Autumn Patrol: A Riverbank Evening with the Mystery Ranch & Mountain House

The air carried that unmistakable chill of fall, fifty degrees, crisp and clear. It was the kind of day that makes you reach for long sleeves and feel grateful for the warmth of motion. I shouldered my new-to-me Mystery Ranch 3 Day Assault Pack and decided it was time for a property patrol down by the river. The pack rode comfortably, its weight perfectly balanced as I followed the gravel trail under the fading light.

Property Patrol on the Roanoke River

Roanoke River property patrol

By the time I reached my usual overlook, the sky had softened to a quiet gray-blue. I dropped my pack, hung it on a low branch on an old cedar, and took a moment to breathe in the stillness. The world had gone still, with only the rustle of dry leaves, the steady whisper of the river, and the promise of firelight.

Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings

From the pack came dinner, a pouch of Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings. I gathered tinder, stacked my kindling, and coaxed a small flame to life. Soon, a cheerful fire crackled between the rocks, and I filled my canteen cup with water to warm beside the blaze.

Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings ingredients: Buttermilk Biscuits (enriched unbleached flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin {B3}, iron, thiamine mononitrate {B1}, riboflavin {B2}, folic acid {B9}], palm oil [with mono and diglycerides], buttermilk powder, baking powder [sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate], sugar, salt), Chicken (chicken meat, salt), Sauce (rendered chicken fat, nonfat dry milk, corn starch, chicken flavor [cooked ground chicken with juices, sea salt, chicken flavor, onion powder, potato flour, carrot powder, turmeric, flavor, black pepper], cane sugar, seasoning [yeast extract, yeast], white pepper, thyme, sage, black pepper, garlic powder), Green Peas, Carrots, Onion. CONTAINS: Milk, Wheat

There are 2 servings per container. Serving size 1 cup (64g) dry mix (makes 1 cup prepared). That's plenty of food, and I was certain I wasn't going to eat the entire contents of the bag. Browse the selection of Mountain House Meals here!

Camp fire and canteen cup with water

The Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings is the kind of meal that feels like home even when you’re miles from it: tender chunks of chicken, soft dumplings, and vegetables in a rich, creamy gravy. When the steam began to rise, I poured the hot water into the pouch and waited as the aroma of comfort food filled the cool air.

Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings without water

I hadn’t expected to be that hungry, but hunger has a way of revealing itself when the world goes quiet. The first bite told me everything I needed to know: hearty, flavorful, and downright satisfying.

Spoonful of cooked Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings

I didn’t think I’d eat it all, but it was great, and I did. The meal was rich, hearty, and just what I needed after the long walk in. Yep, I ate it all, savoring each spoonful as the firelight danced on the river’s edge.

I ate all of contents in the bag of my Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings

I sat by the fire, letting the warmth of the food and the quiet of the woods settle in around me. After dinner, I built the fire back up and pulled out my GSI Java Drip. Fresh grounds, boiling water, and the slow drip of coffee into my canteen cup. There is no better way to end a day outdoors than with a hot cup of coffee and the sound of fire cracking beneath a star-filled sky.

Coffee by the campfire

When it was time to go, I made sure the fire was out cold, stirred, scattered, and safe. My gear went back in the pack, straps snug and balanced, and I trekked back toward the truck with the lingering scent of smoke and coffee on my clothes. The river faded behind me, the night settling in, another simple and perfect evening in the field.