For me, backpacking and eating usually goes one of two ways: I take the time before hand, shop diligently, and prepare each meal meticulously for my trip, or, five minutes before I leave I’m scrambling through my fridge/freezer/cupboards looking for things I can “cook” in the wilderness. Most of the time it’s the latter. Who am I kidding? Nearly ALL of the time it’s the latter. Thankfully for guys like me, there’s Mountain House Meals. Yes, usually I cringe when I hear the words “freeze-dried food.” I at one time swore off all freeze dried food- barring some sort of apocalyptic, brain-eating zombie scenario, of course. But that was before I was introduced to Mountain House. As far as lightweight, backpacking grub goes, Mountain House might take the cake (no pun intended). They’re incredibly easy to make- just add water an they’re ready to go in about ten minutes. Their variety of flavors keeps things interesting on long trips, and they’re more then palatable- some are downright delicious. However, my one suggestion would be to double the suggested portions, as one portion rarely does the job- particularly on a backpacking trip. Alternatively, you can stretch them out by adding a rice and bean mix (I like Vigo’s). I particularly like the Chili Mac with Beef and the Beef Stroganoff meals. So next time, take the guess work and prep time out of backcountry cooking and just kick down for some Mountain House.