Anybody remember Bear Valley Pemmican/Mealpack bars?

[Askel]

I was first introduced to these as a boy scout at the philmont scout ranch. 

Over the years they were a reliable source of carbohydrates when doing dumb outdoor stuff.  Reasonably tasty, 400 calories at a go, held up in all weather conditions, and pretty much indestructible. 

They went out of business about 5-6 years back and I never found a perfect replacement.  I've been getting by on clif bars since, but they become hard as a rock in super cold temperatures. Their recent shrinkflation to 5 per box also kind of pisses me off.   So I'm back to looking for a replacement. 

I'm thinking I'm just going to have to start baking my own if I want something similar.   

Anybody familiar with these come up with a good energy bar recipe that approximates them?

Coconut Almond were my favorite. After that it was a close tie between sesame lemon and fruit n' nut. Never cared for the carob cocoa variety much.   

[bacchi]

Those bars were solid. Less sugar than bars out today and packed with carbs and protein.

I use a "Perfect bar" recipe for activities in town (oats and PB). For no-fridge situations, I use the vegan energy bar formula at https://www.nomeatathlete.com/homemade-energy-bar-recipe/. It's not a great match to Pemmican but there are a lot of options.

[Askel]

Thanks! Will give those a try @bacchi . 

[uniwelder]

I was at Philmont in 1996.  I think I was the only person in my group that willingly ate whatever those bars were.  Not sure if it would have been the same.  I was also the designated 'sump' at the end of every dinner.

[SilentC]

That’s messed up that they liquidated. Probably too late to just buy the company… my spouse makes a lot of “desserts” with almond flour, whole wheat flour and dried fruit and usually less than the recommended sugar or  honey and sometimes substitutes the liquid with brewed coffee.  They all kind of blend together in my mind.  I think if you google around you might find one that sounds yummy.  Something like this works as a base but we have never used buttermilk.  https://dosaikal.com/2020/08/18/almond-flour-and-whole-wheat-flour-bread/

[Askel]

I was at Philmont in 1996.  I think I was the only person in my group that willingly ate whatever those bars were.  Not sure if it would have been the same.  I was also the designated 'sump' at the end of every dinner.

I was there in maybe '91?  Our troop signed up for not quite the longest, but definitely one of the hilliest itineraries available. Also, we had some kind of informal competition to see who could have the heaviest pack each day (possibly encouraged by our adult leaders on the trip. :D ). End result being we'd garbage down whatever you put in front of us that resembled food.   

[Askel]

That’s messed up that they liquidated. Probably too late to just buy the company… my spouse makes a lot of “desserts” with almond flour, whole wheat flour and dried fruit and usually less than the recommended sugar or  honey and sometimes substitutes the liquid with brewed coffee.  They all kind of blend together in my mind.  I think if you google around you might find one that sounds yummy.  Something like this works as a base but we have never used buttermilk.  https://dosaikal.com/2020/08/18/almond-flour-and-whole-wheat-flour-bread/

Thanks! 

The company actually was sold, but pretty much died immediately after the sale. There was some speculation that the company was bought out merely over some dispute over the rights to the "pemmican" brand and buying out a bunch of hippies was cheaper than taking them to court over it.   

[Metalcat]

That’s messed up that they liquidated. Probably too late to just buy the company… my spouse makes a lot of “desserts” with almond flour, whole wheat flour and dried fruit and usually less than the recommended sugar or  honey and sometimes substitutes the liquid with brewed coffee.  They all kind of blend together in my mind.  I think if you google around you might find one that sounds yummy.  Something like this works as a base but we have never used buttermilk.  https://dosaikal.com/2020/08/18/almond-flour-and-whole-wheat-flour-bread/

Thanks! 

The company actually was sold, but pretty much died immediately after the sale. There was some speculation that the company was bought out merely over some dispute over the rights to the "pemmican" brand and buying out a bunch of hippies was cheaper than taking them to court over it.

Can pemmican even be branded?? It's a generic term for traditional indigenous food. We have a bunch of companies in Canada that make pemmican.

[Askel]

Well, I read it on the internet, so it has to be true.