Product Review: Right on Trek’s Chicken Coconut Curry

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Lots of folks have tried to reinvent the wheel. A select few succeed in their own way, and I think I found one of them.

When I worked in outdoor retail around the turn of the century, dehydrated meals for outdoor recreationists were coming into their own. They offered convenience and were widely available. However, brands were few, selection was limited, and overall quality was uninspiring. 

Over 20 years later, not much has really changed in that industry. There are more companies on the scene offering more flavors, but in my opinion, nobody has moved the needle much on quality. Until now, that is. 

RightOnTrek

An email landed in my inbox in January, from someone asking if I’d like to write about RightOnTrek’s eco-friendly backpacking meal packaging (a finalist for 2023 Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards). 

After a little investigation, I came to understand their “bio-based” packaging is actually compostable. I appreciated this innovation. I hate plastic, and especially the thought that all the dehydrated-meal packaging I’ve used since 2001 is probably still in pristine condition in a landfill somewhere.

Why not, I thought, and indicated I’d like to try the Chicken Coconut Curry flavor at the next opportunity. 

I was warned ahead of time of the main caveat: RightOnTrek’s meals have to be prepared in a pot, as opposed to inside the bag (forever the industry standard). This is because of that compostable packaging. Not a problem for me, as I normally pack a small pot on my adventures. 

RightOnTrek Chicken Coconut Curry, BWCA, dehydrated food, backpacking meal

Right on Target

About four miles into my recent wilderness canoe trip, I finally had the time and place to give Chicken Coconut Curry a proper trial. With components laid out and the minimal directions understood, I fired up my stove. 

Water came to a boil in no time. Simmering water-plus-ingredients was supposed to take three minutes. Sounds awfully short, I thought, but that was accurate. 

Done. Easy and fast. 

The provided cashews and peanut butter were stirred in, and sriracha drizzled on top. Since it was such a hot day, I let it cool a few minutes while I tempered my expectations. 

Turns out there was no need for that. In a word, it was outstanding. Far better than I expected or even thought possible. The texture was perfect, and spices were vivid. The sriracha was a nice touch. And I loved what the cashews and peanut butter added to the experience. Altogether, it was stacked with layers of rich flavor.

I knew right away it was, hands down, the best such dehydrated meal I’ve ever had

Right on the Money

“What’s the catch,” you may ask. Other than cooking this product in a pot, the only drawback might be shelf life. This kind of product is usually shelf stable for decades, but who really needs that? I mean, I don’t buy food that will sit around for the next 20 years.

RightOnTrek rates theirs for a 12 to 18-month window (I’m told that’s because ingredients are air-dried, for quality, rather than freeze-dried). Sounds short by comparison, but similar to the groceries we buy every day. That’s reasonable. 

In weighing other factors against longstanding brands, I believe RightOnTrek comes out on top. 

First, you’ll see those other brands are suffering from “shrinkflation,” if you’re paying attention. Some claim that a package with 500-600 calories is now two servings. That’s ridiculous. Everyone knows that’s likely to be just one person’s dinner. 

By contrast, my Chicken Coconut Curry was rated for one serving, at 560 calories. An honest amount, especially after a day of physical exertion.

Second, RightOnTrek’s ingredients list is the most straight-forward I’ve ever seen, and sodium is at a reasonable level. Many ingredients are organic.

Third, RightOnTrek’s pricing is in line with—or better than—the rest of the industry. My curry meal, along with most other dinners, is listed at $8.99 on their website. At my local REI, other companies’ (2 serving) meals in similar calorie ranges are mainly priced from $10 to $12. 

Now, I’ll admit my own experience is so far limited to one flavor. But I doubt if it was a stroke of luck, as Backpacker Magazine picked RightOnTrek’s Bechamel Mac & Cheese as the best rehydrated macaroni and cheese of 2022.

I look forward to trying more flavors from this made-in-Montana company. And the sooner the better.

RightOnTrek Chicken Coconut Curry, BWCA, backpacking meal, best dehydrated food

Product Review: Irish Setter VaprTrek Boot

It all started in 2014. A great pair of leather boots had given up the ghost and I needed something new. Another pair of leather boots seemed a good idea, but with all the walking I do in the bird hunting season, I didn’t want anything too heavy. One boot caught my attention, marketed as light in weight and tough as nails. I’d never owned anything in kangaroo leather before, so who was I to doubt their claims? 

Well, I should have. Astonishingly, I wore those boots out in just one October. The leather in the toes completely disintegrated, and the waterproof layer underneath could clearly be seen. I regret to this day I didn’t take pictures, but I was livid as I packed up the box. I wanted them out of my sight. Ever since then, I’ve been in search of a boot that could stand up to the way I hunt.  Continue reading “Product Review: Irish Setter VaprTrek Boot”

Do Something New: Quarter and Pack Out a Deer

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I’ve long dreamed of hunting in the mountains, spending days climbing, glassing, and stalking. This kind of trip has always seemed quite accessible to me, except for one aspect: getting the meat out of the woods. It would be impractical to expect to drag a deer back to the truck. Foolish, really, and out of the question with an elk. So that would mean quartering and packing the animal out. This is nothing to the hunter on horseback, or even one who is accustomed to doing it. Continue reading “Do Something New: Quarter and Pack Out a Deer”

Product Review: 2004 Ford F-150 Heritage

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“It’s a work truck. You’re a smaht guy.” Those were the last words spoken to me by salesman Sean, through the truck window, as I drove my F-150 Heritage off the lot in April of 2004. After I rolled the window up, my wife and I looked at each other and wondered aloud what that was supposed to mean. It seemed nonsensical. We laughed and shrugged it off, but never forgot that moment. I’m not sure what made those words so immortal, whether it be their cryptic nature or because it was fun to say “smaht” in our best manufactured Massachusetts accents. Either way, they stuck with us. After fourteen and a half years, however, Sean’s absurd adieu now seems strangely prophetic.  Continue reading “Product Review: 2004 Ford F-150 Heritage”

Product Review: Sea to Summit X-Pot

It all began a year ago when I received a funny-looking thing for my birthday from my brother and his wife. “It’s a pot for cooking; we thought it would be good for your hiking and camping trips,” she explained. I had to examine it a bit to understand what it was: a collapsible cooking pot, made of aluminum and silicone. With no backpacking or canoe trips in my immediate future, I put it away with similar equipment (and apparently almost forgot about it). Continue reading “Product Review: Sea to Summit X-Pot”

Book Review: Three Mushroom Guides

Every year on social media, there are people looking for suggestions for good mushroom guidebooks. While browsing the internet or (especially) the bookstore, it becomes clear that some books are not put together well, some are not good for Eastern U.S. foragers, and some are just plain junk. While I’m not saying these are the three “best” books on the market (a pointless judgment call, really), I will describe what I like about each and why I would recommend each.  Continue reading “Book Review: Three Mushroom Guides”

Product Review: Sawyer Mini Water Filter

When I decided to take a short ice fishing trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, I had a problem where water filtration was concerned. I have historically used a pump-type filter, but I didn’t consider this an option for this outing; even though the temperature was forecast to be above freezing during the days, the night temperatures would certainly imperil anything that would be damaged by freezing. Likewise, I couldn’t expect to keep containers of water on hand, so whatever amount of water I treated would have to be used in a short time. I decided that I would be able to keep something- if small enough- warm in interior pockets by day, and in my sleeping bag with me by night. What I didn’t know was how many different options there are now for water filtration/purification. Continue reading “Product Review: Sawyer Mini Water Filter”