Author Topic: Trail cuisine  (Read 5039 times)

Snowman

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Trail cuisine
« on: 10:38:01, 02/05/07 »
We obviously have a number of people here who like to sleep out in the wilds.    Now I’m not one of them, preferring to take it easy over a pint or two after a day in the mountains, and be presented with a nice plate of steak and chips or similar before retiring to a comfortable bed.

However by the nature of the sort of trekking I like to do, there are often occasions when it’s just too remote, so in the past when it comes to food I’ve relied on dehydrated slop that probably tastes worse than the packaging it comes in.

Now I’m very weight and pack size conscious when it comes to trekking, so on multi-day treks I don’t want to be setting out with a case of baked beans and 2 lbs of sausages.    So I thought I’d inquire as to what you good people out there do when it comes to trail sustenance?    Has anyone found any brand of edible dehydrated food – I’m not after gourmet dining, just something that tastes of something other than cardboard.

Incidentally, I seem to remember some time back seeing on TV (maybe Tomorrow’s World) something about dehydrated red wine but I’ve heard nothing since?    I must admit I had my doubts at the time.

Thanks, S.

Wandering_Werner

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #1 on: 13:37:24, 02/05/07 »
Hi snowman and thanks for your response to my first post.

This is something I've been thinking about too. In the past I've just taken a thermos and cold foods but next time I'm bringing a stove (recommendations welcome) and need to research foods. I went to the outdoor shop today and found a grand total of two different meals and they were quite expensive at nearly £4 a bag. I'm going to buy one to see what it's like, so I'll get back to you on that. I'm thinking of taking tinned food though, only a days worth and then restock each day. I think that would be more impractical for size rather than weight though, especially when you're done and have to carry them still.

Dehydrated red wine! Now that's optimistic...

Mr. Blister

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #2 on: 18:14:18, 02/05/07 »
Good thread idea, Snowman, I'm surprised this question hasn't been raised before  :o

Personally, I have yet to try dehydrated food.  It sounds a thoroughly miserable experience, and I hate red wine anyway, let alone the dehydrated stuff - my God, why would ANYONE want to put themselves through it!  :-\  I used to take dry noodles with me, but they do nothing for energy, now I only take cold foods, pre-prepared pasta trays with some assorted veg, buy a Mars bar in every village and always, always, have a five pack of pepparammi with me  ;D

Drinks wise, on a day's excursion, a flask is a must!  There's nothing like sitting on a hill, on a windy day, toasting the racing clouds with a fine, strong coffee! Anything longer, then I'm afraid I downgrade to water, or Lemon barley.  Though if a village happens to be around, and there is an enterprising shopkeeper there, then a Lucozade Sport is always good!  ;)

Would be interested to hear some other people's comments on dehydrated foods, you'll have to try hard to convince me though I'm afraid ..

Personally, WW, I think canned foods and walking (or cycling) just don't go together.  I doubt the energy you'd get from eating the contents would replace that spent carrying 'em.

Regards  ;)

M J B

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #3 on: 22:17:19, 02/05/07 »
Like others have said a very good topic. I am also trying to find out whats best to take.

I have found that a lot of pasta packet meals need milk and a bit of butter. Me being a cheap skate i did find some in lidl that you only have to add water to. They dont really give loads of energy but not bad. I guess if there was something to add to them, maybe we would be onto a winner.

Snowman

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #4 on: 09:30:58, 03/05/07 »
Thanks for contributing guys.    Keep it up all.

I must admit I've considered the pasta idea, but ideally a can of tuna and a bit of tomato paste would help, and as MB says, cans and walking aren't good mixers.

By the way, I won't try to convince anyone regarding dehydrated food, because my experience has been dreadful.    However I'd be glad to hear from anyone who's found something tasteful.

S.

Mr. Blister

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #5 on: 10:23:27, 03/05/07 »
Hm, on the pasta front, here's what I do,

I make myself a bowl of pasta the night before and chop up various veg - celery, carrots, tomatoes, radish, etc, mix it all up in one of those excellent plastic containers and bung it in the fridge.  That would do me for a main meal.

MJB: Those pasta ready meals your referring to are a good idea, some of them only take 5 mins to prepare, but they can be a little bland.  In most case I would suggest spicing it up with mean - bacon, sausage, but when out camping this isn't practical.  I would probably just make do with it as is.

I still advocate Pepperammi though!  ;)

Snowman

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #6 on: 10:36:13, 03/05/07 »
Pasta and Pepperami is a possibility.    Trouble is I'll have to resist the temptation to take the extra hot one, as next morning, and wild camping might not mix.

S.

Deerplay

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #7 on: 10:40:26, 04/05/07 »
I've always gone for the pasta with "whatever" option usually spaghetti. It can be mixed with cheese, tuna, veggies and so on and flavoured with spices or herbs if you want. Used to use this kind of diet as a staple when I was into alpine mountaineering, cooking the spaghetti with melted snow. Lovely. Used to have to take a variety of additions to stop it getting too boring.
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summitzero

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #8 on: 12:35:41, 05/05/07 »
'Dehy' food, oats, lamb curry and beef stew and dumplings are not bad and combine them with a jet boil, your whole meal will only take about 2 mins.

i do use a lot of ceral bars when i am walking also.
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solo backpacker

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #9 on: 16:23:04, 06/05/07 »
depends how long your out but I usually just make up a couple of batches of whatever i fancy, chili and rice, hotpot, sausage casserole etc and take them with me. i've never worried about not refrigerating food for a couple of days and never seemed to suffer from it. otherwise packets of rice, pasta, dried continental sausage, cheese etc all do well. never really gone for dehydrated food but have done the sealed packs. in trial recently they reccomended a tesco finest range, not made for use on the trail but don't need keeping cool and can be boiled in bag or emptied out.

i think the main thing is to get over the fact you don't have to settle for foods 'made' specifically for the purpose and don't worry too much about temperature if your just out for a few days.
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kkm

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #10 on: 13:53:59, 22/05/07 »
interesting and very good thread.

been thinking about this more and more for when we do the pennine way challenge. didn't want to do tins, and need things we can heat up quickly or just add water to.

for day walks we prepare sandwiches, but chances are we wont be able to do this easily in the middle of nowhere....

keep the ideas coming. dont mind packet pasta etc as i was once following a diet where these were a staple for me.......!

Snowman

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #11 on: 09:11:02, 23/05/07 »
Pasta is always a good food to take, the only problem is finding something to add to give it flavour that doesn't weigh too much.    Unless of course you're Italian and eat mountains of the stuff with nothing more than a little grated cheese.    Pasta has a lot of good things and as a carbohydrate provides 'slow release' energy.

Since starting this thread, I've been considering the idea of buying an electric dehydrator.    I found a site somewhere where they demonstrated dehydrating a jar of pasta sauce which could provide the answer to flavouring pasta.    I guess it could also be used for dehydrating your own chilli con carne or even a home grown vindaloo.    However these things aren't cheap (£70 plus), although my wife has said that she could use it for fruit, veg etc.    Has anyone tried using these?   All the info I've found suggests that the results are a lot better than the shop bought cardboard, but it would be nice to have that confirmed by someone without an agenda.

S.   


titaniumdude

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #12 on: 23:28:23, 23/05/07 »
Snowman, look no further.  I have no agenda and use a dehydrator for trail food.  I'm not too long into it, but have experimented considerably with the dehydrated food I make.  There is an art to getting it right to make it quick cooking, but I now have a store of recipes that, as you say, taste better than the cardboard options.  Pasta sauce/any sauce will dehydrate to a sticky film which loses nothing on rehydration.  I've been thinking about starting a thread on this for some time, but I'm gonna experiment a little more first.  But I will post the thread, and lengthy it will be, just not quite yet.  After next weekend in Wales maybe!
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Snowman

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #13 on: 08:22:13, 24/05/07 »
Titaniumdude - that's excellent.   I shall look forward to seeing your post.

Cheers - S.

M J B

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Re: Trail cuisine
« Reply #14 on: 22:12:52, 17/06/07 »
Hope its ok to bring this btt!

Any thoughts on food to take for multiday hikes without a stove. As ive said in other threads im starting the coast to coast a week tomorrow and decided not to take my stove. I figure there will be enough places to buy hot food if need be and the other times i will have to get by. So what sort of things should i be looking at.

I figure a loaf of bread and a couple of tins of fish should keep me happy for a couple of days lunch. Cereal bars for breakfast and pub/chip shop for evening. Is this a good or bad idea?

 

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