Exogeny Network ™

The Taste of Camping

Get the down & dirty on foods prepared for survival, camping, & backpacking

 With the limited number of individual products currently rated, they are divided only by their rating. 

Currently the lists are: Total Winners, Keepers and Ughs.

Criteria for the foods are that they are suitable for backpacking and do not require refrigeration before being prepared.

They must also be prepared in under 30 minutes with minimal cooking needs.

How do we do it?

During the taste tests, the foods being tested are prepared according to the directions on the package, on an actual campstove, and then sampled by the participants and scored on the following:

• Texture
• Taste
• Appearance
• Serving size
• Ease of Preparation
• Cost
• Nutritional Content (primarily calories per serving, protein, carbohydrates, sodium, & fat) Our "target" range is based on RDA's with sodium at 25% or less and protein at 25-50%. Calories vary according to whether it is a side dish, ingredient, dessert, or main dish.

Typically, we conduct the tests at a local park using a variety of camp stoves, also illustrating the variety of stoves for campers & emergency preparation available on the market. We use a typical low-cost 4 person mess kit for preparation, and the foods are sampled by the testers using paper plates and their spork. Any food containing pieces that need to be cut are cut into bite size pieces by the preparer prior to sampling for ease of serving.

Costs are another important consideration.  We rate costs according to serving size (per the packaging) and it works like this:

• Dirt Cheap (under $1 per serving) = $
• Inexpensive ($1-3) = $$
• Moderate ($3-4) = $$$
• High ($4-5) = $$$$
• Expensive ($5+) = $$$$$

We also include "home" versions of easy-to-prepare meals assembled from products available to people to put together their own meals using a vacuum food sealer, dehydrator, resealable bags, grocery store offerings, long term storage dehydrated foods, etc.

Our members & taste testers range from experienced backpackers to novices that have yet to go on their first camping trip, as well as a variety of ages from seniors to infants.  Our testing panel does not include any vegetarians or vegans, and we omit responses from those with food allergies that prevent them from sampling a particular food.

Our best reviewed products are on the right...and the worst, known as the bottom of the barrel...are below.

Ughs

Rated as Don't-Ever-Buy to Gut-Wadding (that translates to I-could-eat-if-thats-all-there-was)

This is the bottom of the barrel, the worst ratings due to taste, texture, and/or nutritional content.

Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki with Rice--too sweet, unpleasant pasty texture, unappealing flavor, too salty, unpleasant appearance. This one failed just about everywhere and it was a universal failure with only the flies spending time there before it was tossed. $$

Provident Pantry Chicken flavored TVP--at its best, it's sweet wet cardboard. At its worst, it makes you want to gag. Sweet & salty, rehydrated according to their directions makes it disgusting in both texture and flavor. It's best use was sprinkled on just before eating ramen noodles.  $

Provident Pantry Peanut Butter Powder--This is actually peanut flour, and yes, you can make a paste with it that resembles peanut butter.  It adds peanut flavor, but as peanut butter, it got a big thumbs down.  It also didn't work well in peanut butter cookies.  Best use is probably as an addition to recipes for its protein content.  Not easy to use in anything anyone likes. $

Total Winners

These are the foods that were universally rated as "really loved" or "liked a lot."  This is also the ones that members went in pursuit of to put in their own food storage, backpacks and emergency kits.

Mountain House Blueberry Cheesecake--This was really good with real blueberries and a cheesecake flavor that beat a lot of restaurant offerings.  Even those who never regarded desserts as important found this one worth adding to their list. $$

Mountain House Grilled Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes--The chicken tasted totally fresh, actually grilled even.  The guys rated the 2 serving package as really only a single serving though.  Make sure you follow the directions or your patties will not rehydrate properly, but when the directions are followed, it's a total winner!  $$$

Mountain House Garden Green Peas--they taste like fresh peas, well worth adding to your pack as  a side dish. $$

Provident Pantry's Dehydrated Refried Beans--rehydrated, they taste just like canned beans.  Easy to prepare, easy to serve.  Total Winner. $

Mountain House Beef Stew--this is the classic freeze dried meal but it comes with dependable flavor.  Who can hate beef stew?  We only wish for a little less salt!  Don't leave home without it, and don't leave your emergency kit without it either. $$$

Idahoan Mashed Potatoes (all flavors)--these come in envelopes and are complete, just add boiling water.  Great flavor, easy preparation, and familiarity make these a classic addition to the backpack or emergency kit. $

Keepers

Rated as Good to Pretty Good

Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Bacon--Okay, they look like giant cheese puffs, but once rehydrated according to the directions, they were pretty good!  Just don't forget to pour off the excess water.  Granted, they are potable water hogs, because of pouring off about 1/4 c. of water, but if you are desperate, you can drink the water too.  If you don't drain them, it's not so great, more like soup.  The flavor wasn't bad, there was ample bacon flavor, and the bacon bits were well distributed through the whole.  Not quite homemade, but many thought they tasted better than rehydrated dry eggs scrambled with bacon.  Add a little hot sauce or some cheese, and yum!  Single serving package. $$$

Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix--Easy to use, just add water, with consistent quality and flavor, it provided a base for pancakes, steamed cakes, and fritters as well.  Worked better than other complete pancake mixes with more consistent quality.  Inexpensive and readily available. $

Mountain House's Chili Mac--A backpack classic, it's one of those middle of the road meals.  Not everyone loves chili anything and some like it hot--this isn't hot, but it has some chili flavor, plenty of meat, and was filling.  Mild on the spice, die-hard heat lovers may want to add some Tabasco. It's a great meal to add to your pack though.  $$$

Provident Pantry's Dehydrated Hash Browns--Not so easy to prepare, but tasty.  Good texture, bland flavor unless dressed up. $

Provident Pantry's Freeze dried Vegetables for Stew--easy to add to boiling water, moderately easy to prepare, okay flavor.  Great to jazz up ramen noodles or make fast soup.  $

Instant Rice (any brand)--classic backpacker's salvation, it's also a great addition to your emergency kit.  It is versatile, bland, familiar, easy to prepare, and easy to digest.  It can be used to stretch a meal or as a side, or to thicken a soup.  $

Quick Oatmeal (any brand)--classic grain product, it can also be cooked by merely adding boiling water and waiting.  Additions of fruit, nuts, or spices can jazz it up, and it can also thicken soup. $

Ramen Noodles (any brand)--classic cheap college student fare, it works well in emergency kits and backpacks alike.  They can be eaten as-is, or easily prepared by adding hot water and letting them sit, they are also a great addition to quick soups.  Everybody will eat them, with or without the seasoning pack. $

Provident Pantry Butter Powder--It's not the real thing, and it won't melt, but it really adds buttery flavor and the buttery look.  Best with some added oil during reconstituting, which is hard on the trail.  Worked better than sticking a stick of butter in your backpack, for sure.