Faust
Explorer
I'm looking for ideas on snacks outside the standard "Trail Mix, Beef Jerky, Dried Fruits and Power Bars".
My hikes typically involve bush-wacking, elevation changes, crossing glacier streams and traversing over rocks, so, so many rocks so I'm looking for things high in protein, slow carbs, a healthy level of salt, fat, sugar, zero MSG and a reasonable amount of calories. Also need foods that will stand up in very hot days and not get ruined if I go for a dunk.
So far my list of stuff that does not need to be kept cold is;
-Tuna (canned or pouches) with crackers or on a bun (with mayo, guess that's considered tuna salad).
-Smoked salmon and crackers.
-Cheese and dried/cured salami, maybe with crackers or on a bun/pita/wrap.
That's my dismal list, pretty much sandwiches or crackers.. And I don't have many tricks/tips but I'll list them below.
Cheese: Has to be a very dry and well aged cheese (like a 4+ year gouda). Though this year I will be testing how well cheese paper (both DIY and store bought) works as well as dipping cheese in wax for cheeses that have a higher moisture content.
Crackers & Bread/Buns Put them in a zip-lock baggie then wrap in a bandanna, hang it off your pack to avoid squishing or crushing your bread and crackers. Pita's and wraps can slip in behind you water platypus to avoid getting mangled.
Condiments: Raid the packets of mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, hot sauce, butter, etc you can find at fast food joints then assembly your sandwich prior to eating in order to prevent your bread product from getting soggy. Or utilize small reusable squeeze bottles. Just make sure to bring a zip-lock baggie for the garbage.
Veggies: I got nothing, I'll put a small uncut tomato (like a Roma) in a small collapsible container with spinach to top off my sandwiches/wraps. Just need to cut the tomato "in the field" and for that you may buy a cheap, thin, flexible cutting board (put it in a zip-lock or resealable bag like the one wraps come in) and slide it behind your platypus.
Keeping stuff cold: Put your stuff (assuming it's packaged well) in a stuff sack (doesn't have to be water-proof) and let it sit in a body of moving water for a bit, I'll do this during a break, when stopping to take in the scenery or stopping to cast in a fishing hole every hour or so. Try to keep items that need to be kept cool together in a small compartment in your pack and remember a full pack will stay cooler than an empty pack (think of a fridge, it remains colder when it's full compared to when it's empty) so I'll stuff a hoodie/clothing to fill the void in a pack. If you carry plastic water bottles you can keep them cold by leaving them in a bag, in a body of water during a break and use them as ice packs, per-say (or if you freeze water bottles before your camping trip, fire one or two with the food items in your pack).
I used to use a cooler bag (my math has it at 5.25 Liters) but found it didn't fit too well inside my day-pack, created too much empty space on the sides and I wasn't keen on it pressing against my platypus after cinching the pack's straps, but it did keep stuff cooler with the help of a couple cold cans of beer and allowed me to carry more types of food, like cooked chicken strips.
So, what are some of your "Go-To" snacks that are different and do you have any unique methods of packing said foods?
My hikes typically involve bush-wacking, elevation changes, crossing glacier streams and traversing over rocks, so, so many rocks so I'm looking for things high in protein, slow carbs, a healthy level of salt, fat, sugar, zero MSG and a reasonable amount of calories. Also need foods that will stand up in very hot days and not get ruined if I go for a dunk.
So far my list of stuff that does not need to be kept cold is;
-Tuna (canned or pouches) with crackers or on a bun (with mayo, guess that's considered tuna salad).
-Smoked salmon and crackers.
-Cheese and dried/cured salami, maybe with crackers or on a bun/pita/wrap.
That's my dismal list, pretty much sandwiches or crackers.. And I don't have many tricks/tips but I'll list them below.
Cheese: Has to be a very dry and well aged cheese (like a 4+ year gouda). Though this year I will be testing how well cheese paper (both DIY and store bought) works as well as dipping cheese in wax for cheeses that have a higher moisture content.
Crackers & Bread/Buns Put them in a zip-lock baggie then wrap in a bandanna, hang it off your pack to avoid squishing or crushing your bread and crackers. Pita's and wraps can slip in behind you water platypus to avoid getting mangled.
Condiments: Raid the packets of mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, hot sauce, butter, etc you can find at fast food joints then assembly your sandwich prior to eating in order to prevent your bread product from getting soggy. Or utilize small reusable squeeze bottles. Just make sure to bring a zip-lock baggie for the garbage.
Veggies: I got nothing, I'll put a small uncut tomato (like a Roma) in a small collapsible container with spinach to top off my sandwiches/wraps. Just need to cut the tomato "in the field" and for that you may buy a cheap, thin, flexible cutting board (put it in a zip-lock or resealable bag like the one wraps come in) and slide it behind your platypus.
Keeping stuff cold: Put your stuff (assuming it's packaged well) in a stuff sack (doesn't have to be water-proof) and let it sit in a body of moving water for a bit, I'll do this during a break, when stopping to take in the scenery or stopping to cast in a fishing hole every hour or so. Try to keep items that need to be kept cool together in a small compartment in your pack and remember a full pack will stay cooler than an empty pack (think of a fridge, it remains colder when it's full compared to when it's empty) so I'll stuff a hoodie/clothing to fill the void in a pack. If you carry plastic water bottles you can keep them cold by leaving them in a bag, in a body of water during a break and use them as ice packs, per-say (or if you freeze water bottles before your camping trip, fire one or two with the food items in your pack).
I used to use a cooler bag (my math has it at 5.25 Liters) but found it didn't fit too well inside my day-pack, created too much empty space on the sides and I wasn't keen on it pressing against my platypus after cinching the pack's straps, but it did keep stuff cooler with the help of a couple cold cans of beer and allowed me to carry more types of food, like cooked chicken strips.
So, what are some of your "Go-To" snacks that are different and do you have any unique methods of packing said foods?