I’ve been using the Firepot meals from outdoorfood.com on my trips for well over a year. I first saw them on Twitter or Instagram, I think, when their distinctive orange packaging seemed to be everywhere!
Since succumbing to peer pressure and giving them a go, I’ve taken them up mountains, along the coast path and away to sea. I’m not really sure why it’s taken so long to write up a review, but I was reminded after the Top of The Gorge festival last weekend, where I was fortunate enough to meet the owner of the company, and I have to share the love of these with the outdoor community!
“Dehydrated food? But that’s awful stuff”, I hear you proclaim!
Well, not any more.
Until I came across the Firepot meals, I was forever taking military style boil in a bag meals away with me. A classic, a staple even, having spent so many years in the cadet forces, but they start to get heavy when packing for multi-day trips.
These meals weigh far less, at little over 100g for a regular size meal, they taste great too and are packed with natural, healthy ingredients. With around 500 to 600 calories per meal, they are designed to keep you active for longer, and they certainly do. There’s a range of meal options from Beef Stew to Porcini Mushroom Risotto (my favourite) and they even cover breakfasts, with their ‘Posh Pork and Beans’.
As I said, I’ve taken these everywhere with me, even sharing them on occasion when there was too much (they really do fill you up) and every person I’ve spoken to has said the same thing. They taste great, and pack well. When I complete my Drakensberg Traverse, I will have to take enough food for 15-ish days, and so they will really need to be as light as possible, and I can’t think of anything better than these meals!
They are fairly pricy at around £6.50 per meal for a regular portion (extra large portions are available too at a higher price of around £8.50), but for me it’s worth it to have a meal that’s light and tastes good.
You get what you pay for, as they say!
Another bonus? They are so simple to make. This comes in handy, especially at sea when everything is rolling around. Cooking on a gimbled stove is an art I have finally mastered, but in rougher seas it can just be utterly impractical, and this is where these meals are fantastic. Simple to make, no mess, no fuss and no washing up! On the back of the packaging you will find the instructions with a fill line for your specific meal. Simply boil your water, add it to the packaging to the fill line, stir, reseal and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then, you’re good to go!
As I said, I have been using these for well over a year, which is a testament to how well I get on with them. I still take the odd boil in the bag meal out with me (you can’t beat a dirty MOD corned beef hash sometimes) but these are just fantastic and I can’t wait to see how the brand develops over the coming months and years!