I have read some comments asking to see a list of each meal just based on the price, and so here you go! Listed by price, low to high - Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings: $10.25 Packit Gourmet Polenta with Pork Sausage: $10.49 Trailtopia Chicken Pesto Pasta: $10.99 Itacate Foods Charge-Up Chilaquiles: $12.50 Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai with Chicken: $12.95 Farm to Summit Green Chili Mac and Cheese: $13.50 Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta: $13.95 Good To-Go Mushroom Risotto: $15.50 Heather's Choice Bison Chili: $15.95 Pinnacle Foods Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits and Herbed Sausage Gravy: $15.99 In terms of value for the price, I gotta say the Farm to Summit and Itacate foods meals represent a truly great value of great taste to relatively low price! The Packit Gourmet polenta too. I hope this helps!! Love y'all 💚
Hi, Miranda. Another great video by you and the team (shout out to airplane hanger mouth Rainer 😂)! Loved this video, and I'm certainly not hating. I understand it is the only viable option for many people. But just seeing all the packaging and waste that went into this video made me think about your zero waste backpacking adventure video you guys did back when you were with REI. Any chance you'd ever consider doing another one of those adventures? That was an amazing trail along the beach and I also seem to remember you really enjoying your polenta and split pea soup mix supper. After eating all these dehydrated meals from different companies, and with all your years of experience hiking, do you think you could come up with any other good "zero waste" type meals like the polenta and split pea soup? That's something I'd really love to see in a future video. Just my thoughts and wanted to share. Thanks for another fun video. Have a beautiful week 💚🌍
What is the name of the brand of dehydrated meals Rainer boasted about in one of your lives/vid. It was a vegetable dehydrated meal. I haven't been able to find it.
You mean chili mac is good? It is pretty much the easiest because it hard to screw up... you shouldnt be tasting a bunch of different things it should all be the same meal from different companies. All we got here is what foods do you like best, not what brands are best.
I wanted to give special props to the editor. So many little touches, and it was fun and energetic while still holding back to not overdo anything. Great job!
Of the ones airplaned into my mouth I would say the best was the Farm to Summit green chili mac and cheese, second was the Itacate chilaquiles, third was the Mountain House (stunner!), fourth was the Pinnacle Foods biscuits and gravy, and fifth was the Peak Refuel chicken alfredo! Never been a fan of that pad thai meal. I think it's popular simply because pad thai is popular. The greatest backpacking food company of all time sadly went out of business this year. Bushka's Kitchen was the greatest, but they are gone and I may never recover!
Mountain House is so consistently solid, where even their just ok meals are still way better than other brands' ok meals. The Mexican Chicken Adobo is my favorite and their breakfast Skillet is actually so solid, especially with a little hot sauce.
YAWWWHHH! Rainer, I also like Farm to Summit meals. They taste good and I appreciate how they use produce that would be chucked by grocery stores for discoloration or shelf life.
@@stitch3163 YAAWWW!! That mac and cheese was a life changer. I immediately ordered some! And I had no idea they used ugly produce!! I love that! Even more reason why they rule. Thanks for sharing!
I get the notion, but REI doesn't carry several of these...they are available online only. And, the vid would have to be edited, or else you'll stand there for 25 minutes to watch it all.
I'm mexican and you're my favourite backpacker in UA-cam. If you loved Itacate chilaquiles you can't even imagine how the real chilaquiles are here in Mexico. Love your channel and your personality. ❤
Thanks for highlighting cottage company brands. We don't always hear about them. I tend to gravitate towards buying meals with vegetables. It's hard to get enough on trail. Keep shining bright.
Buy some freeze dried veggies online and add them to meals! I do that with both veggies and chicken. I also take fresh kale and spinach and add those on the last few minutes of hydration. The steam in the bag cooks them.
I'd love to see you do a prep test and taste test for some DIY backpacking meals. Things like Skurka beans, ramen bombs, Kraft EZ Mac, etc. I.e., yummy, easy, backpacking-appropriate meals that don't cost $10+.
She actually made several videos on this topic in her Miranda in the Wild series on the REI channel before she went independent. REI still has those videos posted on their channel if you want to check them out, but I do hope she does an updated version soon!
I have an idea. What if you get similar dishes from different brands? Most brands have a pasta bolognese or carbonara for example. It would be interesting to see how the same type of food differs :)
My favorite peak refuel meal is the butternut dal bhat! It’s perfect with a little red pepper and it isn’t as rich as the cream based meals they make. It’s one of the few meals I can eat outside no matter how my tummy is feeling. And it’s vegan!
I did similar tests during covid on Facebook Appalachian trail thru hiking food site. I liked outdoor pantry, mary janes farm, Bushkas kitchen and wild zora.
I love Packit Gourmet meals, their tortilla soup is a must for every trip for me. I also love their corn pudding, chili, and cold soak meals (perfect for mid -hike breaks because you can set them up to soak before take off and they're ready to go when you take a break.) oh, and their desserts are on point too.
Helpful video as these are Christmas gifts in our household. Boxes of long term storage food work for the preppers, the campers, the too lazy to cook, and when there are power emergencies (too often). Thanks!
@@MirandaGoesOutside We will not. Or at least I won't. I had known you for all of a few weeks when we shot that video years ago, and now so many years later I still think, "Pasta water coffee lady!" Whenever I see you.
@@vincentvega5686 It was the second video Miranda and I ever filmed together, during the first ever week of production on the show! Video is right here: ua-cam.com/video/BeXGTM94wC4/v-deo.html
lol I love that you re-assessed your rankings in the conclusion because your reactions to to the Farm to Summit tasting seemed way bigger than the mushroom risotto lol. well done 😁
This was fantastic!I'd definitely watch another one. A few of these meals are ones I've thought about trying, but we usually make and dehydrate our own meals. After watching this, there are some I would splurge on to try for myself! Thanks for the always fun content. :)
Thank you for bringing some new brands to my attention! I have a food allergy that isn't one of the top 9 and it is incredibly hard to find backpacking meals without it, or a meal that is 100% transparent about ingredients. Pinnacles Food lists absolutely every ingredient and because of that I have found some new meals I can try.🤤
Hell yeah! Not gonna lie, I am pretty excited to see some wildly different opinions than Miranda here in the comments defending their fav if she was not a fan of it. I know a few people who are in love with the pad thai!! They won't ever go backpacking without it. You like what you like! Miranda's previous fav, the mushroom risotto, is not one I'd ever go backpacking with personally.
Pad Thai is fantastic in my opinion. Also any backpacking meal I have to dump water out as part of the instructions is kind of a no go for me.. waste of water and I don't like the idea of attracting critters
Miranda you have not lived until you haved had the Peak Butternut Squash Dahl Curry at the end of a day of backpacking. I was able to do a week of backpacking as part of a medical school class (we literally got back to civilization yesterday) and when I had this meal everyone was passing around the silica gel packet just so they could smell the spices from the pouch. I am half indian and it is easily one of the best dahl curries I've ever had.
Such a good episode! News we can use for sure. I have to agree, I loved the Itacate chilaquiles, I also like their Arroz con Leche. Of all the brands, I haven't tried Farm to Summit or Pinnacle Foods, and now I want to try both. Thanks for taking one for the team, lol.
For some reason I can never get to eating backpackers pantry or peak refuel. Mountain house does the job for me. I will say though, it is fun to try new things. Great video.
Oh, man. Heather’s Choice Bison Chili is one of my favorite backpacking meals! Though, there are some things about it I don’t like. 1) the high sodium content, which also works after a super strenuous day. Their other ones aren’t as high in sodium; 2) The wait time, there have been a couple times I’ve been too impatient and the bison doesn’t fully dehydrate before I dig in; 3) I want more in the package! It always hits the spot. Be it a cold trip or a hot day. It really just always satisfies me. And it is super nutritious. Peak Fuel is another favorite brand. I’ve never had the chicken Alfredo, but their Butternut Squash Daal and the Chicken Curry are my other go-tos. I’ve even cooked the Daal at home late at night. When on trail I add freeze dried chicken for added protein. I HIGHLY recommend giving those a try. The Backpackers Pantry Pad Thai…so not a pad Thai. It’s like a powdered citric acid bomb that gives me the worst farts in the world. And yet somehow I still crave it at times. I’m really glad you tried the Farm to Summit one. I’ve been wanting to try it but haven’t because I’m not big on flour noddles. My other fav I think has stopped making their backpacking dinners. Patagonia Provisions. Their spicy chili was the best, and I love how nutritious they are. I’m also really excited to try the Pinnacles one. Also, did you refrain from burping in this episode? Out of all episodes?!
Love your channel! I was pumped to see that the top 3 you chose are vegetation! (insert happy dance and/or running man) If you find yourself in AZ, I can recommend a few great treks! :)
I love to see Farm to Summit!!! The green chile mac is our absolute favorite, and sometimes we just eat it for dinner 😂 they're such an amazing women owned local brand that's going big places!
Great job with the review! Thanks! Yes, Mountain House is the OG - been in business for 60+ years... so they know what they're doing. They are also the best value - price/quality by far IMHO. I am also an OG and first learned about MH when I was backpacking and camping as a youngster - later, as a Scout Master, it was our go-to for our packing meals as well. I am also a prepper now and so I really appreciate the value and high, meat-based protein content. I just ordered 12, 2-serving MH pouches on sale - $100 shipped. (Midway USA is a great place to get MH) That's only $4.16 per serving. Let's hope that we don't NEED to have these stored... but the way things are looking.... well you can judge for yourself. Cheers!
That’s a great idea!! I like surprises sometimes, but it’s kind of a roulette - because sometimes the meals happy-surprise you, and sometimes they disappoint 🫠
@@MirandaGoesOutside Yeah. I had to choke down some nasty MRE's while in the service. No thanks. If I have enough time before a trip I will buy two of any new meals.One to try and one to pack. I also wish they would vacuum pack again. So bulky...
i watched this video while gathering gear for our first backpacking of the season and took notes....ordered the Itacate Foods Charge-Up Chilaquiles AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!! even my hispanic hiking friend was impressed! ABSOLUTELY will order again! thanks for the recommendation!
This was great and very helpful! My spouse recently had to make a trip to see a relative in the hospital. While there they had tornadoes and lost power for 2+ days. He has celiac and since it was an unexpected trip they had not bought stuff for him (though they did have the ability to boil water). He had, very few safe options. In addition to hikes, I plan to make one or two GF meals a part of our suitcase for all future travel just in case we cannot find safe food on the road or have an emergency stop over. Thanks for opening my eyes to some new options! :)
Great video and I was surprised the mountain house held its own. It would be great to understand cost, and cost per calories for each meal. This would help your community balance cost, calories, and flavor. Keep these videos coming
When you’re backpacking and you have to get rid of some of the water for the farm to summit one, what do you do? Broadcast it away from camp? Drink it? Errhhgh
It's ALWAYS fun to watch your videos. Thank you Miranda and Rainer!!! Perhaps testing breakfasts next? I've had Ham and Eggs freeze dried b/f before, and I know garage grown gear sells a yogurt type breakfast too. Hmmm... Its not comparing apples with apples.. But as they say - it's and Important start to the hiking day. 😅
My youngest son (12) says that the Mountain House mac and cheese is THE best and you HAVE TO leave the noodles a little crunchy, this has been his preferred backpacking meal for 8 years now. He's a mac and cheese expert so I trust him. I had that bison chili last fall on a short trip and it was really good- however because I am feeding a horde of gremlins, I mixed it with mashed tatoes to not spend a fortune on food - so I probably lost some of its greatness. I am going to have to try the chicken and dumplings next time.
Thanks for doing this, I’m camping since last night and I plan on having a “boil water because I’m too lazy to cook” meal tonight! I brought my saved hiking meals.
Yes to more of these videos. This was great. May I also suggest you “plate” the food so we can get a good look at it once it is prepared? I know, I know… not how we’d do it on the trail.
Truth! Plating also increases the desirability. (and you can tell when you forgot to take out the oxygen absorbing packet.) When possible, I do plate my rehydrated foods even if it is just dumping it into a bowl or a small cook pot. A plastic plate is a lightweight addition and easy to clean. There is something doomy about pulling spoonful after spoonful from a bottomless bag, especially on the 2 portion choices. Also, note that some of these selections were 2 portion and some were 1 portion. A buddy swears by eating 2 portion dinners for the extra cals, I can't seem to eat that much.
I've been looking at the Farm to Summit brand on the Garage Grown Gear website and waiting for someone to review it, thanks so much!! Now I am definitely going to order some!
Ive got a question, I love a video on UL food. Kg you bring vs calloriers you eat. Everybody is going UL and videos are out there people taking a 4 kg bag on the trail but that seems unrealistic to me if you want to eat. If I go on a 8 / 10 day hike I strugle to have my daily callories and not bringing a ultra heavy bag, food is heavy so I would love some tips on it, special for bit longer (mountain) hikes where you burn some good callories. Ive found 450 kcal biscuits at 95gr, some 300 kcal muslibars at 55gr and some diners at 650 kcal at 200gr but weight is adding up if you need like 3000 callories a day.
So... honestly the best way to do comparisons like this... are to compare the same types of meals because everyone has certain meal favs. So... all chilis... all pasta meals... all eggs breakfasts... etc. Having so many different flavor profiles doesn't really give us a true basis by comparison. By comparing specific meals of the same type we then know which brands do each specific meal best.
I've had a couple of really good Peak Refuel meals, but I (like you) just don't really like chicken alfredo. The chicken teriyaki rice and butternut dal bhat are great! I also keep a small refillable squeezie bottle of sriracha with my cooking setup so I can un-bland dehydrated meals as needed.
Thx for taking the time to film. Before opening, the bottom corners can be pulled apart to allow the bags to sit more securely and inside contents reached better to stir & eat. Judging on taste, I'm on a Right On Trek kick lately. Great taste but have to be cooked in a ziplock. --44
The Chicken and Dumplings is my go to backpacking meal!! It is like getting a hug at the end of the long day of hiking 🤗 the Bison chili was shared between my dad and I this past New Year’s Eve. I liked it but we didn’t let it cook long enough/not enough water so I would try it again!
Great video! It made me hungry. I love the Pad Thai and have also found mountain house to be decent. I can’t wait to try the Charge-up Chilaquiles and the jalepeno cheddar biscuits. I love that you did a re-evaluation at the end because I think it’s hard to rate each one until you have a comparison.
I’m so happy I did this search today because I have the chilequiles in my cart on garage grown gear and now im going to buy 2! One for breakfast and one for a dinner during my next trip haha. Thank you.
Thank you so much for making this video because I'm from Puerto Rico and the only one I got access to is the mountain house and I was super hesitated to buy them. Great content like all ways and keep it up.
Question, where does one pour off the liquid from meals? I would guess you would need to pour it far from camp. Also, I’m looking forward to trying Farm to Summit Green Chile Mac and Cheese! I’ve been looking for a meal like it and I’ve had some duds
This is going to sound ridiculous, but drink it! It’s got nutrients in it, and no need to waste the water! But if that’s not your vibe, yes - dump it away from camp, and not into a stream or water source!
oh man...I love the Pad Thai by BP. Sorry you felt otherwise. And the Itacate meals are made by some amaizng people! ...glad you love it! Great job Martha Diaz!
I don't care how cheesy the meal from Farm to Summit is. I don't like meals where you have to drain the water. Where are you going to drain the water? Right next to your tent? No, it's a huge hassle in the backcountry. I'm a big fan of Peak Refuel. Their freeze dry tech is really good. You should also look at sodium content. Many people moved away from Mountain House because there's too much salt in it.
I’ve made this meal by adding less water and it worked out fine. I agree, draining water is a pain and honestly unnecessary. Not to mention if you are dry camping it’s a waste.
Loved the video! And would love to see another one - so many different options out there. PackIt gourmet makes a Meyer lemon cheesecake that I love having
Love the taste testing videos. (Oddly or not) I find these most helpful out of any gear reviews. I don't want to try all these meals myself (and some are really hard to get in Canada! So far I've loved Firepot from your last review so I'll probably love your top 2 from this taste test. Keep these videos coming!
Love it. Watching Miranda expression priceless. Excited to see how far backpacking meals have gone. Excited to go camping for excuse to eat some of these items
I am loving seeing the varied tastes expressed in the comments here. It's such a popular meal, so they must be doing something right! "50 million Elvis fans cannot be wrong!" 😂
This was fun. I'm a Peak Refuel guy, though I do like Packit Gourmet, a lot. . But a bunch of the Peaks are delicious and they are all calorically-dense. That Peak meal probably has twice the calories of some of the meals there--at the same weight. Peak Refuel's Sausage biscuits and gravy is great!
Interesting. I wish there were more vegan options out there. You should have tried the vegan bolognese by Firepot. I bought at REI and delicious. Will try the mushroom risotto. Looking at dehydrating my own meals. Happy trails.🤘🏻🥾⛰️
Farm to Summit has the most delicious backpacking meals I've ever tasted. Couldn't find them in Canada, unfortunately! I also really like Happy Yak's meals.
Thanks so much for reviewing and loving Farm to Summit. They are a sustainable, women owned company local to where I live. They're doing so much to eliminate agricultural waste and supporting local farmers while also providing what obviously turned out to be some high quality, DELICIOUS backpacking food. YEY!
I have read some comments asking to see a list of each meal just based on the price, and so here you go!
Listed by price, low to high -
Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings: $10.25
Packit Gourmet Polenta with Pork Sausage: $10.49
Trailtopia Chicken Pesto Pasta: $10.99
Itacate Foods Charge-Up Chilaquiles: $12.50
Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai with Chicken: $12.95
Farm to Summit Green Chili Mac and Cheese: $13.50
Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta: $13.95
Good To-Go Mushroom Risotto: $15.50
Heather's Choice Bison Chili: $15.95
Pinnacle Foods Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits and Herbed Sausage Gravy: $15.99
In terms of value for the price, I gotta say the Farm to Summit and Itacate foods meals represent a truly great value of great taste to relatively low price! The Packit Gourmet polenta too. I hope this helps!! Love y'all 💚
Hi, Miranda. Another great video by you and the team (shout out to airplane hanger mouth Rainer 😂)!
Loved this video, and I'm certainly not hating. I understand it is the only viable option for many people. But just seeing all the packaging and waste that went into this video made me think about your zero waste backpacking adventure video you guys did back when you were with REI.
Any chance you'd ever consider doing another one of those adventures? That was an amazing trail along the beach and I also seem to remember you really enjoying your polenta and split pea soup mix supper. After eating all these dehydrated meals from different companies, and with all your years of experience hiking, do you think you could come up with any other good "zero waste" type meals like the polenta and split pea soup?
That's something I'd really love to see in a future video. Just my thoughts and wanted to share.
Thanks for another fun video. Have a beautiful week 💚🌍
What is the name of the brand of dehydrated meals Rainer boasted about in one of your lives/vid. It was a vegetable dehydrated meal. I haven't been able to find it.
Try the Peak Fuel biscuit and sausage gravy its so good!
You guys should consider doing the foothills trail over here near Asheville NC.
You mean chili mac is good? It is pretty much the easiest because it hard to screw up... you shouldnt be tasting a bunch of different things it should all be the same meal from different companies. All we got here is what foods do you like best, not what brands are best.
I wanted to give special props to the editor. So many little touches, and it was fun and energetic while still holding back to not overdo anything. Great job!
Yea!
Yes, major props to Doug on this one!! Rainer and I were cracking up watching through some of his edits 😆
..weeee!...
You know you are a backpacker when even at home you measure water in a nalgene.
☠️ literally did not think about that until you mentioned it
I figured she was trying to be accurate to the backpacker experience haha!
😂
But they are my only containers with measurements on them 😂
who carries a Nalgene those things weigh a TON
Of the ones airplaned into my mouth I would say the best was the Farm to Summit green chili mac and cheese, second was the Itacate chilaquiles, third was the Mountain House (stunner!), fourth was the Pinnacle Foods biscuits and gravy, and fifth was the Peak Refuel chicken alfredo! Never been a fan of that pad thai meal. I think it's popular simply because pad thai is popular. The greatest backpacking food company of all time sadly went out of business this year. Bushka's Kitchen was the greatest, but they are gone and I may never recover!
Thanks for letting me airplane food into your mouth and only being *slightly* weirded out 🕺
i never understood the hype for pad thai. it's ok but i would never order it at a restaurant. plus it is so cheap to make at home.
Mountain House is so consistently solid, where even their just ok meals are still way better than other brands' ok meals. The Mexican Chicken Adobo is my favorite and their breakfast Skillet is actually so solid, especially with a little hot sauce.
YAWWWHHH! Rainer, I also like Farm to Summit meals. They taste good and I appreciate how they use produce that would be chucked by grocery stores for discoloration or shelf life.
@@stitch3163 YAAWWW!! That mac and cheese was a life changer. I immediately ordered some! And I had no idea they used ugly produce!! I love that! Even more reason why they rule. Thanks for sharing!
We need this video on loop in the aisles at REI.
Omg I think we’d sell them out of some these meals 😋
I get the notion, but REI doesn't carry several of these...they are available online only. And, the vid would have to be edited, or else you'll stand there for 25 minutes to watch it all.
I'm mexican and you're my favourite backpacker in UA-cam. If you loved Itacate chilaquiles you can't even imagine how the real chilaquiles are here in Mexico. Love your channel and your personality. ❤
Thanks for highlighting cottage company brands. We don't always hear about them. I tend to gravitate towards buying meals with vegetables. It's hard to get enough on trail.
Keep shining bright.
Buy some freeze dried veggies online and add them to meals! I do that with both veggies and chicken. I also take fresh kale and spinach and add those on the last few minutes of hydration. The steam in the bag cooks them.
@@MariekaJackson Thanks for the tips. Hope you have many, happy trails ahead.
I'd love to see you do a prep test and taste test for some DIY backpacking meals. Things like Skurka beans, ramen bombs, Kraft EZ Mac, etc. I.e., yummy, easy, backpacking-appropriate meals that don't cost $10+.
💯
YES!! This is such a good idea.
yes! and how to construct them, e.g. how to get the right proportion of dehydrated beans to rice to dried veg in a burrito bowl, for example
She actually made several videos on this topic in her Miranda in the Wild series on the REI channel before she went independent. REI still has those videos posted on their channel if you want to check them out, but I do hope she does an updated version soon!
@@kalifuschyes!!!!!!!!
I have an idea. What if you get similar dishes from different brands? Most brands have a pasta bolognese or carbonara for example. It would be interesting to see how the same type of food differs :)
I hope you do more of these. I trust your judgment way more than random reviews online. Even when you didn't like it you said why.
Thanks!
Thank you so much!! 😊
My favorite peak refuel meal is the butternut dal bhat! It’s perfect with a little red pepper and it isn’t as rich as the cream based meals they make. It’s one of the few meals I can eat outside no matter how my tummy is feeling. And it’s vegan!
YES!! I LOVE their dal bhat!! That should be the highest rated, imho
The dal bat is for sure the best
I did similar tests during covid on Facebook Appalachian trail thru hiking food site. I liked outdoor pantry, mary janes farm, Bushkas kitchen and wild zora.
Hey you two! Thanks for all you do! Just got into hiking and backpacking and your videos are educational and fun. Thanks again and great job!
I love Packit Gourmet meals, their tortilla soup is a must for every trip for me. I also love their corn pudding, chili, and cold soak meals (perfect for mid -hike breaks because you can set them up to soak before take off and they're ready to go when you take a break.) oh, and their desserts are on point too.
All Americam Works Burger! OMG! Keep this one as a special treat after a long day.
I’m a big fan of Packit Gourmet meals, as well, LoserLara
Helpful video as these are Christmas gifts in our household. Boxes of long term storage food work for the preppers, the campers, the too lazy to cook, and when there are power emergencies (too often). Thanks!
thank you so much been looking for different ones to have as a back up if i got stuck doing a over time shift at work going with your top 5
"Woman who uses pasta water to make coffee reviews backpacking meals"
😂
WILL WE NEVER LET THIS GO
@@MirandaGoesOutside We will not. Or at least I won't. I had known you for all of a few weeks when we shot that video years ago, and now so many years later I still think, "Pasta water coffee lady!" Whenever I see you.
@@RainerGolden link to that video please. I do not recall ever seeing that one 😊
@@vincentvega5686 It was the second video Miranda and I ever filmed together, during the first ever week of production on the show! Video is right here: ua-cam.com/video/BeXGTM94wC4/v-deo.html
lol I love that you re-assessed your rankings in the conclusion because your reactions to to the Farm to Summit tasting seemed way bigger than the mushroom risotto lol. well done 😁
Part of that was probably familiarity vs novelty. She's more familiar with her original favorite so her reaction is likely going to be less animated.
This was fantastic!I'd definitely watch another one. A few of these meals are ones I've thought about trying, but we usually make and dehydrate our own meals. After watching this, there are some I would splurge on to try for myself! Thanks for the always fun content. :)
Thank you for bringing some new brands to my attention! I have a food allergy that isn't one of the top 9 and it is incredibly hard to find backpacking meals without it, or a meal that is 100% transparent about ingredients. Pinnacles Food lists absolutely every ingredient and because of that I have found some new meals I can try.🤤
Nightshades? I'm on the hunt to find gluten free, dairy free, corn free and nightshade free (tomatoes, peppers, and white potatoes).
Oh my the Pad Thai is my all time favorite when I want something different then the usual meals
Hell yeah! Not gonna lie, I am pretty excited to see some wildly different opinions than Miranda here in the comments defending their fav if she was not a fan of it. I know a few people who are in love with the pad thai!! They won't ever go backpacking without it. You like what you like! Miranda's previous fav, the mushroom risotto, is not one I'd ever go backpacking with personally.
Pad Thai is fantastic in my opinion. Also any backpacking meal I have to dump water out as part of the instructions is kind of a no go for me.. waste of water and I don't like the idea of attracting critters
Pinnacle Foods has my favorite biscuits and gravy meal. Plus, it's palm oil free!
Also, great foley work on "pew" and "whee!"
Miranda you have not lived until you haved had the Peak Butternut Squash Dahl Curry at the end of a day of backpacking. I was able to do a week of backpacking as part of a medical school class (we literally got back to civilization yesterday) and when I had this meal everyone was passing around the silica gel packet just so they could smell the spices from the pouch. I am half indian and it is easily one of the best dahl curries I've ever had.
If this is the same thing as the Peak Refuel Butternut Dal Bhat (I"m assuming it is) -- I *love* this meal soooo much!
@@maxinemead8918 yes it is, I couldn't remember the exact name, just that it was amazing lol
As a diabetic, it's very hard to find backpack meals without noodles and grains. Would really liked to have seen Next Mile meals as well! Fun video 😁
I’m sorry. I only eat fruit and veggies raw. My backpack we won’t discuss the weight. lol
Their Beef Marinara is one of my faves!
I'm a fan of Next Mile meals. Never had one that I did not like.
Such a good episode! News we can use for sure. I have to agree, I loved the Itacate chilaquiles, I also like their Arroz con Leche. Of all the brands, I haven't tried Farm to Summit or Pinnacle Foods, and now I want to try both. Thanks for taking one for the team, lol.
Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta one of my favest!
You should totally do another video!! Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce is the best tasting camp food. KEEP UP THE GREAT VIDS!!
chicken and dumplings are a staple when we go backpacking in the winter.
For some reason I can never get to eating backpackers pantry or peak refuel. Mountain house does the job for me. I will say though, it is fun to try new things. Great video.
Oh, man. Heather’s Choice Bison Chili is one of my favorite backpacking meals! Though, there are some things about it I don’t like. 1) the high sodium content, which also works after a super strenuous day. Their other ones aren’t as high in sodium; 2) The wait time, there have been a couple times I’ve been too impatient and the bison doesn’t fully dehydrate before I dig in; 3) I want more in the package! It always hits the spot. Be it a cold trip or a hot day. It really just always satisfies me. And it is super nutritious.
Peak Fuel is another favorite brand. I’ve never had the chicken Alfredo, but their Butternut Squash Daal and the Chicken Curry are my other go-tos. I’ve even cooked the Daal at home late at night. When on trail I add freeze dried chicken for added protein. I HIGHLY recommend giving those a try.
The Backpackers Pantry Pad Thai…so not a pad Thai. It’s like a powdered citric acid bomb that gives me the worst farts in the world. And yet somehow I still crave it at times.
I’m really glad you tried the Farm to Summit one. I’ve been wanting to try it but haven’t because I’m not big on flour noddles.
My other fav I think has stopped making their backpacking dinners. Patagonia Provisions. Their spicy chili was the best, and I love how nutritious they are.
I’m also really excited to try the Pinnacles one.
Also, did you refrain from burping in this episode? Out of all episodes?!
Where did you get your big spoon in sport
Love your channel! I was pumped to see that the top 3 you chose are vegetation! (insert happy dance and/or running man) If you find yourself in AZ, I can recommend a few great treks! :)
Love this video! Also highly recommend adding Fritos to the chili! It’s so yummy!!
I love to see Farm to Summit!!! The green chile mac is our absolute favorite, and sometimes we just eat it for dinner 😂 they're such an amazing women owned local brand that's going big places!
I love the backyard pantry oatmeal meal so much and the Chana masala one as well
Great job with the review! Thanks! Yes, Mountain House is the OG - been in business for 60+ years... so they know what they're doing. They are also the best value - price/quality by far IMHO. I am also an OG and first learned about MH when I was backpacking and camping as a youngster - later, as a Scout Master, it was our go-to for our packing meals as well. I am also a prepper now and so I really appreciate the value and high, meat-based protein content. I just ordered 12, 2-serving MH pouches on sale - $100 shipped. (Midway USA is a great place to get MH) That's only $4.16 per serving. Let's hope that we don't NEED to have these stored... but the way things are looking.... well you can judge for yourself. Cheers!
I love Mountain House!!!! I think they do such a great job with their meals. 😊 AND THEIR DESSERTS!!!!
I do this with all backpacking foods. I try them out at home. I don't like surprizes while camping.
That’s a great idea!! I like surprises sometimes, but it’s kind of a roulette - because sometimes the meals happy-surprise you, and sometimes they disappoint 🫠
@@MirandaGoesOutside Yeah. I had to choke down some nasty MRE's while in the service. No thanks. If I have enough time before a trip I will buy two of any new meals.One to try and one to pack. I also wish they would vacuum pack again. So bulky...
i watched this video while gathering gear for our first backpacking of the season and took notes....ordered the Itacate Foods Charge-Up Chilaquiles AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!! even my hispanic hiking friend was impressed! ABSOLUTELY will order again! thanks for the recommendation!
This was great and very helpful! My spouse recently had to make a trip to see a relative in the hospital. While there they had tornadoes and lost power for 2+ days. He has celiac and since it was an unexpected trip they had not bought stuff for him (though they did have the ability to boil water). He had, very few safe options. In addition to hikes, I plan to make one or two GF meals a part of our suitcase for all future travel just in case we cannot find safe food on the road or have an emergency stop over. Thanks for opening my eyes to some new options! :)
Great video and I was surprised the mountain house held its own.
It would be great to understand cost, and cost per calories for each meal. This would help your community balance cost, calories, and flavor.
Keep these videos coming
When you’re backpacking and you have to get rid of some of the water for the farm to summit one, what do you do? Broadcast it away from camp? Drink it? Errhhgh
I was wondering that, too. That was a *lot* of, ah, runoff. :)
It's ALWAYS fun to watch your videos. Thank you Miranda and Rainer!!!
Perhaps testing breakfasts next?
I've had Ham and Eggs freeze dried b/f before, and I know garage grown gear sells a yogurt type breakfast too.
Hmmm... Its not comparing apples with apples.. But as they say - it's and Important start to the hiking day.
😅
Love your taste test (and cooking) video's. This one is gonna be awesome as well!
My youngest son (12) says that the Mountain House mac and cheese is THE best and you HAVE TO leave the noodles a little crunchy, this has been his preferred backpacking meal for 8 years now. He's a mac and cheese expert so I trust him. I had that bison chili last fall on a short trip and it was really good- however because I am feeding a horde of gremlins, I mixed it with mashed tatoes to not spend a fortune on food - so I probably lost some of its greatness. I am going to have to try the chicken and dumplings next time.
i love this video, "im just trying to think of something nice to say" is me trying to convince people to eat backpacking meals lol
Thanks for doing this, I’m camping since last night and I plan on having a “boil water because I’m too lazy to cook” meal tonight! I brought my saved hiking meals.
Just wanted to say I look forward to your videos every week, thanks for bein awesome
Yes to more of these videos. This was great. May I also suggest you “plate” the food so we can get a good look at it once it is prepared? I know, I know… not how we’d do it on the trail.
Truth! Plating also increases the desirability. (and you can tell when you forgot to take out the oxygen absorbing packet.) When possible, I do plate my rehydrated foods even if it is just dumping it into a bowl or a small cook pot. A plastic plate is a lightweight addition and easy to clean. There is something doomy about pulling spoonful after spoonful from a bottomless bag, especially on the 2 portion choices. Also, note that some of these selections were 2 portion and some were 1 portion. A buddy swears by eating 2 portion dinners for the extra cals, I can't seem to eat that much.
I've been looking at the Farm to Summit brand on the Garage Grown Gear website and waiting for someone to review it, thanks so much!! Now I am definitely going to order some!
Oh my gosh you MUST!! I can’t wait to try more of their meals!
Ive got a question, I love a video on UL food. Kg you bring vs calloriers you eat. Everybody is going UL and videos are out there people taking a 4 kg bag on the trail but that seems unrealistic to me if you want to eat. If I go on a 8 / 10 day hike I strugle to have my daily callories and not bringing a ultra heavy bag, food is heavy so I would love some tips on it, special for bit longer (mountain) hikes where you burn some good callories. Ive found 450 kcal biscuits at 95gr, some 300 kcal muslibars at 55gr and some diners at 650 kcal at 200gr but weight is adding up if you need like 3000 callories a day.
Real turmat and blåband have a magnificent set of meals you should consider trying. greets from sweden
So... honestly the best way to do comparisons like this... are to compare the same types of meals because everyone has certain meal favs.
So... all chilis... all pasta meals... all eggs breakfasts... etc. Having so many different flavor profiles doesn't really give us a true basis by comparison.
By comparing specific meals of the same type we then know which brands do each specific meal best.
One of my favorite episodes! Well done!
Aww thank you!!
I feel like the green chili mac & cheese and bison chili would be a good combo...
Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings is one of my favorites, honestly!
If you try it, break up the biscuits for best results.
Thanks for this! It made me want to go outside my comfort zone and try stuff i previoulys would have bypassed.
I've had a couple of really good Peak Refuel meals, but I (like you) just don't really like chicken alfredo. The chicken teriyaki rice and butternut dal bhat are great! I also keep a small refillable squeezie bottle of sriracha with my cooking setup so I can un-bland dehydrated meals as needed.
Good to go mushroom risotto is my go to (Made in Maine 👍👍). I'll try the ones you raked above it though, interesting.
Mountain House biscuits and gravy is amazing
Thx for taking the time to film. Before opening, the bottom corners can be pulled apart to allow the bags to sit more securely and inside contents reached better to stir & eat.
Judging on taste, I'm on a Right On Trek kick lately. Great taste but have to be cooked in a ziplock.
--44
I have a freeze drier now I'm going to have to check out those ingredients ..yum
The Chicken and Dumplings is my go to backpacking meal!! It is like getting a hug at the end of the long day of hiking 🤗 the Bison chili was shared between my dad and I this past New Year’s Eve. I liked it but we didn’t let it cook long enough/not enough water so I would try it again!
Great video and I took your recommendations and have ordered some new to me backpack meals thank you! They should sponsor you😊
Great video! It made me hungry. I love the Pad Thai and have also found mountain house to be decent. I can’t wait to try the Charge-up Chilaquiles and the jalepeno cheddar biscuits. I love that you did a re-evaluation at the end because I think it’s hard to rate each one until you have a comparison.
I’m so happy I did this search today because I have the chilequiles in my cart on garage grown gear and now im going to buy 2! One for breakfast and one for a dinner during my next trip haha. Thank you.
Did the same thing few years back with mountain house..went to 3 stores and bought 1 of everything
Notification squad, yeehaw
Been waiting for another taste test video!
Yeehaw! Thanks for being here first 🎉
Thank you so much for making this video because I'm from Puerto Rico and the only one I got access to is the mountain house and I was super hesitated to buy them. Great content like all ways and keep it up.
Question, where does one pour off the liquid from meals? I would guess you would need to pour it far from camp.
Also, I’m looking forward to trying Farm to Summit Green Chile Mac and Cheese! I’ve been looking for a meal like it and I’ve had some duds
This is going to sound ridiculous, but drink it! It’s got nutrients in it, and no need to waste the water! But if that’s not your vibe, yes - dump it away from camp, and not into a stream or water source!
I would love to see more of this! Love it! 😊
Super helpful video for someone like me who hasn't had very many backpacking meals! Thanks for making it!!!
oh man...I love the Pad Thai by BP. Sorry you felt otherwise. And the Itacate meals are made by some amaizng people! ...glad you love it! Great job Martha Diaz!
The last time I went camping I took along Mountain Home Pad Thai. It made me decide to carry a can of Beefaroni instead next time.
I don't care how cheesy the meal from Farm to Summit is. I don't like meals where you have to drain the water. Where are you going to drain the water? Right next to your tent? No, it's a huge hassle in the backcountry.
I'm a big fan of Peak Refuel. Their freeze dry tech is really good.
You should also look at sodium content. Many people moved away from Mountain House because there's too much salt in it.
I’ve made this meal by adding less water and it worked out fine. I agree, draining water is a pain and honestly unnecessary. Not to mention if you are dry camping it’s a waste.
If your backpacking a lot and not just eating them on your couch, salt is a good thing. Your body needs it if your hiking a lot.
Loved the video! And would love to see another one - so many different options out there. PackIt gourmet makes a Meyer lemon cheesecake that I love having
Love the taste testing videos. (Oddly or not) I find these most helpful out of any gear reviews. I don't want to try all these meals myself (and some are really hard to get in Canada! So far I've loved Firepot from your last review so I'll probably love your top 2 from this taste test. Keep these videos coming!
Love it. Watching Miranda expression priceless. Excited to see how far backpacking meals have gone. Excited to go camping for excuse to eat some of these items
I will literally watch anything that you put out! I love your content!
You can't love the Green Chili Mac & Cheese that much and only give 4 stars! LOL.
I'm a pasta sides, udon bowl, and Annie's Mac and cheese girl myself but this was so fun to watch
Pinnacle Foods is my current fav. I agree with your assessment of the MH dumpling too. Surprising!!
Mountain house Chicken and Dumplings supremacy! Their gravy and biscuits is pretty good too in the same kind of simple and comfort food way.
Awesome video Miranda!!!
Mountain house has been my go too for years. Love the chili Mac and biscuits and gravy
Good fun! Next time, it would be fun if you did a blind taste test and put the bowls in order least to favorite, rather than number-ranking them.
Thanks Miranda and team !
Thank you for sharing, great video . I have a question, what do you use to edit your videos?
Man, that Pad Thai is my go-to every summer. I love it.
I LOVE mountain house chicken and dumplings
The Pad Thai is my absolute favorite! Love the lime flavor!
I am loving seeing the varied tastes expressed in the comments here. It's such a popular meal, so they must be doing something right!
"50 million Elvis fans cannot be wrong!" 😂
This is great as we are doing a 9 day kayak portage trip and will be using dehydrated meals as first for me. I have always made real food meals.
Packet gourmet has a Texas state fair chili that comes with corn chips cheddar cheese and a packet of petes hot sauce! Thanks for the great videos!
I love the little sound effects 😂
This was fun. I'm a Peak Refuel guy, though I do like Packit Gourmet, a lot. . But a bunch of the Peaks are delicious and they are all calorically-dense. That Peak meal probably has twice the calories of some of the meals there--at the same weight. Peak Refuel's Sausage biscuits and gravy is great!
Interesting. I wish there were more vegan options out there. You should have tried the vegan bolognese by Firepot. I bought at REI and delicious. Will try the mushroom risotto. Looking at dehydrating my own meals. Happy trails.🤘🏻🥾⛰️
Mountain House lasagna is the bomb! Add a cheesestring after your first stir.
Farm to Summit has the most delicious backpacking meals I've ever tasted. Couldn't find them in Canada, unfortunately! I also really like Happy Yak's meals.
Thanks so much for reviewing and loving Farm to Summit. They are a sustainable, women owned company local to where I live. They're doing so much to eliminate agricultural waste and supporting local farmers while also providing what obviously turned out to be some high quality, DELICIOUS backpacking food. YEY!
Does woman owned make it better?
@@chubbrock659most times it’s worse actually