Anyone care to share their menu's for soloing? In the past i have usually taken real food which is heavy and bulky. My menu's have consisted of bagel/pita bread, steak stir fry's, ring baloney/ hot dogs, eggs and bacon any way you get the picture. Looking at trimming the weight and bulk down a little and looking for some different ideas. thanks for all replys.

tony

I've taken some real food in the past but this time I want to go light. I'll have instant oatmeal, a cliff or power bar, and coffee in the morning.

Pitas with vac sealed tuna or chicken, trail mix for lunch. I'm also going to pack a small jar of peanut butter to scoop out of. I might bring some cookies also.

Dinner will be all freeze dried but the first night will be a double meat subway sub. I'll get a 12 inch and eat half for lunch then finish it for dinner. The first day I want to travel long and don't want the bother of opening the food pack and making a fire. I'll pack some choolate puddings for dessert this night too.

Depends what your cooking style is when you get to camp, but if you like to make a true meal, look at using dried pastas and/or rice, beans, etc. Bring some parm cheese, pepperoni, tuna, dried veggies, spices, etc. to add to the dried stuff. Figure out by practicing at home what weight of dried stuff you need to make a filling meal. Then portion it out accordingly. A scale helps a lot, you want enough to fill u up, and no leftovers. No waste. Lots of choices in this area, inexpensive and variety options abound.

To me, freeze dried is way expensive and taste is welll, freeze dried.

I always have instant oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. It's fast and nutritious and I like to get on the water early. For lunch, it's typically trail mix and granola bars. I don't stop to eat a heated lunch. Dinner is always a freeze-dried meal for two. The single meals just aren't enough food for me. I take no fresh food. Water is all I drink. I have carried powdered Gator-Aid for a little change of pace. My attitude about food is that it's a necessity, not a delicacy. Therefore, I'm basically a minimalist when it comes to my menu. I just don't spend a lot of time to make it "special".

Breakfast bars and instant coffee for breakfast.

Jerky, died apples for a snack.

Freeze dried meals for dinner.

breakfast...either instant oatmeal or luna bars while paddling (trying them this year for the first time).

lunch, more like snacking...klements summer sausage singles, string cheese, sunflower/pumpkin seed mix, m&m's.

dinner...MH meals. lasagna, spaghetti, beef stroganoff, chili mac, chicken teriyaki.

desert...EC/crystal lite.

EC isn't dessert, is it? :P

I'd view that more as a 'relaxant' before bed :)

it isnt a "desert" either! thanks for the speel check. :)

I use supermarket stuff like Hamburger Helper, Chicken Helper, Knorr or Lipton noodles or rice, etc. and repackage to an appropriate amount. I dehydrate hamburger and package 1/3 lb equivilant packages. I take foil packages of chicken. I have even taken SPAM Singles. That gives me a lot of one-pot supper combinations.

I also take bannock mix. If I can have a fire I'll bake in the traditional way. If I use a stove, I'll make it more like pancakes.

I do pack instant oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, but often have water and granola bars instead for an earlier start. Then after making an early afternoon camp, I'll have the coffee and oatmeal for lunch.

For lunch and snacks I have GORP, Jerky, granola bars, you know, that kind of stuff. Lots of Crystal Light. Usually rum. Sometimes vodka or brandy.

On my last solo my meals were as follows:
Breakfast-homemade granola in a quart Ziploc bag with dry milk added after mixing with water in a cup, eaten right from the bag and coffee.
Lunch-sandwich thins with peanut butter & jelly and maybe some dried fruit and nuts. For a variation maybe salami or Spam singles.
Dinner-Mountain House freez dried entre's and freeze dried vegetables eaten right from the bag, followed by some candy or cookies and coffee. For a variation I also take a small amount of aluminum foil to use for making fish over the fire if I catch any.
By using this method I have eliminated most dish washing chores.

Dick

First comment--I double portage and I'm 5'10" and 170 lbs.

As for meals, I will usually have coffee with granola cereal/powdered milk, or fresh eggs and pre-cooked bacon for breakfast. For lunch, I bring a loaf of whole wheat bread with PB/Jelly packets you have at hotels in the morning, trail mix, Slim Jims/beef jerky, peanut M&Ms for lunch and snacks. For dinners, I'll have baked trout, soups, various Mountain House vegies/dinners or pizza (crust mix, pepperoni, mozarella sticks, fresh tomatoes, dried mushrooms, Contadina pizza sauce), and poopy-seed or lemon muffins, etc.

I eat well, and still lose about 10 pounds on a 12 day solo.

I need protein in the morning and cereals don't do it for me. I will do oatmeal, but will fry up some dried eggs... Sound disgusting? I really like pancakes and am pretty good at keeping them to minimum time involved. I make the brown sugar syrup with not a drop to spare. Have brought butter in the past and never use it.

Lunch: Gorp made a variety of ways. Flat bread with tuna or chicken or peanut butter (got the powdered to try this year).

Suppers: Instant potatoes to go with fish. And Hamburger Helper with dehydrated venison hamburger. I cut the boxes in thirds for solo trips and the hamburger. It's usually to die for by supper time. I like the stuff with "cheese". Some pudding nights.

Drink: Propel, coffee, some hot chocolate, and some tang and some powdered milk.

I am planning my solo menu as well, so this thread is fit for my palate. Lol. Sorry.

A couple people have mentioned dehydrating burger, which is something I would like to do for my trip. Anyone care to elaborate on the dehydration process?

quote BearBrown: "I am planning my solo menu as well, so this thread is fit for my palate. Lol. Sorry.


A couple people have mentioned dehydrating burger, which is something I would like to do for my trip. Anyone care to elaborate on the dehydration process?"

theres at least one thread about that in the camping recipes forum.

Like buffalodick, my whole menu is geared towards minimal work, minimal equipment, minimal weight, minimal cleanup. I have a stove and one small pot for boiling water, which is added to dehydrated foods which are eaten right out of the bag. I have an insulated mug, a spork, and a cozy for the bags. Breakfast is coffee (bags) and oatmeal or similar. Lunch is usually a ProBar because they have about twice the calories of other bars and/or gorp, which is eaten as a snack all day. Dinner is a dehydrated meal eaten out of the bag - usually something from Enertia , a Mountain House ProPak, or Mary Jane's Farm. I usually order them from Wilderness Dining . Boiling water is added to the bag, they are eaten, the bag is put in the trash, the spork wiped clean, and I'm done. Sometimes I have a dessert. I take gatorade to add to the water for taste as well as extra calories.

Breakfast,
Instant Oatmeal, I like two packets, and I mix one of the flavored with one of the regular so not so sweet. I add a little powdered milk, and I take freeze dried or dehydrated strawberries, I put those in a little itty bitty zip lock so I have a zip lock of strawberries for each breakfast ready to go. (I get those zip locks at hobby lobby)
First thing when I get up I boil water and rehydrate the strawberries, then I mix me up some hot cocoa with buttershoot schnapps, and eat my oatmeal and strawberries.
When I have a layover day, I cook me up a couple fresh eggs, and precooked bacon.
That is breakfast.


For Lunch: I ussually do the beef sticks, Cheesy or P.Butter Ritz,
and Scooby Snacks. Also a Tortia Shell wrapped with the foil ready to eat tuna is good, or a Tortia Shell with P Butter and Jelly smeared in it and then just wrap it up and eat it. MMMMMMMM

Supper: My base ingredient for almost all evening meals is dehydrated hamburger or venison. My meal choices using this are hamburger helper, chili soup, goolash with dehydrated burger and dehydrated spagetti sauce, and macaroni and cheese with beef sticks or dehydrated hamburger in it. Otherwise it is fish if they are biting! I also like bannock or blueberry muffins.
Gatorade and EC or Vodka and Buttershot Schapps and Cocoa for a treat,


Chili (It is made with dehydrated burger and I get it at HyVee It is a dry that you just add water to and the burger)

Hope that gives you some idea's
SunCatcher

quote SunCatcher: "Breakfast,
Instant Oatmeal, I like two packets, and I mix one of the flavored with one of the regular so not so sweet. I add a little powdered milk, and I take freeze dried or dehydrated strawberries, I put those in a little itty bitty zip lock so I have a zip lock of strawberries for each breakfast ready to go. (I get those zip locks at hobby lobby)
First thing when I get up I boil water and rehydrate the strawberries, then I mix me up some hot cocoa with buttershoot schnapps, and eat my oatmeal and strawberries.
When I have a layover day, I cook me up a couple fresh eggs, and precooked bacon.
That is breakfast.



For Lunch: I ussually do the beef sticks, Cheesy or P.Butter Ritz,
and Scooby Snacks. Also a Tortia Shell wrapped with the foil ready to eat tuna is good, or a Tortia Shell with P Butter and Jelly smeared in it and then just wrap it up and eat it. MMMMMMMM


Supper: My base ingredient for almost all evening meals is dehydrated hamburger or venison. My meal choices using this are hamburger helper, chili soup, goolash with dehydrated burger and dehydrated spagetti sauce, and macaroni and cheese with beef sticks or dehydrated hamburger in it. Otherwise it is fish if they are biting! I also like bannock or blueberry muffins.
Gatorade and EC or Vodka and Buttershot Schapps and Cocoa for a treat,



Chili (It is made with dehydrated burger and I get it at HyVee It is a dry that you just add water to and the burger)


Hope that gives you some idea's
SunCatcher


"

you eat a lot. :)

Looks great!

Like several others have said, it depends on your philosophy of canoe camping. For me, cooking outside, especially on a fire, is half the fun of the trip. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so I have eggs, either bacon or ham, sometimes pancakes w/ real blueberries and always coffee...sometimes some orange juice (Gentleman Jack). Lunch is usually leftovers or crackers and cheese or PB&J....and a summer sausage stick...things I can eat while fishing or on the move. The cheese and sausage often does double duty as additives for dinners. Dinners are fish, pasta and fish, potatoes and fish, onions and fish, fish and fish....are you seeing a trend here??

quote Longpaddler: Dinners are fish, pasta and fish, potatoes and fish, onions and fish, fish and fish....are you seeing a trend here??"

"Spam, spam, sausage, egg, bacon, and spam". :)

Suncatcher, do you dehydrate the strawberries or can we buy them? I like that idea as, like you, I don't want all the sugar in my oatmeal but it's kinda blah when plain.

i keep it real simple.breakfast is a big pancake with jam and coffee or a dry egg mix with rice,green onion and tomato...lunch is some sort of cracker with peanut butter or cheese and a few bites of a Cliff bar.dinner is a rice side with dry chicken,a freeze dry bag of something or a MRE meat pack--meatloaf,pork riblet or chicken breast with a Mac and Cheese or rice pack.a bannock if i'm really hungry.i cook big meals at home and out on the grill during the summer so on trips i like to keep it fast and easy.
car camping with all the gear along i'll make "real" meals over one of my old classic Primus stoves.

quote TomT: "

quote Longpaddler: Dinners are fish, pasta and fish, potatoes and fish, onions and fish, fish and fish....are you seeing a trend here??"

"Spam, spam, sausage, egg, bacon, and spam". :)


Suncatcher, do you dehydrate the strawberries or can we buy them? I like that idea as, like you, I don't want all the sugar in my oatmeal but it's kinda blah when plain.


"

Hey Tom, I've bought freeze dried fruit from them, as well as the veggies and soups. It's all been quite good.


Harmony House

Buffalodick, THANKS! "Lunch-sandwich thins with peanut butter & jelly ". My wife uses those sandwich thins at home and it never occured to me to take them on a trip! Every once in awhile I learn something. I've used tortillas, pitas, etc. but never those. THANKS!!!!

Instant oatmeal in the AM, snacks for lunch and freeze-dried for dinner. Every other night, I will make up a batch or two of Cache Lake's pan-fry bread - excellent stuff! I like to spend more time looking at the beauty around me and less time over a boiling pot.

Suncatcher, do you dehydrate the strawberries or can we buy them? I like that idea as, like you, I don't want all the sugar in my oatmeal but it's kinda blah when plain."

Tom T here is what I use. They also come in blueberries and I think banana's but the quality of this brand is A1 the best for sure.

I repackage into very small zip locks and use one small zip lock per meal. If anyone tries these you will not be disappointed.
Also, I have dehydratged strawberries, but never turn out as good as the freeze dried ones.

Natural High Pure Organic Freeze Dried Strawberries

quote Bannock: "Buffalodick, THANKS! "Lunch-sandwich thins with peanut butter & jelly ". My wife uses those sandwich thins at home and it never occured to me to take them on a trip! Every once in awhile I learn something. I've used tortillas, pitas, etc. but never those. THANKS!!!!"

What is a sandwich thin??? I hate to be dumb but I have never seen one, guess I will have to look in the bread section or something?

quote SunCatcher: "

quote Bannock: "Buffalodick, THANKS! "Lunch-sandwich thins with peanut butter & jelly ". My wife uses those sandwich thins at home and it never occured to me to take them on a trip! Every once in awhile I learn something. I've used tortillas, pitas, etc. but never those. THANKS!!!!"

What is a sandwich thin??? I hate to be dumb but I have never seen one, guess I will have to look in the bread section or something?"

They are also called sandwich rounds. I use them for lunch at work. I just bring enough for the week on Monday and they keep much better than a loaf of bread. I also never thought of using them camping but I think they would work great for that.

quote SunCatcher: "

quote Bannock: "Buffalodick, THANKS! "Lunch-sandwich thins with peanut butter & jelly ". My wife uses those sandwich thins at home and it never occured to me to take them on a trip! Every once in awhile I learn something. I've used tortillas, pitas, etc. but never those. THANKS!!!!"

What is a sandwich thin??? I hate to be dumb but I have never seen one, guess I will have to look in the bread section or something?"

SunCatcher,
Sandwich Thins are probably made under a few different names but the ones I get are Arnold brand and are actually called sandwich thins. I find them in Cub Foods near the Brownberry display. They are approximately 4" in diameter and about 1/2" thick and can be separated into two pieces; a top and bottom. They pack well and keep for a long time without refrigeration. They store in a small space and are not subject to smashing like a loaf of bread.
Dick

-I eat breakfast bars for breakfast. I am not a coffee drinker so no need for a morning fire.

-Lunch is also the same thing each day. Hunk of cheese and a couple of beef sticks and a package of peanut m&ms.

Snacks: Peanut M&Ms or luna bar

-Dinners are boil only. I use dehydrated hamburger and hamburger helper (cut recipie in thirds for one hungry paddler)or a package of Lipton / Knorr noodles and dehydrated burger or package of tuna. Usually include a package of M&M for dessert.

I repackage everything into vacuum sealed cubes and I can get 8 days of food in a bear barrel with a total weight of 11 to 13 pounds.

quote whiteh20: I repackage everything into vacuum sealed cubes and I can get 8 days of food in a bear barrel with a total weight of 11 to 13 pounds."

Do you vac seal each days ration of cheese seperately?
Man, a dehydrator and vacuum sealer is suddenly on my wish list. You should take a pic of your food before you go.

Also, thanks for the links on freeze dried fruit Suncatcher and MWD 1976!

quote Bannock: "Buffalodick, THANKS! "Lunch-sandwich thins with peanut butter & jelly ". My wife uses those sandwich thins at home and it never occured to me to take them on a trip! Every once in awhile I learn something. I've used tortillas, pitas, etc. but never those. THANKS!!!!"

Bannock,
You are wellcome! Glad I could add something worthwhile.
Dick

I dehydrate my own meals at home (some call it freezer bag cooking or, FBC).

Did a ten day trip two years ago when the total weight of food was under five pounds. I'm planning a three week trip this fall and hope to keep my total food weight under eight pounds.

Two big advantages of FBC cooking are the ease of preparing meals and no need to wash dishes. If you dehydrate your own meals, they taste good too.

quote OBX2Kayak: "I dehydrate my own meals at home (some call it freezer bag cooking or, FBC).


Did a ten day trip two years ago when the total weight of food was under five pounds. I'm planning a three week trip this fall and hope to keep my total food weight under eight pounds.


Two big advantages of FBC cooking are the ease of preparing meals and no need to wash dishes. If you dehydrate your own meals, they taste good too."

Tell me more!

I'd like to know more about FBC too.

The best way to learn about FBC is from the freezer bag cooking website at traailcookng.com. There is also a cookbook that's quite good. It takes some time to set up at home, but then in camp it's soooo easy, and good.

I start by going through recipes and menu planning. Then I make a list of all the ingredients that I need, adding them up as i go along. Then I know how much i need to buy, at the grocery store plus an online store like packitgourmet. Once I have all my ingredients assembled, i'll make the recipes. Be careful about labeling and having the instructions along with you. I usually put things in baggies according to the recipe and then i put each recipe in a gallon ziplock with the instructions, and the title of the recipe in big letters.

A few of the recipes will have ingredients that need refrigeration, or can be room temp but maybe not that long (I'm thinking powdered parmesan cheese, or real cheese). I will still make these ahead but write in big letters on the bag "add cheese" or what have you, so i don't forget it.

You can also prepare a lot of the dried ingredients at home instead of buying, though home dried ingredients will usually take a bit longer to rehydrate.

Another technique to look into is main meal dehydrating. Check the camping recipes section and posts from ripple. She's the master of it.

Obx,

Feed us baby birds. We want to know more about the process please. And what kind of things you dehydrate at home.

Thanks in advance.

When I said home dried will take longer to rehydrate, i meant longer than something that was commercially freeze dried.

Tried to edit but i am on my iPad and I can't get it to work properly.