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Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Setton Farms Pistachio Berry Blend > Test Report by Theresa LawrenceSETTON FARMS PISTACHIO-BERRY MIX Test Series by Theresa Lawrence TESTER INFORMATION
I have more than 15 years of backpacking experience. Day hikes and 2-3 day backpacking trips take place on most weekends throughout the year while longer trips are only occasional. I backpack predominantly in mountain terrain (Coast Range, Cascades and Canadian Rockies) with the goal of summiting peaks. Activities I use my gear with include mountaineering, ski touring, rock climbing, kayaking, biking, trail running, Search and Rescue and overseas travel. I like my gear to be reasonably light, convenient and simple to use though I would not claim to be a lightweight hiker. PRODUCT INFORMATION
DESCRIPTION As this was my first acquaintance with Setton Farms, I went to their website to find out what they were all about. I learned that Setton Farms is a large family owned corporation in Terra Bella, California that grows 'premium quality' pistachios. I enjoyed exploring their website, which had a lot of information about their facilities and operations. The website presented a number of videos that showed their commitment and dedication to their partners, consumers and the environment. I was really quite impressed. About the actual product I am testing, there was very little information on the website. However, the packaging did present the content very well. So, as the name suggestions it is a trail mix of pistachios and berries. Ingredients are listed above and the mix comes in a convenient sized resealable plastic package.FIRST IMPRESSIONS While not unusual, I was disappointed to find artificial color and flavors listed in the ingredients. I've always wondered what such products would look and taste like without these. I believe this only pertained to the white 'chocolate chips'. On the other hand I loved the fact that the nuts were all salted. There is nothing more disappointing than unsalted nuts after a long and sweaty hike. I thought the addition of white chips, somewhat unconventional to the sister chocolate chip, was unique. I like the idea and can't wait to try them. Sweet and salty sounds appealing to me, as do all the dried berries and nuts listed. The size of the package is what I would describe as not being too big and not too small. It is also not too small an amount to make it worthy of a resealable bag. I anticipate using and needing that feature. The packaging is very smart looking. The colors are bold, the berries and nuts are shown in a very appealing state. I think it looks highly professional and is suggestive of high quality ingredients. It gives me no reason to doubt the product. The product has a decent expiry date, April or May of 2017. This is important as it gives the impression that it is still very fresh. The price point for this product and amount seems to be reasonable for the quality suggested on their website and packaging. SUMMARY I brought one pack of trail mix on an overnight hike to Otokomi Lake in Glacier National Park, Montana and the other on an overnight hike to Bertha Lake in Waterton National Park, Alberta. The total distance hiked from these trips was 36 km (22.4 mi) and the total elevation gain was about 1200 m (3940 ft). Temperatures ranged from 3 to 12 C (37 to 54 F). Weather was a mix of rain, sun and clouds on the first trip and sun and clouds on the second trip. Trail conditions were well maintained trails up to alpine locations. I was carrying about 40 lbs (18 kg) of weight in a 65 L pack. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD I thoroughly enjoyed eating this trail mix on the trail, as did my partner. It was difficult to share because it was so delicious. I felt the combination of salty nuts with sweet dried fruit and white chips was amazing. The ratio of white chips to everything else was perfect. Though, my partner thought there was too many white chips. He doesn't like sweet things, so we can safely ignore him. I will say it did not stop him from eating them with me till they were all gone. Yep, in one sitting on the trail. Granted, we were hungry having expended significant sweat and energy. I was pleased that I felt satiated for quite some time and full of energy that lasted me right through to my destination. The calorie ratio to weight is ideal for hiking and it looked as good as it tasted. SUMMARY The Pistachio Berry Blend trail mix was essentially all my favorite nuts and berries put together with white decadent chips. I thoroughly enjoyed this trail mix. It was a happy combination of salt and sweet. I thought it offered a great taste and was packed with the energy I needed for backpacking. I would gladly bring this trail mix with me on my hikes in the future. I have no suggestions for improvement, it was perfect. Likes - Good price for the amount and quality - Gives healthy and wholesome energy - Good weight to calorie ratio, ideal for hiking - High quality ingredients - Pleasing and appetizing ingredients - Packaging is eye pleasing and conveniently resealable Dislikes - Nothing! I would like more please. I'd like to thank Setton International Foods, Inc. and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to take part in this test series. Read more reviews of Setton Farms gear Read more gear reviews by Theresa Lawrence Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Setton Farms Pistachio Berry Blend > Test Report by Theresa Lawrence |