Taste Test: Bla Band Wilderness Stew With Rice

The Bla Band Wilderness Stew with Rice is a tasty and nutritious freeze-dried meal. It contains no flavor enhancers, so it tastes like real home-cooked food. At 650 calories, it offers impressive energy for its weight (144g), and the mix of reindeer meat, beef, rice, green beans, cream, and spices felt thoroughly nourishing.

Package:

The meal pouch is made from Flextrus Transofoil®, a fully recyclable material designed to act as an excellent insulator—helping keep your meal hotter for longer. It’s lightweight and relatively flat, making it convenient to store in your pack without taking up unnecessary space.

Preparation:

Rehydration was very simple thanks to the wide, shallow pouch. Water was easy to pour and stir in, and the clear fill lines inside helped to add just the right amount. The pouch retains heat well, so after 10 minutes of steeping, the stew was still nice and warm. It was also surprisingly comfortable to eat from directly—even with a regular spoon.

Taste:

I was honestly blown away by the flavor and quality of this meal. The meat might not appeal to everyone—it’s reindeer, which I’d describe as similar to venison—but it added a deep, rich flavor to the rice and creamy sauce. There was a generous amount of meat in the portion too, not just a few token pieces.

It’s exactly what you want after a long day’s hike: hearty, full of flavor, and genuinely comforting.
One of the tastiest and most complete freeze-dried meals I’ve tested on the trail.

Portion size

The portion is well balanced and filling, easily satisfying even after a full day of hiking. It doesn’t leave you feeling too heavy, but definitely hits the spot.

Nutrition:

One portion of Bla Band Wilderness Stew provides 26g of fat 13g of which saturated, 84g of carbohydrates 3.5g of which sugars, 17g of Protein, 3.6 g of sodium (salt).

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re tackling multi-day treks or want a reliable go-to for overnight camps, the Bla Band Wilderness Stew with Rice delivers a delicious, trail-ready experience. Full of real ingredients, satisfying flavor, and smart packaging—it’s a meal we’ll gladly pack again.