what are some prepared foods to take on Amtrak LD trip?

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I am a little confused by the dehydrated food argument... It is dehydrated to save space and weight, but you carry an equivilent weight of water to re-hydrate it, or add the water again before leaving home, which seems to defeat the whole purpose... What am I missing here?

I think the "spoon with holes in it" also needs a re-think.
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I think it's stuff like the Primus Trail Spork, made of titanium. There are also spoons, forks, etc made with a wire folding handle.

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As for dehydrated food, it's kind of complicated. One of the benefits of dehydrating food is that often it becomes more compact by removing the water. That may make a lot of sense if someone has a limited space from a "bear canister" designed to resist mostly bears from acquiring the food inside. Water can of course by stored separately. However, it was mentioned that water can be acquired outdoors from streams or natural springs. There are also tap water sources available sometimes. Possibly using a filter designed to remove bacteria, protozoa, and cysts, but there are also chemical or UV treatments. When I went backpacking I didn't use a filter (although I bought one and never used it) but I did try various chemicals (that leave an off taste) or preferentially just boil it. If I was making instant coffee or tea it was pretty simple.

I did try some rather pricey freeze-dried backpacking foods. Some of it was a bit odd, such as freeze-dried ice cream. It wasn't really meant to be reconstituted, but just eaten as is. That didn't even save much volume, but took up less weight. I've tried it before and it's weird.
 
I think we must have some mutual friends. You probably know the guy who cuts his toothbrush in half, right?
Never seen that.

I remember back in my bicycling days hearing about people trying to shave off as much weight as possible. Some legendary performances included attempts at the hour record in a velodrome. His team went to Mexico City to reduce wind resistance. To shave off weight they would use ultra-thin crankshafts (I've heard of drilled ones) and even removed the dust caps off the hubs. That's where I first recall what seemed to be outlandish attempts to shave off grams.
 
I did try some rather pricey freeze-dried backpacking foods. Some of it was a bit odd, such as freeze-dried ice cream. It wasn't really meant to be reconstituted, but just eaten as is. That didn't even save much volume, but took up less weight. I've tried it before and it's weird.
That’s also known as astronaut ice cream. It’s weird but good. The main issue is that it’s like a million dollars.
 
As for the "spoon with holes in it," I'm not sure what you're referring to. A did reference a "spork," however. That's a hybrid spoon and fork. Serves purpose of both, saves weight of carrying two utensils. No holes.
Quick note about sporks: they suck. A spork makes for a terrible spoon and an unusable fork. Just saying, a spork is basically the Cross Country Cafe of utensils.

It's not just a theory; I've been using a spork in the woods for over a decade. But like most hybrids, it's a compromise -- in this case of functionality over weight. Every ounce counts when it's on your back 8-12 hours per day. But to keep this rail-related, not as much need to worry about the weight on a train.
 
Doesn't anyone eat sardines from a tin anymore? Or is the potential odor a deterrent on board?
We once brought pickled herring to a pot luck. Not a big hit. I'd think that anything that was packed in liquid, particularly an oily, pungent liquid would not be a good choice on a train.
The problem with sardines and such is disposing of the tin can afterwards. It will sit in the trash stinking up the place! Also sardine breath is the worst. You will have to brush your teeth after eating each can.
 
Decent breakfasts can be made wit granola or cereal, just add powdered milk to the dry cereal before you leave (or bring a bag of it); once on board, just add water! Things like muffins bagels last quite a while & work well too.

peter
Wow that's sorta brilliant!
 
...the people who are looking to shave so much weight that they'll pack titanium spoons with holes drilled in them.
.... You probably know the guy who cuts his toothbrush in half, right?.....
Ray Jardine, well known for doing things like cutting the tags out of clothing, cutting his toothbrush in half, packs made from Cuben, all to shave grams off his weight. Me? I need to get rid of about 30 lbs I carry around my waist before I worry about cutting my toothbrush in half.
 
I have large hands and a big mouth (ha ha) yet I've never once needed or benefited from the excessive length of a standard American toothbrush. I've never understood why it needs to be so long and it makes it difficult to pack with the rest of my toiletries. My best guess theory is that the size has to do with being tall enough to fit into tacky decorative holders for bored housewives. I typically pack small travel toothbrushes but the bristles wear out so quickly that the idea of sawing a regular toothbrush in half actually sounds like a good idea to me. Thanks for the tip!
 
...the people who are looking to shave so much weight that they'll pack titanium spoons with holes drilled in them.
.... You probably know the guy who cuts his toothbrush in half, right?.....
Ray Jardine, well known for doing things like cutting the tags out of clothing, cutting his toothbrush in half, packs made from Cuben, all to shave grams off his weight. Me? I need to get rid of about 30 lbs I carry around my waist before I worry about cutting my toothbrush in half.
LOL. I'm familiar with Jardine, and his creation of the Go-Lite brand of gear, now produced by another entity. He is both a visionary and a fool IMHO. But maybe a useful fool. I'm not a fan of his gear; it wasn't very durable. Others who have built upon his successes with other brands (ULA, Zpack, Big Agnes) have created new ways to hike and camp, more successfully. If there are lessons to be learned from any of this for other modes of travel -- especially trains -- we are all better for it.

Losing 30 lbs. has to be at the top of any list for improving life on trails, on trains, or anywhere. A long distance hike works for me; hard to not lose weight doing that! Best wishes...
 
Decent breakfasts can be made wit granola or cereal, just add powdered milk to the dry cereal before you leave (or bring a bag of it); once on board, just add water! Things like muffins bagels last quite a while & work well too.

peter
Wow that's sorta brilliant!
In my experience, powdered milk, though cheap and light, is pretty disgusting.
 
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It's probably a civil matter rather than a criminal matter but still inadvisable. At the moment of opening a durian will emit little more than a sweet fruity smell. About five minutes later it will start an unstoppable progression from fresh asphalt with a five foot radius to fresh excrement with a fifty foot radius. Although most Americans will have no idea what a durian is they will absolutely notice it and will not be calm or indifferent about an odor that falls somewhere between pungent petrol to rotting death.
Also bear in mind that Singapore police are notoriously harsh about this kind of stuff. Gum is illegal there and if you sell it there's a $100,000 fine and up to 2 years in prison. And if memory serves the policeman carry canes for people who break even minor laws. So it's probably best not to try your luck with a durian in Singapore.
Gum is not enitrely illegal in Singapore. Conventional chewing gum is not sold in stores and if you are caught chewing it in public that is an infraction, but merely possessing chewing gum is not illegal. You probably won't be caned but you could face a fine of around $500. Caning is generally reserved for more serious crimes like the obnoxious American brat who went around vandalizing vehicles back in the 1990's. Or at least that's how things worked the last time I was in Singapore. The purpose of the chewing ban is to prevent people from dropping their used gum on the sidewalks or sticking it somewhere else it doesn't belong. The first time I heard of the Singaporean chewing ban I thought it was ridiculous. Having since realized what a disgusting and permanent mess chewing gum makes of sidewalks in major cities, and how difficult and costly it is to remove once it has merged with the pavement, I now find myself in agreement with their decision.

Decent breakfasts can be made wit granola or cereal, just add powdered milk to the dry cereal before you leave (or bring a bag of it); once on board, just add water! Things like muffins bagels last quite a while & work well too.

peter
Wow that's sorta brilliant!
In my experience, powdered milk, though cheap and light, is pretty disgusting.
I'll never forget the time I was at a summer scout camp and ran out of milk at breakfast. I asked where to get more and someone said there was a bunch of milk in a dispenser up front. I walked up and saw a kid fill a cup and chug it down. I poured myself a cup and started to down it just like the kid before me had done. Instead of milk it had the taste of oddly flavored flour dissolved in warm water. I was disgusted and it took everything I had to avoid spitting it out on the floor.
 
Gum is not enitrely illegal in Singapore. Conventional chewing gum is not sold in stores and if you are caught chewing it in public that is an infraction, but merely possessing chewing gum is not illegal. You probably won't be caned but you could face a fine of around $500. Caning is generally reserved for more serious crimes like the obnoxious American brat who went around vandalizing vehicles back in the 1990's. Or at least that's how things worked the last time I was in Singapore. The purpose of the chewing ban is to prevent people from dropping their used gum on the sidewalks or sticking it somewhere else it doesn't belong. The first time I heard of the Singaporean chewing ban I thought it was ridiculous. Having since realized what a disgusting and permanent mess chewing gum makes of sidewalks in major cities, and how difficult and costly it is to remove once it has merged with the pavement, I now find myself in agreement with their decision.
A few years ago the US and Singapore got into a disputer over their chewing gum ban. The result was that you could buy nicotine gum in drug stores. Have you been to one of the Disney parks and seen the cleaners using special tools to dissolve and scrape up chewing gum? It's a lot of effort to keep their sidewalks gum free. Another reason it was banned in Singapore is that kids would stick their gum over the optical sensors on the metro (MRT) cars doors, causing the train to get stuck and pulled out of service, throwing the schedule off.
 
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Gum is not enitrely illegal in Singapore. Conventional chewing gum is not sold in stores and if you are caught chewing it in public that is an infraction, but merely possessing chewing gum is not illegal. You probably won't be caned but you could face a fine of around $500. Caning is generally reserved for more serious crimes like the obnoxious American brat who went around vandalizing vehicles back in the 1990's. Or at least that's how things worked the last time I was in Singapore. The purpose of the chewing ban is to prevent people from dropping their used gum on the sidewalks or sticking it somewhere else it doesn't belong. The first time I heard of the Singaporean chewing ban I thought it was ridiculous. Having since realized what a disgusting and permanent mess chewing gum makes of sidewalks in major cities, and how difficult and costly it is to remove once it has merged with the pavement, I now find myself in agreement with their decision.
A few years ago the US and Singapore got into a disputer over their chewing gum ban. The result was that you could buy nicotine gum in drug stores. Have you been to one of the Disney parks and seen the cleaners using special tools to dissolve and scrape up chewing gum? It's a lot of effort to keep their sidewalks gum free. Another reason it was banned in Singapore is that kids would stick their gum over the optical sensors on the metro (MRT) cars doors, causing the train to get stuck and pulled out of service, throwing the schedule off.
Surprising those kids, if/when caught, didn't get caned. Isn't that the way in Singapore?
 
Caning isn't that common and their are variants of it. There is the heavy duty 40" long, 1/2" wide cane for prisoners and a half size version for lesser offenders. Less than 100 people a month get caned. I have to admit that though I respect Singapore and its society, it is a very restrictive one, reflecting Lee's desire to force the various groups on the island into a cohesive whole.

Gum is not enitrely illegal in Singapore. Conventional chewing gum is not sold in stores and if you are caught chewing it in public that is an infraction, but merely possessing chewing gum is not illegal. You probably won't be caned but you could face a fine of around $500. Caning is generally reserved for more serious crimes like the obnoxious American brat who went around vandalizing vehicles back in the 1990's. Or at least that's how things worked the last time I was in Singapore. The purpose of the chewing ban is to prevent people from dropping their used gum on the sidewalks or sticking it somewhere else it doesn't belong. The first time I heard of the Singaporean chewing ban I thought it was ridiculous. Having since realized what a disgusting and permanent mess chewing gum makes of sidewalks in major cities, and how difficult and costly it is to remove once it has merged with the pavement, I now find myself in agreement with their decision.
A few years ago the US and Singapore got into a disputer over their chewing gum ban. The result was that you could buy nicotine gum in drug stores. Have you been to one of the Disney parks and seen the cleaners using special tools to dissolve and scrape up chewing gum? It's a lot of effort to keep their sidewalks gum free. Another reason it was banned in Singapore is that kids would stick their gum over the optical sensors on the metro (MRT) cars doors, causing the train to get stuck and pulled out of service, throwing the schedule off.
Surprising those kids, if/when caught, didn't get caned. Isn't that the way in Singapore?
 
I took poor man's ham, PB&J, and sometimes I take MREs so I can have a hot meal.
MREs have the disadvantage of being extremely caloric. One MRE has enough Calories to satisfy the needs of the average person for a day, particularly just sitting, watching the scenery pass by. They are also very high in sodium. Of course, this is generally true of all the backpacking foods we've been discussing.
 
Hard cheeses keep well without refrigeration. Leave the brie at home in the fridge.
 
Decent breakfasts can be made wit granola or cereal, just add powdered milk to the dry cereal before you leave (or bring a bag of it); once on board, just add water! Things like muffins bagels last quite a while & work well too.

peter
Wow that's sorta brilliant!
In my experience, powdered milk, though cheap and light, is pretty disgusting.
There's a reason I didn't advocate drinking it by it's self, but instead mixing it with other things...

peter
 
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