CampFare Wild Alaskan Salmon

This meal offers a gourmet and healthy cooking option for the backcountry. Overall, it is one of the easiest camping meals I have made and you can't beat the taste.

Right off the bat I was super excited when I found this product. I am a “pescatarian” and salmon is one of my go-to favorite meals. Unfortunately, it isn’t always the easiest for me to find good options for lightweight, high-protein, backpacking meals to bring on my camping trips. I brought the Camp Fare Wild Alaskan Salmon out camping to try out the first chance I got and enjoyed it with salad as a filling meal after a long day of hiking. 

Overall, I thought the cooking experience was easier than many other camp food options. I heated a few cups of water in a pot, removed the pot from the heat, submerged the pouch in the hot water, waited 3 minutes, and then it was ready to eat.

The packaging was a bit ambiguous about if the water should be boiling or just “hot” and if the water should continue being heated or not after submerging the pouch, so I took my best guess at it and turned off the heat just before the water boiled and then submerged the pouch.

My guess turned out pretty good, because it seemed to heat up the salmon quite nicely. When I opened the pouch and smelled the cooked salmon, I got a bit excited and just dumped the contents right on top of my salad, unfortunately there was quite a bit of excess liquid left from cooking so I made a bit of a mess. I would recommend being careful while removing the salmon and not dumping it right on top of your plate with other food for this reason! 

As far as the taste goes, I was really impressed. The salmon was the perfect combination of smokey, savory, and salty. It really maintained great flavor without a ton of added artificial flavorings or salt. When I am pushing myself on a backpacking trip, fueling my body with healthy foods is very important to me, so this dish really fulfilled that need.

To make this into a full meal, it is probably best to add some sort of salad or other side dish, since the filet is really just a single protein serving in my opinion. The price is a bit high, but I think it is worth it for the quality, taste and nutritional value.I will definitely be buying this product again and am excited to recommend it to my friends as well.

This was my first time buying a Camp Fare meal, and I can’t wait to try out more of their options! 

Background

I have spent hundreds of nights camping and backpacking over the past 10 years. During this time, I have probably tried out over 100 different camping meals in all sorts of conditions. As a self proclaimed foodie, I would say that I am becoming quite experienced with putting my tastebuds to the test in the wilderness and trying out all sorts of different cooking methods to do so!

The salmon had a strong taste, but it was very good and fresh, and the meat was tender. I like the idea that it can be ready in 1-2 minutes after putting it into boiling water. After cutting it open, I could tell it was going to be good, and it was delicious! I can see this as being a great choice for backpacking, or any other camping.

I cooked the Camp Fare brown rice and red quinoa and the Camp Fare wild Alaska salmon while visiting one of my favorite overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  After cooking the foil packs and opening them, I was a bit confused by the term premium “meal” on the package. I think of “meal” as a complete meal.  With the Alaska salmon, it was a moderate portion of salmon. That would not have filled me up by itself (I don’t think), but I did also cook the brown rice and red quinoa. Together, they filled me up, and I had some left over.

As far as taste goes, the salmon had a strong taste, but it was very good and fresh, and the meat was tender. I like the idea that it can be ready in 1-2 minutes after putting it into boiling water. After cutting it open, I could tell it was going to be good, and it was delicious!

I can see this as being a great choice for backpacking, or any other camping.  The foil pack is small and could easily be added to your food bag without adding a whole lot of weight. 

The only drawback is that for the price, I would expect a little more for being a “meal.”  However, I don’t think this is an everyday choice for camping meals.  It would be more for that special dinner you look forward to having when you are tired of ramen noodles, rice, or other run-of-the-mill dinner.

It is perfect for backpackers when you just want a quick bite after a long day’s hike. Add Camp Fare’s brown rice and red quinoa, and you truly have a gourmet meal. Although ideal for backpacking, it would be good anytime while camping.

Background

This was the first time I have tried CampFare meals. I also "cooked" the CampFare brown rice and red quinoa at the time I cooked the CampFare wild Alaska salmon. My wife and I were having a picnic dinner on a beautifully sunny evening at one of our favorite Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks—Waterrock Knob. Compared to other prepared camping meals, this was excellent.

This is a super easy hot meal. The package says to put it in hot water for 2-3 minutes. I left it for 4 minutes after the water had boiled and it was warm. I think 2-3 minutes while the water boils would have made it hotter. It definitely tastes smoked and has a salty flavor to it. It isn't a big portion for a meal (2x3") but if you added this to the rice or quinoa and beans, it would be a good full meal.

I bought this and the beef burgundy. The packages were small and light making them easy to pack in and out.

Cooking them is very easy. I boiled the water and then turned off and let the packages sit in the water for 4 minutes. The directions just say Hot water for 2-3 minutes. I think 2-3 minutes would not have been heated enough, especially in colder weather. Maybe if you left the package in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.

The salmon was tasty with a salty, smoky flavor. The piece was 2x3 inches and enough for two small portions or one hungry camper. I think this would best be paired with rice or quinoa and beans to make it a hearty meal. This alone would not be enough for me.

The super easy meal prep and clean up make it a nice choice for camping, especially if you're backpacking. Certainly couldn't backpack in salmon :)

Background

I also bought the beef burgundy.

This is delicious, whole food. You do need a way to heat it up (boiling water). It's lightly salted, whereas other products like this from other companies in my experience can be over salted. It really is good food!

As a hiker and backpacker, I am always looking for good food to bring with me. I am very impressed with CampFare's food!

For starters, this is Real food. I can't express how nice it is to open CampFare's packet (after putting the sealed food into hot water first!) and to know immediately (the smell, the sight) that the food is going to be really good.

The smoked salmon is simply delicious. It's lightly salted and packed full of flavor.

CampFare is about whole food. The salmon is sustainably wild caught, which is important to me. Being able to read the ingredients list and fully understand it—that's good food.

I also got the Beef Burgundy, the ingredient list is a bit longer but still all real ingredients. When I go out into nature, I want to put real food in my body.
The cost might seem a little high for the calories you are getting, but don't let it stop you. It's worth it! I plan to bring some on my next multi-day backpacking adventure. I can just imagine pulling out salmon on day four and being so grateful I did!

When it says this is chef-crafted food, they really mean it!

Background

I have tried other companies' food, and this is the most delicious by far.

Great meals for outdoor fun.

We tried the Salmon, Chicken Masala, and the Brown Rice and Red Quinoa. The packaging is very simple and easy to read. All meals can be ready in 1-2 minutes after putting it into boiling water.

We cooked all three one night of camping for dinner for our family of four. The portion size was pretty small and I would say would be sufficient for two people comfortably.  

For taste, the salmon had a pretty strong taste, but it was very good and fresh, and the meat was tender. Comparable to preparing fresh salmon. 

The Brown Rice and Quinoa were a little bit on the dry side but if paired with something that has a sauce you would be fine. Lastly the Chicken Masala was very moist and had a really good taste. The chicken was tender and delicious. 

After opening all had a good smell and they looked good also. Not like other prepared meals. 

Each pack is lightweight and pretty compact. Would be great to bring while backpacking and all you need in something to boil water in. 

The quality of the food is decent for the price but the portion size is a bit on the smaller side. 

This meal has lots of spice and smoked flavor.

CampFare Wild Alaskan Salmon

$12.99

My family recently had the opportunity to try some meals from Camp Fare while we were camping at Oak Hollow campground in North Carolina. We’re always looking for meals that are tasty and quick to prepare. They’re not freeze-dried, fairly lightweight and shelf stable for 5 years.

We spend much of our time outdoors each season and when we heard about the premium meals from Camp Fare we were eager to try them out. We prepared the food by submerging the pouch for 3-4 minutes in 6 cups of boiling water (using our inversion cooktop on our picnic table). These were perfect to prepare on a hot summer day when we didn’t want to cook over the fire.

The Wild Alaskan Salmon is alder smoked and cooked with garlic and black pepper. We felt the spices overpowered the salmon taste and the meal needed an additional side dish. Our 6-year-old and mother both liked the taste. However, my husband and I feel we would not purchase this particular meal in the future.

Background

As full time travelers we spend much of our day outdoors or camping.

Great substitution for freeze-dried meals. Great for backpacking, or even in case of emergency. Easy to prep and not a lot of cleanup.

I decided to pair this salmon with the brown rice and quinoa packet from Camp Fare. I'm a bigger guy and need a little more to keep me going. The salmon tasted good and was a decent portion, and with the rice, it was just enough.

My only issue was, I tried to heat both packets simultaneously in almost boiling water for 4 min. instead of the recommended 2-3. I was surprised that neither the rice nor the salmon were very hot. They were okay to eat, I just wanted it hotter. Next time I may have to do them separately.

In any case they were decent and I am glad they are not freeze dried, so not a lot of sodium. Will have to try some other meals.

Background

This was the first time that I've tried Camp Fare meals. I am an avid eater of Mountain House. I liked the idea that these are not freeze dried, so they don't have as much sodium. The food tastes a little more "homemade" as well. I will have to try more if they want a convert.