Summary:
Rating: 3 of 5 long handled spoons
Ease of prep: 4 of 5 spoons (will have to reduce water amount)
Possible Hacks: add paprika, packets of salsa, bacon bits, jerky; bring a biscuit or flatbread to add more bulk
So that I can remember what backpacking meals I like and which ones I had, I am going to write short reviews of them here with notes on how I prepared them & potential hacks to make them better.
I had planned a camping trip this week but I ended up canceling my reservation because the low temperature is near freezing, it’s been raining a deluge & all the hiking trails have been closed, and I have a three season tent. I decided it wasn’t the best idea to go. I am probably still going to drive to the park I was going to camp at to get out of the house & check it out, but the trails will likely still be closed.
I had stocked up on backpacking meals. I like to eat a meal at home at least once to make sure it’s not absolutely revolting, or if it tends to say it needs more water than it actually needs.
This morning I decided to try out the Summit Breakfast Scramble from Backpacker’s Pantry from the comfort of my own couch since I could not be out on the trail.
It’s described as “scrambled eggs, red beaks, cheddar cheese and peppers.” The directions say to put in 1 cup of boiled water and stir, seal and wait 8 minutes, then stir again and wait 7 minutes. I found it was still pretty soupy after that, and waited another 5 minutes. It was still pretty soupy, so next time I will try reducing the amount of water. The taste wasn’t bad, and it could have been eaten just that way, but I wanted scrambled eggs, darn it. I tossed in some shredded cheddar that I had in the fridge to see if it would thicken up any, and it didn’t really. I added a packet of Sonic salsa for a little extra kick and ate it.
Not the best breakfast ever, but it would be fine in camp or on the trail.
Thinking out loud, so to speak: Should I make a rating system/matrix? I think maybe this would be 3 out of 5 long handled spoons – not bad, not great. Inoffensive, but I am actually still hungry, so would likely need to plan to supplement this with something if I was planning on being active. It wasn’t difficult to make, but I have to reduce the amount of water a bit. Unless I add jerky to soak in the rest of the water an rehydrate, which will add some protein to it. From past egg based experience, I know adding paprika is a good step, though I skipped it this morning.
Would I buy this again? Yeah, unless I find like some holy grail of breakfast scramble in a bag that becomes my go-to.
Skulleigh.com 