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What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Drink)

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What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Drink)

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 14, 2018 •  [Post 1]

Let’s roll with part 3 of this super awesome series of threads on “what’s in your elk pack”. What do you cats have in your elk pack for subsistence/food and drink? For the purpose of these threads, let’s assume we’re talking about pack in hunts.

If memory serves, I normally carry the following:

Drink - 3 liter Platypus bladder in my pack. Filter is normally a Katadyn Hiker Pro pump filter to purify H2O, or sometimes, the Katadyn Base Camp filter.
Food - I don’t' each much breakfast but I usually have a breakfast cookie (Erin Baker) and a cup of coffee (G7 3-in-1 coffee packets). Day pack snacks/main lunch meal are all enclosed in a quart zip lock for each day and normally consist of (JIF PBtoGO or Starkist Tuna Packet on MRE bread, energy/protein bar(s), honey stinger waffles, pre-packed small jerky packets, trail mix, a couple of small snickers, and the little pre-packed wet ones). Evening meals consist of a compilation of Mountain House, Paleo Meals to Go, and some Backpacker's Pantry; I'll throw in a few packets of hot sauce for the meals if I remember.

Chow gear consists of a Jet Boil Zip, enough fuel canisters to last the trip, "long" titanium spork (gotta have the long one), and a GSI Outdoors cup for coffee.

Well, what's in your elk pack for food and drink?
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby six » 05 14, 2018 •  [Post 2]

3 liter bladder/Katadyn filter
Lemonade/tang/fruit punch water flavor packets
Breakfast 2 envelopes of oatmeal/Starbucks VIA instant coffee packets
Lunch protein bar/1 string cheese/Jerky
Dinner Mountain House

Never forget the Rolaids just because an oldtimer told me to.
Elk are where you find em...
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby Fridaythe13th » 05 15, 2018 •  [Post 3]

Base camp here. We walk an extra 2 hours a day just to have a steak at the end of the day. Lol Well worth it. Trail mix, granola bars, apple and water. I used to pack PB&J&B but just got sick of them.
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby Swede » 05 15, 2018 •  [Post 4]

Fridaythe13th wrote:I used to pack PB&J&B but just got sick of them.


I can relate to that sentiment. It fits for a lot of different things we can pack around. Last season I tried to find some good canned food. It is awful when properly prepared. It is worse cold. I carry water, granola and energy bars. I will throw in some fruit or vegetable for something to help digest the other stuff. Like Friday, I will walk quite a ways to have a good hot meal and a comfortable bed.
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby pointysticks » 05 17, 2018 •  [Post 5]

hunting hard. that is the only time i allow myself to eat a frosted poptart. cherry please!!
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 17, 2018 •  [Post 6]

pointysticks wrote:hunting hard. that is the only time i allow myself to eat a frosted poptart. cherry please!!


Ahh, the frosted pop tarts..... who doesn't like those!
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby Lefty » 05 17, 2018 •  [Post 7]

My diet changed dramatically last year. I needed fewer carbs so gone are the Costco trail mixes. Now less fruit, more fat and protein
My water amount varies on where Im hunting. One area when hot I bring a Lifestraw.
Other liquids may be a can of Mt. Dew or a hydrate Rockstar ( if they were on sale earlier that week)
Maybe a ziplock bag of Costco mixed nuts,
Always Costco nut bars
Bumblebee/ Starkist Tuna salads and Crackers, And/or Tuna packets ( If Dave hunts with me, there will be Spam packets :o )
I try to bring fresh fruit from my trees, apples, pears, or Italian prunes. Otherwise those Delmonte Walmart Fruit cups with Chia seed.
When my daughter is with me lots of Jerky
In the past I always packed a number of egg/veggie sandwich in bread or bagels. This year Ill be trying making my own style bread from Birchbender pancake and waffle mix.

If my wife is at camp in the evening when we return she will have a warmed up soup.
My daughter is a MtHouse person and will make her own going to bed meal.

If Im hunting alone or with my daughter I may have a piece of fruit or tomatoes and go to bed, I want sleep more than food.
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby CurlyTail » 06 07, 2018 •  [Post 8]

I'll share a couple of trade secrets. Admittedly old school, as I have never taken a 5 hour energy, Mt. Ops, of Wilderness Athlete product.

I love Tang in my Nalgene. Gives me some calories while hydrating, tastes great. And if you have never had Hot Tang on a cold morning for a Breakfast Drink (non coffee lovers), it is exceptional.

For coffee lovers, you cant beat the Starbucks Via instant coffee. Tiny yet powerful good.

Add some Idahoan brand instant potatoes to fill out your Mountain House Meals in the evening. Super light, super fast, super easy, tasty.

Try a Tortilla, Peanut Butter, and Honey sandwich (with or without Microwave Bacon) for lunch. Tasty, and wont disintegrate in your pack before you eat it.

Peanut M&M's - comfort and snack food

Smoked Almonds - great lunch snack, the Wal-Mart brand generic ones are great
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby Tigger » 06 13, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Fridaythe13th wrote: I used to pack PB&J&B but just got sick of them.


Egads! Somehow I missed this blasphemy! How can this be? I am in shock. Before I judge you, I am going to assume you didn't pre-smash them and thus have not prepared them properly.
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby Jhg » 07 29, 2018 •  [Post 10]

I used to purify with a steri-pen but went to a Sawyer pressure filter. Easy to clean, no moving parts, inexpensive. Effective. Hydration bladder is not too big. I am fortunate to hunt where there is ample water so why carry a lot? My go to sandwich is black forest ham, smear of mayo, sliced avocado on sourdough. Gotten away form energy bars. As I have gotten older they just gross me out, ie they make me feel crappy after I eat one. I like to carry an apple or two, some nuts (specifically walnuts and almonds). Not a fan of gorp anymore either.

One newer (for me) and really effective addition to may snacks are Stingers. Gummy honey treats that really help when you have been hammering all day and your muscles need some sugars. I notice a difference in less muscle fatigue within 15-20 minutes.
I still will often carry a roll up of almond butter and honey.
I like to have a tin of sardines in mustard sauce if I know I can rinse the can when I am done. I like Port Clyde brand. Wow, I sound pretty set in my ways...
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby Lefty » 07 29, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Jhg wrote:,,,,,,,
I like to have a tin of sardines in mustard sauce ,,,,,,,.
those or the chili pepper :D
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Re: What's in your elk pack part 3 - Sustenance (Food and Dr

Postby dotman » 07 30, 2018 •  [Post 12]

SPAM!!! Found I love this stuff so no more tuna. Jerky, fruit snacks, bars of some sort and a few candy bars.

Started taking a nalgene and drink one or two 32oz hydrate and recovers with one energy and focus, makes a big diff in how sore I feel in the mornings. Dropped my bladder down from a 4L to a 2L and have been well served for a number of years by a home made sawyer squeeze filter gravity filter system.
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