Tasty

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

To me, GTG is best in the biz right now for instant foods. Take a few of these out and you'll be surprised that they don't taste nasty. Most of the time this sort of food just gets brought along because it gets the job done. These are more than just bland fuel.

taylor

needs spice

Awesome backpacking food! It says it has two servings per package, but I'd plan on it being a single serving container if you've been working hard all day.

johngchrist

Bland

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Compared to some of Good to Go's other meals, this wasn't my favorite. It didn't have much flavor and just tasted like tomatoes. Could have used a little more zing. If you have some cheese on trail with you be sure to add that. Not horrible by any means, just not my favorite.

Jacob Stenberg

Don't Buy

I would not recommend this meal. It tasted pretty bad, but not as bad as their three bean chili option.

Nick Johnson

Okay

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

This is okay, not as good as some of the other Good 2 Go options, but does the trick

E

Not For Me

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I really like Good-To-Go's line of meals, but this one was surprisingly boring. The brown rice penne is tough to soften, so you never quite achieve that noodle taste or texture. The sauce was just eh. Not the worst, but not the best either.

Laura Mascari

Yum!

While backpacking food is never gourmet, this definitely does the trick after a long day in the mountains!

Emery Gaylord

Not the best. Not the worst

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Had this after a long day of backpacking. In my experience this is the best of the good to go series. Paired with some little beef sausages that I had roasted in the the fire before hand. That made all the difference.

Sam Kapacinskas

Not Good

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I really like this brand's food but this dish was a real bust. The noodles and tomatoes never softened up completely and the flavor was a little bland.

Reed Debus

got the job done just wasn't that great.

started out as average but the more i ate the worse it got. I did finish it and found it a decent break from other dehydrated food on a long trip but don't think i will take more in the future.

Matt brown

Post Ski Bliss

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I've brought several of these on my annual backcountry expeditions and they have fueled me well after touring and skiing all day. The penne is my go to for the night prior to a big day. It fills the tank back up to charge again, plus it tastes great. As for the users that have had crunchy problems. I've found this can be avoided by making sure the water has been boiling a few extra minutes. Keep in mind you need to increase cooking time with elevation. And yes I find a nice red wine goes superbly with this as does a bottle of Macallan 18

Ryan Gibbs

kinda crunchy

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

The taste of the marinara penne pasta was nice, but the pasta never really got too soft. After 12mins the penne was still crunchy. I have found that the pasta style dishes never get too tender, but I have found that rice style instant meals become tender pretty quickly.

Brett Cole

Yum + awesome portion size

This penne was so delicious -- great flavor and a bit of bite. I could ALMOST eat the whole thing after a day of hiking, but still didn't finish it, so it provides a really nice portion size (or two). All it needs is a little bit of salt and pepper -- so make sure you bring a few mini packs along.

Molly B

pretty amazed

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

after a long day hiking, this. I also really enjoyed the mushroom risotto

Thomas Buckner

A vegan's Best Friend

I generally make my backpacking meals from scratch, so I haven't taken these out in the backcountry, but I ADORE these quick, delicious meals for traveling. I'm vegan, so sometimes on long road trips or when I'm climbing/skiing in remote locations/countries where vegan options don't always abound, these are SO damn nice in a pinch when you're tired, hungry, and desparate (I'm all about trying local cuisine, but places like rural Iceland have not been as easy to find veggie noms in as say, Nepal). They're even a great air-travel companion, as you can toss one in a carry-on, snag a cup of boiling water from a flight attendant, and have a super tasty meal in just a few minutes. Who likes airplane food anyway?!

Zoe Zulauf

gluten free

didn't realize that. that's my bad. good taste if you need GF.

Nate w

It's ok - I'm just picky with GF pasta

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

So I got a couple of these good to go meals after hearing about them at work. I am gluten free for the most part due to dietary issues, so it is nice to see companies providing more options for the GF crowd. Functionality wise, it definitely does the job after a day of hiking or whatever else you were doing. Packaging is good, seals shut to keep the heat in for cooking which is nice and it also makes it a pretty nifty trash container for the rest of the trip when you forget a trash bag. Overall, taste wise, I found it to be on the sweeter end. After a hard day hiking, it wasn't quite what we were looking for, but we were hungry and it was made. It packs a lot of calories, carbs, and proteins which help on the recovery side so that you can keep going the next day. Compared to the other brands, it did taste noticeably better, which could be due to the fact that its handmade by a chef in Maine with real ingredients. Overall, I don't know if I would buy again, it is adequate, but not to my tastebuds. Feel free to reach out anytime if you have any GF meal questions or would like suggestions in planning out GF meals for a trip.

Brennan K