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

BWCA Entry Point 52: Saved by Gillis Lake

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What do you get when you take a pandemic-weary man, work him nearly to exhaustion, cook him in the sun, and feed him a couple fish?

A question for the ages, no doubt. In order to learn the answer, I left home hours before sunrise on May 18th. My destination was BWCA Entry Point 52, Brant Lake- somewhere I’d been trying to go for over a year. Continue reading “BWCA Entry Point 52: Saved by Gillis Lake”

Minnesota Camping Online Resources

Camping on our public lands is not limited to state park campgrounds. Far from it. And that’s a good thing, because those campgrounds can get a lot of traffic. Trying to find information on camping opportunities across all the state and federal lands can be real work. Below are links to online resources I’ve found…so far. The more I look, the more I find. This is good news to those who wish to utilize our public lands to the fullest. But as always, wise and ethical use is crucial for ensuring these opportunities exist for years to come. Now get outside! 

State Agency Resources

Minnesota State Parks offer an incredible diversity of camping experiences, including drive-in sites, backpacking sites, cabins, lodges, yurts, tipis, and more. 

State Parks

MN state statute 6100.1250, Subparts 1 and 3

State Forests have developed campgrounds, and also allow dispersed camping for those who know the rules. 

State Forests

MN state statute 6100.1250, Subparts 2 and 3

Wildlife Management Area camping is not allowed in most cases, but some primitive sites are available on large, more remote WMA lands. Call area wildlife management offices to determine availability and location. 

Wildlife Management Areas   

-MN state statute 6230.0250, Subpart 7: “A person may not camp on or remain in a vehicle overnight in any wildlife management area, except by permit or where posted for this use…”

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area is under federal supervision within the Superior National Forest, but the State of Minnesota has, interestingly, passed laws pertaining thereto. 

MN state statute, Chapter 6140 

Federal Agency Resources

Chippewa National Forest has developed campgrounds, backcountry sites, and dispersed camping

Chippewa National Forest camping page

Superior National Forest has cabins, campgrounds (developed and rustic), backcountry, wilderness, and dispersed camping

Superior National Forest camping page

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a unique wilderness experience, open mostly to canoeing and backpacking. Permits are required, and necessary to maintain the wilderness for all visitors. 

BWCA page 

National Wildlife Refuges don’t generally allow camping.  

Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge allows what is essentially dispersed camping, with some restrictions.  

 

 

 

My Public Lands: 2018

After the Public Lands Day rally at the state capitol rotunda last year, it seemed like a good idea to keep track of my public land usage until the next rally rolled around. I normally visit a lot of state and federal public lands throughout the year, but never kept a record, and so never really knew the extent of my own personal use. My mission to document my outings proved not only enlightening, but also spurred me on to go new places and try new things. 

The following is a visual representation of my visits- as well as my varied activities- on Minnesota’s public lands since last April. You may notice that not every single day or visit is represented by a photograph. For instance, some photographs represent an activity carried out on several different parcels, at noted. Likewise, some outings occurred on many different days, such as foraging in Chippewa National Forest and George Washington State Forest throughout the summer and fall. I only wish I had remembered to bring my rally sign with me every time; regrettably, there are some gaps in coverage. 

Our public lands, as you can see, are important to me throughout the year for camping, fishing, hunting, foraging, educating my children, and much more. If you are so inclined, please consider joining the Public Lands Day rally at the Minnesota state capitol February 7th, at 3:00. Thanks, and get outside. 

C.C. Andrews State Forest, Kettle River

Sucker fishing and camping, Cloquet Valley S.F. and CC Andrews S.F., April 2018 Continue reading “My Public Lands: 2018”

Wilderness Food: Forager’s Fish Soup

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We had a great trip to the BWCA last week. My main goal was to catch and eat fish, and the first one (my wife’s first lake trout) fit the bill perfectly. I had tentatively planned stops at other lakes to fish for brook trout and splake, but the weather forced us to make choices that prevented it. Total time spent fishing was not what I’d hoped, but that’s why we don’t count our successes until afterwards. Persisting through the rain was a triumph in its own right, and fish soup was our reward. Therefore, I considered our time on Crystal Lake a resounding success with a lunch of lake trout soup and supper of fried walleye. Continue reading “Wilderness Food: Forager’s Fish Soup”

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”

BWCA Entry Point 64: Crystal Lake & more

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For my fortieth birthday, I told my wife I’d like to take the river fishing float trip I’d been thinking about for over 5 years. As spring approached, I started to think critically about this plan, and realized that bad weather could turn a good river trip really bad in a hurry. On a river, we’d have a starting point, a destination, and a finite time to reach that destination. Rain- especially of the relentless kind- would not only make that time miserable, but potentially dangerous. Shifting the trip to the Boundary Waters would not only give us flexibility in terms of dealing with the weather, but also a chance to get into the lake trout that had successfully eluded me over the winter.

Game on.  Continue reading “BWCA Entry Point 64: Crystal Lake & more”