Little Green Pouch

A few months back I was reading up on Ras and Kathy Vaughan's adventures. You may  have heard about them recently for the OKT (only known time) record of hiking the Arizona Trail yo-yo style. Meaning they started at Mexico, hiked to Utah, and then turned around and hiked back to Mexico in one trip. Anyway on their adventure Ras talked about fueling with nut butters for breakfast. I was inspired and began searching out recipes for different varieties. The nut butters were a success but I lacked reusable container to transport and consume the butters with. After some research I came across two companies that looked promising. This review is in regards to the Little Green Pouch.

Initial Impressions- The Little Green pouch was designed for parents with young children. Making healthy homemade alternatives to conventional baby and toddler food is very popular. The pouch allows you a vessel to store, transport and serve the contents in a easy to clean package. The Little Green pouches come in a 3.4 oz and 7 oz size. The 3.4 oz size seemed like a fit for the amount of calories. Standard almond butter typically has a caloric value of 190 calories per ouch, so each pouch would hold just over 3 times that. The empty Little Green Pouch weighs .38 oz. At the top is a thick zipper closure, and on the side is a locking twist style cap. The pouch is narrow at the top and widens at the base, allowing it stand vertically on its own. They are dishwasher friendly (top rack), freezer friendly, FAA compliant (3.4 oz size), and reusable up to 50 times. On the back of the pouch there is an area to write whom it belongs to or anything you want. The plastic used to construct the pouch is BPA, lead, phthalates, PVC free.

Use- As intended I have been using the Little Green Pouches for multiple flavors of nut butters. I initially filled them through the top zippered opening. This was a mistake. As soon as the zipper was coated, it became impossible to securely zip the closure. After a few uses I discovered that filling through the opening using a funnel is much cleaner and easier method. This allows you to secure the zipper closure before adding the food. The twist lock cap has stayed secure even while being tossed around a pack. I am yet to have the zipper fail due to be pressed against other gear.  Cleaning the Little Green Pouches is best done with a wire brush. Because of the design nut butters have a tendency to get trapped in the corners. With a little hot water and a bottle brush, cleaning is not too difficult. After scrubbing them manually I toss them in the dishwasher for an additional cleaning. Simply by design these pouches would work great with pre portioned dry powders also. Although I would probably switch over to the 7 oz ones for that application. Besides backpacking, the pouches work great for homemade running gels. Allowing you to carry more and make your own flavors. The zip closure securely keeps the contents in the package even when squeezing the last drops out.

Pros-

• Reusable, freezable and dishwasher friendly.
• Easy to fill with a funnel.
• Lightweight and secure ensuring your food bag isn't coated in nut butter.

Cons-

• Have a shelf life of 50 uses.
• Wish it came with a tiny bottle brush to clean spout hole.
• Would like to see more size options.

Final Thoughts- The Little Green Pouch is an environmentally friendly alternative to using disposable bags for packaging homemade outdoor food. The lightweight and sturdy design make it ideal for outdoor sports. The pouches are inexpensive and allowed me to pre-portion my meals, and reduce downtime preparing breakfast. If you make nut butters, hummus, or backpacking smoothies then The Little Green Pouch maybe the perfect solution. Pick yourself up some today and start experimenting with some new backcountry flavors or running fueling recipes.

Where to Buy- The Little Green Pouch Website

*These were purchased for testing.