Mountain House Breakfast Skillet - Freeze Dried Camping Food

Curated from 103 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: April 2, 2025

Mountain House Breakfast Skillet - Freeze Dried Camping Food

Brand: Mountain House
Price: $10
Snoop Score:
8.0
Sentiment
7.5
Popularity
8.1
Technical
7.6

Snoop's Take

The Mountain House Breakfast Skillet is a freeze-dried meal designed for backpackers and campers, offering a convenient and tasty breakfast option. Users appreciate its delicious flavors and nutritional balance, with sentiments like, "it tastes great and is pretty nutritious," highlighting its appeal for outdoor enthusiasts needing energy during strenuous activities. While some users note concerns about the high sodium content and serving size, most agree that Mountain House consistently delivers quality meals, making it a recommended choice for those seeking reliable camping food.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Freeze Dried Food

These dehydrated meals honestly aren’t bad at all for what they are.

Positive Feedback

Best tasting ones I have ever had are Peak Refuel.

Negative Feedback
Product
8.0
Mountain House Breakfast Skillet - Freeze Dried Camping Food
Backpacking
8 / 10
Car Camping
9 / 10
Emergency Prep
9 / 10
Road Trips & Travel
10 / 10
See how this compares to all Freeze Dried Food

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Tasty under various circumstances
These dehydrated meals honestly aren’t bad at all for what they are.
Great for backpacking and outdoor activities
that's a good deal if you're looking to stock up.
Consistently high quality compared to competitors
Mountain House are consistently the best freeze dried foods out there.
Best rehydration at high altitudes
But when you're up above that nothing rehydrates as well as mountain house.
Good balance of protein, fat, and carbs
despite the sodium, the mountain house has a much better balance of protein, fat, and carbs which you will want if you’re doing strenuous activity.
Designed for high sodium needs during strenuous activity
Definitely not meant to be eaten as a “normal” meal.
Tastes great and nutritious
It tastes great and is pretty nutritious.
Love MH. 100% my preferred FD brand - whether #10 can or pouches.
High quality meals
The mountain house meals are high quality but they are mostly carbs, which can generally be bought cheaper dried rather then freeze dried.
Good for prep stock
I think they would be a good thing to have in my prep stock, and ultimately would feel worth it to me if I bought 30-50 worth of them every month or so, then just stowed them away.
Taste varies by meal
They taste pretty good to me, but, as I've mentioned in other threads on this topic, they are not good for gut health.
Good taste when hungry after hiking
they're pretty damn good.
Mountain house biscuits and gravy is the best one of them all.
Convenient for occasional trips
I only do a couple trips a year and always use Mountain House out of convenience.
Extended shelf life of freeze-dried meals
The older ones should be fine for 30 years.
Breakfast scramble is a favorite
My favorites were the breakfast scramble.
Delicious breakfast options
Try the Breakfast Skillet? If not, I highly suggest it.
Best breakfast option for cold mornings
if you're looking for a god tier breakfast on a cold morning, mountain house biscuits and gravy simply cannot be beat.
Good flavor variety in meals
Try a couple and see what tastes best to you.
Long shelf life compared to competitors
Mountain House foods last DECADES longer than Peak Refuel (if you follow the expiration dates on the package).

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
High sodium content limits regular consumption
Best tasting ones I have ever had are Peak Refuel.
Pasta texture is unappetizing
I think the pasta texture is terrible and near useless nutritionally.
Expensive compared to making your own
$1800 would almost cover the cost of a freeze dryer. Then you can make your own.
Increased prices over the years
Best Mountain House freeze dried food alternative? MH freeze dried food has gone up a lot in price over the years, I was wondering if any of you have any ideas for alternatives that are cheaper.
Small serving size perceived by users
FYI, most packets are labeled 2 servings… for me each packet is a single serving.
Not enough food per serving
We both were STARVING after eating these things, especially after day 2.
They're only enough food for one person for the vast majority of people.
a 2.5 serving for me alone is rarely enough.
Yeah, they are obliged to follow the standard set by the USDA for what constitutes a serving. After
Expensive compared to other options
The convenience of meals like Mountain House and Packit Gourmet is awesome, but the cost is more.
Perceived as lower quality compared to competitors
Peak Refuel and it's not even close. A casual look at ingredients tells you you're getting much better quality food.
They tend to have higher calories, most meals are over 800, which is good if you’re doing high daily mileage.
Worst smelling aftermath from breakfast skillet
the worst smelling farts I’ve had in my life. Literally smelled exactly like the meal itself.

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product NameImagePriceScoreCompareSee DetailsBuy Now
Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings Freeze Dried MealMountain House Chicken & Dumplings Freeze Dried Meal$10
8.4
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Mountain House Breakfast Skillet - Freeze Dried Camping FoodMountain House Breakfast Skillet - Freeze Dried Camping Food$10
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Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with NoodlesMountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles$10
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Mountain House Expedition Bucket | Freeze Dried FoodMountain House Expedition Bucket | Freeze Dried Food$135
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Peak Refuel Sweet Pork & Rice Freeze Dried MealPeak Refuel Sweet Pork & Rice Freeze Dried Meal$13
7.4
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Mountain House Adventure Weekender KitMountain House Adventure Weekender Kit$49
7.3
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Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef - Freeze Dried MealMountain House Chili Mac with Beef - Freeze Dried Meal$11
7.3
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Mountain House Biscuits & GravyMountain House Biscuits & Gravy$8
7.1
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Fettuccine Alfredo with ChickenMountain House Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken$11
6.8
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Mountain House Classic Spaghetti with Meat SauceMountain House Classic Spaghetti with Meat Sauce$8
6.8
DetailsBuy
Peak Refuel Three Bean Chili MacPeak Refuel Three Bean Chili Mac$13
6.8
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Chicken Fried RiceMountain House Chicken Fried Rice$9
6.7
DetailsBuy
Peak Refuel Biscuits and GravyPeak Refuel Biscuits and Gravy$14
6.4
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Beef Stew - Freeze Dried Camping FoodMountain House Beef Stew - Freeze Dried Camping Food$10
6.4
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with BaconMountain House Scrambled Eggs with Bacon$7
6.2
DetailsBuy
Peak Refuel Chicken Pesto PastaPeak Refuel Chicken Pesto Pasta$14
6.1
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream SandwichMountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich$3
6.0
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Creamy Macaroni & CheeseMountain House Creamy Macaroni & Cheese$9
5.6
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Granola with Milk & Blueberries - Freeze Dried FoodMountain House Granola with Milk & Blueberries - Freeze Dried Food$7
5.5
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki with RiceMountain House Chicken Teriyaki with Rice$9
5.0
DetailsBuy
Backpacker's Pantry Dark Chocolate Cheesecake MixBackpacker's Pantry Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Mix$7
4.8
DetailsBuy
Backpacker's Pantry Creme BruleeBackpacker's Pantry Creme Brulee$7
3.4
DetailsBuy
ReadyWise Breakfast Skillet Meal PouchReadyWise Breakfast Skillet Meal Pouch$13
3.2
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream SandwichMountain House Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich$3
2.8
DetailsBuy
Backpacker's Pantry Mango Sticky RiceBackpacker's Pantry Mango Sticky Rice$7
2.5
DetailsBuy
ReadyWise 72 Hours Emergency Food SupplyReadyWise 72 Hours Emergency Food Supply$28
1.9
DetailsBuy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.
Looks like a condensed stew
It looks like a condensed-ish stew to me🤷‍♀️🙂‍↔️
Quality brand for freeze dried provisions
Best price Mountain House Food Looking to stock up on good freeze dried provisions.
/r/trailmeals wiki has a bunch of good brands to check out.
Costco had a 12 pack of mountain house meals recently. It pencilled out to about 6 bucks per meal.
Personally I prefer peak refuel but I think it’s subjective.
Curious about freeze-drying process
How does big companies like Mountain House freeze dry their food? Hello.
I've never dried chili, but have done eggs many times.
They have a factory tour video on Youtube where they show you what they're doing.
They freeze dry the meals in totality. It’s not done by ingredient and then mixed at Mountain House.
Diverse product lines available
On the whole, I think MH products are amazing.
Variation in longevity of different freeze-dried foods
The changed their expiration dates but, not all freeze dried foods last the same amount of time.

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.
Can be used creatively in different recipes
That MH breakfast skillet is absolutely the best freeze-dried breakfast thing I've tried AND is fantastic stuffed into a tortilla for a breakfast burrito.
Variety of preparation methods shared
Make sure to stir well as all the seasoning is at the bottom.
Do you use a coosie ? Or just simply pour the boiling water into the Knorrs pouch and let it sit?
I just pour it directly in and let it sit.
I hike with a single cup alongside my waterbottle and the meals go in the cup.
Curiosity about freeze dried ice cream sandwiches
Have you tried the MH ice cream sandwiches? Any good?
Many users prefer DIY dehydrated meals
Sure enough found a few ranging from $20-40.
Mention of repackaging dried ground beef for added protein
This. Also lasagne.

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Good for long-term food storage prepping
This stuff is AMAZING. Seriously, I am impressed.
Breakfasts are priced higher than dinners
This is a good deal.
Preference for easy cleanup with bag cooking
Research which ones are actually good and I prefer the ones where you pour the water in the bag to avoid clean up + you can hug it while it “cooks” if it’s a cold night.
Discussion about other freeze dried brands
Which alpine aire meals do you recommend?
Discussion about alternatives to Mountain House
Not always cheaper, but here are a bunch of alternative options:
Easy to make some of your own. Ramen bombs are great, cheap, and light.
Omeals are usually pretty cheap and extremely convenient as you don't have to boil water for them.
Comparisons to other brands
Check out other brands, too, and sales online.
Discussion about meal preparation techniques
Eating an entire bag of a main course yourself gets monotonous.
Discussion on various freeze-dried meal brands
I think it’s an excellent product and great for camping.
I haven't tried Huel, but I'm interested.
Discussion about meal sharing and calorie needs
Part of the problem is that I'm sharing my meals with my boyfriend who can eat a lot, so we both go hungry.
Most people over pack food. I'm surprised he doesn't bring enough.

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Surprisingly good for a joke product
this was surprisingly really good.
Humorous take on freeze-dried food
Also, I asked your dog what they thought of freeze-dried backpacking food and they just said “HECKIN YES PLEASE”
He’s like “You don’t even have to add water! Trust me , bro!”
They make freeze dried dog food too if you were wondering
Experience with tasting expired food
I recently ate p nut butt r that was three years over and I was shocked, and TURKEY spam that was five years over.
Taste testing for hiking
Rice & Chicken - 810 calories - 5/5. It tastes like a normal Rice Sides except it actually has decent chunks of chicken in it.
Discussion about missing flavors
You're missing Biscuits and Gravy in there - tied for #1 with beef strog imo
Preference for Peak Refuel over Mountain House
Definitely better than Mountain House
I like it better than MH.

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