Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board salami/cheese

Does anyone take cheeses or meats backpacking? We've heard a lot of people do this but we want to know specifically what kind and where you get them (since everything we've seen requires refrigeration).

Thanks!
Ann

Whenever I take cheese, I use those individually wrapped string cheese sticks. And I eat them by lunch the second day. (I don't know, but they might last longer.) For meat, you can get summer sausage in a store's deli section, which is not refrigerated, but requires refrigeration after opening. So I eat it with the cheese.

For anything longer, I take canned sardines, or fish in those foil pouches. I tried smoked salmon in the pouch, and didn't like it. Tuna is good, though.

In years past, I usually tried to pack crackers to go along with the meat and cheese. But this year, I got fresh pita bread. It works better than both crackers or regular bread -- I like the taste better, AND it doesn't suffer from being mashed down hard in a canister.

I just finished 8 days on the trail and took Sharp cheddar Cheese and a summer suasage. Both said refrigerate after opening. I ate them for three or four days. I tried to make sure my pack was not left in the sun. Since I was above 10,000 feet the temps are cool if the pack is in the shade. No problems and tastes great. I noticed others with Cheese on the trail also.

Last summer on the JMT, we came upon a PCT hiker who was suffering terribly from food poisoning -- He couldn't make it the 100 ft to the stream to get water. We got water for him and gave him electrolytes, and others on the trail were planning to notify the LeConte canyon ranger.

The sick hiker thought his problems were from the sausage getting too warm.

Also last summer, we met another older hiker just returning to the trail (same day we encountered the other sick hiker). His partner bailed to Bishop, then had to go home, due to the same problems. In the hospital in Bishop, his BP would not get back up to normal range.

So be careful about keeping those meats cool!!!

Failure to clean up after wiping is a more likely culprit.

The processed food (cheese, salami) is so highly laden with killing chemicals, it's safe to eat. Though, I would not leave it in the sun, mainly because it's a slimy mess if you do.

Ever heard of jerky?

Dollars to doughnuts the guy who was pukin probably showers 3x a day and never really allows himself to get dirty and build up his immune system. If he has one.

We enjoy Gallo dry hard salami on most short trips. Also we take jack cheese but it does get soft if it gets warm. We now usually carry the string cheese that is wrapped individually. These usually stay cool enough in the bear canister. Just be aware of hot weather and don't rely on these for a long period.

The Gallo, cheese and some hard sourdough; what a snack for the trail!

WALT, You're bringing back memories of 'yore for me, esp. the unsliced hard sourdough loaves, enjoyed at a stop with a great view and the sound of bubbling/gurgling water, and maybe a little breeze sound through the trees........

When my niece lived in the Philippines, we would ship cheese to her in a un-insulated box via the slow boat. I am sure it took more than a week to get there and she never had any trouble with it.
Someone tell me if I am wrong, but weren't the cured meats and cheeses contrived as a means of preservation before refrigeration? Aren't they still used in third world countries that don't have refrigeration? I'm just wondering, Maybe someone more informed can shed more light on it.

Albertson's and Stater Bros. both sell packages of 1 oz portions of medium cheddar. I've used them for years - up to 17 days in the Sierra. Never any spoilage problems - but I do try to keep them buried in the pack out of the sun and direct heat.

Spam, don't forget about the single serving packets of SPAM, oh, wonderful spam...

I always bring summer sausage and salami. I've had it for a week without refrigeration but use common sense. Those are usaully on trips with ccol weather high up. For short trips bring whatever you can carry. I tried underwood chicken in a can for the 1st time this year. That was breakfast in Crabtree meadows. Spread it on small totilla's which fit perfectly on the bottom of a bear cannister. It was different but easy with no cooking. Meat like substances taste ok after a week in the backcountry. Another vote for individually wrapped string cheese. Had good luck with those for several days this year. Of course I'll eat anything on the trail. I finished off my 6 day old summer sausuge at trailcrest and was passing it around to strangers. I sure hope I didn't cause any emergency wag bag incidents.

Salami and cheese are what I ate for dinner most nights when I hiked the JMT years ago. While it is possible for salami to go off it's not that likely. If you're paranoid you can buy the Gallo salami packages as they do not require any refrigeration prior to opening and are good unopened for months.

We Americans by and large are afraid of cheese. We wrap it up and put it in the refrigerator as if it were a dead thing. Depending on the variety a good block of cheese can last a while unrefrigerated. Really stinky soft ripened cheeses are best eaten early on in the trip. Those little string cheese packages are convenient but the provolone contained within is unremarkable. Go with a better cheese.

Gallo Italian dry salame chub, any good brand of sharp cheddar cheese and your favorite hard french bread. The dry salame does not need refrigeration until it is cut into (it will actually last a day, maybe two, after it's been cut if stored in air tight zip lock bag).

This is my lunch on all week long white water canoe trips and hikes.

I like to get the smaller packages of pre-sliced salami, pepperoni, etc. They don't need refrigeration until you open it, and it's such a small package that it's good for a single meal, maybe make it into a snack, but not much more than that, say 12 oz or so. It's vacuum sealed and doesn't have a lot of extraneous packaging.

A new discovery for me this season was those individually wrapped laughing cow cheeses (not the baby bells). The come in little individually wrapped cubes, don't need refrigeration, and are a semi soft cheese, so they spread nicely on your crackers or pita bread and are great for putting some of that pouched chicken on top of.

In scouts we used to just take a can of spray cheese and share it between two people for lunch! We'd take a can of devil ham and a sleeve of Ritz crackers, and it was perfect! We didn't much care about weight back then!

FYI, Hard block cheese like a wedge of Parmesian or Asiago keeps for a long time in a baggie. Whittle off a few shards and place on top of any cooked meal... adds flavor and calories...usually take one or the other along on any extended trek.

Laughing Cow is the French version of Kraft American "cheese". It's a processed cheese, more like latex rubber than actual cheese. The lack of a requirement for refrigeration is it's primary virtue. You could also use it to mark your path (the Kraft version is probably visible in the dark). If you like it more power to you. But there are so many excellent cheeses that to eat this stuff, nevermind actually carry it on your back for miles, is nearly criminal.

I'm sorry, but laughing cow cheeses are no where near kraft american "cheese" as you put it. The variety I liked best was the semi-soft swiss style cheese. Oh well. I enjoyed it better than hard cheeses and still didn't have to worry about it going bad in my pack after 3 days. To each his own.

You're right, Laughing Cow isn't equivalent to Kraft Singles. They are both "pasteurized process cheese" but at least Laughing Cow is made from 100% cheese, unlike American cheese.

The things I noticed when I bought some for a week-long backpacking trip were that the texture was poor and the taste was just about the same regardless of what the individual package said. I threw them all into the garbage and took a couple of real cheeses with me, some Gouda and some Appenzeller.

EP I love a good cheese, and it seems that you do also. Since a good cheese is a living thing, why all the fear of it going bad in a day? I have limits.. limburger for instance, but there are sooo many fabulous options out there why eat the bland Vevlveta style cheeses.

I can only speak in regard to the cheese issue. I'm a cheddar freak. From April 28 to Oct. 6 1979 I thru hiked the Appalachain Trail. From day one till the last day on the trail I had Cheddar with me. I always bought it in brick form and carved off what I needed. I bought whatever was aval. Everything from run of the mill Kraft, to nice hand carved wedges of hoop cheese I'd find in some of the small town country stores. Never had a problem with spoilage. Even during a 12 day span between resupply stops. Even during 90 degree days in New York state. Always kept it in its original wrapper stored in a zip lock. Cheeses are loaded with good enzymes and other goodies like nisin that help keep the microbe load low.