Backpacker's Pantry Kathmandu Curry

A long-time favorite, in spite of a few little issues.

I've been toting this out into the woods for a few years now, and am happy to continue doing so. It is exactly what a freeze-dried backpacking meal should be: quick, simple, and tasty.

Nutrition:
The full bag provides 670 calories—plenty of fuel for the next day's hike. It has a pretty big whack of sodium—2290mg or 100% r.d.a.; not a problem if you've been sweating all of that sort of thing out of your system over the course of the day, and not a noticeable flavor component by any means. 126g of carbs thanks to the lentils, and 32g of protein. But only 5g of fat. So not exactly a balanced source of calories—I find that calories from fat are necessary for long-term fueling.

Preparation:
I followed the package directions exactly.  2 and 3/4 cups boiling water, stir after 8 minutes and reseal. Wait another 7 minutes, stir again, and enjoy.  And I did.

Taste and Satiety:
This is a delicious meal. I've been eating this for years and plan to continue doing so. The lentils never fail to fully rehydrate, and are toothsome and a pleasing texture on my tongue. The vegetables are a good size as well, small enough to fully rehydrate but large enough to have an identifiable "pop" of flavor. Spice levels are good, potent without being overwhelming. All in all, just tasty and satisfying. Not too big for an end-of-day meal, but plenty enough to leave me comfortably full.

Recommendation:
I really, really like this meal.  It tastes great, is satisfying, and has never failed to keep me moving. It really only has a couple drawbacks.

One—and this is purely subjective—it's vegan. I've said it in other reviews, but I'll say it again: I love meat. My body loves meat. My body wants fat content to keep me going.  The taste and texture of this meal will always keep me coming back, and I've always enjoyed it, but I so, so wish that there was some chicken or some sausage in this.

And two....those lentils. Tasty, yes. Full of nutrition, absolutely. But they produce in my gut an excess of wind.  My backpacking buddies commented, in spite of being ten feet away. I was solo in my tent—both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing because I had a better chance at keeping my friends. A curse because shared pain is lessened, ha ha.

So, yes; this Kathmandu Curry isn't perfect. But whatever its imperfections, it is well worth keeping in the rotation.  Especially as it's one of the few freeze-dried meals left that comes in under $10.