On a recent trip I found myself spending slot of time boiling water for my fbc meals. Add in filtering / treating water and you have a good chunk of time on your hands(I am makig the switch to a Sawyer for instant water- no Chems). I like fbc it is way lighterthan packig bars/non-dehydrated food, but it takes time. If anyone knows ways to speedup the process
besides rehydrating meats before a meal, let me know. Or I may hav to go back to eating while walking. Just curious, how many of you eat while hiking to be able to go farther?

Edited by isaac.mouser on 07/08/2010 15:42:39 MDT.

when hiking alone, i eat everything but my warm dinner while walking.. that's despite using hiking poles (which i sort of stow away awkwardly in my aarn pack). i do enjoy eating cold food walking, i must say.. ideally i'd only have cold junk food and eat it while hiking..

it takes me about 15 mins from stopping my hike to having food soaking in boiling water.. add another 10 for hydration. The longest time though is spent on eating 'cause i'm just slow.

The FBC meals I make for breakfast only need to have hot water added and few minutes sit time. I eat cold the rest of the day till dinner - but I am in camp when I make dinner. Boiling water is 5 minutes, 15 minutes in a cozy. Not sure how your meals are taking longer? 20 minutes isn't a huge gap of time - considering if you did actual cooking you would have boiling time, cooking time and then cleanup?

Or do you boil water for 3 meals a day?

Honestly....if I have hiked 15 to 18 miles in a day, by that point I am ready to sit down and take my time ;-)

Then again....while making your meal do other chores - make the most of your time. If your water is on to boil, then go fetch water for your bottles, set up your shelter if in camp, etc.

You shouldn't be using up more than say 40 minutes a day for cooking - if you count boiling/cozying time.

And ask yourself - if you are up at dawn and hiking till near dusk....does it really matter if you sit down for a short hour a day to eat? Enjoy the hike! Part of hiking is loitering - something many of us often forget......take a break by a lake, on a pass - enjoy the view. Take off your shoes and let your toes cool off while you eat!

Good points, i cook once a day(evening). On another point, do you wash all the excess FBC meal off you ziplock before you store it. They add up in weight if you leave particles of food/water on them.

I make sure I eat it all ;-) Then I can roll up my bag and toss it in my garbage bag.

We can recycle them at home...so I am known for washing them out when home (yeah, they stink but oh well).

the mistake i made was putting way to much carbs(potatoes, couscous, rice). I realized on this first FBC adventure that 1/4cup of carbs is plenty.

Im wondering if i need to boil water at all...I wonder if the meals will slowly rehydrate themselves in 70-85 degree water. I wouldn't mind eating meals that were'nt hot.

Edited by isaac.mouser on 07/12/2010 09:18:05 MDT.

I'm just packing up for a 35 day trip with 16 mile days on average.

I was indeed packing 1/2 cup of couscous per person per dinner.. same for rice. I arrived at this # by doubling the serving size shown on the pack.

1/4 cup couscous is only 160 calories for example. I tried eating 1/2 cup couscous or 1/2 cup rice at home and it was a bit difficult but I could eventually finish it (with ground beef added in).. so I figured it'd be just right on the trail after 16 miles.

I'm 5'11" and 140 lbs.

i thin ka 1/4th cup is plenty for me..im 5'9-10 150lbs

With carbs it really depends on the person - I happen to like more, some don't. So DO experiment. It also will go down if one is eating more vegetables or protein in the meal.

1/4 cup of couscous is a lot - but 1/4 cup rice isn't so do keep that in mind.

On couscous - yes it rehydrates quickly with cold water. No need to boil water.

So what is the hurry? I can easily do 20+ miles per day, and cook both breakfast and dinner. Those "leisurely" meals are part of the fun for me. I also manage to take a few rest breaks during the day.

I don't want to turn my hikes into "industrial engineering" processes.

Enjoy the trip.