How long will eggs keep?

Sorry, I know this has been discussed before, but I can't find it. Do you have any direct experience carrying eggs on the trail? What temp? How long can they keep?

Thanks!

I'll carry eggs for longer than two days when I know I can keep there ambient temp below 40f

Farm fresh, unwashed (eggs with the bloom still intact) will keep for weeks unrefrigerated. The biggest difficulty is keeping them from getting broken for that long.

Store bought eggs have had their bloom scrubbed off and are likely weeks old when the hit the shelf already.

In some places you can get unwashed, fresh eggs in the markets. They are easily identifiable as they are sitting right out on the counter unrefrigerated.

I get mine from a friend who has chickens. I have one of those plastic containers that Walmart sells in the sporting goods department for carrying eggs. It's a bit heavy, but for shorter trips it's ok.

Another option is to put them into a saved carton. I find the paper ones work better than the styrofoam ones. Put that inside a ziplock (if it busts you don't want egg all over the inside of your pack), and then cushion it as best you can. If you're carrying extra clothes of any kind, even just a pair of socks, use that to help keep them from breaking. There's a knack to it, but it can be done. The good part about carrying them in the paper carton is that it can be burned or crushed and packed out when the eggs are gone. The good thing about the plastic carrier is that it can be reused over and over. The paper one can be, too, but it wears out much faster. So you get to choose which one suits you better.

I used to put eggs (usually just one) inside the pancake mix with which the egg was ultimately combined for the very best of breakfasts.

DTape's got the scoop. I would say a hot spell is your only enemy.

Like was mentioned earlier, fresh unwashed eggs will keep for weeks just fine unrefrigerated. My guess is that even store bought eggs would be fine for several days unless it was pretty hot outside.

Thanks everyone.

Although I am interested in this topic for multiple trip locations, I was thinking particularly about a Grand Canyon trip where I would arrange a re-supply via mule for a large group (11 people) on a rim-to-rim trip. Doing the re-supply would help keep our weight down and also perhaps permit using some "heavy" items rather than all freeze-dry or just add water meals.

This will be in early June with possibilities of a variety of temps. When I was there in late May '08, we had snow flurries on the rim and high 80s in the bottom. It could just as well be 60s low on the rim and low hundreds highs at the bottom.

The thing is, the mule duffel would have to be packed before we headed over the edge, so it would sit on the rim for a couple of nights before it came down.

Beyond the egg thing, I'd welcome menu suggestions for this trip.

How many days are you planning for your trip? I don't know what your mule resupply trip will cost, but lodging/or meals at Phantom Ranch might well be cheaper, and definitely lightweight.

Packed inside your duffel, I'll bet your eggs, as well as beer, would stay fairly cool.

Is all of your trip on the Bright Angel-Kaibab system, or are you planning some side trips?

We have 5 nights/6 days below the rim in the corridor area on a rim-to-rim northbound route.

1st night at Indian Gardens, 2nd night at Bright Angel/Phantom, so my thought was to pick up a duffel there for the ongoing part of the trip rather than toting down food that wouldn't be used until later. It's an 11-person permit, so we could fill a 30 lb. duffel easily.
Current Duffel Service in or out from Phantom Ranch is $64.64/30#

Having at least some meals at the dining hall is nice, but given that they reserve 13 months out and backcountry permits are only 5 months out, there's no way to be sure of getting 11 people into the Phantom dining hall.

Side hikes to places not normally visited by the R to R thundering herd will be explored.

One last reminder in terms of ambient temperature: eggs can freeze and a frozen egg will certainly crack. A cracked egg is immediately vulenerable to spoilage, so don't let eggs freeze! (This may have more value for someone who later finds this thread by searching on the topic, than for your Grand Canyon trip.)

One day to Indian Gardens seems awfully short, but if you will be doing side trips it makes a lot of sense. I think you will have a very enjoyable trip.

Going down S. Kaibab to Tipoff and then W on Tonto Trail over to B.A. Trail and pop up to Indian Gardens. It's just 8 miles. So a bit of down hill and a bit of "level" trail. The Tonto section is a nice walk.

I was going to suggest descending the Hermit trail, but that looks like it just a tad further. I did that trip once, eons ago. The eggs I took on that trip have long since spoiled (just to get back on topic....)

Well I do not keep eggs for long time period . I usually keep them for 2 days and then use them .

Try coating your store bought eggs in vegetable oil. They will last weeks even months at room temp, or so I saw on an episode of "Prepers".
It does make some sense.
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I want to start by saying that I am in the Egg Industry, Eggs do not need to be refrigerated, they are done so to keep them fresh longer. As an egg ages the shell will loose it moisture and start to break down making the air cell large, When this happens it will change the grade of the egg from an AA to an A or A to B. The grade of an egg has nothing to do with the taste. Only how it stands up(meaning the yolk will sit higher on the white). coating the shell with oil will slow this affect.

I wouldn't worry about the eggs only from breaking. ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU COOK THEM THOROUGHLY IN THE BACK COUNTRY.

http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/eggcyclopedia

Some nice facts all about eggs.

Nothing like some over easy eggs and toast while backpacking

Backing you up on the temperature variations- Hubby and I were there in 2010, ending our trip Memorial Day weekend. At Bright Angel Campground, we saw the thermometer hit 120 F. I had to break the ice in a pot of water left out overnight on the South Rim...

One thing that really helped us was some space blankets. I used them to shade our tent and the ground in the canyon, even as a make-shift shelter when we were told (with other hikers) to wait out the sun before continuing down. Even the ground stayed hot until well past Midnight unless I had the spot shaded with a space blanket.

Have a blast!

Fresh eggs usually lasts till 5 or 6 days..

Not in a backpack...at least not without a lot of packing materials.