Decided to have a look into the situation/availability and quality of trail foods. I stuck to what I had lying around the place I didn't buy anything especially for the test, although some I did just get because I thought I might try it.
Breaking it up:
Type of Food
Cost: price per packet cheapest I could find it anywhere locally, I didn't include mail order.
Availability: How easy is it to come across, where'd I have to go to get it.
Taste: Well that's a personal thing but, more could you eat it or is it crap.
Shelf Life: Best Before dates and anything worth a mention.
Ease of Use: Preparation to Scoff, what do you need.
Energy per Weight: I have to carry it don't I.
I started with a random selection of cupboard contents had a look at the labels and decided from there:
Type of Food: Trail Mix
Cost: 4.00p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Pretty Lush
Shelf Life:
Ease of Use: Simple just eat it, you don't even have to stop, unless your a klutz and can't open a packet whilst moving.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 2170
Type of Food: Packet Noodles
Cost: 0.30p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Alright
Shelf Life: Don't have a shelf life
Ease of Use: Water + Hot = Hot Water - there horrid cold although you can do it.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 1000
Type of Food:Sardines.
Cost: 0.40p
Availability: Supermarket.
Taste: Pretty Lush - I like them, highly acquired taste though.
Shelf Life: Tinned Best Before some 1 year away.
Ease of Use: Open and eat.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 576
Type of Food: Curry(retort pouch)
Cost: 3.00p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Alright - some a bit salty for my likes but good otherwise
Shelf Life: 1 year
Ease of Use: Boil in bag to heat and Eat, or you can just pour it down. Watch the spice levels, and salt!
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 383
Type of Food:Rice(retort pouch)
Cost: 1.49p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Pretty Good
Shelf Life: 1 year
Ease of Use: Heat water, add to pack, wait, eat. Or you can just eat it!
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 735
Type of Food:Mountain House freeze dried meal
Cost: Too expensive
Availability: Camping Shops
Taste: Some are alright, others are down right crap,
Shelf Life: Forever
Ease of Use: Heat water, add to pack, wait , eat.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 962
Type of Food: Chocolate Nut Bar
Cost: 0.60p
Availability: Everywhere, seemingly.
Taste: Pretty Lush, but will make you feel it if you pack them down.
Shelf Life: They melt in the car - They don't appear to be able to go off?!?
Ease of Use: Open and Eat!
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 2200
Results: Or rather some comments on the above results. Some things which you'd think would stand out as great where in fact dire, Mountain House is a prime example of advertising: The weight doesn't appear to be there. Unless you correctly factor in the water needed, fuel stove and time involved in preparing it. Noodles similarly really need cooking and although they are a similar medium in calories factor the cooking makes them a pain in the proverbial. For the money though Noodles win out between the two just on cost factor alone, especially if you can get a sneaky egg stored for the first night to make egg drop soup. I will note I'm biased I also hate all the Mountain House meals I've ever tried, I've worked out it's like eating little bits of cardboard soaked in dish washing left overs!
Chocolates Nut Bars and Trail mix stood out as the greatest inventions, since man kind sailed on a sea of cheese, Although be warned Chocolates aren't the greatest if you have keep going I find the sugar rush from all those calories in such a small weight mean a quick burn time and your pretty well cooked unless you can keep up something else with a long carb. chain or a good whack of protein. Although great at night to warm you up. Trail mix is great and the name gives away its intended usage although I like everyone else I know can eat it by the bucket load with no undue effect.
The retort meals, rice and curry, are pretty stable camp out meals here. Both worked out lower in energy but the variety means that if you have to eat out your pack and can heat food at least you get some good scoff which normally helps. Heavy because of the included water, which is great if you don't have to haul things, or if water is a real issue; since you can just poor the two together and heat very quickly to scoff I also like curry so no wonder I'll go the extra weight for the tasty stuff..
Sardines/pilchards etc tinned are quite weighty for the energy levels contained but they break up meals and if you like them they can be added to near anything, I also find the tin cans useful to fiddle with round the fire trying to make things.
Didn't mention Malt Loaf didn't have any at hand to compare, still love the stuff and it seems to get polished off by some rather large rat that appears at night in my kitchen in the wee hours... Good to go food stuff though.
Please note I didn't have any MRE/Ration Packs I'll try and source some and do a comparison, they used to be heinous although I'm told they have improved and lets face it we could all do with a load of bromide.
If your going to run through and not smell the roses trail mix and chocolates will get you there, end of story! I'll have to try that survival cake recipe i found on here...
If I missed anything point it out
See you on the flip side,
ALM
Breaking it up:
Type of Food
Cost: price per packet cheapest I could find it anywhere locally, I didn't include mail order.
Availability: How easy is it to come across, where'd I have to go to get it.
Taste: Well that's a personal thing but, more could you eat it or is it crap.
Shelf Life: Best Before dates and anything worth a mention.
Ease of Use: Preparation to Scoff, what do you need.
Energy per Weight: I have to carry it don't I.
I started with a random selection of cupboard contents had a look at the labels and decided from there:
Type of Food: Trail Mix
Cost: 4.00p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Pretty Lush
Shelf Life:
Ease of Use: Simple just eat it, you don't even have to stop, unless your a klutz and can't open a packet whilst moving.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 2170
Type of Food: Packet Noodles
Cost: 0.30p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Alright
Shelf Life: Don't have a shelf life
Ease of Use: Water + Hot = Hot Water - there horrid cold although you can do it.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 1000
Type of Food:Sardines.
Cost: 0.40p
Availability: Supermarket.
Taste: Pretty Lush - I like them, highly acquired taste though.
Shelf Life: Tinned Best Before some 1 year away.
Ease of Use: Open and eat.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 576
Type of Food: Curry(retort pouch)
Cost: 3.00p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Alright - some a bit salty for my likes but good otherwise
Shelf Life: 1 year
Ease of Use: Boil in bag to heat and Eat, or you can just pour it down. Watch the spice levels, and salt!
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 383
Type of Food:Rice(retort pouch)
Cost: 1.49p
Availability: Supermarket
Taste: Pretty Good
Shelf Life: 1 year
Ease of Use: Heat water, add to pack, wait, eat. Or you can just eat it!
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 735
Type of Food:Mountain House freeze dried meal
Cost: Too expensive
Availability: Camping Shops
Taste: Some are alright, others are down right crap,
Shelf Life: Forever
Ease of Use: Heat water, add to pack, wait , eat.
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 962
Type of Food: Chocolate Nut Bar
Cost: 0.60p
Availability: Everywhere, seemingly.
Taste: Pretty Lush, but will make you feel it if you pack them down.
Shelf Life: They melt in the car - They don't appear to be able to go off?!?
Ease of Use: Open and Eat!
Energy per Weight KJ/100g: 2200
Results: Or rather some comments on the above results. Some things which you'd think would stand out as great where in fact dire, Mountain House is a prime example of advertising: The weight doesn't appear to be there. Unless you correctly factor in the water needed, fuel stove and time involved in preparing it. Noodles similarly really need cooking and although they are a similar medium in calories factor the cooking makes them a pain in the proverbial. For the money though Noodles win out between the two just on cost factor alone, especially if you can get a sneaky egg stored for the first night to make egg drop soup. I will note I'm biased I also hate all the Mountain House meals I've ever tried, I've worked out it's like eating little bits of cardboard soaked in dish washing left overs!
Chocolates Nut Bars and Trail mix stood out as the greatest inventions, since man kind sailed on a sea of cheese, Although be warned Chocolates aren't the greatest if you have keep going I find the sugar rush from all those calories in such a small weight mean a quick burn time and your pretty well cooked unless you can keep up something else with a long carb. chain or a good whack of protein. Although great at night to warm you up. Trail mix is great and the name gives away its intended usage although I like everyone else I know can eat it by the bucket load with no undue effect.
The retort meals, rice and curry, are pretty stable camp out meals here. Both worked out lower in energy but the variety means that if you have to eat out your pack and can heat food at least you get some good scoff which normally helps. Heavy because of the included water, which is great if you don't have to haul things, or if water is a real issue; since you can just poor the two together and heat very quickly to scoff I also like curry so no wonder I'll go the extra weight for the tasty stuff..
Sardines/pilchards etc tinned are quite weighty for the energy levels contained but they break up meals and if you like them they can be added to near anything, I also find the tin cans useful to fiddle with round the fire trying to make things.
Didn't mention Malt Loaf didn't have any at hand to compare, still love the stuff and it seems to get polished off by some rather large rat that appears at night in my kitchen in the wee hours... Good to go food stuff though.
Please note I didn't have any MRE/Ration Packs I'll try and source some and do a comparison, they used to be heinous although I'm told they have improved and lets face it we could all do with a load of bromide.
If your going to run through and not smell the roses trail mix and chocolates will get you there, end of story! I'll have to try that survival cake recipe i found on here...
If I missed anything point it out
See you on the flip side,
ALM
.. it worked anyway...ps If you're going to carry Shortbread it turns to crumbs easily so it's best to bin the packet and wrap 4 finger biscuit portions in cling film...
