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Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Bridgford - Sweet Baby Rays Beef Jerky > Test Report by Mark Thompson

BRIDGFORD BEEF JERKY
TEST SERIES BY MARK THOMPSON
LONG-TERM REPORT
March 07, 2013

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Mark Thompson
EMAIL: markthompson 242 at gmail dot com
AGE: 48
LOCATION: Parker, Colorado, USA
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 6' 0" (2.10 m)
WEIGHT: 190 lb (86.20 kg)

Outdoor adventures started for me at an early age, my passions have grown to include backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing, cycling, skiing and snowshoeing. Most of my adventures presently take place in Colorado's amazing Rocky Mountains. For trail hikes, my pack typically weighs 15 lbs/7 kg (summer/fall), 25 lbs/11 kg (winter/spring) and trail speed ranges from 2.5 - 4 mph (4 - 6 km/h) depending on elevation gain. For backpack trips, my pack weighs 40 - 45 lbs (18 - 20 kg) and my trail speed drops to 1.5 - 3.0 mph (2 - 5 km/h).


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Bridgford Foods Corp.
Year of Manufacture: 2012
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.bridgford.com
MSRP: US$ 23.94 ea
Listed Weight: 3 oz (85 g) (contents only)
Measured Weight: 3 oz (85 g) (contents only)
Measured Weight: 3.5 oz (99 g) (contents and package)

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INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

I found the packaging and appearance to be consistent with quality packaged foods and, with three stated servings per container, I was pleased to find a reseal-able package. Although, I must admit, whomever can make this product last for three servings has a ton more will power than I (but more on that later). In the sealed package, the product does not require refrigeration, but does have a recommended "Best Before" date.

TRYING IT OUT

I freely admit that I do not have the greatest amount of will power, so even before writing this Initial Report, I grabbed a bag of the Honey Chipotle and took it with me on my climb of the Second Flatiron, near Boulder, Colorado, USA. Only later did I read the package to find that each bag contains three servings. Other than a couple pieces shared with my climbing partners, I consumed everything (well, not the silica preservative package) inside the bag. Yes, it was delicious!

SUMMARY

I have resisted the temptation to dive into a bag of Bridgford's "Original" flavor, but the Honey Chipotle was delicious. So far:
Pros:
- Zero grams of Trans Fat!
- Good source of protein
- Zesty taste without stomach irritation
- Great packaging for the outdoors, including the resealing feature

Cons:
- There is a significant amount of sodium per serving, but this isn't much of a con considering the amount of sodium required by the physical demands placed on the body during high exertion activities such as backpacking.


FIELD REPORT


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Over the past few months, I have sincerely enjoyed consuming Sweet Baby Ray's Beef Jerky on many adventures throughout Colorado, including:
- Backpacking along the Colorado Trail (early winter conditions)
- Ice Climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park and at the Lake City Ice Park (very cold but mostly sunny, temperatures ranged from 0 to 20 deg F (-18 to -7 deg C)
- Hiking up MT Audubon (sunny and cold with too much wind)

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

I am not really sure why, but I had actually not given serious consideration to beef jerky as a trail food prior to this test. Over these past few months, Sweet Baby Ray's has "enlightened" me. I have really enjoyed the product!

As a trail food, Sweet Baby Ray's Beef Jerky is wonderfully tolerant of temperature extremes. I did note some pieces did become mildly harder with the obscenely cold temperatures in Lake City, but the temperature didn't have nearly the effect on the beef jerky as other trail foods such as energy bars or candy bars.

The honey chipotle is wonderful with a bit of a zing. It certainly woke up my mouth on my colder adventures! I don't typically like spicy food when the outside temperature is hot, so I expect that I will keep with the original barbecue flavor during hot summer hikes.

In compliance with Federal Regulations, the nutritional value is stated on the packaging. It states that there are 2.5 servings per package. I found that to be rather accurate as it would take two to three eating rest stops to consume a package on the trail. I did not attempt to use the product as a main meal per se, rather as an "on trail" snack. Like many of my friends, I prefer to eat several times during the day when I am on an outdoor adventure. Typically, I find that it is hard for me to eat enough during the typical three meal-a-day setting without feeling like I ate too much or ate so much I don't feel like getting back on the trail.

SUMMARY

Sweet Baby Ray's Beef Jerky is simply delicious! The product is consistently tasty, easy on my stomach and fully met my expectations for "keeping the motor running" on my outdoor pursuits. Well Done!

A sincere thank you to Bridgford Foods Corp and BackpackGearTest.org!

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.

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Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Bridgford - Sweet Baby Rays Beef Jerky > Test Report by Mark Thompson



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