Review: Campbell's Go Soup

I was already on the way to the check out lanes when I realized I already knew about this product, thanks to  the Chief Taster's infatuation with Stephen Colbert.  I bought it anyway.  The plan was to eat it on a mountainside somewhere, thus preventing anyone discovering my secret shame over getting marketed.  Hopefully, the fact that I selected it for convenience as a backpacking food will override the flashy graphics and the silly face on the bag:

This image was stolen from the Campbell's web site.  I'm giving it a decent review, so I don't think they'll mind.

I had my doubts.  I even had intentions to add some orzo or couscous to make it a more filling stew.  I'm glad I didn't.

I also wanted to test some gear, so I used the pot from my two-person cookset to heat the soup on our kitchen's gas stove (I don't have a good place to test the backpacking stove), because I figured that was a decent simulation of trail conditions.  I even ate it from that same cookset's bowl, but I used a normal spoon, because I have no intention of relying on the included folding "foon."

If this were a photography blog, I probably would have had the sense to use the blue bowl.

Results: surprisingly filling, and a tasty but not overbearing amount of spice.  Three hours after eating it, I still feel pretty full.  To be fair, I also had a couple slices of fresh mango, and didn't do any hiking at all in that time, but I could use this as dinner on the trail, after the day's hiking was finished.  Plus, you can prop up the empty bag while you eat and pretend you have a comically zany dining companion.  ...Making an O face?  The downside: lots of water weight.  Better for a weekend jaunt than an extended trip.