This year I’ve gone a little crazy with all the winter hiking I’ve done. Although I’m avid hiker this was my first year really taking on the snowy mountains. Normally winter is my ski time, but with the Corona situation in full swing I traded in my skis for crampons.
Looking at the photos of a stark white landscape would have you believing it was shiver fest from start to finish. But truth be told, it’s freezing cold for the first 10 minutes and then again when you reach the inevitably windy peak. I wanted to stay on the peak for a while to take in the beautiful winter views but with my body heat not making up for the chill, I found it hard to not just immediately descend.
In South Korea, to combat this problem its most common to carry a thermos of hot water for coffee and ramen. I’ve taken this approach myself a number of times but I’ve been struck by two things. First, it’s quite heavy and the water is only useful for those two purposes. Specifically, if you run out of cool water it’s a bit more difficult to make that steaming hot warm work in the same way to keep yourself hydrated. This is why when I discovered Easybab on Instagram I knew it would match my needs perfectly.
I’m just a happy customer – but I totally look like I’m sponsored by the company with how often its on my instagram page @adventurous.aurora (shameless plug – my Korean life goal is to be the most famous hiking foreigner in Korea and I won’t achieve that by being subtle haha).
The Process
The Easybab product uses the same technology as the korean army ratios. You add water to a provided larger bag, in the bag is a pad that looks like a hand warmer, the chemicals react with the H2O and its an exothermic reaction so heat is released. Within the big bag is a smaller bag that contains rice or noodles – you add water to that bag and the food is cooked in the mini bag. It’s a 10 minute cooking process – so its ideal to set up before taking photos at the top of the mountain. Instructions are easy to follow on the back of the product with images and English instructions.
You can’t drink the water used for heating, so you need to pour that out.
Benefits
You can just carry regular water. This means no heat or heavy thermos needed.
Its a hot meal on the summit – which you don’t realize is super amazing until you do it. Now I can’t go without – It just seems like needless suffering.
Additionally, after you cook your meal the heating pad still works for another 5-10minutes so often people will bring dumplings that you can buy at the CU to heat up in the pouch.
Variety
They offer a wide variety of pouches but to be honest most of them taste fairly similar. I think there are about 6 different flavors – with additional variety by selling double servings. It’s available in bibimbab, ramen and ramen mixed with rice. They run between 370-450 calories. All the flavors have a bit of spice which balances nicely with a cold day.
The premier product 핫앤쿡 발열도시락 can be purchased on their website for 3,750원 each with small mark ups of between 200-700원 for double serving pouches or special flavors. Additionally this product is sold on Gmarket and Coupon. Furthermore, you can opt to just buy the hand warmer looking heating pad if you decide you like the technology just not the flavors.
I’m not a fan of the double serving pouches as they take longer (14 minutes rather than 10) to cook and they require more water so they always are a bit too watery or undercooked – a problem I’ve never had with the regular sized one.
Taste
I would give the objective taste a ranking of 3.5/5 but its a 4.5/5 on the mountain. Another way to consider it – I’m a terrible late snacker and I never make this for myself at home. Even though I have six of them currently sitting on top of my microwave, I will walk 100 meters outside at midnight to go to the CU because the taste and effort aren’t worth it. On the other hand, I never go hiking without this product anymore.
The Company
They have a fun Instagram account. They engage with customers – reposting peoples content daily and have weekly raffles for free products and Starbucks coffee. I won a Starbucks coffee through one of their raffles a couple weeks ago which is cute. This product has been gaining popularity with the 20 and 30 somethings that like hiking. They have sought to cultivate their image to be one of a young person’s product.
They have reposted me as well.
Happy Trekking Everybody!
By, Aurora
Hello! Thanks for the info 🙂 do you know if it’s possible to buy these in person? We’re in Jeju Island heading to Gurye. Thanks!