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Don’t see your answer on these pages?
Give us a call at 1-888-210-4959 or email us at trailfood@packitgourmet.com
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Is there anything on the website that requires refrigeration?
No - everything found on PackitGourmet.com is shelf-stable and requires no refrigeration.
I am/will be in Austin. Can I pick-up my order at your location?
Currently, we only sell our products at www.PackitGourmet.com. We are not licensed as a retail facility so we cannot allow customers to pick-up orders at our location. Hopefully, we'll be able to offer local pick-up soon, but for now, you'll just have to order online!
Where can I purchase your meals?
Our meals are available in several retail locations. View the full list of the outfitters carrying our meals here.
I'd like a product catalog. Can you send one to me?
In an effort to reduce the amount of paper that we use, we do not mail out a product catalog. If you would like a printable list of our products, please download our printable Product Catalog (pdf format) for a complete list of prices, meals, grocery and gear.
Why should I create a login?
There are lots of good reasons for creating a username and password so that you can login. The main benefits are:
- You can view past orders
- You don’t have to enter your billing and shipping address with each order
- Your tracking numbers for your shipments are kept on file
- You can write product reviews
I'd like to write a review on one of your products but I'm not sure how to do it?
You have to log in to the site in order to be able to write a review. Unfortunately, allowing people to write reviews without logging in was resulting in spam in our review areas. Once you log in, you will see a writable area in each product page where you can write your review.
Where can I review your meals or grocery items?
You can always review our products on www.PackitGourmet.com by logging in and writing a review or emailing your reviews in to trailfood@packitgourmet.com There are also a few independent websites accepting reviews:
Backpacker Magazine
BackpackGearTest
Paddling.net
Trailspace.com
ABOUT OUR MEALS
I've noticed that you have a meal chart listed with all of your meals. Can you explain it to me?
Our meal chart gives an "at a glance" view of each meal so that you'll quickly know the amount of water, fuel, etc. needed to prepare the meal. You can read a detailed description of our meal chart at 'The Meal Chart Explained'.
I’m a vegetarian, which meals are available to me?
Almost all of our meals have a meat-free counterpart. To see a full list of our vegetarian meal options please visit our Special Needs Diets area.
I have special dietary or planning needs. What kind of resources do you offer to help with this?
The best area to find this type of information is in our EZ Meal Planning section. Here, you will find the following information:
Set Menus
We've put together a few meal plans based on your camping needs. Here, you will find the following needs addressed: Burn Ban - These meals require no heat, so feel free to leave your stove at home!
Calorie Packed - Our highest calorie meals - great for long-distance hikers looking to pack on the calories.
Calorie Packed (Vegetarian) - The vegetarian version of our Calorie Packed menu.
Drought Conditions - The meals that use the least amount of water and make the fewest number of dishes.
Featherweight - For all you ultralight hikers!
Quick & Easy - A great combination of tasty meals and minimal work.
Trailside Gourmet - Some of our most 'gourmet' meals for a truly special backcountry dining experience.
No-Cook Meals
A full list of all of our meals that just require the addition of water. We further divided these meals depending on how they rehydrate:
Single Serving Meals
A full list of all of our single serving meal options. Great for the solo-camper!
Special Needs Diets
Why don’t you combine all of the ingredients rather than dividing some of them up inside the main bag?
We’ve discovered that most meals taste more authentic when ingredients are added in steps, the same way that you would cook them at home. Separating ingredients also allows campers to control the amount of each ingredient that they add to their meal. We also give the option salt and pepper packets so that you can decide how much spice you’d like in your meal.
A meal that I really like is no longer featured on the site. What happened?
In order to keep our meal selection fresh, we occasionally pull meals from the site and replace them with something new and exciting. We'll always keep the favorites (like Austintacious Tortilla Soup & Moonshine Margaritas) but if one of your favorites has been nixed, let us know! Send us an email at trailfood@packitgourmet.com and if we get a few requests to bring back a discontinued meal, we'll put it back on the site.
Discontinued meals that have gotten requests are listed below and are currently available with a minimum purchase of 6 meal packs. If you'd like to order them, just click the link below and add them to your cart as usual - but keep in mind, we'll have to make them especially for you so your order may take an extra 1-2 days to ship.
Is there really enough food for two people?
We’ve tested the quantity of our meal packs on many people with many different appetites. We’ve packed enough food for one large appetite and one smaller appetite or two medium sized appetites. You can get a good idea of our serving sizes and view photos of how much one of our meals make on our Serving Sizes page.
What is the average shelf-life of your meals?
We primarily use dehydrated and freeze-dried food items in our meals resulting in an average shelf-life of about one year. Certain meals include individual packages with a generous portion of sausage, salami or pepperoni and therefore have a shorter shelf-life of about 3-6 months (dependent on the expiration date of the meat package). Bangers & Mash, Nawlins YaYa Gumbo, Zydeco Red Beans & Rice, Italian Salami Wrap and our Hot Coals Pepperoni Rolls each include an individual meat package.
What is the “Tool Kit”?
Our
complementary meal pack tool kit is available with many of our meals and includes several little items that you
may find helpful when cooking in the outdoors. You can choose to have
the tool kit included in your meal pack or opt out if you’ll already be
carrying these items with you. The following items are included in our
two-person kit (single serving meals get one of each item):
ABOUT OUR INGREDIENTS
What kind of ingredients do you use?
We carefully choose our ingredients based on flavor, price and whether they are organic or natural. When possible, we use natural and organic ingredients, however we are conscious of the higher prices that come with organics and take all factors into account when choosing ingredients. This makes it possible for us to bring you the most flavorful ingredients at the best possible prices.
We use a combination of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods as well as items in packets (such as salsa or peanut butter). We sample each ingredient on its own as well as in our meals to make sure that we choose foods with the best possible flavors. Some items taste better when they’ve been dehydrated and others are much better freeze-dried. We do our best to bring you the best of both worlds.
What is the difference between dehydrated and freeze-dried?
Dehydrated foods have had the water removed by drying them. This can be done by air-drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying. Dehydrated foods are chewy and retain some of their moistness – think of a raisin or prune.
Freeze-dried foods have been frozen and have then had the water removed by reducing the air pressure while heating the food. This allows the food to retain the original shape and helps to retain the flavor but can interfere with the texture. Most freeze-dried foods are crunchy before you cook them and may or may not get their original texture back once they’ve been cooked.
You can read more about the differences between freeze-dried and dehydrated foods here.
What does dehydrated v. freeze-dried foods mean to me? What do you use?
Both dehydrated and freeze-dried foods do well in long term storage and offer about the same amount of shelf life. The main difference is in the flavor, size and cost of the food.
Flavor
There are no hard guidelines about which type of food tastes better. Some foods taste better when they’ve been dehydrated while others taste better freeze-dried. We sample each ingredient on its own as well as in our meals to make sure that we choose foods with the best possible flavors, so you get the best of both worlds.
Size
Dehydrated ingredients shrink as they dry where freeze-dried ingredients retain their shape. When flavor is not a factor, we use dehydrated ingredients, which allows us to pack more food in a smaller amount of space.
Price
Dehydrated food will always cost less than freeze-dried food. This is because dehydrating has been done for hundreds of years (think of Native Americans drying buffalo in the sun) where freeze-drying requires expensive machinery. We use dehydrated food when possible so that we can pass our savings along to you but if a freeze-dried ingredient tastes better, that will be the one that we choose.
What is the average shelf life of the fruit, vegetables and other food items in your grocery store?
The dehydrated and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables available in our grocery store as well as many of the packets have a shelf life of about 24 months.
What can I do to extend the shelf-life of my meals and dried ingredients?
The most important factors effecting the longevity of dried foods are moisture, temperature, oxygen and light. When left unopened, the
freeze-dried
and dehydrated grocery items available in our
grocery store will remain in their original condition for
about 24 months. Once opened there are several steps you can take to extend the shelf-life of your foods. 
ABOUT OUR PACKAGING
Are your bags recyclable?
Yes, our bags are made from a common food grade plastic that can be recycled at most recycling centers.
Can I cook in your bags?
Yes. Our cook-in-bags are made of a thick, food grade plastic and are FDA approved for use with boiling water. You can read more about our cook-in-bags and purchase individual cook-in-bags to use with your own meals here.
What else can I use your bag for?
Campers have come up with multiple ways to use our bags while on the trail. Some of our favorites are:
- A pitcher for mixing up powdered drinks
- A rehydrating pot
- A sealable trash bag
- A mixing bowl – you can seal and mash the ingredients around without getting your fingers or a spoon dirty.
How are your bulk items packaged?
Our
freeze-dried grocery items (fruit, vegetables and meats) are packaged in mylar food storage bags which prevent light and air from coming into contact with the food. These bags are not resealable because, once opened, the contents should always be stored in an air-tight food storage container in a cool dry location. A simple zip-lock type seal is not enough to prevent exposure to oxygen which will cause your food to deteriorate much more quickly.
Dehydrated grocery items (fruit and vegetables) are much more tolerant so they are packaged in resealable pouches. Dehydrated foods will benefit from many of the same techniques recommended for freeze-dried foods but will be more tolerant of higher temperatures and exposure to light and oxygen.
Learn more about proper
storage techniques for dried food.
SHIPPING
What are your shipping rates?
Please visit our Shipping Rates & Sales Tax page.
I am/will be in Austin. Can I pick-up
my order at your location?
Currently, we only sell our products at www.PackitGourmet.com. We are
not licensed as a retail facility so we cannot allow customers to
pick-up their orders at our location. Hopefully, we'll be able to offer
local pick-up soon, but for now, you'll just have to order online!
I entered the incorrect shipping address on my order. How should I go about getting this corrected?
If your package has not shipped, just send us an email at trailfood@packitgourmet.com and let us know. We'll be happy to update the address for you.
If your package has already shipped we will need to contact UPS and have your delivery address changed. There will be a fee of $11.00 to update your delivery address with UPS.
I need to reschedule delivery on my shipment for a future date. How should I go about doing this?
If your package has not shipped, just send us an email at trailfood@packitgourmet.com and let us know. We'll be happy to hold shipment on your package so that it will arrive at a future date.
If
your package has already shipped we will need to contact UPS to either reschedule
delivery on your package or have your package held at will call for pickup. If you would like to reschedule delivery, there will be a fee of $11.00 for UPS
to perform this service. If you would prefer to pick your package up at will call, UPS will hold the shipment at will call for pickup by the consignee, free of charge.
I need to cancel delivery on my shipment. How should I go about doing this?
If your package has not shipped, just send us an email at trailfood@packitgourmet.com and let us know. We'll be happy to cancel delivery for you.
If
your package has already shipped we will need to contact UPS and have delivery on your package canceled. There will be a fee of $11.00 for UPS to cancel delivery.
Can you drop-ship to hikers doing the AT, CDT, etc.?
Yes. Please call us before you start your trip and set up your account. You can choose your meals ahead of time or call in as you go with new orders. Please see our delivery schedule for a list of towns along the Appalachian Trail and other useful information.
How do I let Packit Gourmet know where I'd like to receive my package when shipping to the AT, CDT, etc.?
When placing your order you'll be able to enter a billing and a shipping address. Enter your home address in the billing area and the trail address in the shipping area.
If receiving your package at a post office, please enter the following information as the shipping address:
Address:
Address (line 2): | Hold for AT hiker ETA DATE
General Delivery | City:
State:
Zip/Postal Code:
| Please enter the city/state/zip code of the trail location where you would like to receive your package. Our delivery schedule can be used by AT hikers to help determine the correct shipping information.
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*The post office will not accept deliveries from FedEx. If shipping your package to a post office, you must select USPS delivery.
If receiving your package at a hotel/outfitter, please enter the following information as the shipping information:
Address:
Address (line 2):
City:
State:
Zip/Postal Code:
| The hotel/outfitter address
ATTN: Hold for AT hiker ETA DATE |
I’m flying into the US from another country and would like to have a package of your food delivered to me when I arrive. Is that possible?
Yes. The US Post Office will hold general delivery packages for recipients for up to 30 days free of charge. Let us know which Post Office you would like your package to be shipped to and it will be waiting for you when you arrive.
*The post office will not accept deliveries from FedEx. If shipping your package to a post office, you must select USPS delivery.
I'm having my package delivered to a US address but my billing address is in another country. There isn't an option to choose my country for the billing address. Can I still place an order?
Yes. Enter your name and street address in the billing address area. Then enter the city, state and zip code of the place where your having the package delivered. This is confusing, but it works!
I’m traveling around the US and would like to have packages of your food delivered to me throughout my trip. Is that possible?
Yes. The US Post Office will hold general delivery packages for recipients for up to 30 days free of charge. Let us know which Post Office you would like your package to be shipped to and it will be waiting for you when you arrive.
*The post office will not accept deliveries from FedEx. If shipping your package to a post office, you must select USPS delivery.
I don't live in the US. Do you ship internationally?
Yes. Please visit our shipping page for more information.
I would like to send a package of your food to military personnel serving overseas. Is that possible?
Yes. We send all military care packages via USPS to military APO/FPO addresses. If you do not know your serviceperson’s APO/FPO address, please visit USA.gov. When entering APO/FPO address information, please include the following information:
Name
Unit
APO/FPO Address
Zip Code
Example:
SSGT Kevin Taylor
Unit 2050 Box 4190
APO AP 96278-2050
*Please be aware that pork products are often not allowed to be shipped to Islamic countries. You may want to consider choosing a meal with pork TVP if your loved one is missing the flavor of sausage.
SALES, DISCOUNTS, SPONSORSHIPS & DONATIONS
Do you offer discounts to the national park service, military, students, scout groups, etc.?Yes! Please visit our discounts page for more information. How can I get a discount code?We periodically send out coupon codes to our newsletter subscribers as well as posting them on Facebook and Twitter. We also offer discounts to outdoor groups and some of our partnership organizations. If my outdoor group is not on your list of approved organizations, can we still get a discount?Send us an email at trailfood@packitgourmet and let us know about your group and why a discount would be beneficial to your organization. If you have one, please include your group's website so that we can learn a little more about you. We'll review your information and let you know of our decision. How do I use a discount/coupon code?As you add items to your cart/pack you will see an area near the bottom of the page where you can enter your code.  |
| Enter your coupon code in the box and click "Add Coupon".
Your discount will be applied to your total and will adjust as you add more or fewer items to your cart. You will also be able to remove your discount code by clicking the "x" located next to your discount total.
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Do you sponsor outdoor enthusiasts on their adventures?Yes. Currently, we commit to sponsoring approximately 2-3 adventures per
year in support of our outdoor community and we hope to be able to
increase that number as our company grows. To learn about applying for a sponsorship please visit our Sponsorship Opportunities & Donations page. My organization is hosting an event for the outdoor community. How can we apply for a donation?
Please visit our Sponsorship Opportunities & Donations page and fill out our Sponsorship Request form to apply for a donation to your group. RETURNS & EXCHANGES
I purchased a piece of your gear and I'd like to return it. How should I go about doing this?We accept all gear returns within 30 days of purchase. Just send it back for a refund, replacement or store credit. Please visit our refund and guarantee page to read more about our refund policies. I purchased some of your food and I'd like to return it. How should I go about doing this?All defective food items are eligible for a replacement or store credit within 30 days of purchase. Just let us know what the problem is (send us an email at trailfood@packitgourmet or give us a call at 512-707-0795 or 1-888-210-4959) and we'll take care of it ASAP! Meals
and grocery items are not eligible for return or refund. If you’ve
decided to cancel the order while it is in transit, let us know – we’ll
cancel delivery and immediately issue a refund. There will be a fee of $11.00 for UPS
to cancel delivery.
Ordered too much? Don’t worry – the items on our site have a very long shelf-life and can be easily stored for your next trip. Learn more about food storage and preservation.
I've already received my food delivery but I've decided that I no longer want it and would like to return it. Do you accept returns on food items?
Unfortunately, once a food item has reached it's destination, it is no longer eligible to be returned. We cannot resell food items that have left our facility (Would you want to eat returned food?!). Accepting these types of returns would hurt our small business and raise prices for our customers. Our food has a very long shelf-life and is great at the office or at home in addition to the outdoors. Cook up your meal at work and make all of your colleagues jealous! Or store your food for your next trip. Learn more about food storage and preservation.
WHOLESALE
Do you sell your products wholesale to qualified buyers?
Yes. Please visit our Wholesale Information page for our Wholesale Application and other information.
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