As someone who loves heading out for the entire day, or even the entire weekend, it means I have to plan every aspect of my trip.
What kit do I need?
Where will I stop to sleep?
Am I taking my tent or will I bivvy?
What food should I take?
Obviously, the key things to consider when taking food, especially on a longer trip are weight & size, but you also don’t want to take something that could be likened to dog food (and it does happen!). Though anything can taste great after a day of walking in howling wind and rain, it’s a scientific fact.
Summit to Eat offer a wide range of meals, filled with natural ingredients and freeze dried after cooking. So all you need to do is boil up some water, pour it in and wait (there’s a handy fill line inside the packet which means you can’t overfill), they’re lightweight, fill you up and taste great too.
When they sent me a breakfast, dinner and dessert recently I headed out with a friend and we put them to the test before and after a long walk through the New Forest!
Breakfast
|
|
So the product I was sent for breakfast was Scrambled Eggs with Cheese. I have to admit I was dubious about this one… I wouldn’t eat scrambled eggs with cheese normally, and definitely wouldn’t choose it over sausage and beans, so the thought of a dehydrated version filled me with dread. Described as ‘a tempting blend of creamy scrambled egg with our delicious cheese sauce’ the sauce aspect was definitely noticeable. Not sure whether perhaps I didn’t mix it as well as I should have, but I ended up with lumps of egg (which were very like scrambled egg) and lots of liquid cheese sauce which I wasn’t such a fan of, but that comes down to personal preference I think! It tasted good though, and would be filling in the morning with a massive 30.8g of protein and 469 calories! |
Dinner
|
There are 8 main meal options in the Summit to Eat range, and they have a good mix of vegetarian and non vegetarian meals. You’re bound to find something that you like! I was sent the Vegetable Chilli with Rice (a favourite in other dehydrated meal options I’ve tried) and the Summit to Eat website describes this as a ‘house favourite – smokey chipotle chilli sauce enhanced with dark chocolate and surrounding chunky vegetables. Heartwarmingly great.’ And it was! This meal was super, it mixed well and was very filling. It also tasted lovely and didn’t need anything adding (though I tend to add Tabasco to everything because I’m a fiend). It comes in at 513 calories which will fill you up, and also weighs 136g when dry, so won’t make your pack too heavy! |
 |
Dessert
|
|
For dessert I was sent Rice Pudding with Strawberry. Summit to Eat describe this as ‘scrummy strawberry pieces in a luxuriously sweet, creamy rice’ and it was actually nicer than we thought. Despite it not being a meal I would usually choose as I don’t like rice pudding, it was actually really nice, there was a good amount of strawberry too which helped! I don’t tend to buy dessert camping meals generally, and only ever had them in cadets as they came as part of the ration packs, but this is one I would definitely consider in future if I wanted one. |
And on top of this?
Summit to Eat also stock a HUGE range of other freeze dried products that you could take on expeditions, from cheddar cheese to blueberries!
Perfect for adding to meals when you’re off on a longer adventure or want to make something from scratch but don’t want to be weighed down/can’t chill things!
The verdict?
These meals were light, took no time at all to make and aren’t too expensive either at £5.50 a pouch.
Summit To Eat sell 2 day festival kits as well, which feature 2 x breakfasts and 2 x mains. Which would also be a great option for a weekend expedition, and you save some money by buying them as part of a kit.
If you want to know more then follow them on social media below!