Owner Review: Chicken of the Sea food pouches

Report Date: September 4, 2005

Navigation Reviewer Background Product information in brief Website Introduction Use and Design Field Performance Summary

Reviewer Background

I enjoy walking in all its manifold forms, from a simple stroll in the woods to multi-day backpack excursions. Though by no means an extreme ultra-light enthusiast, from spring to fall my preference is to carry a pack weight (before food and water) of 12 lb (5.5 kg), more or less. In recent years, I've rapidly moved to a philosophy of “lighter is better,” within the constraints of budget and common sense.

Reviewer Information

• Name: Edward Ripley-Duggan
  
• Age: 52
  
• Gender: Male
  
• Height: 6’ 1” (1.85 m)
  
• Weight: 215 pounds (98 kg)
  
• erd@wilsey.net
  
• Catskills, New York State
  
  

Product information in brief Manufacturer: Chicken of the Sea URL: http://www.chickenofthesea.com/ Product: Food pouches (various fish products) Year of manufacture: 2005 MSRP: Not stated Manufacturer's stated net weight (for Pink Salmon): 3 oz net weight (85 g). Measured net weight (analog scale): 3 oz (85 g) Package size, Pink Salmon, as measured: 4.25" x 6.25" x 0.25" (11 x 16 x 0.6 cm) N.B. pouch size varies from product to product, though most are in this range Varieties tested: Albacore Tuna, Pink Salmon, Baby Clams, Smoked Pacific Salmon, Crab, Smoked Oysters (also available, but not yet tried, are Shrimp and various other tuna varieties) Packaging: Foil pouch Special storage needed: None

Website

Chicken of the Sea offers detailed nutritional information for all its products (including these discussed here) on its website.

Introduction

I am (based on the comments of wife, family and friends) an excellent cook, but on the trail I eat very simply. I am not a big fan of “backpacking food,” those freeze-dried entrees etc. prepared specifically for the camping market. While some of these are wholesome enough, others variously taste odd, do not reconstitute adequately, or are simply not appetizing to me. The main advantage that they offer, that one can eat them from the packet and thus save washing-up, is pretty much obviated in my case by the fact that I carry a single small titanium kettle for heating water, cooking and eating, so my cleaning chores are truly minimal.

The pouches used for backpacking food are also rather substantial in size, and thus take up precious bear canister space. This packaging is also extra weight that I must haul in and out of a wilderness area, as well as a waste of natural resources. While the small foil pouches used by Chicken of the Sea (and other manufacturers offering similar products) do of course have some weight, they are very compact, take up little space, and once used can be folded down to a very compact size in the waste bag. I am absolutely sold on them.

Use and design

I first started to see foil-packaged fish products on supermarket shelves about two years ago. Previously, I had used cheese, dried Italian sausages, and the occasional small can of chicken or even Spam to add pizzazz to my evening meal (usually a Lipton meal or the equivalent). I find that my appetite tends to diminish while backpacking, at least on trips of the length I usually do (two to ten days), and so I do need some inducement to eat well. Doing so is important, as (at the very least) a solid evening meal promotes warm sleeping in cooler weather. However, a pasta dish with a few slices of sopressatta just doesn't make my mouth water at the end of a long day!

The Chicken of the Sea pouches are very easily used. Unlike canned fish, which is stored in a fair amount of water or oil, the contents of the pouches are generally pretty fully drained. The 3 oz (85 g) package of water-packed tuna is stated on the package to be equivalent to a 6 oz (170 g) can, and my experience tends to confirm this—one packet makes a handsome amount of tuna salad. There's no surplus liquid to haul in as there is with a can, and the associated issue "how can I drain this can without attracting bears?" is pretty well avoided.

The packages are small, slim and flexible, and (as noted) squeeze nicely into a bear canister. At the same time, I have found them very sturdy, and I have no concern that, short of extreme carelessness, I will puncture one prematurely. Opening the packet is simply a matter of tearing across at a precut notch. Once open, if I want a tuna or salmon salad, it is simplicity itself to take a small plastic pack of mayonnaise (of the kind offered by some fast-food stores), and squeeze it in and then mix it with the fish in the package using a plastic fork. The result, served with crackers or pita bread (I usually carry one or the other), is delicious. This also works well with crab (and, no doubt, shrimp, but I have yet to find this product in a local market).

For dinners, the smoked salmon is very tasty with a bit of cream cheese (which keeps well without refrigeration) and a bagel. Similarly, the combination of reconstituted flavored dried mashed potatoes with smoked salmon chunks is a favorite of mine (this is low cuisine, not haute cuisine). A packet of Lipton Teriyaki Noodles with crab or clams added is a delight (especially if one can find some wild leeks and greens to combine with the dish; I often augment my dishes with wild foods), and the same could be said for any number of similar combinations. Tasty gumbos, chowders, tuna casserole and all sorts of goodies are all easy to prepare with nominal cooking time.

What of nutrition? To take the Pink Salmon as an example (which is wild fish, not farm raised, according to the packet text), a single serving of a 3 oz (85 g) packet provides 90 calories, (30 from fat), and 15 g of protein (65 g are needed in a 2500 Calorie diet). Since salmon is a slightly oily fish, there are 525 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids (according to the package), which promotes good cholesterol. These pouches are a good source of healthy protein for the backpacker, as well as providing diverse and interesting flavors and textures.

A few items in this line of products are oil packed (some of the tunas and the smoked oysters come to mind) and these are handy for adding oil to the diet (an essential for good diet that is lacking from the diet of many backpackers). The amount included is not so great that it swamps the dish—I just empty the pouch straight into the pot, oil and all. This works well with (for example) cajun-style dishes or chilis.

Freeze-dried meats (available separately from some of the backpacking food manufacturers) are lighter still, of course, but need a good deal of soaking and cooking (thus consuming fuel, which partly offsets any weight saving) in order to be made edible. They are also, in my experience, hard to find and by no means cheap, and are probably none too good uncooked. I find good quality jerkies, dried sausages, cheeses etc. continue to be handy foods, especially for lunches, but the availability of fish in pouches has greatly improved and expanded my trail diet. I consider the development of this form of packaging to be a substantial boon for backpackers and hikers.

Field Performance

I have used Chicken of the Sea pouches here in the mountains of New York State (elevations to 5300 feet, 1615 metres) at temperatures down to a bit below freezing. I have found that even with those products stored in oil, there seems to be enough residual water to make them difficult to use if carried and stored on the trail well below freezing. Having said this, they will defrost adequately enough for cooking if kept for a few hours in a warm inner pocket. I've noted no issues with warm temperatures—I have exposed pouches to well in excess of 90 F (32 C) with no ill effects to the food or me.

Summary

The Chicken of the Sea food pouches offer a superior alternative to much of the standard backpacker fare. The quality and flavor are uniformly excellent in all of the products tested.

Pro

• Inexpensive and easily purchased.
• Light packaging, little surplus weight from water, generally no draining needed.
• Small pouches, flexible and easily stored in a bear canister.
• Can be eaten cold as well as hot.
• Easily opened by tired or chilled hands.
• Does not deteriorate at warm temperatures.

Con

• Not as convenient for low temperature use (true of water-packed pouches in particular).