There are many things that could affect the time it takes for you to prepare your meal, the most common issues are temperature of water and cooking at high elevations.
While we recommend adding boiling water to your food, sometimes it isn’t always available, or you may not have a source to heat the water. You can prepare AlpineAire meals using cold water, however you will need to wait an additional 20-40 minutes for your food to properly re-hydrate.
If you are preparing meals at high altitudes (above 10,000 feet) you may need to allow for longer cook times. For every 1,000 feet over 10,000 feet, we recommend adding 5 minutes to the preparation wait time indicated on the package. (Ex. 12,000 = 10 additional minutes)
In both instances we recommend using the Optimus (H)EAT Pouch as an insulator and cooking aid for preparing your food. The Optimus (H)EAT Pouch will also keep your meal warmer longer whenever you find yourself in cold environments.