Seafood on the Trail

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Living in the Northwest I also have a strong affinity for seafood. I also crave rich pasta-centered foods after a long day on the trail. As luck has it, putting these two ingredients together for light, easy to prepare meals on the trail is possible by commercially available products from the Pacific Northwest. Modern packaging methods provide quality salmon filet products in foil containers. Two such products are from Seabear and the Portlock brand made by Trident Seafoods in individual packets. These packages vary in species, size, and preparation method. Seabear offers 3.5 ounce fillets of smoked king and sockeye species, and un-smoked pink salmon...

@JimG breaks down backpackable seafood options that might help to diversify the food bag for your next trip. Take a look in Issue 27:

Backpacking with Packet and Boiler Bag Seafood Meals

Issue 27 Page 1

[Dogwood]

Enjoyed Jim Grob's piece on seafood, an often forgotten meat protein source applicable for backpacking. It's dear to my heart too as a pesce vegetarian. As a less expensive substitute for the salmon packets he discussed one might consider Starkist brand Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2.6 oz packets with a higher overall caloric content in a 2.6 oz packet with a higher cal/oz ratio and as good protein grams  verse a 3.5 oz salmon packet. One might also consider Bumble Bee brand Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil in 2.5 oz pouches in  asst tastes - Chipotle, Sundried Tomato, and Jalapeno.     

[JimG]

Thanks...it was a fun piece to put together. I had not heard about these other products. I found them on the web at Bumblebee and Starkist site just now, but not for sale...except for the Starkist yellow fin...but oddly just at one web site.

Have you bought and tried these?? Most interested in your observations!

I agree completely that the cost of my preferred Sea Bear and Tuna products is high.........would love to find similar at better prices. :). Jim

[Dogwood]

While at the TH in Olympic NP embarking upon a several day coastal hike of the PNWT  a family of four ending their camping/hiking trip asked me if I wanted any of their leftover food. I took four of those  Backpackers Pantry Pesto Salmon Pasta dishes and two more of those Seabear Wild Salmon pouches. Ate like a salmon noshing king on that trip. Never knew how much they cost until I wanted to buy more at an REI.  They are my kind of food.

Closely repeated the situation when a party of three were leaving Cottonwood CG in GC NP. Hey want any food? We brought too much(what else is new?). Wadaya have? Just these. Yeah, I'll take them all. Didn't have to head back to the North Rim for another resupply. Yeah!       

[ppine]

Week before last we had frozen lobster tails packed in dry ice.

[Dogwood]

Well, that surely tops the 5 crawfish I caught in a stream to add to a pasta dish on trail.  

[Dogwood]

Not fresh but considerably  more trail friendly are the Badia brand  .5 oz packages of small size dehydrated shrimp found in the spice or international food aisles in mainstream grocery stores, Asian and Latino grocery stores, and even at Wally World. They require about 10 mins of soaking to plump back up a bit. They are nice to add on trail as something different to entrees where the meat isn't the center of the entree. They can be eaten as a somewhat salty snack  too. About a packet and a half, .75 oz, adds that firm chewy texture,  added protein, and taste to something like a Knorrs/Lipton Side that's not common. The smaller meat portion might appeal to those not focused on large amounts of protein from meat. They go well with powdered  coconut milk, some nuts or PB, curry, ginger, and cilantro in rice or noodle dinners. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Badia-Dried-Shrimp-.5-oz/10311638        

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

That looks like an interesting find, thanks for sharing. At first glance I honestly might lean towards steering clear but sounds like a pretty decent review. 

[ppine]

I went on a sea kayak trip once in the San Juan Islands of WA.  We brought a crab trap and a fishing rod.  That was some good eating and it did not come out of a foil pouch. 

[Dogwood]

But did you catch and eat shrimp...where the texture resembled recycled chewing gum?