11 replies to this topic

[Armitage12]

Okay folks--a call for advice on transporting food/snacks into the field in 40 degrees and below.

Background: I hiked 10 miles today in ten below temps today, and by the time of our break at hour two, five miles in, my trail mix, jerkey, and Clif bars were starting to reach the brick stare because of the temps.

I am not interested in keeping camp meals warm--they'll meet the boiling water. But what tips, techniques, or equipment have different folks found for keeping the chewy stuff chewy, not frozen solid? I can't keep all of it against my body. Thanks in advance.

[spenceman]

Keep your snacks in interior pockets, inside your jacket, etc

[spenceman]

Keep your snacks in interior pockets, inside your jacket, etc

[Armitage12]

As I said, can't keep all of it on the interior pockets against the body. Perhaps thermal pouches for the backpack, or other special handling techniques?

[pira114]

Honestly? I ate my shit frozen when I found myself in that situation. Food was energy, not happiness. But that was then.

But, to answer your question, I bet those hand warmers might keep stuff warm. Or those battery operated socks. Stuff everything in them? Just my guess as to what I'd do.

[Armitage12]

Pira114: I was finding that the trail mix warmed up fast in my mouth,  and the jerky sat well in my mouth like dip, but the Clif bars would have chipped a tooth if I bit into them.  

 

Perhaps putting it into my glove in the period of time before I plan on eating it.   My water remained liquid across four hours, but the others in the party with exposed bottles had frozen ones after two-three hours.

[Davis]

Keeping the chewy stuff chewy in cold weather environments can be tricky. Your simplest option is obviously body heat, but depending on the length of your adventure, as you said, you can't keep everything close to your body. Other options are using insulated containers, either soft or hard sided depending on how much room you have in your pack. Typically people thing of using those to keep food cold, but they will also work to keep food from freezing as quickly if it's cold outside. If you want you can put a couple of those hand warmers in the container as well. Then as you are hiking along, when you stop for a break and have a snack out one of your inside pockets, pull something out of your pack and replace it. 

[spenceman]

I wasn't saying keep it ALL against your body, just plan ahead. Every time you stop to rest eat the snacks on your body, then rotate snacks out of your pack. Its not rocket science. Or buy some thermal pouches if you want.

[Armitage12]

The insistence of the double posts threw me    Rotation makes sense.

 

Initial searches for thermal pouches have turned up largely children's lunchboxes and insulin transportation kits.  Anyone here had experience with thermal pouches that they've used?  Any brands?  Or is this largely a vanity area?  

[spenceman]

Yeah, sorry about the double posts, seems to happen when I post from my phone. There was another thread around here talking about food storage and there were a couple links. I'll see if I can find it.

 

Here it is.

Edited by spenceman, 09 January 2015 - 05:22 PM.

[Koopa]

I'd agree with rotating snacks through the inside of your coat in the hour before your consume them. Putting snacks into a bag with a handwarmer might work too, but I've never tried it. A generic soft-sided lunchbox might work too. 

[Armitage12]

I'm finding a five by five pouch, two inches deep, insulated, for $20 on Amazon. That may be it.