[pct-l] Pepperoni, Salami, etc.

[bmclaughlin at bigplanet.com (Brian McLaughlin)]

Stillroaming wrote:

>While I love my ramen and tuna and can eat it for months on end,
>has anyone had experience carrying the dry, cured meats on the
>trail? Most importantly, how long will it keep?

I have bought dry salami products up to several months ahead
of using them, & stored them for up to three weeks in caches that
had temps up to 75 degrees in daytime and have never had a
problem with them. My experience would indicate that they are
pretty safe in general without refrigeration. 

However, my experience is no guarantee of safety. If your
food smells or tastes in any way 'odd', don't chance it is my
advice. However, the odds (as I know them) say this is a
pretty good bet to be edible under less than ideal circumstances.