I’m taking my first “big-to-me” trip. Its a 6 nite on the Kings River in AR and I have some questions on the menu, does anyone have any experience with the newer style MRE’s? I don’t think i’ll want to rely on them totally, just due to the large size. Any thought/suggestions?
Take them out of the bag
Remove the items you don’t want/need. I like some of the MRE’s a lot, some not at all. Also, check out this site. This guy is a retired chef and an avid hiker/backpacker. http://siouxme.com/HAWK VITTLES.pdf
I’m going to order some for a trip in June.
Have a good trip.
Happy Paddlin’
Grandpa Paddler
MRE
I love most MREs, but you have to remember that they are loaded with calories, fat, protein, etc. One bag is meant to sustain you for a long time, up to a day.
As far as packing, yes it would be best to take them out of the bag and as we called it in the service “rat f#$k” them. Take only what you need/want. You will be able to save a lot of space this way.
You can also do a google search for “MRE Cookbook” and find some useful recipes.
thanks
for the tips guys!
Welcome to a wonderful world
As a long distance kayaker I’m happy for you. I don’t know any of the details of your trip but it will be an experience that you will never forget. I read the posted comments and you have been given good advice on the MREs. They generate much trash thet can be burned. I lose weight on my trips because I don’t get hungry when I paddle all day and my paddling day is usually 10-12 hours.
I suggest that you eat a MRE before going on the trip. Read the instructions on how to heat the entree. This is very/extremely/highly important. Open the entree box carefully because it is the oven. MRE menus changes with every batch. Theold ones were the best. I just finished a trip and didn’t care for the last ones I ate. However 1 MRE is plenty for one day and too much to eat at one time.
My best advice is take just enough food to support life. Enjoy the journey and don’t let food be so important. Make it a survival trip and enjoy the experience. You’ll find that you don’t need much food. I take nuts to snack on all day.
An option
A cheap and easy option if you do not like the MREs and can’t afford the commercially availabel dehydrated food is right in your grocery store. Many of the prepackaged noodle or rice dinners are lightweight,low volume, cheap and easy to prepare (if you plan on bringing a stove). They are pretty good and have the carbs you need for a trip like this. Check the labels - some require only water. Others require butter, and olive oil in a small plastic bottle works great as a substitute. You can throw in a tuna pack or some dried fruit for protein and flavor.
Some other grocery store foods that do well without refrigeration are summer sausage, the type of cheese that comes in plastic, crackers and many fruits.
If this is an expedition with 10-12 hours paddling each day, I agree with the previous post - don’t focus on the food. You will be too tired to cook and won’t care what it tastes like. But if this is a recreational trip with friends, a dinner around the campfire is one of the memorable parts of each day.