Best hiking food finds from the supermarkets

[matagi]

For ages I've been looking for baked beans in a pouch but they don't seem to exist

Surely you could just tip some baked beans into a ziplock bag?

Or a silicone pouch.

[ccar]

Once you've cracked the can though, they wouldn't last longer than a day or so I presume?

[walk2wineries]

I tried it once, not my cup of carbohydrate. Maybe it would have been better if I'd broken the instant noodles into small pieces first.
But a big spoon of peanut butter works for me.

Do you mean, peanut butter pasta? https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/ni ... sta/223055 This looks quite practical; one could easily substitute something like snow peas for the spinach. Although at the time of writing there's reasonable amounts of wild greens around - blanched warrigal greens, mallow, sow thistle, amaranth, purslane etc would all work

This just popped up on fb for some reason https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/pea ... /sr7lo35gp
but reminded me that there's lots of 'pantry' pasta dishes around. I wonder if I can dehydrate baby capers, bet I can. Add to pouch of tuna/salmon and pasta....

[ChrisJHC]

Once you've cracked the can though, they wouldn't last longer than a day or so I presume?

If we’re talking about mainstream tinned baked beans, I reckon they’d survive the zombie apocalypse, let alone a bit of time unrefrigerated after being opened.

[ggorgeman]

For shorter duration hikes, just take the can full-o-beans? Is the weight of the can prohibitive? Weight of contents is part-represented by water but, in some instances, that water might be packed anyway, for future rehydration? Crushed flat after consumption wouldn't represent a bulky item. I've thought similar re other canned items.

Interested in other's thoughts...

[Son of a Beach]

For shorter duration hikes, just take the can full-o-beans? Is the weight of the can prohibitive? Weight of contents is part-represented by water but, in some instances, that water might be packed anyway, for future rehydration? Crushed flat after consumption wouldn't represent a bulky item. I've thought similar re other canned items.

Interested in other's thoughts...

I've occasionally taken canned food, as I agree that the can itself doesn't weigh a lot (although it would add up if taking more than one or two).

I sometimes do this for shorter walks on which I think that sufficient water for cooking may be unavailable at the 1st and/or 2nd camp site, and I don't want to carry cooking water - or to be more correct, I don't want to carry excessive amounts of cooking water (because it's heavy), but I also don't want to risk not having carried enough cooking water. With canned meals, the water already in the can is exactly the right amount for that meal - so the only other water I have to carry is drinking water.

Sometimes, when doing this, I will choose meal-in-a-can type meals that are decent enough to eat cold without any cooking at all and will carry no stove, no fuel and no cooking pot (eg, I do like Stagg Chilli 'Dynamite Hot' version). This actually results in significant weight savings for such walks. However, I do miss a hot meal on those walks.

Be careful to bring cans with a ring-pull opening (or bring a can opener). Opening a can with a knife works, but is hard work, bad for the knife, and prone to causing nasty, deep, jagged cuts on the fingers (yes, I speak from experience). Actually, even ring-pull cans can result in a deep cut if you're not careful.

[ccar]

You know what, I think I might have been overthinking it and realised that you can get smaller tins, which I wanted a smaller serving for lunches anyway. I did think they might be too bulky, but for some reason I've never thought a can or 2 of beer was! Also, even though the tins might be difficult to flatten, they can be stuffed with other rubbish so I think my problem wasn't ever really a problem! Sometimes you just need another perspective...

[Son of a Beach]

Yes, I've used both the flatten method, and the stuff-it-with-rubbish method to avoid the empty tin wasting space. I give the tin a clean first (being careful of the dangrously sharp edges!).

[ChrisJHC]

For shorter duration hikes, just take the can full-o-beans? Is the weight of the can prohibitive? Weight of contents is part-represented by water but, in some instances, that water might be packed anyway, for future rehydration? Crushed flat after consumption wouldn't represent a bulky item. I've thought similar re other canned items.

Interested in other's thoughts...

I've occasionally taken canned food, as I agree that the can itself doesn't weigh a lot (although it would add up if taking more than one or two).

I sometimes do this for shorter walks on which I think that sufficient water for cooking may be unavailable at the 1st and/or 2nd camp site, and I don't want to carry cooking water - or to be more correct, I don't want to carry excessive amounts of cooking water (because it's heavy), but I also don't want to risk not having carried enough cooking water. With canned meals, the water already in the can is exactly the right amount for that meal - so the only other water I have to carry is drinking water.

Sometimes, when doing this, I will choose meal-in-a-can type meals that are decent enough to eat cold without any cooking at all and will carry no stove, no fuel and no cooking pot (eg, I do like Stagg Chilli 'Dynamite Hot' version). This actually results in significant weight savings for such walks. However, I do miss a hot meal on those walks.

Be careful to bring cans with a ring-pull opening (or bring a can opener). Opening a can with a knife works, but is hard work, bad for the knife, and prone to causing nasty, deep, jagged cuts on the fingers (yes, I speak from experience). Actually, even ring-pull cans can result in a deep cut if you're not careful.

I assume you’re aware of the old trick of putting a dent in the side of the can then putting it straight on the fire (or stove if you’re carrying one)?
The steam inside builds up enough that it pops out the dent - that’s when you take it off the fire!
I definitely agree with taking tins that are (just) edible cold - got caught out one day when a Total Fire Ban was called and couldn’t use my metho stove.

[Son of a Beach]

I assume you’re aware of the old trick of putting a dent in the side of the can then putting it straight on the fire (or stove if you’re carrying one)?
The steam inside builds up enough that it pops out the dent - that’s when you take it off the fire!

I've tried this and it failed pretty badly. The dent didn't pop out in the time range that I would have considered reasonable, so I opened the can and found that the food was well burnt onto the bottom of the can.

I'd be curious to know what I did wrong, and also to know how many people have tried this successfully for themselves, and not just heard about it from third parties.

[ChrisJHC]

I assume you’re aware of the old trick of putting a dent in the side of the can then putting it straight on the fire (or stove if you’re carrying one)?
The steam inside builds up enough that it pops out the dent - that’s when you take it off the fire!

I've tried this and it failed pretty badly. The dent didn't pop out in the time range that I would have considered reasonable, so I opened the can and found that the food was well burnt onto the bottom of the can.

I'd be curious to know what I did wrong, and also to know how many people have tried this successfully for themselves, and not just heard about it from third parties.

I do it every time I use a tin in the bush (which admittedly isn’t often these days) and used to use it all the time when I was wearing green.
Worked at least 90% of the time.

[gbagua]

Korean rice cake bars. Not too sweet, I absolutely love them.

https://www.sweetandsavorhie.com/home/2 ... rice-cakes

They aren't stocked all the time and sit at the counter.

Hanaromart, Korean supermarket chain.

[vagrom]

Couscous is a fuel saver. At $2 at Coles, they're a little dearer than Aldi. Is Tassie still Aldi free?

[vagrom]

The Trident soups of Thailand were mentioned above so this is a bump. Tom Yum -especially, and the rest: Laksa, Hot&Spicy, they are v.v noice. Three minute boil for the flat, square noodles then just add the other stuff and stir. They've really found the happy medium re: spice heat.

[Aushiker]

I picked up these from Woolworths, thinking it was a good environmental option. Turns out they come from the UK. I suspect the environmental miles have undermined any claims re the packaging. It's still good that they are not using plastics. Yet to try them.



Also picked up these from Aldi for lunch on an overnight walk. Sirena does something similar, which you can get at the big two. I like the fact that they can be eaten hot or cold. Packaging, however, is not fantastic, hence overnights only for us. Yet to try them.

[Eremophila]

Those couscous packs are great mixed with a pouch of tuna/salmon.

[Warin]

Is Tassie still Aldi free?

Yes, as is the NT....

If I move house .. I want to be with, say 5 km of an Aldi store.

I am yet to try and make my own Moroccan Couscous, Anslie's one is very good and available in Aldi.
Aldi also do some sachets of tuna & beans - I like the Mexican and Smokey ones 160gram 717kJ. Yet to try a rice sachets 'Thai style sweet chilli and lime 250gram 659 kJ.

[Eremophila]

I’ve done my own Moroccan style couscous, some Moroccan spice mix, craisins, pine nuts, garlic and onion powder, and some freshly dried herbs (as opposed to supermarket dried herbs). You could add some freeze-dried mixed vegies. It was nice but in the end I figured Ainsley’s is easier. I like the Roasted Vegetable one.

[Moondog55]

I've tried the Ainsley ones. As-Is I didn't like them all that much, but adding a good dollop of virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of sesame oil made them edible. They have the advantage of being both cheap and quick to prepare.

[Kott]

Aldi has this great Roasted Coconut and Pepitas snack. Ridiculously high on calories and tastes great!