Food
Make pemmican
Pemmican is dried meat, rendered fat, and sometimes berries — a shelf-stable, calorie-dense food that lasts for months.
2 Guys & A Cooler — Making Pemmican
Step-by-step
Dry lean meat into jerky until it cracks, not bends.
Pound the jerky into a fine powder or shred it as fine as possible.
Render fat slowly over low heat until the liquid is clear and the solids have separated.
Mix the dried meat with hot rendered fat at roughly 1:1 ratio by weight; add dried berries if you have them.
Pack into a mold or bag while warm, then cool until firm.
Tip: The fat must fully coat every particle of meat to exclude air and prevent spoilage. Cut open a test piece — no dry meat should be visible.
Related outdoor skills
Educational reference only. Wilderness conditions change fast — practice in low-stakes settings, take a certified wilderness first-aid course, and confirm regional regulations before you rely on any of these skills in the field.