Stagchaser Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Went down the local camping store today to have a look at a few things im gona be needing soon and come accross some day/ hiking packs. I was wondering if any1 has used any of them and if so were they tasty enough to warrent buying such packs. They were back country cuisine. they have a bit of variety and all you need is h2o and are lite as. But I hate things that cost too much if they dont taste any good. So any info from ppl who hav used them wood be great . Thanks again www.backcountrycuisine.co.nz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rono Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 G'Day Stagchaser From what i have heard they taste like #### and that you are better taking those pasta packets and 2 minute noodles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timber_man Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Had a few Aussie army ration packs which were ok for a couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomo Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Have lived of " RAT PACKS" for extended periods and would give em a miss, the army ones any way. find they are heavy and pretty much full of crap. Would be beta and chepa to make up your own packs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagchaser Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 ok thanks guys thats the sort of info that helps. Nothin worse then goin on a long walk and gettin back all worn out and only hav tasteless food. Im just a bit lasy on the cooking department lucky i asked befor i bought. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jindydiver Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Those meals from Back Country Cuisine are pretty good for freeze drieds mate. Like with all freeze drieds though you have to make an effort to cook them properly, but do a good job on them and they are as tasty as can be, and they are made to give you a good feed so you can get going the next day. The thing with them is to learn how to cook them without using too much fuel and they take longer to prepare than a can of beans, so people shy away from them. You can also make real tasty dried meals yourself. Head down to your local Paddy pallins (or similar) and have a look in the books there for Simple Foods for the Pack The Sierra Club Guide to Delicious Natural Foods for the Trail claudia Axcell, Diana Cooke, Vikki Kinmont ISBN: 0-87156-757-1 or Gorp, Glop and Glue Stew Yvonne Prater and Ruth Dyar Mendenhall ISBN: 0-89886-017-2 or Cooking the One Burner Way Melissa Gray and Buck Tilton ISBN: 0-934802-91-2 I have used these books for a long time to put together menus for long walks in the wilderness, and you will find enough info in them to convince you that 2 minute noodles are an invention of the anti-taste devils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rono Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Head down to your local Paddy pallins (or similar) and have a look in the books there forSimple Foods for the Pack The Sierra Club Guide to Delicious Natural Foods for the Trail claudia Axcell, Diana Cooke, Vikki Kinmont ISBN: 0-87156-757-1 Thats some great info there jindydiver looks like a trip to the book store i realy like the look of the Simple Foods for the Pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
head Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Had a few Aussie army ration packs which were ok for a couple of days. ya get over them real quick Trust me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethuntress Posted February 25, 2006 Report Share Posted February 25, 2006 Hi guys, new kid on block here, but bowhunting for 10 years. Just reading about the ration packs. yech. tried 'em all and they're pretty naff. good point about the 2 min noodles tho', they come in real handy! Also a pain packing the gear in the first place. I've got a SWB truck, and I like to travel light if I can, so the tuckerbox isnt really big (more room for eskis to bring the meat back-heh ) BUT, I also found it a pain to get back to camp carrying bow & gear AND kill, then having to raid a tuckerbox to make a decent dinner. I started making up my own mixes of stuff - basically skin the bunny, shake on stuff & cook. Yum. My man's a fisho, so I make up stuff for him, so he can spin up-river all day, and cook his beauties in a little camp pan with my stuff on it. Put in it in special cans for crush & water proofing, and they fit in your pocket. Jeep club dudes are trialling some stuff at the mo' and Field & game down here are keen. I can send up a tin if you want to try it out. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Hunter Posted July 5, 2006 Report Share Posted July 5, 2006 I wouldn't eat a rat pack, too much preservative, high in calorie but they are designed for combat conditions minimum fuss maximum usage. Chocolate makes you go , cheese helps you stop. and the toilet paper is John wayne. and the real ones go for about $40.00 each. I remember in the 80's being given rat pack on an exercise in NT which were dated 1968. Tasted blech!! (with about 20 beers needed to take away the flavour.) and the cereal biscuits are good rat killers (lethal at 5 feet) (thrown) you can make up nicer ration pack for less cost just by looking around. Instant pasta meals, 2 minute noodles, deb or edgel potato powder, dried fruits, muslei bars, biltong , jerky or twiggy salami. Packets of pumpernickel bread or crackers / crisp breads. The sweetend condensed milk is available in a bigger tube, goes well on crackers with plum jam (Cottees/ Kraft make little packets of vegemite and jams there is also cheese sticks instead of the tinned cheese. the only thing I couldn't find an alternative for was the tube of butter and the tin opener / spoon and if you dont have tins you can use a metal or wooden spoon and your pocket knife for most kitchen duties. (margarine in a polythene container (medicine jar) will keep if chilled then wrapped in a couple of layers of alfoil and put in a bag in the middle of your pack (maximum protection from heat) margarine will be ok to eat for a few days, butter when it goes off is not good. chewing gum and butter scotch or lifesavers (you get more at the supermart) If you must have tins (low water areas) look at the tom piper range and tinned baked beans, spagetti, they can be heated with the top off over a fire or in a billy Tinned meat, well theres spam and a few others, take your pick. any body else got any ideas, I'm always looking for things. Southern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olga13 Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 when i was in the army 8 yrs ago they not long changed the rat packs and i thought they were pretty good especially if you got time to heat them up still got one in the cuboard not going to use it though but it would still be edible doesnt take long to boil water and then just add cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butch Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 I agree the old "rat packs" are/were #### but the new ones are not that bad. As far as what my pack has in it i tend to stick to the fruit n nuts and lollies if im out over long periods 4+ days i take some dehyd meals. You cook up meals such as savoury mince cool it down and put it in the food dehyd machine. Its amazing what these little machines will do. A good one is going to set you back around the $150 but well worth it. If any one is interested send me a pm and i will send a sample of some Venison jerky (seasoned) that i have been working on for the last 4 mnths(only the first dozen replies the stock piles not that big)\ 1S1K ((0)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dookiehunter Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I used this menu on a 4 night backpack hunt a week ago. Breakfast: Instant porridge - various flavours availavle from all supermarkets Snack: scroggin/trail mix - dried fruit, nuts, smarties, soft lollies. pre-packaged in ziplock bags available from officeworks. lunch: 3 musli bars Snack: same as above dinner: pasta and a small can of tuna or a family packet of instant rice (one of those side dish things, comtinental etc.) I found this light, tasty, satisfying and easy to prepare. probably get a bit repetitive if out for much longer. My mate had ration packs, but we had to have a big feast on the last night to lighten his load on the way out - too heavy. There is a lot to be said for having nice hot porridge after putting on frozen boots in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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