After having a few Peak Refuel meals I will never eat another Mountain House. WAY better ingredient list, less sodium, FAR more protein and they actually do not taste all the same.

That said, Beef Stroganoff is (was) my fave).

I would get some Peak Refuel. I have had almost all of them and they are delicious.

 

After having a few Peak Refuel meals I will never eat another Mountain House.

That said, Beef Stroganoff is (was) my fave).

I would get some Peak Refuel.

Thank you. I figured out where they are avail.

 

I'm with pcstockton on Peak meals. They have had them on Camofire on sale a few times recently and IMHO they are much better tasting and like mentioned the sodium is less in almost all their meals. Another option that I have liked is also Backpacker's Pantry, I really like their Pad Thai - if you like Pad Thai its pretty darn good and also pretty low in sodium. Another good one is their Santa FE style rice and beans with chicken or even their stroganoff isn't bad.

 

Peak- Beef Stroganoff, Fettuccine Alfredo, Homestyle Chicken, Pasta Marinara

Mountain House- Chili Mac, Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken & Dumplings

 

I forgot about the chick and dumps. That one was pretty good. That said, Peak Refuel all the way these days. I haven't had one I didn't like yet.

They have so much more meat in them and most are well over 30-35 grams of protein.

The Biscuits and Gravy are really good. Just make sure to break up the biscuits (they come completely whole), and use more a bit more water than directed. The stock instructions make a fairly "stiff" gravy.

 

Freeze dried food always seemed rather expensive for what you get. Top Ramen and canned chicken has been a less expensive backpacking food for me. Pita bread and olive oil are great. Sliced fried spam for breakfast is spectacular when backpacking.

 

Beef Stroganoff and chicken and dumplings.

 

Live off the land .God invented camp meat (🥩 )

 

Big fan of chili mac, their biscuits and gravy is pretty good. The biggest key with any of the freeze dried meals is to try them before going out in the field. Nothing worse than being hungry and having to choke down something you realize doesn't taste very good.

 

I think Peak Refuel is somewhat better than Mountain House, but I still like Mountain House. The Peak biscuits and gravy are pretty darned good. I find Mountain House is better if you keep it boiling on low heat while it rehydrates. I don't just add hot water and wait. I've had bad results that way. Same for Peak but more so for Mountain House. I like the Mountain House Weekender Kit. It's a handy box with 2 days' worth of food for one person. Same with the Mountain House Expedition Bucket. That one is four days' worth of food for one person. For both brands, the pouch says 2 servings but a single pouch really only feeds one person. My daughter really likes the Mountain House granola, but it's granola. You could get away with any box of granola and some non-fat dry milk. It's tastier than some granolas, but not enough to justify the extra bucks. I make pretty good granola in my kitchen for very low cost. But it's included in some of the kits. I enjoy the breakfast skillet from either brand.

 

I realize this is not an answer to your question but my experience with freeze dried meals is that whenever you make a major change to your diet, such as you do when eating meals like mountain house all day, your gut doesn’t like it. Consider mixing in some things your body is used to but are easy to pack. Also, check the calorie counts on the mountain houses. A certain meal might sound good but may not sustain you as well as others.

 

Being gas powered while in the mountains can be helpful! Truthfully, this happens every time. Just got back from a 6 day adventure in the backcountry and it didn't take but to the end of day 2 for me and my buddy to have serious GAS! No gutache or upset belly. Just lots of farts. Gas aside, I've found Peak meals to be pretty enjoyable for the most part.

 

I like MH. Chicken and rice, chicken and mashed potatoes, most of the Italian type dinners, beef stew. For a while I was having horrible heartburn and acid reflux after eating it. Turns out I was very dehydrated and there just wasn't enough "juice" in my stomach to digest the MH. The key for me has been drinking a LOT of water and eating a couple hours before going to bed. It wasn't the MH.

There is another brand I tried a few times. Not Peak I don't think. It was fairly awful, vegetarian stuff, and the beans did not soften up very well even with soaking. Whatever that is, if you find it, avoid it.

 

I really like the new kung pao chicken from mountain house. Like others have said I lean more toward the peak meals they use less water if that matters much to you.

 

We did taste test of some of the Peak meals last night. Thumbs up on the chicken alfredo and Beef stroganoff. The bean and chili mack was so bland, there was no chili. It will fill you and that is about it - thumbs down. I liked the sweet Pork and rice but it was a thumbs down by my son, he said it was too sweet. Another thing I noticed is that the two of us, hungry, polished all 4 off and my son went for more food. He is pretty active and 17 so I am not sure you can ever fill that void.

 

I think Peak meals are overrated. I bought a bunch of them at the advice of the internet and they're alright, but not noticeably better than Mountain House IMO. I personally don't notice any difference stomach-wise between the two.

For Mountain House: Beef Stroganoff, Chicken and dumplings, Biscuits and Gravy and Breakfast skillet are all solid.

For Peak: Biscuits and Gravy, Strawberry Granola (freaking delicious), and Home style chicken and rice.

Midway USA has some awesome deals on both brands from time to time and typically you can get free shipping as well.

 

Beef stroganoff and biscuits and gravy are my go too. Chili Mac is super good as well, but you may get some gnarly farts

 

Another biscuits and gravy for me as well. Bimart just had a sale on all Mtn house for $6.99, and picked up four more.

 

Chicken and mashed potatoes is my favorite MH meal. I've had peak and they are pretty good, with better macros than MH. MH is cheaper. And so am I, so I eat mostly MH.

 

I tried them both.. one is way way salty....other is sallltttayy. Chkn teriyaki will kill you. I immediately had reaction and got a lil puffed up...my hands were a bit swollen..my throat was uncomfortable. I usually have this reaction from artificial aste additives.
Not for me.

 

This is my favorite. Just signed up on their website for 20% off your first order with free shipping.

I've eaten Mountain House as a main meal for two weeks at a time and never had a problem. Bi-Mart will often have these on sale.

 

Mountain House
Chili Mac
Beef Stroganoff
Spaghetti
Lasagna

I buy the Two Serving packs and eat it as one serving.

I tried Peak Refuel, can't remember the flavor.
I found it way over-salted
Maybe I got a bad batch ?