Mountain House Meals

Mountain House meals are freeze-dried meals packaged in a single bag for backcountry enjoyment. The company makes breakfasts, dinners, sides and desserts, all lightweight and compact — perfect for stowing in your backpack and taking with you into the wilderness.

Not all Mountain House meals are created equal. Some, like the Chili Mac, are fantastic, while others, like the Beef Pho, are less inspired.

One of the issues with Mountain House — and frankly, with similar companies — is that the meals are low calorie. Often, a packaged meal for two will have only 250 calories per person. If you’re hiking all day, you’re going to need a lot more than that to stay full.

And the bags are too big. The food is relegated to the bottom third of the bag, so your entire hand and wrist have to go into the bag to scoop out a mouthful. That means you’re getting really dirty without any easy way to get clean. If you’re going to eat these meals, do yourself a favor and buy an extra long spork to go with them.