Iced Tea in the Wilderness (Sun Tea)

Here in Texas, iced tea is always available – there’s a pitcher of tea in the refrigerator at all times and tall icey glasses are served at every restaurant. And yes, we also drink tea in the backcountry!

For years people in the South have been making sun tea. It’s an easy way to make tea of any variety without the need to turn on the stove and this same no-heat method works well in the wilderness too. Plus it makes for a refreshing change from Tang and Gatorade!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Fill a Nalgene with cool filtered water.
2. Use 2-3 tea bags per quart (32 oz) of water.
3. Remove the paper tags from the tea bags and place the bags into the water-filled Nalgene. Give it a gentle shake to hasten the bags in becoming saturated with water.
4. Place the Nalgene in the sun to brew for at least 2 hours or until water is infused with the color of "tea.".
5. Remove tea bags. Stir in a little honey or sugar if you like your tea sweetened. Chill in a cool stream or enjoy as is!

You can do this with traditional black tea bags, herbal teas - or a mixture of each. One of our favorite blends is Black Tea + Earl Grey + Red Zinger. Sprinkle with a bit of True Lemon or Lime for an additional punch. We usually prep sun tea while we’re setting up camp so that by the time dinner is ready, we have a lovely glass of tea to go with!

Summer Photo Contest!

Packit Gourmet is having a summer photo contest and rewarding the best pics with some great prizes!

1st Place: $100 Packit Gourmet Gift Certificate
2nd Place: $50 Packit Gourmet Gift Certificate
3rd Place: Three Packit Gourmet free shipping coupons




In order to win, you do have to include a few things in your photo:

• The photo must contain a Packit Gourmet meal
• The photo must be shot in a wilderness area
• Not required, but it will help your chances of winning if YOU are in the photo
• Not required, but we'd love to see your photo added to our interactive map

To submit your photos for the contest, email your photos to trailfood@packitgourmet.com by August 31, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. Please include the following information in your email:

• Your first and last name
• When and where the photo was taken
• Which meal is featured in the photo

Read more about the contest

Bulk Savings

We’ve noticed that many of you like to buy multiple packages of our freeze-dried and dehydrated fruits, veggies, beans and meats. This is a great way to make sure that your foods stay fresh until you’re ready to use them since while they’re unopened they remain protected from exposure to the air, light and moisture that can lead to spoilage.

But, for those of you that would like to save a few dollars (and who doesn't?), we’ve added the option to buy these popular items in bulk. Add we’ve added the tools you’ll need to keep them at their peak after opening – food storage containers and desiccants.

Exposure to light and oxygen are two of the main factors that contribute to the spoilage of dried food. Our new food storage containers are opaque which helps to prevent light from damaging your food and they include a snap-on lid, which will keep the air out. Add a few desiccants to absorb the oxygen and moisture trapped in your storage container and you’re good to go!

Don’t forget that heat is the forth enemy of dried foods so keep your bulk food stored in a cool location. The optimal temperature for freeze-dried food storage is between 32°F and 75°F. Typically, room temperature is fine, but if you have space in your refrigerator that would be even better.

We'll eventually offer all of our beans, veggies, fruits & meats in bulk but for now, here's what's currently available:

DH Carrot Flakes
DH Mixed Bell Peppers
DH Mixed Leeks
DH Spinach Flakes
DH Tomato Dices
FD Bell Peppers
FD Black Olives
FD Broccoli Florets
FD Celery Pieces
FD Chopped Spinach
FD Garden Peas
FD White Onion Flakes

Black Bean Flakes, Organic
Pinto Bean Flakes, Organic
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Great Northern Beans
Lentils
Navy Beans

May Features

Tomato Dices

Tomatoes are an amazingly versatile vegetable (or fruit?) and can be used in practically any dish from Italian pastas to Asian stir-frys. And don’t forget stews, soups, vegetable gravy, scrambled eggs and omelets! The possibilities are endless…


Great Northern Beans

Pre-cooked, dehydrated beans are a handy item to have around camp and can make a great lunch or dinner. They spring back to life in fifteen minutes or less when simmered, but also work well when left to ‘steep-cook’ in the bag in hot or cold water. If you're going the "cold water route" be sure to plan ahead as they may take up to two hours to fully rehydrate – pour water over your beans, seal up the bag and throw them in your pack for an easy protein and fiber rich meal later on down the trail.


Cheese Sauce Powder

A quick and easy way to enjoy pasta on the trail! Just add a little hot or cool water to this cheese sauce powder and dig into a cheesy meal in no time!


Black Bean Flaquities

A notched up version of a traditional burrito, our Flaquities are packed with beans, rice, corn, cheese and a delicious veggie blend! Fry them up to make a flaquitie or fill a tortilla for a delicious ‘camp grande’ burrito.