Backcountry "Chef" Notes

Breakfast: Consisted of instant oatmeal (2 pkgs.) with a handful of pecans and raisins washed down with instant coffee and water. I don't want to get too far off the subject here, but, I think I should clarify the instant coffee issue. I am a great coniseur of rich aromatic camp coffee. I'm talking coffee made by adding grounds directly to boiling water (sometimes miss-named "cowboy coffee"). But, taking a minimalist approach to backpacking, as I do, requires that I only wash dishes for one meal a day. Therefore, a cup of oatmeal, followed by several cups of coffee and several cups of water results in a full belly, a caffienated mind, and a clean cup and spoon without the added bother of actually washing dishes.

Snacks ("Lunch"): Gorp (good old raisins and peanuts) is a staple for every trip. I make mine using the traditional recipie: raisins and peanuts. No chocolate in my gorp please. Trail bars (I'm partial to Cliff Bars) and jerky round out the snack menu. Todd, being a traditionalist, usually brings along a hunk of cheese and some bread, which we generally devour within the first couple of days.

Evening Meals: Here's what we had with the person responsible indicated.

• Ham, Potatoes and Cheese: 1 small can ham, 2 pkg instant mashed potatoes, 1 pkg instant leek soup mix, 1 pkg dried veggies, and slices of cheddar cheese. Preparation: Boil water, add everything, eat. This was almost more than we could eat - and VERY tasty (somewhat salty but appropriate for the circumstances). Chef Todd.
• Tuna Suprise: Large pkg tuna, couscous (1 pkg flavored) & 2pkgs dried veggies. Preparation: Boil water, add everything, eat. I was the culprit for this one.
• Chicken Pasta Suprise: 1 can chicken, 1 pkg instant parmesan noodle soup, & 1 pkg dried veggies. Chef Todd. Preparation: Boil water, add everything, eat.
• Chilli: Dried beans, spices, dried onions and tomato powder. This was a big cheat. I used a pre-packaged, dried chilli mix bought right off the shelf at the grocery store. It was really good on the fourth day of a backpacking trip, but don't try this at home. Preparation: Boil water, add everything, simmer for a bit, eat.
• Tai Rice with Tuna - 1 can tuna, 1 pkg real rice and Tai seasoning. My new stove (MSR Pocket Rocket) takes some work to cook rice without scorching (at which we did not succeed). Chef Todd. Preparation: Cook rice with great care, add tuna, eat.

Cocktails were simple: powdered raspberry drink mix and vodka. Swirl around birskly in cup causing evaporation to cool drink and mixing flavoring. Drink heartily and enjoy your surroundings.

A word about cooking equipment. I used a brand new stove (MSR Pocket Rocket) for the first time on this trip. Now, I realize that much could be said about the wisdom, or lack thereof, of taking a never before used stove on a six day trip, but everything worked out nicely, so, I don't want to hear about it. Well, the new stove worked very well for heating water and preparing instant meals, but, along with the thin titanium pot, caused some trouble for cooking real rice. We got 4 days out of one 8oz fuel canister (8oz fuel with total weight of 12.5 ozs) and I would say we were moderately conservative in fuel usage. I highly recommend this stove for similar situations. If you are cooking for large groups or preparing complicated meals, your results may widely vary until you get your cooking methods worked out.