What’s in My Snacklebox?

This time of year I often find myself daylight to dark in a deer stand or well before daylight to late afternoon in a duck blind. Now, everyone who knows me knows I’m not going to go that long without something to eat. I’m not above breaking out a small camp stove and rustling up a meal right there in the blind, but that isn’t always feasible.

The snacklebox allows you to pack your favorite foods to the blind in an organized, clean, and quiet manner.

In the past, I’ve resorted to tossing a bag or two of jerky, some cheese sticks, a granola bar or two, a few Little Debbie cakes and maybe even an apple into my pack. I’d eat some of it, but the rest would beat around in my pack and get smashed or forgotten. Just about all of that stuff came packaged in cellophane wrappers, too. And those are just loud in a deer stand.

***Don’t Miss: *JALAPEÑO PEPPER JACK VENISON SUMMER SAUSAGE PART 1

Enter the snacklebox. I’m ashamed that it took me this long to go this route with my hunting blind eats. It isn’t a stretch to say it has revolutionized my snacking while in the field.

***Don’t Miss: *HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN VENISON SNACK STICKS

What’s a snacklebox, you ask? Simply a tackle storage tray—you know, the ones with movable dividers so you can keep your jigheads separate from your drop shot rigs, or your crankbaits from becoming hopelessly tangled with your jigging spoons—packed full of food.

Tackle storage trays with adjustable compartments are perfect for this application.

Pick a good-sized tray (preferably new or cleaned and sanitized if your boat looks like mine) and fill it up with your favorite snacks. Choose a size that fits easily in your pack but holds enough to get you through your time afield.

Choose a size that holds enough food for you and your hunting companions but also fits easily into your pack.

Another plus besides keeping things organized and clean is that you can remove the wrappers before you leave the house, making your snack sessions a lot quieter.

Snackleboxes are much quieter than cellophane-wrapped snacks.

So, like the title says, what’s in my snacklebox? That’s the beauty. It doesn’t matter. And what is in it for one trip probably won’t be the same next time I head out. Fill your box with whatever snacks you like.

***Don’t Miss: *BASIC VENISON JERKY

While I won’t tell you what to put in your box, I will offer up a few tips I’ve picked up over the years.

• Pack some protein. If you plan to be out all day, candy won’t keep you full of energy. I like cured meats and cheese for my base. Then add some trail mix and a few crackers for a stomach-filling meal that will stick with you.

• If you are hunting in warm temperatures, choose cured meats that are safe without refrigeration. Jerky, snack sticks, summer sausage—those all work great and can stand a bit of time outside the refrigerator without making you sick.

• Avoid chocolate or anything that melts if you are hunting in warm temperatures. There’s nothing worse than reaching into your snacklebox and pulling out melted-chocolate-covered fingers.

• Dried fruit generally works better than fresh. You can choose dried bananas, strawberries, cranberries, raisins, mangoes, whatever you like. They don’t spoil or leak sticky juice all over your box.

• Peanut-butter-filled pretzels are a great addition. Sweet and salty, satisfying and filling, they hit all the buttons.

• Pack a few of your favorite hard candies. There’s nothing worse than an annoying tickle that makes you keep coughing or clearing your throat in the deer stand. Having some hard candies in your box can help keep that under control.

• I’ve got a sweet tooth. There’s always going to be some sort of sweet in my box. Peanut M&M’s are a favorite, and so are gummy bears, but choose whatever you like. I stock up on the fun-size candy bars right after Halloween. They fit perfectly into the box compartments.

Pack your snacks the night before and stash the box in the fridge or your pack. Head afield the next day knowing that no matter what issues you might run into, being hungry won’t be one of them.