We tried it | Mountain Standard x Backpacker’s Pantry camp foods

When my boyfriend splurged on a fancy new camp stove to complete our ever-growing glamping kit, he made me a promise—that he’d serve up stacks and stacks of pancakes for everyone at the campsite. I wasn’t going to let him get away without making good. During our Memorial Day weekend voyage to Buena Vista, Colorado, I held him to his vow by bringing along a package of Carrot Cake Pancakes released this spring by Mountain Standard and Backpacker’s Pantry, both based in our home of Boulder, Colorado.

The two brands teamed up to make premium just-add water or just-add egg meals for breakfast and snacks while camping or on-the-go—pancakes, egg scramblers, and salsas with freeze-dried and dehydrated organic ingredients sourced regionally and domestically.

Along with the pancakes, we tried a salsa and an egg scrambler. All in all, we found that the pre-packaged foods live up to what they were made for—car campers wanting easy meal prep without sacrificing taste. Here’s what our taste buds would say if they could talk:

Black Bean Salsa ($6)

Sitting around the campfire is always better with snacks. I passed chips and the cup of black bean and mango salsa around to get my friends’ take. We all agreed that the salsa was super limey and salty, and we couldn’t taste the mango as much as we had expected. But we didn’t agree on spice, which was perfect for some, but more intolerable for others. One of my friends said, “The more I eat, the more I like it.” We ate it in under 10 minutes, making me wish I had brought more to sample. It’s one of the better salsas I’ve had, and even better eating it after a day in the dirt. I think I found a new favorite.

Super Greens Scrambler ($4)

Upon first look, tomato flakes, dried spinach and kale, and some other herbs look pretty scanty at the bottom of the cup. But once we added five eggs and poured the goop onto the griddle, something magical happened—an eggy pile that we stuffed into tortillas for breakfast tacos, enough to feed three people with seconds and thirds.

Carrot Cake Pancakes ($9)

Dairy-free and gluten-free, but not flavor-free. Without a measuring cup (added to our glamping shopping list), I poured what I thought was a sufficient amount of water into the bag and stirred the powder into a lumpy mixture. The pouch saved me from washing an extra dish, but a bowl would have made it easier to scrape the excess batter. Because of the dense ingredients—raisins, dried pineapple chunks, coconut milk, and carrot powder—the pancakes took a few minutes longer to cook than plain kind. But it was worth the wait. With or without maple syrup drizzled on top, each bite was a filling blend of sweet and spicy. I prefer waffles over pancakes, and we got to thinking, what if we used this batter in our waffle iron?

Available online at backpackerspantry.com, mountainstandard.com, and in select REI stores.