All Your Questions Answered
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What can we expect?
Over the years our guides have refined our execution of a backcountry meal and we are proud to say that the reviews are in.
“The food prepared by Christie made me feel like I was glamping; She really went above and beyond.” ~ Eric E.
“Jared took good care of us during the trip, manage the campsite and hike well. He is also a good chef like magician, never think I could have pizza on a backpacking trip before.” ~ Weichun Fung
“A special shout out to our guide Trevor who not only did a great job leading in the bush, but also performed double duty as a gourmet backcountry chef at the end of every day! If you are wondering about whether or not it is worth it to have Expeditions Alaska take care of planning and packing your food, the answer is a resounding YES!” ~ Travis Dobson, Professional Chef.
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What kinds of food do your guides typically make?
This depends on the guide and their preferences, but our staple dishes include (but aren’t limited to)
- backcountry pizza,
- backcountry baking (fresh bread, garlic bread, cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies),
- fresh backcountry salads with fresh greens if available (arctic dock, mountain bluebell, wild berries),
- fresh fish if available (arctic char and grayling),
- curries,
- pancakes,
- hash-browns, and
- burritos.
Something you’d like to have? Let us know. Mike baked a birthday cake for a guest last summer.
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Typically, how heavy is a bear canister loaded with our meals?
Varies with trip length, of course. Expect between 8-12 pounds. Obviously, this weight goes down as the trip goes on.
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Do we pack for vegan, gluten free, or specialized diets?
Absolutely.
Many of our guides are or have been vegetarian or have dietary needs of their own.
Our food forms are comprehensive and cover any of your meal preferences.
If you are a picky eater, we want to serve you what you want. Don’t be shy. Be as precise in your meal forms as you desire.
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Do we need to plan any of the meals?
No. Just fill out our food forms and we will take care of planning, buying, and packing the food. We will hand you a canister full of food at the start of your backcountry trip. This will be your group’s entire food split into packable portions.
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Do we carry the food on backcountry trips?
Yes.
Most guides organize bear canisters into breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and refrigerated items. We’ll pre-pack everything, and provide you with a packed bear canister. We’ll then sort out whatever overflow food we have as well (we use bear-proof bags called Ursacks for that – superduper useful).
These all have different weights and depending on how much weight you want to carry, you can grab the bear canister that best matches the load you think is feasible.
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Do I have to do my dishes if I order food from EXPAK?
It’s helpful if you clean your own dishes. We will provide a kit to clean those dishes. Guides typically take care of pots/pans, but if you choose to help they will never forget you.
A little bit of helpfulness will bring you excellent karma.
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Can I take a look over your food form?
Would you like to?
Sure. Here’s the form we have guests complete for us when they ask us to do food. It’s a pretty detailed questionnaire. We’ll compile that and make our trip menus from there. Nobody goes hungry.
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I have a few more questions about your food