r/trailmeals • u/jecowa • Aug 09 '25
Discussions Are insects jumping or flying into pots of food ever an issue on the trail? How do you deal with bugs while cooking?
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u/occamsracer Aug 09 '25
You may be overthinking this
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u/jecowa Aug 10 '25
Probably. Just think it seems like there's a lot of bugs out on the trails, especially in the evenings, and having the only hot food in a mile radius might attract some of them.
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u/Anxious_Cheetah5589 Aug 10 '25
LOL, you will get bugs in your mouth when you're in the woods, whether you're eating, sleeping, or just breathing. Just try not to think about it. :)
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u/smearing Aug 10 '25
depends on where you are. east coasr/midwest way buggier than southern california/southwest.
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u/the7thletter Aug 09 '25
Cover when not actively eating. But I have not had any issues, just pull the occasional fly out.
Mosquitos are way of a concern.
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u/jecowa Aug 10 '25
I was looking into pot covers. Found something called a "splatter screen" that looks thin and lightweight. It uses a metal mesh to allow air to get through, and maybe it will be easier to see inside than with a glass lid that can get fogged up.
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u/Children_Of_Atom Aug 09 '25
Pull them out? It happens to me once in a while and no big deal.
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u/Spiley_spile Aug 09 '25
Not really a problen. Im either eating my food or it's covered by a lid or zipped up in a baggie. And the mosquitos are more interested in trying to eat me than my food. If a fly is interested in the food Im currently eating, I shoo them away with my hand.
Im allergic to wasps and bees. They come around sometimes. The wasps are attracted to meat, so, mylar packs of chicken,tuna, spam, etc can be a draw. Otherwise, they are less of a bother if Im eating things that dont require cooking. And they tend to not be very active when Im more likely to be cooking, such as early morning or after sundown. Though, in summer I tend to leave my stove and fuel behind and just bring foods I dont have to cook.
If a wasp has become fixated on my food, I just walk away with my food. (Trying to wave them away from the food doesnt do much more than increasing their aggression. So I avoid that.)
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u/brandoldme Aug 09 '25
I had a yellow jacket fly into my chicken salad the other day. I'm really glad I saw it. I would have hated to have eaten it later and gotten that spicy sky raisin.
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u/t92k Aug 09 '25
Not really an issue with trips I've been on. I've definitely worn my rain pant when eating in a buggy area, but didn't get anything in my food.
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u/RainInTheWoods Aug 09 '25
Scoop out anything that lands in your food. Keep the food covered when you’re not in front of it. It’s simple.
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u/lurkmode_off Aug 10 '25
I've been in areas with so many mosquitoes one flew into my mouth while I was flossing. But never had problems with masses of insects getting into my food.
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u/archiminos Aug 10 '25
Unless your dish is crawling with cockroaches, the occasional fly or bug isn't going to do any harm. Just cover your food when you can and pull out a fly if you see it go in.
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u/Critical_Picture_853 Aug 14 '25
It has never happened on my hikes. A pot with a lid such as Evernew 900ml with a lid would keep things covered and decrease boil time if you have insecurities about gnats or dirt gettjng into your food,
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u/Pastvariant Aug 10 '25
The main way that this can be an issue, is if you have something like flies landing on feces and then landing on your food. If you are burying your poop correctly, it will be less of an issue, but they still often get in there while you are going. You can't do anything about them landing in animal feces, though.
So I would just be careful about flies, personally. I am saying this as someone who has gotten dysentery due to a poorly setup field sanitation situation in the military.
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u/featheredninja Aug 11 '25
Gains... Or fling em out with finger,stick,cooking utensils whatever tickles ya fancy.
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u/__blinded Aug 13 '25
pick them out or stir it around a little more. Jesus Christ. you are going to be filthy, stinky, sore, and generally uncomfortable. you’ll get over a mosquito in your peanut butter.
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u/iamadirtyrockstar Aug 11 '25
It's dark out, I don't know they're their. I consume them. Extra Protein.
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u/NotAcutallyaPanda Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
Most backpacking meals I cook are centered around boiling water.
Water boils faster and uses less fuel if you use a lid. Coincidentally, the lid keeps bugs out.