BackpackGearTest
  Guest - Not logged in 

Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes > Test Report by Doug White

MUNK PACK OATMEAL FRUIT SQUEEZE
TEST SERIES BY DOUG WHITE
LONG-TERM REPORT
June 01, 2015

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

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Doug White
EMAIL: bakpack215atyahoodotcom
AGE: 33
LOCATION: Boulder, Colorado, USA
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
WEIGHT: 170 lb (77.10 kg)

Backpacking Background: I've been backpacking for several years. I have tested a lot of different systems to find what works the best for me. I pack as light as possible without sacrificing comfort and functionality. I enjoy backpacking in all kinds of weather including winter. I also do snowshoeing and year-round mountaineering. I backpack in the Rocky Mountains just below treeline most of the time. My trips are normally at least a few miles (5 km) or more. Anytime I can get out and enjoy the mountains, even for a day hike, I do.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Munk Pack IMAGE 1
Manufacturer's Website: Munk Pack
MSRP: US$14.99 per 6 pack.
Measured Weight (each package): 4.4 oz (125 g)
Measured Dimensions (each package): 6.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 in (17 x 9 x 4 cm)

Other details: The Munk Pack is a squeezable fruit and oatmeal blend in a foil pouch. The manufacturer offers three flavors: Apple-Quinoa-Cinnamon, Blueberry-Acai-Flax, and Raspberry-Coconut. The pouch has a spout on it where the mixture comes out as you squeeze it. On the spout is a plastic cap that can be re-fastened if the product is not consumed all at once. Per the manufacturer's website, the product consists of pure fruit, whole grain, and is a good source of fiber. Also per the website, the company designed the product to be portable, healthy, and minimally processed, as well as they wanted something different than a "bar" type of snack. The packaging lists that all three flavors are gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher, vegan, and BPA-free. The package states to refrigerate the pouch after opening and to use it up within two days. Below is a picture of the packaging showing the ingredients and nutritional information; this info can also be viewed on the manufacturer's website. IMAGE 2

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

I received the products in all three flavors and look forward to testing them all. Initially, the fruit pouch felt a little flimsy, however, after reviewing other similar fruit pouches that I currently have in the house, the Munk Pack packaging is very comparable. On the trail, however, I still will package them in a sealed plastic bag in the event that they were to leak, as I do with any product that will potentially leak. It looks very easy to use as I have also used similar products. The cap comes off, the package is squeezed, and the mixture comes out. The items meet my expectations based on what I viewed on their website. I like their website. It looks simple yet professional, and has the appearance that the founders really care about healthy food.


READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

No instructions were noted, however, this product seems simple to use in my opinion.

TRYING IT OUT

I went ahead and tried one at home. I tried the Raspberry Coconut one out first. I wanted to make sure it tasted okay and that I would be comfortable with the flavor. I also wanted to make sure I didn't get sick or have any reactions. I also gave some to my two oldest children (ages 2 and 4). This is important to me as I frequently take them along with me and wanted to see if they liked it. No sense in bringing extra food along if they won't like it. The children and I found it very tasty and none of us got sick. Also, I put each flavor outside overnight to see if they would freeze. Temperature got down to 25 F (-4 C) overnight, and in the morning none of them were frozen at all. I spend most of my time camping in temperatures below freezing, so I wanted to make sure they would hold up okay.

TESTING STRATEGY

I primarily want to test how the fruit pouches do with nutritional and caloric sustenance after hiking. I hope to try them out after hiking for a couple hours and see if they satisfy my cravings or leave me craving for more. I also want to make sure that the packaging holds up at higher altitudes. A lot of the hiking I do is around treeline and I have had many sealed packages explode in my pack.

SUMMARY

Overall, this product looks like it will be a good trail snack or breakfast snack. I look forward to testing it out and seeing how it holds up as far as packaging durability, nutritional substance, and flavor.

Thank you to Backpackgeartest.org and Munk Pack for the opportunity to test these products.


LONG-TERM REPORT

TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I tested the Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes in many conditions. They were tested on warmer days around 75 F (24 C) and colder days below 32 F (0 C). I tested them on some short distance hikes of around 1 mile (1.6 km) and on some longer hikes over 4 miles (6.4 km). I tested these on a total of 7 days of hiking trips, including one day at 12,000 feet (3650 m) to test the packaging at higher altitudes. Most of the testing was done between 5000 ft (1524 m) to 10500 ft (3200 m) elevations.

MY LONG TERM REPORT

I have to say from when I first tried them until the last time I tried them, my taste for them grew fonder. I really enjoy these things. They taste healthy, natural, and satisfy my hunger as well. I purposely started one hike with very little food in my stomach and then once reaching camp I ate two of the Munk Packs. I was fully satisfied. Another trip, we had a short hike into camp but then did about an hour of strenuous wood processing in the snow to get our fire ready for the night and the next morning. On this occasion, I only had one of the Munk Packs and was still quite satisfied. As far as one hike at 12,000 feet (3650 m), I really wanted to make sure the packaging could withstand the higher altitudes and it did. As far as the flavors go, I like the Apple-Cinnamon-Quinoa the least, and I like the other two equally. I don't feel I would go to stores looking for this product, however if I was buying backpacking snacks and saw these on the shelf, I would definitely pick some up. I also like that the manufacturer tried to keep these healthy, natural, and suitable for people following many types of diets. My kids like them as well which is a big plus.

SUMMARY

I enjoy these. I look forward to seeing these in more stores and will definitely pick some up again. They are tasty and convenient. I love that the manufacturer stuck to natural ingredients that taste good to me. I also found that for such a low-calorie food, they are rather satisfying.

THINGS I LIKE

Easy to use
Easy to pack out trash
Tasty
Natural ingredients

THINKS I DON'T LIKE

The consistency is a little weird at first, but I got used to it.

SIGNATURE

Product reviewed and tested by Doug White. This concludes my long term review of the Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes.

Thank you to Backpackgeartest.org and Munk Pack for the opportunity to test these products.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
Read more gear reviews by Doug White

Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes > Test Report by Doug White



Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.



All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson