FBC Cooking

[Joe Medlin]

So in the gear section I got a wealth of knowledge in my search for best practices on trail cooking and best practices for gear selection (best for me I should say).

I thought I would step into this forum to ask a more direct question (less about gear and more about technique). For those of you who have used a true FBC method and pour your boiling water into some kind of pouch do you do anything to make that ‘easier’ to eat? I’m fine with eating out of a ziplock (I know others are not and that’s completely understandable) but in particular the process of adding water to a ziplock

Do you put your bag into something solid (perhaps a cozy) or just try to hold his ‘floppy’ bag with one hand and pour (near) boiling water with the other? Or do you put your ziplock into something to give it a bit of structure?

Do you put your bag into some sort of a cozy for the hydration process?

Do you put your bag into some sort of cozy to eat out of to give it more structure to eat out of?

Do you roll the edges of the bag? Do you cut the edges of the bag to roll (rolling the bag is not so easy especially given the inside has that food/soup on it)?

[Peter Treiber]

I just set the bag down.  I use a kettle, which easily directs the boiling water away from the fingers holding up the bag.  Once it’s done cooking it’s not boiling anymore.  I just hold the bag in my hand and use a long-handled spoon to eat.  And so should you.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I’ve made a Velcro closing “cozy” from light polyester fleece I bought at a fabric store. Been using it for many years and especially in winter it helps retain the heat long enough to “cook” the food for at least 15 minutes, which is usually the max “cook” time required.

My cozy is very light and easily washed.

[Joe Medlin]

So the stock cozy doesn’t keep water temps warm long enough (15 minutes) for hydration?

[JCH]

MYOG Reflectix cozy with a square bottom sized to fit the bag perfectly and is stable sitting upright on the ground.

[Matthew / BPL]

I have two responses to the OP’s Q:

1. I use a Toaks 550 pot to boil water and then pour the water into a quart sized ziplock. I don’t really have a problem pouring water into the bag. Then I shake out any excess water and put the ziplock into the mug. I put the mug down, zip the bag most of the way closed, push out excess air, zip the rest of the way and put the lid on if it fits. When it’s time to eat, a quart freezerbag will just barely invert over the edge of the pot and I eat out of the pot. It works really nicely.
2. More recently I discovered pint-size freezerbags. These are more wide/rectangular. I find these to be a much easier size for eating from.

[JCH]

Here is something I’ve been trying lately…

I made a reflectix cozy for my Toaks 900 pot. I can cook and/or rehydrate directly in the pot, or put the FB in the pot and cozy.   Either method seems to be working quite well.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

BTW, my home made fleece cozy is a BAG COZY for a 1 quart freezer bag, not a pot cozy.

I do have a neoprene/fabric cozy made by JetBoil for my 2 liter JB pot. It’s a bit scorched but still works. I use it in winter but only on a MSR Whisperlite Universal with white gas.

[Russ W]

For adding water, I do this holding the bag upright and supporting on the ground or a rock, being very careful not to scald my fingers. Then gently push to top of the bag down to remove most of the air, zip it up and lift it up by the top of the bag and place it in the cozy.

For eating, i pull the FB completely out of the cozy, fold the top of the bag down and hold with my fingers.  My problem with eating out of a cozy is that inevitably I’ll dribble-drabble food or liquid on the cozy, inviting issues with varmints and such. I generally consume the entire portion before it gets too cold. Probably a personal messiness issue.

[JCH]

I *hate* eating out of the bag…FBC, Freeze Dried, whatever.  It’s messy, I drop food on the ground and my folding long spoon and knuckles always get gunky.  And forget trying to eat with light fleece gloves on when it’s really cold.

I have taken to packing the required number of very light paper bowls.  When the meal is ready I empty it out of the bag into the bowl and eat my meals like a human being.  You can find super light (cheap) bowls at the grocery.  They can be flattened for packing and regain their shape quite nicely.  When done with the meal just fold it up, slip it into the FB and then into the 1 Gal trash ziplock.

Eco-friendly?  Probably not.  Makes the meal about 300% more enjoyable? Absolutely!

[Gary Dunckel]

For what it’s worth, a Mountain House Pro Pack foil zip bag will fit perfectly inside a Jetboil Sol cup. The top will fold over the cup, and you have a handle to hold it while you eat. Another trick is to leave about 1/2 inch of hot water in the pot, which will help keep the food warm while it hydrates. The JB cozy does the rest. So don’t toss those Pro Pack zip bags. Take them home and wash them well for later use with other FBC meals.

[Grzegorz Przeorski]

I used Reflectix and fleece bags but I found that http://bigskyproducts.com/big-sky-insulite-food-pouch-cozy.aspx work best for me.

 

[Eric Blumensaadt]

JCH,

Eating out of a bowl is OK as long as it’s not too cold. Otherwise in near zero temps a FB cozy  is the way to go, even for cooked food like freeze-dried omelettes. I just slide them from my one-egg skillet to the (now rinsed out) FB inside the cozy. A little ketchup or BBQ sauce and/or drops of hot pepper sauce and I’m in hog heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

[tom lakner]

Hi, I’ve been using one of these for years now.I added a couple of velcro strips to hold it closed better.https://www.antigravitygear.com/shop/cozy-collection/antigravitygear-pouch-cozy/

TomL

 

[Chad P]

I pour my boiling water in the bag and let sit. I don’t care much for pouches so I use my fleece hat as cozy. Sometimes if colder I’ll roll it up in my sit pad or toss my jacket over it. I eat straight from the bag with small to normal size spoons with little issue. I also opt for more simple meals that would be less messy m.

Just bought freezer ziplock bags the other day and noticed most of them have a square bottom now should be very convienent for eating. Though I’m no stranger to paper plates as well haha. Depends on the trip and purpose.

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