Backpacking Cooking in Pouch

5 posts

Pouch method of cooking (pour boiling water over dried food inside a pouch) versus rehydrating meals inside a traditional cooking pot or metal container.

Best Practices for Packaging and Storing Homemade Backpacking Food

The main job of a food storage bag is to prevent moisture and air from permeating the contents inside. Standard household freezer bags are readily available and inexpensive, making them appealing for storing homemade dry foods or repacking commercial backpacking food to reduce space. Storing dry food long-term in non-barrier packaging like plastic freezer bags will allow oxygen and moisture from the surrounding air to absorb into the food, where bacterial contamination and growth can occur. Eventually, the food will become soggy and mold. If this happens, the food will […]

Updated Packaging for Outdoor Herbivore

In our previous post, we mentioned that we were in the midst of a packaging update. If you have ordered from us recently, you’ve likely received one of the new pouches. We are now transitioning all of our meals in the new packaging. Many of you have requested our food be packaged in heat-safe “rehydration pouches” since our inception in 2010. Our resistance stemmed from the idea that the industry standard, ‘add hot water to the pouch’, was excessively wasteful and a potential health hazard. Compact and simplistic packaging is […]

We’re Overdue for a Package Redesign

As a proponent of minimalism, our simplistic packaging has always made sense. Its compact size enfolds each meal, leaving no wasted space. Our 7-day backpacking food combo (a total of 22 meal packets) is so efficient for packing that it merely takes up 500 cubic inches (~8 L) of volume in an average 9 to 10 L bear canister. Outdoor Herbivore 22 single meals packed in the 10 L Garcia Bear Canister. While these compact packets are exceptional for packing and saving weight, they’re not so good for preparing food. […]

high temperature pouch for backpacking meals

Backpacking Food Bags For Storing and Reconstituting Dried Meals With Hot Water

Our boil-soak pouches are created for backpackers who need a bag to store dried meals and reconstitute them by pouring boiling water into the pouch. These high-temperature standup “cook-in-pouches” can sustain temperatures up to 230 degrees F (110 degrees C). Pouches have a shorter bowl shape and can hold up to 4 cups (.95L) of wet volume. How to use: Place food in the bag, pour boiling water over it, stir, seal shut with the zipper, and allow the food to reconstitute for several minutes. Below, we demonstrate reconstituting a […]

cons

Cook in Bag? No!

Update: We were overruled by customer feedback asking for boil-soak pouches, and our position has since changed. In 2020, we transitioned all meals to heat-safe and waterproof pouches. You can add either boiling water/cold water to rehydrate meals in the pouch. For hikers that prefer to use actual dishes for eating, please use the pouch for your waste. While our new packaging is less compact than before, it is smaller than other brands. You can see it here. Cook in Bag We use this term to describe the enormous backpacking meal pouches […]