Australian Hiker

Rating

Back Country Roast Lamb and Vegetables Review

The Back Country Cuisine range of outdoor meals is probably the best known in Australia. These meals are stocked by the majority of outdoor stores and many people consider them the staple meal choice for outdoor activities. Back Country has a huge range of meal choices and many stores seem to select a ‘top ten’ so you are unlikely to find the full range in any one store. I’m still working my way though the very large range but I am finding this adventure is a bit hit and miss. But then again, everyone’s tastes are different! 

The Roast Lamb and Vegetables offering is usually relatively easy to find in both the single and the twin serves. Like many other meal choices on the market this one comes with a seperate mashed potato pouch which I mix through before rehydrating. I must admit that the chicken dishes are my favourites and I didn’t have high expectations for this lamb meal based on previous experience so I was pleasantly surprised. The mix of vegetables and meat was well proportioned. This is one of those meals that will leave you feeling contented.  It occurred to me as I wrote this review that it is very similar to the Cottage Pie option and I would carry both mainly due to the textural difference so that I didn’t get bored.

Like many of the Back Country Cusine freeze dried meals I would recommend reducing the amount of water added to keep a slightly thicker consistency and in this case I added 10ml of water less than the recommendation. In addition to reducing the water you add to this meal I also suggest increasing the rehydration time to around 12 minutes rather than the recommended ten minutes to let the water seal into the food properly.

The normal price sits around the AUD $14.99 RRP mark for a single serve and around $21.90 for the twin serve pack which works out to be more cost effective than the single serve option.  Most of the larger chain stores offer member discounts or have regular sales so it’s worthwhile looking around.  These products do have a long shelf life so you can stock up at the sales come in anticipation of an upcoming trip.

The meal comes in a bag that is well designed and the bottom opens out to provide a flat base for those minimalists who want to leave the bowl at home. The option exists to tear the top off the bag to allow easy access to the food but you if you have a long handled spork/fork/spoon you won’t need to tear the bag. My other reason for not tearing the top off the bag is to minimise any mess because after you’re done, you can re-zip the zip lock for clean disposal.

So what is the final verdict? While not likely to make my top five, I will add the Back Country Roast Lamb and Vegetables meal to longer trips. I think that most hikers will find this meal well worth considering.

We Like

• Three year warranty which means you can buy these when you see them discounted thereby reducing the price. You also know the meals will always be edible
• Minimal preparation time.  All you are doing is rehydrating these meals so once you add boiling water there’s only a 10-12 minute wait
• If you eat from the bag there is only your eating implement to clean up. In fact you may not even need to carry a bowl at all thereby limiting your  carrying weight
• A very large variety of meals from which to choose – both single and double serves – so it’s unlikely you will become bored unless you are on a really long hike
• Freeze dried. This takes much of the weight out of the meals and helps to limit the impact on your body
• Single serve option provides just the right size for solo travellers on a short trip. Twin serves are great for couples or for big eaters

We Don't Like

• The main negative of any commercially preprepared dehydrated/freeze dried meal is the cost.  These meals are cheaper per serve when bought in the twin serve size than the single serve entree size
• Single serves can be a bit small after a couple of weeks on the trail. Having said that I will usually pack a mix of single and double meals on longer trips as my need for calories increases

Best Uses

An easy to prepare meal whether it be on a short or long trip for camping and hiking

Buy One

You can purchase the Back Country Cuisine Roast Lamb and Vegetables meal online from Macpac, Snowys, Wild Earth, or from Wildfire Sports

Disclosure: We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Other Versions

Back Country Cuisine makes a large range of meals with something for everyone. To see our top 5 go here

Investment

AUD $14.99 RRP

Back Country Roast Lamb and Vegetables as purchased

Meal bag with the base folded out

Back Country Roast Lamb and Vegetables uncooked without potato added

Unopened potato sachet

Back Country Roast Lamb and Vegetables, potato added but unrehydrated. Usually the recommendation is to rehydrate these two packets separately but I just can’t be bothered

Back Country Roast Lamb and Vegetables rehydrated with the mashed potato mixed through

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Last updated

23 October 2024

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