ProView – Peak Refuel Meal Round-Up Review

I think Peak Refuel meals are the ultimate best meals in taste, exceptional in packaging and portability, and very easy to prepare in any environmental conditions — inclement or favorable. They taste deliciously homemade, and the combination of flavors is superb for any outdoor enthusiast. I first tasted these products during an expedition into the mysterious Llanganates mountain range of Ecuador during 2021, multiple times after that, and on this occasion on a pre-expedition training tour in Colorado, Wyoming, and the Appalachian Trail.

Regarding weight and amount per serving, they are ideal and will suit most endeavors for backpacking, base camp days, and or multi day adventures such as rock climbing adventures, horseback riding, or days on the river. The servings are plenty, and the amount of flavor exceeded my expectations. 

The packaging is sturdy, and while inside a haul bag for many hours surrounded with all kinds of gear including metallic hardware, it does not disintegrate, rip, or get cut. This adds a few grams on the packaging itself to the overall weight of the product, but brings many advantages for having a reliable product at the end of the day.

Once filled with the right amount of water following the instructions, the package is stable and sturdy, and creates enough contact area to prevent unfortunate spills or leaks. 

PRO TIP: One can eat straight from the package if you have a long spoon or spork. Trying to reach for the product with a shorter eating utensil will unfortunately cause some residuals to stick to your hand and/or sleeve.

Disposal

Like any other meal, these aren’t the most eco-friendly to dispose of. However, the packaging seals and collapses well for any hike out or retreat from multi day adventures, preventing undesirable leaks and smells. 

Meals listed in personal preference of taste:

1. Biscuits & Sausage Gravy 

The ultimate meal in flavor, richness, and combination of ingredients. The sausage tastes fresh and rich, and is clearly a premium ingredient. The gravy doesn’t curdle or settle in the bottom. Not too salty and ideal nutrition components after long days. The biscuit, however, remained hard (reminiscent of hard tack) and did not soften after the allotted soaking time. The time needed to hydrate this meal (sausage included) is considerably longer than the packaging says.

Location: Appalachian Trail, Altitude: 200m (600 ft)

2. Chicken Teriyaki Rice

The chicken rehydrated very well and all veggies felt fresh except the carrot which felt a little bit spongy. This meal wasn’t too sweet and after 10 minutes of hydration (following instructions) the product was in prime condition to be consumed.

Location: Mountains of Colorado, Altitude: 2800m (9000 ft)

3. Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Very good flavor and texture for a pasta meal. Time to rehydrate was 10 min on the spot! (following instructions) Be careful to add the exact amount of water it indicates or the flavor will lose potency and the sauce will be too watery. In this case the meal requires less water to keep consistency, but enough water should be added for proper hydration. 

Location: Mountains of Colorado, Altitude: 2800m (9000 ft)

4. Beef Pasta Marinara

This meal, although not too exciting, had excellent flavor. The noodles were tender, beef reconstituted well in the allotted time, and the salt level was appropriate. I would enjoy some vegetables added to the pasta, perhaps chunks of peppers.

Location: Appalachian Trail, Altitude: 200m (600 ft)

5. Beef Stroganoff

Very good taste, unfortunately, the beef felt hard and chewy, most likely due to the amount of time during hydration (instructions said 10 minutes but at this altitude and temperature maybe aim for 11/12). I personally thought it had great flavor, but the other person I was with disagreed. This product needs to be stirred well and several times for the ingredients to combine and not settle at the bottom. The consumer can tell that the beef is of quality. The temperature when this product was hydrated was about 60F in the evening.

Location: Drylands of Wyoming, Altitude: 2300m (7500 ft)

6. Mountain Berry Cobbler

Has a lot of added sugars for my personal nutrition goals. The fruit flavors are real and the combination of ingredients is delicious, however my only observation will be that letting it sit for too long will cause everything to blend with each other and become a paste. Took only 5 min to hydrate during the day at normal temps. 

Location: Drylands of Wyoming, Altitude: 2300m (7500 ft)

I took Peak Refuel on this occasion through several hikes and to several rock climbing sites in northern Colorado, southern Wyoming, and New York state on the Appalachian Trail. I enjoyed the taste and quality of the products on these multi-day adventures. Definitely a brand I would recommend for anyone’s outdoor base camp.

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