BowCast Blog

   Adding extra weight to your pack is something we all try to avoid.  If a piece of equipment can be omitted from your pack and it doesn't effect the outcome of your hunt, then it takes a pretty strong argument to carry the extra weight.  For some, the stove is one of those items.  Many make the argument that they'd rather just eat MRE's and ditch the stove.  While I'd agree that we're hardly out there trying to have a resort experience, keeping your body fueled is a very crucial part to your success in the field.  I've written more in depth about the weight trade-off for MRE's vs. freeze dried in past issues of Eastmans', and Cam Hanes included a couple of those pieces in his book Backcountry Bowhunting.  The jist of it is, you can carry heavier food (MRE's), or carry a stove and lighter freeze dried food and oatmeal.  If you have ever lived off of MRE's for a week, you'll certainly feel for our troops.  While some of them aren't bad at all, the diet gets old pretty quickly.  A hot meal from the wide variety of freeze dried meals available, plus the bonus of coffee or hot chocolate in the morning pretty well seals the deal for most of us backcountry hunters.