I’ve been using the Hyper light mountain gear repack system for years and it’s always worked well for me so long as you pour boiling hot water into a freezer, Ziploc bag, or regular Ziploc bag will melt
I use the Ziplock Freezer bags with the stand up bottoms (w/ the slide lock top) along with the Packit Gourmet Ultralight Cook-in-Cozy. The Cozy fits two liter size Ziplocks so you can share the heat and hydrate two meals at the same time.
I repackage all but the first meal I plan to eat. I reuse this first meal package. Obviously, I don't mind a small mix of flavors from meal to meal. Then I pitch that package after the hike...no cleaning needed.
I've used this method before - defiintely better than full packages every meal! (Plus BeefStroganoffBiscuitsandGravyStrawberryGranola is one of my favorites!)
same method here I like the Peak Full breakfast filling,you notice there seems to be a little more in that one, see through ziplocks don’t lie.PEAK my favorite brand. Hot Chocolate also a booster
@@BackcountryPilgrim oh yeah! I forgot to mention I split the mountain house meals into 2 single serving bags lol. I carry a toaks 750 and just add roughly equal parts water to food. Works great!
I've repackaged into freezer zip bags (get the ones with the flat bottoms) For small meals like breakfast granola/oatmeal, I'll put the bags into my coffee cup to eat out of the bag. I've also brought a rubbermaid/tupperware dish & lid to rehydrate the meals in. Last season instead of the bowl with lid, I brought a Fozzil folding bowl to dump the food into if I didn't want to eat it out of the bag. The Fozzil is quite handy for the nights that you might bring something to cook over the fire and it can double as a cutting board if needed.
@@BackcountryPilgrim You can store some of the repackaged meals in the tupperware to save space. For cleaning, I would wipe & rinse with a small piece that I cut off a thin Scotch-Brite scouring pad. The unfolded flat Fozzil bowls are really easy to clean and take up almost no room in the pack.
I've never once had food get cold on me while cooking. Not even in winter. Just wrap a bandana around it if you really want to keep a little extra heat in it.
Great suggestions! Ive found that the heavier freezer bags do actually stand up to at least some post-adventure washing and reuse. They're still not permanent, and will eventually end up in landfills, but at least it mitigates impact if you can get a couple hikes per bag. For the food cozy, ive made my own out of the two-layer bubble mylar insulator bags that the refrigerated stuff in my CSA box comes in. These otherwise just go into the recycling bin -- which in my town means they more than likely end up in the landfill. Scissors, a bit of electrical or insulating tape and some adhesive-backed Velcro is all you need. And if you dont get those bags, you can do it with those reflective mylar windshield shades (or a roll of the material theyre made of, which you can get at Home Despot).
I follow several Canadian explorers. They spend days and weeks out in the wilderness. They all dehydrate foods and meals, package, and store for trips. I don’t see any AT hikers doing this. You can dehydrate chili’s, stews, pot pies, veggies, fruits, really almost any meals or foods for long hikes or trips. You can also buy those little moisture absorption packets to put in them until you are ready to rehydrate and enjoy your food. Why don’t more AT hikers do this? Saves money and materials. I also see adventurers freeze dry foods. A bit more costly but depends on how often you go out on these trips.
Great tip on transferring the food into zip locks. For Yosemite camping, I always find it difficult to stuff a bear canister for a multiday trip when I take a few (or several) teens and their friends. There is always too much air no matter how hard I stuff the canister.
Yeah the food pouches are built to withstand and hold more than is necessary foundered storage. Thay takes up a lot of space - especially when they're 2-person servings!
Surprised you don’t mention silicon bags (like Stasher) for the hydrating step. They are a little heavier than freezer bags and don’t compact as well, but you could use freezer bags for transporting the dehydrated meals and transfer the dry contents to a silicone bag before adding the hot water.
Why not reuse the food package (that the dehydrated meal comes in) as a meal cozy. It's sturdy, well isolated and even stands by itself. I usually repack with freezer bags (check that it's food graded). Quality freezer bags are dirt cheap and can take boiling water for more than 15 minutes without problem. Just put the repacked food (still inside freezer bag) in a reusable food package. When done, dispose of the dirty freezer bag and keep using the same food package. This method saves both weight and space. A good size freezer bag is 2 liter since it's tall enough to tie with a knot. Bonus tip: a food package can also be used as a pee bottle (a different one of course 🙂). The opening is wide and sealable (just be careful). Rinse, roll and seal and it barely takes up any space compare to a bottle.
The only downside is that you are creating double trash when using freezer bags.. that's why I am still not convinced to use this method during the upcoming season.
@BackcountryPilgrim this was a problem for me on my first thru hike last year. I've never had to carry more than 1-2 at a time before and that bulky packaging adds up I wonder if you could just bring one empty dehydrated meal bag and just use that instead? It would be a good way to save $50.
Did home-cooked dehydrated meals for my last trip and was surprised at how easy it was with a bit of forethought. I just did double recipes when making family dinners for a week or so before the trip -- half of each night's meal went into the dehydrator.
@@BackcountryPilgrim I have the HMG cozy and after testing found it’s around 25 percent more efficient than my homemade one. Definitely a great piece of gear.
