Taste Testing Popular, Store-Bought BACKPACKING MEALS, Part 1

[@TheHungryHiker]

Want to see me to do another backpacking meal taste testing video? Let me know in the comments below what you’d like to see me taste test next.

[@Topo.On.Trail1]

Can you cold soak it? Like how well or badly a meal cold soaks. For example, if your stove malfunctions and you can't turn it off, and you have to burn through all your fuel, leaving you with no way to cook.... Or maybe for the more fortunate people, you just ran out of fuel.

[@TheHungryHiker]

@@Topo.On.Trail1 I know these types of meals aren't intended for cold soaking, but it would be interesting to see which ones cold soaked well. I know there's a few backpacking breakfasts out there that are cold soakers, meaning they require cold water to rehydrate as opposed to boiling water. I see a TON of fun backpacking food videos in my near future!

[@T-rex-hiker]

​@Topo.On.Trail1 very good question!

[@arlenesolis024]

I would like to see breakfast meal or the one that are dessert kind❤❤ thx for doing this because I’m going on a day hike and I want something different than a cold pb and j.

[@chemistryflavored]

Teriyaki!

[@candacetoms4927]

Yum! Thank you for doing these comparisons! I’ve been curious about some of these brands, but haven’t tried them yet. It’s good to know which ones are worth grabbing. And I love the thoroughness of the review: taste, texture, how watery the final product was, which options were vegetarian, and which were gluten free. I can’t wait for the next one! You are my most trusted source for anything related to backpacking food!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. I'm happy to do the research, especially when it comes to backpacking food. I've been wanting to put together a video like this for a while so this one was a lot of fun to make. I'm excited to put together Part 2, which will be going live next week!!

[@mrhalfstep]

Both this and your next video on this subject are more than worthwhile to check out. Well made with no unnecessary rambling or poor camera shots with poor lighting and sound. Great info presented very professionally. Thanks for creating the content for us to use.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed this video series.

[@lewiswise1224]

Yes, please do more of these. It really helps to know which meals aren’t good, so that we can avoid the waste of money and bad experience. Much appreciated!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll definitely be doing more of these videos in the future.

[@chemistryflavored]

I feel like you need to hike 12 miles with a full pack then taste these 😂 something about hot food after a long trail day just makes these hit different!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Food ALWAYS tastes better after a long day of hiking with a loaded pack.

[@123bugness]

I'm usually a youtube armchair keyboard warrior type and I like to pick apart videos...I call bullshit quite often, and I don't care about feelings and such. That being said, I like this video. I'm a foodie for sure, and I think this is the best comparison video I've seen. I can tell you like food and you're not one of those "influencers" who thinks their opinion is important and matters more than most. I feel like you're giving real opinion. I second the suggestion of a breakfast food comparison. Please keep doing this.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Wow! Thank you so much!

[@goldenscales]

I've been waiting for someone to make this type of video! Thank you so much for putting this out there! More please!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Yay! Glad you enjoyed this video. Stay tuned for Part 2 going live later this week!

[@raminarebugio4972]

Can’t agree more with the statement “food motivated hiker”. That’s totally me!!! ☺️ The longer the hike and calories I burn, the less guilty I feel eating a huge meal after. Maybe even include dessert after.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Exactly!!!!

[@kozziemoto11]

Awesome! Thank you, Kathleen! I was just ordering some meals for one of my first backpacking trips coming up in a month or so and had no idea what were better brands/flavors than others, so it was totally going to be hit and miss! Everyone’s taste preferences are different, but your review really helps out! Much appreciated!!!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Exactly! Everyone has different taste and food preferences. I know not everyone will agree with my reviews of these meals, but I tried to provide enough information along with shots of the actual meals so people could make the decision for themselves if these were meals they wanted to try.

[@amysatterwhite9396]

Just watched Part 1 with my husband. Great Video! We are new to all these dehydrated meals so these reviews are super helpful. We are just getting home from an overnighter and I had the Mountain House Lasagna and he had the Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo. We both agree with your assessments. We did add a bit of salt/pepper to each of ours and it helped elevate the flavor.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Love it!! Glad this video was helpful. I feel like any of these meals can be even better with a few little tweaks and additions of extra seasonings and even a cheese stick with the lasagna!! Adding a cheese stick to any tomato base backpacking meal is always my favorite addition to make to these types of meals.

[@amysatterwhite9396]

@@TheHungryHiker We are definitely adding the cheese stick next time!! Such a great suggestion.

[@badgerrambler]

This was helpful - I’m planning a trip this summer and need to meal plan!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Awesome! Glad this was helpful!

[@creedm3040]

Awesome video! Honestly, I love your videos on going to the grocery store. That is so much fun to go early on A Sunday morning and see what you find. Or browse Amazon. I did watch the whole video primarily to see what was new as opposed to 5 years ago. Not a whole lot. The amount of salt turns me away. Great job. Best!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Glad you enjoyed the video. My preference is to try to resupply in a grocery store or make as many of my own meals as I can. I use the store-bought backpacking meals in a pinch if I'm short on time or even if I'm craving one of these in particular.

[@just_joc]

Thank you! Looking forward to Part 2!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Awesome! Part 2 coming next week!

[@seanpenrod]

Thanks for the reviews! This helps me for packing for my next trip out.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Yay! Glad this one was helpful!

[@RedSonya4]

THIS is the video I've been looking for. Thank you soooo much! 😊

[@TheHungryHiker]

You're so welcome!

[@j.stephens257]

Thanks for the video! Hoping to try a few of these meals on trips later this summer.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Awesome!

[@DewaKopling]

Thank you so much for the review, i've been wanting to know how does it look in the inside...other people only review the taste

[@TheHungryHiker]

I would wonder the same thing, which is why I included the close-ups of each meal on the inside.

[@gene_hunter2907]

Hint: Add a little less water than called for. When you stir the food after the first 7 minutes or so, you can add additional water to the sauce level you like.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Agreed! For these types of meals, I always had a little less water than what's called for. For this video though, I wanted to stay true to each of the meals and make them exactly how the brand states to make them on their packaging.

[@kristalann1973]

Thanks for sharing your food research with your fellow trail friends! I will always watch backpacking food reviews in hopes of finding another favorite trail meal…yes yes to more food content😂I find that a good quality piece of smoked string cheese is a great addition to many of these dinners😋I’d like to see you compare the chicken pesto varieties and maybe give a different Trailtopia dinner a try…it’s a Minnesota company and that’s where I’m located…I enjoy their chicken and rice/stir fry meals❤ Happy Eating!!!

[@TheHungryHiker]

For this series, I only chose meal categories that I found 3 or more variations of amongst the different brands. I know Peak Refuel makes a delicious chicken pesto pasta as well as Backpacker's Pantry, but I couldn't find a third to include with this series. If Trailtopia wanted to send me all of their meals to try, I'd e more than happy to put together a taste testing video featuring all of their meals!

[@Mr7h21]

My go to is Peak. After hiking I want calories, protein and flavor without the fillers the cheaper meals throw in. Often causing stomach issues. For breakfast the briquets and gravy or strawberry granola. My favorite dinner is the stroganoff. I add a little garlic salt for more flavor. [to my taste] And I sometimes bring the peach cobbler for a special treat. I usually bring a new brand with me to test. I'm liking the Pinnacle meals. Trailtopia cheese cake is more like pudding but tasty and fun to share on trail.

[@chemistryflavored]

Are Peak meals are just on another level. And I can actually get 2 servings out of them.

[@annethornton9938]

I think it's pretty funny you talk about stomach issues and then the next line you accidentally write "briquets" instead of "biscuits"! Sounds like your morning routine starts off with pooping charcoal lol

[@TheHungryHiker]

I agree with you. Most of the Peak Refuel meals I've had have been REALLY GOOD, which is why I keep adding them to my food bag for my backpacking trips. I just discovered Pinnacle Foods and I'm excited to try more of their meals because their biscuits and gravy is SO GOOD!!!

[@TheHungryHiker]

100% agree!

[@Mr7h21]

@@annethornton9938 Always proof read or spell check will get you.

[@pitstop_calvin]

I kept hearing about Peak and how better they were than Mountain House. I’ve tried several Peak and was very disappointed! I have about 5 Mountain House meals that are my go to and will just stick with those. I’ve found adding a pouch or two of chicken chunks to any of the Mountain House meals that have chicken in them really helps. I’ve recently tried the fajita and Mexican chicken adobe Mountain House meals and now they are in my top Mountain House dishes!

[@TheHungryHiker]

It all comes down to personal preference. I personally have found most of the Peak Refuel backpacking meals I've tasted to be really delicious. I have a few Mountain House favorites, but I prefer the flavors and consistency of the Peak Refuel meals. I haven't tried the Mountain House fajitas or chicken adobe yet so I'll have to add those to my list of meals to try.

[@thomascraft6854]

- Your comments about many of the Freeze Dried meals were watery - I have found if too much water hold punch tight and pour excess water out - Also sometimes instructions need to be adjusted with trial and error like wait times - Most of my Freeze Dried experiences have been Mountain House - Some are more favorite than others ...

[@TheHungryHiker]

Agreed, sometimes the instructions on these meals need to be adjusted when it comes to the amount of water to add and even how long the meal takes to rehydrate. For the sake of this video, I wanted to follow the directions exactly as they were listed on each package.

[@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl]

For me peak refuel pasta Alfredo and backpackers pantry lasagna are big winners. I even import them from the states because they are a dream compared with the meals we can buy here.

[@TheHungryHiker]

The Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo was pretty tasty. I’d pack one of those for a future trip. 😀

[@budgetprepper8810]

I like the fact that you were comparing the same meal across different brands. I also appreciate the fact that you were willing to ingest 12,000 calories for your viewers. I would like to see you compare breakfast meals next.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Comparing breakfast meals is a great idea!

[@ashleyfades5956]

Killing me hating on my favorite meal 😂. I get excited for Backpacker’s pantry Lasagna. The Mountain house had good texture but the flavor, eh.

[@TheHungryHiker]

It's all personal preference. I know not everyone is going to agree with my assessments of these meals.

[@hannahcollins1816]

Ha!! You just broke a tie on the best stroganoff for me 😂 I've been arguing with someone that the Peak Refuel is way better flavored than the Mountain House. ALSO: the new logo looks so fab 💕

[@TheHungryHiker]

Peak Refuel, hands down, was the big Beef Stroganoff winner for me. I'm not even a Beef Stroganoff fan and am packing the Peak Refuel meal in my upcoming backpacking trip because it was so good.

[@hannahcollins1816]

@@TheHungryHiker it is - I love it!

[@Topo.On.Trail1]

I don't think I could count the number of times I've left the oxygen absorber in the bag on trail after a long, hard day....🤷‍♀️🤣

[@TheHungryHiker]

SAME!!!! Or even how many times I've almost eaten one of these things. Hahaha!!

[@hannahcollins1816]

Same!! Whoops 😂

[@DebbieDunigan]

Personally, I never purchase those, and I have been crossing the US for over a year. I prefer Alessi and/or Bear Creek dried soups. For $5.00 or less, I get 2-3 meals. Simply portion out how much you'd like and cook. Using a camp stove, bring to boil, turn it off and let it hydrat about 10 - 15 minutes and if desired boil again. I will also add some olive oil and beef sticks to add fat to the meal. You can get potato, minestrone, vegetable beef and more. Super hungry, cook up some instant potatoes, also available are small gravy packets. Could you try 'Right on Trek' a small US company in Montana..

[@TheHungryHiker]

I've actually tried Right On Trek meals and mention them in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3uzg6mDfcSZiKs

[@gigiscomfortfood]

thank you for doing this

[@TheHungryHiker]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@cmgreen40]

Have you tried Outdoor Herbivore Cheese Squuezes? Highly recommend

[@TheHungryHiker]

Not yet, but I'll be sure to check these out. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@stacyflagg1654]

Do you ever split the two person meals at home, and only take half? Sometimes a single serving isn't quite enough, but two full servings are too much. (Who really shares these equally anyway?) I'd be interested how you handle portion control with these meals.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Yes, I split these meals into two all the time. I’m never as hungry as I think I’m going to be when I first start a trip, especially my longer backpacking trips.

[@stacyflagg1654]

@@TheHungryHiker Thanks for the quick response! I love your videos. Too many bears (black and brown) here in SouthCentral Alaska to feel comfortable hiking alone for me, but I live vicariously through your videos. When you split your meals, do you use freezer ziplocks, or something else? I'm going to try some of your recommendations on a trip next week.

[@TheHungryHiker]

@stacyflagg1654 I use the Ziploc freezer bags to split my meals.

[@driftundefined]

I'd like to see dessert reviews.

[@TheHungryHiker]

That is a GREAT idea! If you have any favorites, let me know.

[@driftundefined]

I've only tried alpine aire mudslide (made with chocolate milk) and loved it.

[@TheHungryHiker]

@driftundefined Thanks for the recommendation! 😀

[@carl7368]

if its 2 servings you eat it as one big meal or do you keep one serving for later on?

[@bern84]

The serving size doesn’t seem worth following in my opinion. I doubt there’s an adult who, after hiking, can feel satisfied on just 280 cal for dinner. 🙈 I think they put “2 servings” on the bag as a marketing trick to make the buyer think it’s better value. But realistically it’s one meal.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Good question! I'm typically not super hungry on the first couple days of a big trip so while I'm at home prepping for my trip, I'll divide these meals into two Ziplock freezer bags, turning one of these bags into two meals. Then when I'm out on trail, I'll rehydrate each of these bags with boiling water (only using half the amount of water in the rehydration process of course) inside the Ziplock freezer bags out on trail using a backpacking food cozy...either one of these you can make yourself kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ7VkHdqps93j6s or one of these you can buy alnk.to/4BFZo4P

[@TheHungryHiker]

Agreed! There have been times on my shorter, lower mileage trips though when I've had a hard time finishing a whole bag in one sitting. For those trips, I'll split up the bags into two servings.

[@LilyLightOne]

Just wondering if you ever save the bags and oxygen absorbers for storing homemade items? Great video! Im always hesitant to spend the money on these meals because they arent very appealing to me 😅

[@TheHungryHiker]

The oxygen absorbers are a one-time use item. When I'm freeze drying or dehydrating my own backpacking food, I'll buy these separately and add them to my meals. As for the bags these meals come in, you can use them as a lightweight backpacking food cozy out on trail multiple times. What's really nice is that they can also fold up pretty small and be easily stored in your food bag.

[@davidrobinson5180]

I think comparing similar items from different brands is a great format for this kind of video. In a somewhat unrelated category, have you ever considered the benefits of creatine supplementation for hiking? Helps endurance, improves muscle function, improves brain function, and very tested and safe.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Glad you enjoyed the video. I've never considered using supplements for hiking.

[@deborahfraser9325]

I sure hope you didn't film this in one day! After round one I'd have gone on a five mile hike just to burn off some calories. Thanks for making this video. It's always good to get a comparison. I hope you are enjoying Montana!

[@TheHungryHiker]

Thank you! 😀

[@stacyann0810]

Have you tried any meals by Packit Gourmet? They are delicious.

[@TheHungryHiker]

I haven't yet. Adding to my list of meals to try. Do you have any personal favorites?

[@stacyann0810]

@@TheHungryHiker The tortilla soup is fantastic.

[@gregboettcher8015]

So many "gear" videos are treading over the same territory. This was really helpful, comparing the brands one dish at a time. $300 to make this video?! I hope you found a way for the food not to go to waste.

[@TheHungryHiker]

I saved all the meals I liked and enjoyed them later. 😀

[@nicolewotton3612]

Yes please! Breakfast meals!

[@Sirrehpotsirch]

Where are you getting Backpacker's Pantry for $7.99?

[@TheHungryHiker]

By purchasing some of the single serving sized meals featured in this video through the Backpackers Pantry website directly: backpackerspantry.com/collections/food

[@thebeardedhomesteader]

Stowaway gourmet meals are one of the best then peak refuel

[@TheHungryHiker]

I'll have to give them a try. Never heard of them because I haven't seen them in any of the outdoor retailers I typically shop at.

[@thebeardedhomesteader]

@TheHungryHiker true they are based out of OR or utal can't rember

[@windeaglemartin1800]

I can never go by any one’s taste as I like bland things so sometimes flavorful means I will hate it. So far not found a single meal I can tolerate which is a huge problem for me.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Of course! We all have different preferred tastes.

[@annehansen7496]

Are you testing mre?😊

[@SpamMusubi308]

Yes do a taste test of the current issue military MRE's 😂😂❤

[@TheHungryHiker]

Interesting idea, but I wouldn't personally bring MREs with me on a backpacking trip because they're so heavy so I probably wouldn't do a taste test on them. I only featuring gear and food on my channel that I would use on one of my own backpacking trips.

[@markall8641]

Ok so after your first part… alpineaire uses the most water in I think every meal by a ton… backparkers pantry sucked the most! And most of the peak refuels use the least water and taste the best most of the time. Most protein and calories per each meal is what I saw….

[@squirrelcovers6340]

So original 😂😂😂😂😂

[@TheHungryHiker]

I've seen backpacking meal taste testing videos, but I've yet to see one where someone taste tests each of these categories like this. Unless you made one yourself?

[@SimplySatisfiedSarah]

I think this is such a cool video because you hate to spend that much money and end up getting some thing that is bland or just sucks. My only request would be move your mic farther away from your mouth because I can’t stand to hear people chew lol

[@TheHungryHiker]

I was waiting for one of these comments on this video. Hahahaha!! This is a taste testing video. You're going to hear some chewing. If that bothers you, maybe not watch a video about taste testing food. You should see how much video I edited out that featured a lot more chewing. Hahahah!

[@Hiker89-kp5sy]

Next time skip the mic with videos like this. The eating sounds were very unpleasant to listen to.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Hahahaha!! You do realize that you were watching a taste testing video where I’m eating backpacking food, right? If eating sounds are unpleasant to you (PS: We all make sounds when we eat) then maybe don’t watch video where people are tasting food.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

Thanks so much for doing this, it's really helpful. Also, thank you for your $ubstantial investment.

[@TheHungryHiker]

Thanks for watching. Glad you found this video helpful!