Before You Go Judging Cold Soak Meals, Read This
Updated: Jun 11, 2021
Whether you're backpacking for the weekend or for six months on the Pacific Crest Trail, you don't want to be worrying about how to cook your food, and you definitely don't want your pack to be any heavier than necessary.
Here are 3 reasons why cold soak meals are the move! Don't worry, you can cold soak and have your hot meal too.
1. One less thing to worry about
If your only mode of meal prep is heat, and you're going for long stretches on the trail, most likely you'll need to carry extra propane. Typically, a 4 oz. MSR fuel canister will be enough to boil water for two people over four days depending on elevation, the time of year, temperatures, and wind. Less than ideal conditions can end up requiring three to four times as much fuel as boiling water in the summer months. The type of stove you're using can also effect the amount of fuel needed.
What if you've just hiked 15 miles, motivated by the warm meal that awaits you only to discover you've run out of propane? Cold soaking your meals first, is a game changer for fuel usage.
If you're putting in long days on the trail, most likely you'll be taking a mid day break to have a snack, air out your feet, and change into dry socks. This is the perfect time to start cold soaking your supper.
Pour the dry contents of your meal into either a titanium BOT or plastic lidded container, or simply remove the tear top from your Mountain Mama Meal. Add enough water to completely cover the ingredients. Securely seal the pouch or container. Give it a shake and let it do its thing over the next few hours while you're hiking to your sleeping destination for the night.
Once you get settled at camp, your food has already cooked via the cold soak method and you simply need to use enough fuel to warm it up. And, the good news is, if you should find that you've actually run out of fuel, you can still eat the meal cold. It may not be the hot meal you were hoping for, but at least it will nourish your body and fill your belly.
2. Time saver
Imagine, awakening after a well deserved slumber and all you need to think about is the trail ahead. And, the reason that's all you need to think about is because you were smart enough to cold soak your morning meal overnight. Cooking your breakfast while you sleep is not only efficient, it's brilliant.
While you're stretching your rested limbs, you can decide whether you feel like firing up your stove or not. The choice is yours! Do you want to get out of your tent or simply stay in your cozy sleeping bag and gobble up your cold soaked Mountain Mama Peanut Butter Banana Oats? Either way, your breakfast is cooked and ready for consumption.
Remember, even if you choose to eat it hot, you're simply warming up an already cooked meal, which requires less fuel and less time. This will allow you to fill your body with quality calories and get back on the trail to do what you love.
3. Keep it simple
Cold soaking offers simplicity in many ways. After a long day of grueling trail miles, you'll be tired on multiple levels. There's something to be said for the peace of mind you'll have knowing there's no need to unpack your stove and wait for water to boil. Knowing that you can satisfy your hunger by simply opening a food pouch. Nothing else to think about except for filling your belly and catching the much needed shut eye you're so looking forward to.
Depending on where you're hiking, there could be fire bans due to wildfires. If you're a rule follower you know that means you're not supposed to use your camping stove. Which won't be a problem if you have backpacking food that can be cold soaked.
Stove-less meals will also reduce delicious smells from carrying through the air, signaling bears that it's supper time. Although you will still need to properly store your food, cold meals can keep you safer by minimizing the scent of your dinner wafting through the woods.
These days anything goes as far as the weather's concerned. No matter what time of the year it is, expect the unexpected.
If a storm rolls in and the rain suddenly pours down, you'll be beyond grateful to have a back up plan. You can take cover inside your waterproof tent and enjoy a nutritious Mountain Mama Meal, even if it isn't a warm one.
The best of both
It's always nice to have options, and if you're able to have fuel and a compact stove, while also having foods that cold soak efficiently, you'll be fully covered.
Having the convenience of cooking while you hike, allows the most time consuming part of making a meal to be completed before you even set up your tent. Then, if you're too tired after hiking twenty miles to consider unpacking your stove and waiting for water to boil, you have the option to simply eat it as is. Test it out at home before you hit the trail, but remember, after countless miles on tired weary feet, that cold meal could be the best thing you've ever tasted.
Comments