Camp Grub

[STTAOW]

I wanted to share this find for you Thai food lovers. I grew up hiking with heavy cans of chef boyardee or canned tuna and whatever else was on sale at the grocery store. I always keep an eye out for lighter solutions and the other day the almighty Costco near us had boxes of individual serving Thai Kitchen noodle meals. Roasted Garlic, Thai Peanut, and Pad Thai. Prep is just a bit of hot water and adding the included packet of oil and seasoning. This takes all of 5 minutes and tastes great. If you add some chicken in there to pump up the protein it can be pretty filling and tasty. Finish it with a high energy bar or some GORP and you're GTG. The packages are 7"x4"x1.5" each and pack light. You can take them out of the box and save even more room. Has anyone else tried these?


Discussion for the campers: What do you like to take for camp grub on overnighters? What's your favorite meal at camp? What's the most creative meal you've put together? Do you pack light and dehydrated? What do you guys see as the best high energy low weight cost effective solution? MREs? Dehydrated foods?

[Sgathak]

Ive been carrying alot of asian type foods on the trail. Including Thai Kitchen. Noodles, fresh or freeze dried veggies, miso, assorted dried seasonings - and its easy to REALLY turn up the flavor with some Shriracha and Soy sauces. Cooking "asian" also means that stir fry is a definate Go.

BTW, Rabbit fried in olive oil tastes great with a Thai Kitchen Garlic Noodle packet... and a friend in LA says crawfish make a great prawn substitute in your Pad thai.

[rambler_wannabe]

On overnighters my "splurge" is to carry a stick of butter. A couple pats of butter really help the noodles, rice, bagles, oatmeal, whatever. Longer trips I take olive oil, but butter is so good on short or cold trips.

A grilled cheese sandwich will really hit the spot in camp. I also like rabbit and cornbread stuffing with instant mashed potatoes. I don't go to that much

My best find for light/cheap carbs is the side-dish isle in the grocery store--any of the noodle, rice, or stuffing mixes. I look for the shortest boil/simmer times and then for whatever flavors sound good.

[titaniumturtle]

Being sick of carrying freeze dried on my back and have switched to horses I now carry a variety of Hormel boil in bag meat dishes. My favorite is the meat loaf. They keep well, easy to fix without a lot of smells or clean up and is very tasty. Of course, it is quite heavy.
My seasonings consists of parmesan cheese, tobasco and some ranch dressing.

[anthracitic]

Sgathak-Sriracha and fish sauce-OOORAH!

[Smackdaddyj]

How many of you guys head out with little or no food expecting to live off the land. I have always heard that this is very difficult to do, but I have heard several people talk about it like it was normal and I was wondering what your experiences were.

Smackdaddyj

[STTAOW]

I always looked for whatever could be self contained so I wouldn't have to spend all that time cleaning a pot and pumping water. I'd rather be off exploring than doing that. Beans just needed to have a lid opened and you could set it right in the fire but you trade off in weight from the can and ticked off tentmates. But there's no pot to scrub and just a tin can to carry out. I thought MREs would be a practical solution but I never used them (besides that 2L Pop Bottle trick). I haven't seen anyone eating MREs camping or hiking, either. There has to be a reason for that. What's your opinion on them?

Sgathak and rambler_wannabe
How do you transport most of your food, especially the fresh stuff (vegetables, butter)? Baggies or Gladware to keep it from being crushed?

titaniumturtle
How heavy is "quite heavy" with the Hormel meat dishes?

Smackdaddyj
A friend and I went to VA without food to test our scrounging skills and if we could still build a suitable shelter. I think it depends on the resources available. The lean-to wasn't a problem but food could be. We had to know what we were looking for. There is food all around you, but lots of people don't know what's poisonous and what's edible. We brought a collapsible rod and found some water where the fish were biting. Cooked them over the fire with a wild berry rub and roasted nuts with mushrooms in the pot, too. We managed but it wasn't really filling. There was a hopper epidemic in the area so the next day we were able to catch a bunch of grasshoppers and if you cook them and they're pretty tasty! We learned how to boil sap and could make a pretty good mix out of roasted grasshoppers and nuts in the syrup. We didn't have to try trapping or hunting but I want to sometime. It sucked while we were doing it because we never stopped being hungry but it was fun and the story is pretty good. Except I think I like Velveeta Mac and Cheese more than grasshoppers.

I always thought it would be a cool idea for the food network to have a campsite cooking show aimed at us without snivel gear (like the 'camping oven' or 'camping microwave').

[rijrunr]

I have used MRE,s and they are great [well they keep you alive] if water is scarce or you are concerned about fuel consumption to boil water. If water is plentiful I prefer to use freeze dried / or dehydrated food. I take the MRE's apart and get rid of some packageing and "non-essentials" to cut the weight by roughly 25-30%.

[Ralph]

The later MREs have a much broader menu selection and are overall a lot better than the originals. This from a guy who started out his army career with C-rations. A lot has to do with your own tastes. I always liked the beef and pork patties, but some loathe them. The trick with freeze-dry meat is to season the water used to rehydrate. This way the seasoning is drawn into the meat, not laid atop it. Montreal Steak Seasoning is good. I also carry garlic and onion powders, Tabasco, salt and pepper. The MRE crackers are pretty good, the packaging keeps them from turning into crumbs, and the desserts are also decent.

If you hunt around you can find single serving packets of clarified butter which adds a lot to rice and noodles and keeps well.

[Sgathak]

STTAOW - I dont have problems with fresh veggies being damaged. I stick with the firmer, more durable fruits and veggies, so I dont have to worry about squishing and bruses. Carrots, potatoes, oranges... stuff like that. I dont carry butter... I use olive oil (more calories and easier to fry with) but If I did, it would be clarified butter (AKA Ghee) which can be purchased in tubes like toothpaste.

Anthracitic - you can have my share of the Nuc Mam...

[Ralph]

Poking around the supermarket can yield all sorts of good stuff. The main problem with canned stuff is the can. The new packaging using flat plastic bags eliminates a lot of the wieght and is a lot easier to pack. There is a certain amount of water weight but the convenience of fast cooking and not needing water for preparation balances that (less fuel, for instance).

So far, I've seen and tried ground beef (several flavors), tuna (also flavored), salmon, and chicken. You can get two or more meals from a pack. The beef is the equivalent of 1 pound of uncooked ground beef and weighs about 11 ounces in the package.

The pre-cooked bacon is also good. I usually about half pre-cook fresh bacon anyhow but find that, by the strip, the storebought precook is actually less expensive than uncooked bacon.

Instant rice or noodles, meat, dry vegetable mix (spice section) and some seasoning makes a pretty decent meal.

One thing you might want to consider for long rambles is lentils. A lot of people think these a bit heavy in flavor but lentils are just the thing for boiling up with the type of odds and ends you are likely to have in a live off the land situation. Presoak all day in a zip-lock bag then boil up the days stew in the evening. Mice seem to really like lentils so be careful were you store them.

Hard white onions keep well and add a lot to the stew (as do wild onions). Remember you can chop up the leaf section of wild onion for lighter flavoring. Know your plant. Real onions have round leaf, the similar camas has a flatter leaf but similar root. Another name for camas is "death camas". Probably won't actually kill you, but you won't feel very good for awhile.

Thinking of it, my own experience with botany is somewhat dated, I really need to brush up on plant identification - a good summer project.

[rambler_wannabe]

what sgathak said. Freezer ziplocks and carry rugged veggies. I pack the gentler stuff on top with a little fluff (fleece jacket, etc.) around it.

[BrooklynBen]

I always find myself starving for carbs, so along with many of the items already mentioned, I really enjoy the instant oatmeal packages. (I like the flavored ones)

I also found the all natural and organic products from Fantastic Foods to be light and great. I cook their stuff even at home! The chili, instant beans and taco meat are amazingly light to pack. http://www.fantasticfoods.com/store.php

Finally, because I'm getting more gray hairs every day and recovery times are getting longer, I find taking one of the 'recovery-protein mixes' that have creatine and other goodies is a good, light and easy thing to take along for lunch and again when I decide to drop my pack for the day. (Note: To get the best results it needs to be taken within the first 15 minutes of exercise stopping.)

[STTAOW]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by Sgathak:
I use olive oil (more calories and easier to fry with) but If I did, it would be clarified butter (AKA Ghee) which can be purchased in tubes like toothpaste.
</div></div>How do you carry your Olive Oil? The last time I went out, I used an old CampSuds container for it and forgot to label which was which. Grabbed the wrong one and poured in OO to clean the pot without thinking, LOL...Great containers for oils and spices if you remember to put a label on.
I've never seen that clarified butter tube before but it sounds like a great idea!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by rambler_wannabe:
I pack the gentler stuff on top with a little fluff (fleece jacket, etc.) around it</div></div>That's where I'm anal. I don't know if it's OCD or what, but I like my packs extremely organized. If they're not, it'll bother me all day on the trail. Kifaru looks like they solved that problem with the PALS and modularity on the inside so I can keep food in one internal pocket (or external) and not have it intermingling with my spare clothes or anything else. Only wishful thinking right now, but Patrick and Mel, you'll get my money very soon and save my mind and wit.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by Ralph:
So far, I've seen and tried ground beef (several flavors), tuna (also flavored), salmon, and chicken. You can get two or more meals from a pack. The beef is the equivalent of 1 pound of uncooked ground beef and weighs about 11 ounces in the package.

The pre-cooked bacon is also good. I usually about half pre-cook fresh bacon anyhow but find that, by the strip, the storebought precook is actually less expensive than uncooked bacon.
</div></div>I saw that the other day in the store. Bacon is one of those things everyone craves at daybreak when you're popping your head out of the tent. Has anyone found a feasible solution to carrying eggs in a pack without breaking?

Another tasty idea I found was pre-cooked proscuitto. I haven't taken it with me on the trail but I whipped out my stove at the beach once and wrapped salmon filets with proscuitto and a garlic rub. I used an MSR alpine pot and a vegetable steamer that fit (looks like a collapsible a semi-sphere with holes) from the kitchen drawer (it could even collapse down in the pot for storage). I put some water at the bottom and steamed the salmon to cook it, then seared it with some olive oil once it was done through. It doesn't sound like it would be too hard to bring all the parts along on the trail. Instead of the filets you could use those flat packages of salmon like Ralph brought up. (Thanks for the tip too, I never thought about those)

If you want to brush up on the plants, I use the SAS Handbook. It has good illus and pretty detailed info. I don't know if everyone likes it, but I use it and it hasn't led me astray.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by BrooklynBen:
The chili, instant beans and taco meat are amazingly light to pack. http://www.fantasticfoods.com/store.php

I find taking one of the 'recovery-protein mixes' that have creatine and other goodies is a good, light and easy thing to take along for lunch...
</div></div>I used to use creatine in my workouts in high school. I just remember the vicious vicious diarrhea it gave me for the first week. I don't know if I'd be willing to suck down anything with that added in the woods. Not that public school bathrooms were any more pleasant, LOL...
Protein drinks are good for recovery though, even at my young strapping age. :p

[STTAOW]

I forgot to add:
What's the prep like for the Fantastic Foods?

[Ralph]

Ghee has been available in places catering to mountaineers. You likely can find it in specialty markets (Indian/Asian) as it is a staple in Asian mountain cooking. Sherpa tea is strong black tea with a dash of sugar and ghee (Sherpas get it from yaks). One of those things that taste better as the altitude increases.

Another item that is good to have for emergencies is the glucose tablets sold for diabetics. I haven't seen the Kendall mint bar in ages, but it used to be a staple in mountaineering. Glucose and oil of peppermint. The Kendall bar is like thick toothpaste. Glucose doesn't have to be swallowed, it will pass through the membranes of the mouth directly into the bloodstream. Someone deep in hypothermia may be revived by sticking some of the stuff in the cheek, even if the guy isn't with it enough to chew and swallow. I figure the glucose tablets would do pretty much the same thing.

I've been cold enough, often enough to notice that a jolt of sugar brings almost immediate warmth and can sometimes be the difference between being able to get a fire going and drifting off into fatal hypothermic sleep.

[anthracitic]

Eggs will travel nicely in a narrow plastic jar.
Will stay separated for several days this way. One can usually pour them out one at a time.

[STTAOW]

As crafty a person I might be, it would have never occurred to take the egg out of the shell. /images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif

Can eggs go bad if left out de-shelled (or shelled for that matter)? Is it a health risk?

[Sgathak]

Olive oil goes into a small squeeze bottle with a big "OLIVE" written with a Sharpie on the side.

They arnt very common anymore, but if you can find one of those 12oz pepsi bottles, they make good containers for liquids. Light, durable, good to go. Replace the top with a colored top that you will remember is oil... yellow usually works good... and you can see from a distance (or the bottom of the food bag) which one is olive oil.

[Sgathak]

Ah... before I forget, you can use colored tops to fully organize your liquids if you want.

Yellow = oil
Red = fuel (for alcohol stoves)
Blue = water
White = Eh, whatever... I dont carry much in the way of liquids. Ranch Dressing maybe? I dunno...

[Ralph]

Don't worry about eggs going bad, you will know immediately - bad eggs aren't sneaky. I've carried eggs in the original carton in my evaporative cooler if I'm only going to be out a few days but mostly I carry them hard-boiled.

My typical outdoor breakfast is hot bacon/salami, instant oatmeal and coffee with maybe a hard-boiled egg if I have them.

I don't carry a lot of liquids either. Water goes into obvious water containers, fuel alcohol in white plastic flask, other stuff in small labeled containers (superglue etc.)

The Nalgene bottles hold labels well. Use small labels and cover with a generous piece of clear plastic tape.

[Ken]

Seems I've read somewhere that dipping eggs into boiling water for 5 seconds at home will help them keep up to a week??...Anybody do this?

A dozen eggs in a hard case, one bag of bagels and 6 slices of cheese makes quite a tatsy breakfast for the better part of a week.

Here's how I carry them...I also put a rubber band or two around these just for "safety" /images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

http://www.moosineer.com/MooseMain.asp?Option=Detail&amp;ID=EGG+CONTAINERS

[don]

I prefer to carry my eggs in the package of 6 equivalent, that the USDA issues. Mix these powdered eggs with bacon bits, stir into amount of water desired to cook.
Unfortunatly like other cheap dehydraded foods that have come and gone, I have failed to find a source that is not from the commodity program courtesy of friends on the Reservation.
Whole eggs can also be carried in grain (as horse fuel), or if you pack enought loose oatmeal.
Liquids - anything that can spill or make a mess in your pack- double bag it in ziplocks.
don

[rambler_wannabe]

here is a source for decent freeze-dried stuff. They also carry the long (12") easton stakes that I can't find anywhere else.

http://www.ldpcampingfoods.com/

[Vernon]

Lot's of good stuff in this thread. I've used the foil packaged tuna and salmon from the supermarkets. Carry a few soft tortilla shells, some butter (or ghee) and a bit of hard cheese (I like Asiago) and you have a nice little noon-time meal that supplies carbs, fats and protein. Tastes good too /images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

I have carried olive oil but not lately. You could also use flaxseed oil from the health stores. I've carried them in a small Nalgene bottle. Sgathak - great idea on the colored lids, ditto the suggestion for hard boiled eggs, Ralph. Never really thought of taking them that way.

As far as living off the land alone, I suspect it will be a fairly time consuming job. Get ahold of some old Euell Gibbons books and read up. They're fun reading and very informative. In one, he and his wife and another couple have a wild food weekend at a cabin where they secure most of their food from the wild. He did have along some stuff like flour, etc. for prep.

[STTAOW]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by Vernon:
(I like Asiago) </div></div>There's a man that knows his cheese! /images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by don:
I prefer to carry my eggs in the package of 6 equivalent, that the USDA issues. </div></div>US District Attorney issued eggs...mmmmm, tasty! :p

In all seriousness, are powdered eggs really good enough to be considered a substitute? I vaguely recall powdered eggs at Boy Scout camps and it may have scarred me to this day.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by Ralph:
Don't worry about eggs going bad, you will know immediately - bad eggs aren't sneaky </div></div>The way you describe this? It scares me. :p


I like the color-coded cap idea Sgathak brought up, but I might have a concern with how easy it would be to forget and put the wrong cap on the wrong bottle. Instead of pouring water, I imagine myself sucking down a mouthful of white fuel. Probably wouldn't be good for the eyesight. That's just me though, I can be a cynic like that. I do like the organization of it. It appeases the OCD side of me.

If you're an oatmeal fan, my best find has been the 'Bakery Favorites' Quaker Oatmeal in either Cinnamon Roll or Apple Crisp flavors. Making a bowl of Apple Crisp and sprinkling a crushed honey-oat granola bar on top makes a good meal. Brown sugar is another thing I like to take along for the morning oatmeal too. If you bring an extra high pressure super flame butane lighters, you can even carmalize the top and make a crust. Gourmet!

Does anyone else find that breads (bagels, rolls, etc) besides not packing very well, go moldy really fast?

Do you guys have special recipes for your favorite trail mixes?

I'm really surprised how this thread took off. I wasn't expecting it but I'm glad it did. Thanks for all the tips guys, let's keep them coming!

[Ralph]

Bagels and those small loaves of "party rye" hold up pretty well, though most any baked good will get moldy in a week or so in a humid environment. I try to pick up the stuff from national bakers (Arnold, Pepperidge Farm etc.) and eat it quick.

My old camping partner makes pea soup ("hambone soup") with lots of chunk ham - don't carve the bone too clean. Rinse out a wide-mouth Nalgene bottle in very hot water, then pour in hot soup. Chill in the frig then pop into a cooler. Keeps for several days. We heat that up while I fry up bread/bagel slices in garlic margarine (the harder stick type keeps better). Melt the margarine, add garlic poder and a bit of seasoned salt, fry the bread crisp on the outside but still chewy in the middle. Nothing better in cold weather.

[BrooklynBen]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by STTAOW:
I forgot to add:
What's the prep like for the Fantastic Foods? </div></div>Super simple, hot water and stir, maybe let sit for a bit.

I also forgot "PRINGLES" (How could I forget!) While normally unhealthy to eat, salty potato chips are supposed to be good for something physiologically lost while hiking. (I forget what right now, maybe someone else remembers why.) Besides, they're a great treat, pack well and light.

I like Tasters'Choice coffee and I have saved a couple of their new containers which are super light and have a neat plastic snap-hinged top. Reading all of your suggestions, I'm wondering how one of them might work as an egg carrier?

Is anyone using these things for another purpose?

[don]

STTAOW,
That is The dept of Agriculture. Moldy bread = you are spendin too much time in the lowlands. Once had a couple loaves of bread stay good for two months one summer. Cooking sourdough flapjacks beat the h** out of bread for breakfast and sandwitches. Granted I was at 8000 feet, and it did mold fast when it got packed down into the valley.
Trail mix - basic is penuts and choclate chips. from there you can add other things as raisins or other dried fruit, mini marshmallows, M&amp;Ms, coconut chips - etc, depending on your glucose tolerance. In hot conditions choclate melts and you have a big lumpy candy bar.
don

[GSV45]

I usually go the dehydrated food route but it is fun to splurge when you can.

Eggs - I have a red plastic container that holds 8 eggs. Stick with medium eggs, Jumbos don't fit. I put this in a ziploc bag. If I put this in a cushioned spot in the pack I'd say 3 out of 4 times none break.If some do I started with 8 so big deal.
I see these containers in supermarket "sporting goods" aisles all the time.

Bacon is best cooked in advance. It is also lighter this way. Uncooked bacon was a staple for Civil War soldiers and Pioneers. It lasts quite a while just wrapped in paper towels (it dries out before it gets moldy here in the Mountain West). When it gets really nasty it makes good fish bait.

Pancake batter goes into wide mouth Nalgene bottles easily.

These things add weight that I won't tolerate on real extended trips but on 2-4 day runs it is no problem.

I've lugged lamb chops and bottles of wine (or 22 oz. bottles of Rogue Dead Guy Ale) up over 13,000 feet. Yes it weighs more than FD beef stew but damn it tastes better out there! I must confess to hauling a small cast iron skillet ONCE in the Wind Rivers. I figured it was a training hike anyway. Haven't repeated that one though....

I usually leave MREs in my truck. After 5 days of Dehydrated meals, Ramen and Cliff Bars MREs taste great!

[Sgathak]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I might have a concern with how easy it would be to forget and put the wrong cap on the wrong bottle. Instead of pouring water, I imagine myself sucking down a mouthful of white fuel.</div></div>1 drop of red food coloring per 20oz of fuel will turn it just pink enough youll know its not water /images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

[Ralph]

Bacon or ham truly cured will last a very long time. Unfortunately, most bacons today are not truly cured. The precooked seems to last longer anyhow.

I used to get a cob-smoked bacon in Vermont that would keep for weeks, even sliced. Sadly, the guy making it sort of vanished and I can't find it anymore. I did like that bacon!

You seem to need fats more when outdoors and bacon is excellent for this. When it's chilly I will fry bread in bacon fat and enjoy it. A chunk in the stew adds flavor as well as fat.

A couple of pounds of really cured and truly smoked bacon are, I think, worth the weight even on a long ramble. Game tends to be lean.

[rambler_wannabe]

Dummy cords between the cap and bottle also prevent crossing the caps.