Quote:
Originally posted by slang
Ok. I assume you have specific experience with MREs. Can you tell me why one shouldnt eat them on a campout?
Having consumed 30 or so just recently, I cant imagine why they'd be a problem.
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Alright, I overstated myself there.
Nutritionally, MREs are pretty solid: 1,200-1,500 calories, all the carbs, minerals and fat needed from food sources. Not that many preservatives either, ever since the development of the pouches they're packed in (though just about everything packed for shelf-life has a fair amount of preservs). And I'll admit the chemical heaters do a good job of lightin' those suckers up.
It takes the fun out of campout cooking, though. And taking advantage of what you're capable of doing is the best way - a freshly prepared meal is still ideal since it'll get you all the protein and carbs needed (most important in wintertime). Add warmth, good hydration from boil-cooking and plenty of leftovers (in some cases).
Dehydrated foods (like Alpineaire and, um, some others that I don't remember the names of) I believe are on the same level nutritionally as MREs (probably a little more sodium & less protein), but there's somthing about cooked food that's much more filling in the cold. I've done both MREs and one-pot meals in very extreme weather, and though it once took us almost an hour to get a fire going during a blizzard (camp stove got wet and it was snowing too hard to try and fix it), we were much happier with a warm pot of stew. Plus an MRE is like $5-7 each, whereas a $6-7 backpack meal can feed 4, if cost is a factor.
One thing for sure: No instant noodles. Zero nutritional value, and just a whole lot of sodium, really. I eat a bowl of noodles at home and still feel hungry, not to mention thirsty.