meals

How to Make Trail Meals Without the 12-Dollar Pouch Tax

by

One freeze-dried dinner pouch at REI now costs what a whole crockpot meal costs at home. Twelve dollars for a bag of pasta and powdered sauce that feeds one person — that is the “pouch tax” backpackers pay for convenience. Run the math on a season of two-day trips and you are spending $150 to … Read more

Peak Refuel or Mountain House? The Trail Food Math Nobody Runs Before Shopping

by

The Number That Decides Your Resupply Box Every freeze-dried meal roundup argues about taste. Taste matters, but the number that decides whether a resupply box is worth the money is calories per dollar — and almost nobody runs it before checkout. I ran it across the two brands that dominate the freeze-dried aisle this October, … Read more