing the vac-bag. If you use a sugary coating, brown sugar mixes, drain on crumpled aluminum foil till cooled before bagging.


butthead

PS: "How is cooked bacon made shelf stable?
To make bacon safe to store at room temperature (shelf stable), it is precooked in the plant to have a water activity at or below 0.85 to control Staphylococcus aureus. The cooked yield is 40% of the raw weight." quote from Bacon and Food Saftey bh"

Great info! I usually buy whatever off-brand that Aldi's is selling here in MPS. I'll have to try the Nueskes brand though for comparison. I'm sure it will be better than what I've been buying.

butthead: "Longest I've kept Nueskes bacon pre-cooked at home is 11 days with no noticed taste texture or appearance change. ....”

So after vacuum sealing it, you kept it for 11 days and it seemed fine? Was it kept in the fridge, or was that out at room temperature?

When you guys bring real bacon, what do you do with all of the grease?

When I used to use it I just poured it in the fire ring (not on the grill) where it would burn with the next fire. Otherwise it is classic "bear bait."

Jaywalker: "

butthead: "Longest I've kept Nueskes bacon pre-cooked at home is 11 days with no noticed taste texture or appearance change. ....”

So after vacuum sealing it, you kept it for 11 days and it seemed fine? Was it kept in the fridge, or was that out at room temperature? "

Probably cooked and sealed months prior, and kept in the freezer. The precooked or hmoe dried meats I take are packed into the food bag for the trip including road miles and overnites needed. Last long trip was 11 nites in Quetico and BWCA and the meats including bacon packed for total 13 days, though it took some restraint, not to eat it all early on. All bets are off on how long candied bacon can last, kinda like Tootsie Pops!

Very little grease after heating in a frypan.

butthead

Bacon Jerky works pretty good, especially if you are mixing it into scrambled eggs. Tastes pretty close to the real thing, easy to use. No issue with keeping it fresh. good for snacking too:)

After all these years why do we not have bacon flavored SPAM yet?

+1 on the black label, and I particularly like and bring a few packets of their real bacon bits. I add them to scrambled eggs, Idahoan-brand broccoli and cheddar soup and a few recipes like baco-spuds, dehydrated beans, etc.

I just take regular bacon. I usually have it all eaten by day 6. Have never had any issues with spoilage. I go in the shoulder seasons.

The stuff Aldi is selling right now is good. They just change companies from the other one.

AmarilloJim: "I just take regular bacon. I usually have it all eaten by day 6. Have never had any issues with spoilage. I go in the shoulder seasons."

Same for me until I started pre-cooking at home, which saves a lot of cook time and fuel. Most bacon is fully cured and cooked. If now how was it kept prior to refrigeration.

butthead