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  • #31
    Wldrns-
    I like your suggestion of adding the water to a bag. I'm all for less clean up! I could transfer my Vittles to a freezer bag and try this method out. But, what exactly is a cozy? I know what a cozy is for my beer can, but what are you using for this set up?
    *************ENDLESS WINTER**************

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    • #32
      Originally posted by adkdremn View Post
      Wldrns-
      I like your suggestion of adding the water to a bag. I'm all for less clean up! I could transfer my Vittles to a freezer bag and try this method out. But, what exactly is a cozy? I know what a cozy is for my beer can, but what are you using for this set up?
      A cozy is an insulator placed around a container to keep it warm. I use a small bag I made from some scrap fleece. It doubles as a carry bag for a small alcohol stove and pot, which is all that is needed to boil a small amount of water. Anything like that will work. You can even use a jacket, but be cautious of doing this in bear country - you don't want odors on your jacket to attract critters.

      Sometimes I eat from a ziplock bag, sometimes I just use a small pot instead. The inside of the bag gets messy, but you can roll it down and store the "empty" in another bag. After eating from a pot I clean up by heating a small amount of water in the pot, swish around, drink, repeat until clean - the LNT method. Another option is to use an insulated plastic mug with a lid, often available in dollar-type stores. Wipe clean when finished, hang in the bear bag.
      "Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." -Walt Whitman

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      • #33
        Would aluminum foil work? Remember when your mom wrapped your can of soda in aluminum foil on school field trips to keep it cold?
        *************ENDLESS WINTER**************

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        • #34
          Originally posted by adkdremn View Post
          Would aluminum foil work? Remember when your mom wrapped your can of soda in aluminum foil on school field trips to keep it cold?
          I don't think so. How are you going to wrap a hot ziplock bag in foil? It wouldn't insulate enough anyway.
          "Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." -Walt Whitman

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          • #35
            Originally posted by Wldrns View Post
            Oh, I forgot to mention I don't follow Linda's rehydradion method exactly. I boil water and pour it on the food, either in a cozied pot, or right in a freezer weight zip-lock bag placed in a cozy. That way there is no cook pot clean up or danger of burning while bringing to a boil. In a ziplock there is zero clean up if you lick your spoon clean. My method does require sitting in a cozy for 20 minutes but I prefer not having to watch a pot of food while I set up camp or whatever. Personal preference - Either way it all comes out the same in the end.
            Thanks for the heads up. Since I hadn't had any real opportunity to time test with the soaking in the bag, I just used her directions as far as customers go. I intended to field test a lot of them on my South Dakota trip.

            Hawk
            "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." Lyndon B. Johnson

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            • #36
              Originally posted by Wldrns View Post
              A cozy is an insulator placed around a container to keep it warm. I use a small bag I made from some scrap fleece. It doubles as a carry bag for a small alcohol stove and pot, which is all that is needed to boil a small amount of water. Anything like that will work. You can even use a jacket, but be cautious of doing this in bear country - you don't want odors on your jacket to attract critters.

              Sometimes I eat from a ziplock bag, sometimes I just use a small pot instead. The inside of the bag gets messy, but you can roll it down and store the "empty" in another bag. After eating from a pot I clean up by heating a small amount of water in the pot, swish around, drink, repeat until clean - the LNT method. Another option is to use an insulated plastic mug with a lid, often available in dollar-type stores. Wipe clean when finished, hang in the bear bag.
              I've made cozie's for my pots out of those automobile Sunshades, the silver ones that have the insulating layer between. I've found them at tag sales.

              One of the ideas I have been hashing around if the cooking in the bags worked out was making and selling cozies made for the bags.

              I'm not sure but I think at one time Chris (Percious) was selling cozies for pots if so he may still be doing it. he was making pepsi can stoves as well.

              Once I get back from SD I'll be trying and offering some other things. Snack Packs with homemade crackers and spreads and some other interesting innovations. First thing i need to do is get an Excalibur Food Hydrator so i can do more volume and keep up with orders. Thats my bottleneck now, dehydration time.

              So, Hawk Vittles is developing regularly. I'm learning as I go myself.

              Thanks for the support.
              Last edited by redhawk; 06-03-2007, 09:22 AM.
              "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." Lyndon B. Johnson

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              • #37
                Originally posted by redhawk View Post
                So, Hawk Vittles is developing regularly. I'm learning as I go myself.

                When is the IPO?
                "There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star agleam to guide us, And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go." -from "The Call of the Wild" by Robert Service

                My trail journal: DuctTape's Journal

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                • #38
                  I intended to field test a lot of them

                  Sounds like a tough job need any help?
                  Let there be peace on earth and good will toward all.

                  "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."

                  William Shakespeare

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                  • #39
                    Originally posted by redhawk View Post
                    Once I get back from SD I'll be trying and offering some other things. Snack Packs with homemade crackers and spreads and some other interesting innovations. First thing i need to do is get an Excalibur Food Hydrator so i can do more volume and keep up with orders. Thats my bottleneck now, dehydration time.
                    I was at Cabelas in Phoenix a few weeks ago and saw one of these. I was very tempted to bring it home, but it wouldn't fit in my carry-on luggage.

                    I was very interested to see how it compares to the Excalibur. Cabelas carries them also but did not have any in the store on display at the time.
                    "Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." -Walt Whitman

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                    • #40
                      Originally posted by Little Rickie View Post
                      I intended to field test a lot of them

                      Sounds like a tough job need any help?
                      Another home made cozy I saw was just one of those foam cups you put over an outside faucet for the winter. The ones I saw in the hardware store had a protective plastic shell on the outside. Would probably work very well, but in truth the simple fleece bag I use keeps a cup of boiling hot food still too hot to eat without blowing on it after 20 minutes.
                      "Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." -Walt Whitman

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by Wldrns View Post
                        I was at Cabelas in Phoenix a few weeks ago and saw one of these. I was very tempted to bring it home, but it wouldn't fit in my carry-on luggage.

                        I was very interested to see how it compares to the Excalibur. Cabelas carries them also but did not have any in the store on display at the time.
                        You can get a good nine tray Excalibur, with the Teflon trays, on off switch, and free shipping for $209.00 here

                        That should be sufficient for any home dehydration.
                        What I like about the excaliburs is the heating element and the fan in the back. Easier to remove the stuff that's done , you don't have to worry with liquid spill or pieces from the food messing up the fan or heat element. It is also more efficient since the air circulates over all the food evenly. with the bottom units, the top trays don't dry as quickly as the lower ones. Plus the square trays have no center hole and are easier to load and unload and you get more surface. I figure that baby will allow me to do four times as much dehydrating in the same time as my current unit.

                        Maybe when I get back we can start a thread on food dehydrators.

                        I'm considering putting a forum on line (with the future Hawk Vittles website) dealing strictly with dehydrating and trail cooking.

                        hawk
                        "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." Lyndon B. Johnson

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                        • #42
                          Well... I spent 5 days in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area last week. (Then I went to Grand Rapids and Valley Forge and NJ for business... sigh...)

                          Anyhoo, I'll post a trip report later when I get time, but I wanted to share our experience with Hawk Vittles. YUMMO! I think I gained weight on this trip. (We had trout with dinner most nights, too.) The Shrimp & Cappellini is definitely my favorite. The Cowboy Pasta is my second favorite - it's very hearty. We had that after a bushwhack trip over to Burge Pond and back. My friend Dave liked the Sausage & Peppers best (and he's a very picky eater...). Wait, maybe that's my second favorite. The Crab Fettuccini is delicious, too!

                          All were a snap to prepare. They didn't use a lot of fuel and clean up was quick. They all taste just like homemade food. The portions are just right. Packed weight is as follows in case anyone is wondering:

                          Shrimp Cappellini - 7 oz
                          Cowboy Pasta - 9 oz
                          Crab Fettuccini - 7 oz
                          Sausage & Elbows - 9 oz

                          These portions are for two people. I made garlic bread and topped with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. I felt like I was in a fine restaurant. Except the view was better.

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                          • #43
                            Just got back from another overnighter backpacking trip. Again Hawk's spicy chicken made its appearance. Shall I recommend an abruzzese sausage and vermont cheddar antipasto while Hawk's vittles come to a boil. I only wish I had some nice red wine to go with. Maybe next time... but heck I am out of Hawk's Spicy Chicken, I will have to try the Sausage and Peppers then and order some more Spicy Chicken.

                            Oh, I tried the boil water and cozy with the ziploc and it worked fine, I don't recall how long I waited as I was enjoying my appetizer. Came out great though.
                            "There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star agleam to guide us, And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go." -from "The Call of the Wild" by Robert Service

                            My trail journal: DuctTape's Journal

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                            • #44
                              The UFC

                              While all of the Hawk Vittles were great and two of any one items fed five of us....
                              ... the hands down favorite was the SouthwesternChili/MediumHotChili that we mixed together. That is some DAM fine chili...anywhere !
                              If you have five campers and you get down to the last cup of this chili...make sure you have a knife.
                              sigpic

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                              • #45
                                Had my first taste of the Vittles this past weekend in Panther Gorge. Friday night it was the Peanut Soup. I used the bag method with an old fleece hat as a cozy. I used one freezer bag and one Ziploc. Not sure what brand the freezer bags were, but I had some minor leakage unless I unknowingly spilled some between the two bags. The soup was great!
                                Saturday night was the Devil's Gate Crab Casserole. This time I made it in my pot. I used a little too much water which may have diluted some of the flavor, but was still very good. And these are definitely two servings! Unlike the big name dehydrated meals that say these serve two I had trouble finishing off my Hawk Vittles. Very hearty serving sizes!
                                Will be back to buy more and recomend to those of you on the fence. Great stuff!
                                *************ENDLESS WINTER**************

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