Freeze dried or canned?

[Fishery Pokery]

Hi,
When I camp wild I have been using canned stews, breakfasts, etc and heating them in my pot. I use these as I don't want to fork out the cost of ration pack type meals.
I have grown sick of the mess in my pot, the weight of the cans and having to carry them back with me.
I'm now looking at using freezer bags to cook stuff like porridge, noodles, mugshots etc.
I'm also considering re packing canned food into good quality freezer bags and boiling them in water.
I realise the wet food will be heavier, but where I camp there is only seawater, so any water to rehydrate food will have to be carried. My trips are only two days, but I already carry 4 litres just for drinking.
Which do you think is better weight wise, extra water and dehydrated foods or repackaged canned meals?
Also, do you think it is safe to repackage the canned food in freezer bags if I squeeze all the air out? And can the ziplock ones stand boiling in the bag?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[cranmere]

I would go for the wet food if there wasn't a good supply of fresh water. I don't see why it shouldn't work to re-pack it into bags. It will start out sterile but of course once you open the cans the bugs and moulds can get in so I wouldn't want to keep it more than a couple of days before using it. You could re-pack it and then freeze it for convenience, then take it out of the freezer just before you leave. I would do a test run first though to check that the bags don't disintegrate when you boil them.

 

[Jack Bounder]

Maybe a silly idea but could you process sea water using some sort of condenser? I guess it depends on how long it takes and the availability of fuel?

(Obviously, I'm suggesting something a little smaller than this bootlegger setup!)

 

[rik_uk3]

People talk about the weight of cans...what weight? 300gm (content) canned all day breakfast for £1 or a 300gm pouch meal for up to £4 and a freeze dried breakfast for around four or five quid. People here go on about repacking a canned meal but why? It makes absolutely no sense at all, take the can in, take the empty home, and no, its not safe to repackage canned food, the very second you open the can the food is open to contamination so forget the idea.

 

[santaman2000]

People talk about the weight of cans...what weight? 300gm (content) canned all day breakfast for £1 or a 300gm pouch meal for up to £4 and a freeze dried breakfast for around four or five quid. People here go on about repacking a canned meal but why? It makes absolutely no sense at all, take the can in, take the empty home, and no, its not safe to repackage canned food, the very second you open the can the food is open to contamination so forget the idea.

+1 to this.

 

[cranmere]

I can understand not wanting to pack empty cans back out again though. It sounds silly in some ways but it would irritate me. That's just me of course, YMMV.

 

[Fishery Pokery]

I would go for the wet food if there wasn't a good supply of fresh water. I don't see why it shouldn't work to re-pack it into bags. It will start out sterile but of course once you open the cans the bugs and moulds can get in so I wouldn't want to keep it more than a couple of days before using it. You could re-pack it and then freeze it for convenience, then take it out of the freezer just before you leave. I would do a test run first though to check that the bags don't disintegrate when you boil them.

I think your right, plus the canned meals seem more fulfilling too. Good idea on the home test for the boil in bag too, thanks!

 

[Fishery Pokery]

Maybe a silly idea but could you process sea water using some sort of condenser? I guess it depends on how long it takes and the availability of fuel?

(Obviously, I'm suggesting something a little smaller than this bootlegger setup!)

I did look into it, as we already use sea water for washing our pots and we're going to use it for boil in the bags.
They do inflatable solar stills, the type that come in life raft survival kits but they are expensive and are more kit to carry.
There is no driftwood where we go, and we don't want to use our little gas canisters.
A good idea though.

 

[Fishery Pokery]

People talk about the weight of cans...what weight? 300gm (content) canned all day breakfast for £1 or a 300gm pouch meal for up to £4 and a freeze dried breakfast for around four or five quid. People here go on about repacking a canned meal but why? It makes absolutely no sense at all, take the can in, take the empty home, and no, its not safe to repackage canned food, the very second you open the can the food is open to contamination so forget the idea.

I know what you mean. The reason I asked was it is an arduous walk and climb (for me anyway!) to where we camp and our kit is always far to heavy.
We fish whilst there so that is the main bulk of our kit. After our last trip we started looking at ways to lighten the load, but apart from a few items of fishing gear we need everything else.
So I decided to see if we could save weight elsewhere. The cans always seem heavy when you have two days worth so I started with them, but I suppose they must be mainly the food. They also get on my nerves carrying them back.
But I take onboard what you say about not opening them. Looks like I am stuck carrying them, but I think I will try the freezer bag just to cook them in to save pot cleaning. I can also make a brew then too.
Thanks for all the help!

 

[mrcharly]

The cans don't weigh much, but I feel for you, having to carry all your water. 'twas the same bushwalking in Australia. Water is damn heavy!

Try some foods that have a less water-calorie ratio. Instant smash doesn't take lots to rehydrate, add small onion, cheese, fry your smash and add a small tin of baked beans (or use the plastic pot ones, they are light) and you have quite a big meal.

 

[santaman2000]

I did look into it, as we already use sea water for washing our pots and we're going to use it for boil in the bags.
......

Seawater is also traditionally used when boiling/steaming shellfish. I would imagine it could also be used to cook other foods as well but you'd do well to check that first.

I know what you mean. The reason I asked was it is an arduous walk and climb (for me anyway!) to where we camp and our kit is always far to heavy......
.....So I decided to see if we could save weight elsewhere. The cans always seem heavy when you have two days worth so I started with them, but I suppose they must be mainly the food. They also get on my nerves carrying them back....

Your correct that most of the weight is really the contents rather than the cans themselves. Carrying them back is mildly annoying but you can lessen the bulk by smashing them flat when they're empty.

The cans don't weigh much, but I feel for you, having to carry all your water. 'twas the same bushwalking in Australia. Water is damn heavy!

Try some foods that have a less water-calorie ratio. Instant smash doesn't take lots to rehydrate, add small onion, cheese, fry your smash and add a small tin of baked beans (or use the plastic pot ones, they are light) and you have quite a big meal.

These are good tips. Plus try a few of the soft-pack foods such as spam in the foil packs (be advised this sort of thing is more expensive though)

 

[rik_uk3]

"Papas Arrugadas con Mojo" small spuds boiled in seawater with mojo sauce, I love these when I'm out in Gran Canaria

 

[Fishery Pokery]

The cans don't weigh much, but I feel for you, having to carry all your water. 'twas the same bushwalking in Australia. Water is damn heavy!

Try some foods that have a less water-calorie ratio. Instant smash doesn't take lots to rehydrate, add small onion, cheese, fry your smash and add a small tin of baked beans (or use the plastic pot ones, they are light) and you have quite a big meal.

I've made the mistake of not taking enough water before, and it was horrible! I ended up drinking the water from the melted ice we had used to keep the fishing bait cool!
I will look at smash, some of the ideas I have seen for dehydrated food look tasty.

 

[Fishery Pokery]

Seawater is also traditionally used when boiling/steaming shellfish. I would imagine it could also be used to cook other foods as well but you'd do well to check that first.



Your correct that most of the weight is really the contents rather than the cans themselves. Carrying them back is mildly annoying but you can lessen the bulk by smashing them flat when they're empty.



These are good tips. Plus try a few of the soft-pack foods such as spam in the foil packs (be advised this sort of thing is more expensive though)

We caught two big spider crabs at the weekend, and I did consider boiling the legs and claws in sea water but it seemed wasteful to not eat the body so we let them go.
I've noticed from some of the other threads that there are pouch meals you can get from B & M's, Icelands, etc. so will probably get these instead of cans.
Thanks every one for your help!