View Full Version : Storing spices?
How do you guys store different spices in your pack? I was thinking of something small and plastic with a few little compartments. All I could find was the Kenyon Multi spice shaker at REI...
Christopher Robin
12-15-2007, 13:00
How do you guys store different spices in your pack? I was thinking of something small and plastic with a few little compartments. All I could find was the Kenyon Multi spice shaker at REI...
I use a simular container w/4 spaces in it. I put it in my mag w/stove it's great.:)
kayak karl
12-15-2007, 13:03
How do you guys store different spices in your pack? I was thinking of something small and plastic with a few little compartments. All I could find was the Kenyon Multi spice shaker at REI...
i use a dual salt/peper shaker. have 4. each marked with diff spice. was eazier. they have them at wal-mart.
Christopher Robin
12-15-2007, 13:07
How do you guys store different spices in your pack? I was thinking of something small and plastic with a few little compartments. All I could find was the Kenyon Multi spice shaker at REI...
I use a simular container w/4 spaces it is great. I place it in my mag w/stove, works well & is just the right amount of spices I need.:)
Small snack size ziplocks. Lightweight, does a great job. You an also get little jewelry sized packets on the net, which are all different sizes, some about 1/2 size of a snack ziplock are nice to have, and little heavier plastic then a ziplock, but still super light.
:)
atraildreamer
12-15-2007, 15:39
Small snack size ziplocks. Lightweight, does a great job. You an also get little jewelry sized packets on the net, which are all different sizes, some about 1/2 size of a snack ziplock are nice to have, and little heavier plastic then a ziplock, but still super light.
:)
Walgreens--little ziplocs for medicine doses. Approximately 2 1/2 x 3 ". 50 for $3.49.
Very durable and they have a space to write on.
Christopher Robin
12-15-2007, 16:03
These little bags can slip up & get lost & are a pian in the neck when you are looking for one kind only. After going through many bags & lossing spices I love a container w/ them all in one place is best.
Thanks ATtraildreamer, will check those out.
I keep all the little bags in one ziplock so they are easy to find, I haven't lost any yet - they are a super great commodity out there! ;)
Pacific Tortuga
12-15-2007, 16:17
Storing ? Cholula Hot Sauce comes in a powder form with container, it was a hit on the Trail this year. I think B.Jack can testify to that fact.
I do not carry anything else while on a trail, it gives any backpacking meal that tasty kick :eek: as long as you like it hot.
Yep the bad thing about hot sauce it burns on both ends:eek:
Wal-mart has bottles of spices in there camping gear, I think it has six spices in it. Empty out what you don't want and fill it with what you need.
Walgreens--little ziplocs for medicine doses. Approximately 2 1/2 x 3 ". 50 for $3.49.
Very durable and they have a space to write on.
This is what I use. WalMart also has them in the pharmacy.
I think I'm going to look for those little ziplocs. Wal-Mart sure is scary this time of year, though.
FanaticFringer
12-15-2007, 19:15
Just use Ms. Dash
budforester
12-15-2007, 19:23
I use flip- top bottles, one for cinnamon and one for Tony's (a commercial mix of salt, black pepper, red pepper). That does 99%; anything more exotic gets put into the bagged mix for the dish.
Just use Ms. Dash That is my favorite spice, at home or elsewhere. :banana
Storing ? Cholula Hot Sauce comes in a powder form with container, it was a hit on the Trail this year. I think B.Jack can testify to that fact.
I do not carry anything else while on a trail, it gives any backpacking meal that tasty kick :eek: as long as you like it hot.
where can you find powdered cholula? i've never heard of that?! i love that stuff! i pour it right onto chips and wash it down with a marg! of course, that's usually in a cantina and not on the trail!
I found a great way to take spices, shampoo, cooking oil, almost any powder or liquid. And it’s free.
Any fast food restaurant will give you straws, McDonalds are the biggest around and therefore hold more.
You cut the end about ½ inch of the straw and set it aside (you need 2 of these, do both end), then fold the end of the straw back on itself about 1-inch from the end. Fold it in a v-shape (pinch it) and then slide the small piece you just cut over the folded, pinched end. This makes a fairly waterproof seal. Then fill the straw up with whatever powder or liquid you need. Then cut the other end allowing enough room to fold it over and then slide the other cut piece over this end.
You now have a waterproof, inexpensive, small, light way to carry consumables with you. I make these up ahead of time for shampoo; it makes a great single use shampoo container. I have never had one of these leak on me in the pack. I suppose you could smash it really hard (some people could break a crowbar in a sandbox) and cause a leak, but normal with care I don’t see a problem.
Here is a link with pictures of how to do this, on the left side of the screen scroll down and click on condiment container.
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html (http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html)
I think I'm going to look for those little ziplocs. Wal-Mart sure is scary this time of year, though.
You've got to learn the correct way to shop at WalMart. First, you don't go during the day. They are open 24 hours for a reason, so you go around 1 or 2 am. Then when you get there wear a bathrobe, shuffle your feet, and stare at the lights on the ceiling. This will allow you to blend in with the others, and they won't bother you for a cigarette or gas money because they conveniently ran out of gas in a WalMart parking lot. Work your way to the pharmacy section, and find the ziplocks. Then pick up a mop and a can of beanie weenies as a disguise. When you get to the checkout tell the cashier you realized you didn't need the mop or beanie weenies, and just get the bags. Pay with a debit card to speed things up because by now your disguise is gone. Once you get the receipt run and don't look back. Let us know how it goes.
I found a great way to take spices, shampoo, cooking oil, almost any powder or liquid. And it’s free.
Any fast food restaurant will give you straws, McDonalds are the biggest around and therefore hold more.
You cut the end about ½ inch of the straw and set it aside (you need 2 of these, do both end), then fold the end of the straw back on itself about 1-inch from the end. Fold it in a v-shape (pinch it) and then slide the small piece you just cut over the folded, pinched end. This makes a fairly waterproof seal. Then fill the straw up with whatever powder or liquid you need. Then cut the other end allowing enough room to fold it over and then slide the other cut piece over this end.
You now have a waterproof, inexpensive, small, light way to carry consumables with you. I make these up ahead of time for shampoo; it makes a great single use shampoo container. I have never had one of these leak on me in the pack. I suppose you could smash it really hard (some people could break a crowbar in a sandbox) and cause a leak, but normal with care I don’t see a problem.
Here is a link with pictures of how to do this, on the left side of the screen scroll down and click on condiment container.
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html (http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html) That is way cool! I would have never thought of that in a million years. Good way for Cerberus to store his cheese powder. :p I've already linked to that page so I can give it a try in the spring after I practice the idea here at home. :D Thanks for the linky to that, Bob.
I found a great way to take spices, shampoo, cooking oil, almost any powder or liquid. And it’s free.
Any fast food restaurant will give you straws, McDonalds are the biggest around and therefore hold more.
You cut the end about ½ inch of the straw and set it aside (you need 2 of these, do both end), then fold the end of the straw back on itself about 1-inch from the end. Fold it in a v-shape (pinch it) and then slide the small piece you just cut over the folded, pinched end. This makes a fairly waterproof seal. Then fill the straw up with whatever powder or liquid you need. Then cut the other end allowing enough room to fold it over and then slide the other cut piece over this end.
You now have a waterproof, inexpensive, small, light way to carry consumables with you. I make these up ahead of time for shampoo; it makes a great single use shampoo container. I have never had one of these leak on me in the pack. I suppose you could smash it really hard (some people could break a crowbar in a sandbox) and cause a leak, but normal with care I don’t see a problem.
Here is a link with pictures of how to do this, on the left side of the screen scroll down and click on condiment container.
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html (http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html)
I've heard of this method before, though I never used it. Probably great for a couple of days out, but for a long hike or a thruhike, you probably would want more of your favorite spice than a straw full.
I carry a double ended salt/pepper shaker on shorter trips, and I usually don't carry spices (or a container) on a longer trip (5 days to a week). I just load up on fresh food (and restaurant spices- when ordering food) when I come to a town. It really is amazing what you can do without in order to save a bit of weight.
Great suggestion BobS, nice, I will have to try that sometime this week.
I carry honey in little sticks for on trail, for tea and whatnot, those are heat crimped on the ends, but I like this do it yourself project :)
News Report
Nationwide fast food restaurants are running out of straws, Restaurant managers are at a loss to explain it. Tune in for full story on this with our 11:00 nightly news.
That is way cool! I would have never thought of that in a million years. Good way for Cerberus to store his cheese powder. :p I've already linked to that page so I can give it a try in the spring after I practice the idea here at home. :D Thanks for the linky to that, Bob.
It would take a hundred straws to carry enough cheese powder for a week.
I've heard of this method before, though I never used it. Probably great for a couple of days out, but for a long hike or a thruhike, you probably would want more of your favorite spice than a straw full.
I carry a double ended salt/pepper shaker on shorter trips, and I usually don't carry spices (or a container) on a longer trip (5 days to a week). I just load up on fresh food (and restaurant spices- when ordering food) when I come to a town. It really is amazing what you can do without in order to save a bit of weight.
What I do is to package my meals, if I need ketchup (or is it catsup, sorry a Simpson’s moment there) I put it in the straw holder and pack it with that meals bag. I do this for each meal planned and this way I have just what I need in the amount I need for each meal. These work well for cooking oil for a single meal. For an item you use more of I don’t see these as practical as a larger container. But for single use items that you infrequently plan on using, or if you want to pre-measure things out they work well.
GSI (http://www.gsioutdoors.com/list.aspx?c=3&sc2=53) does make a set that you might look at.
River Runner
12-16-2007, 02:38
Wal-mart has bottles of spices in there camping gear, I think it has six spices in it. Empty out what you don't want and fill it with what you need.
Nice for car camping, but pretty heavy for backpacking, and WAY more than I would ever need on a trip.
Since I do freezer bag cooking, it's easy to mix the spices I want in with the dehydrated food. For salt & pepper, I've occasionally taken a few paper packets (available at fast food restaurants).
You all got me thinking so I did a blog entry on making a UL DIY spice kit (http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/myblog.htm?blogentryid=2666135) yesterday evening :)
How do you guys store different spices in your pack? I was thinking of something small and plastic with a few little compartments. All I could find was the Kenyon Multi spice shaker at REI...Good question. I had one of those also, and have not advanced much beyond that, even at home. I would like something smaller, lighter weight, and easier to fill and refill. I would like to get into more soups, and nutmeg and cinammon is a nice thing to add to oatmeal also, especially if I find some crabapples.
Looking forward to hearing of some very small light weight containers.
It would be fun also to carry spices in their most basic form and then to the final crushing or whatever once your out there. Also nice to find stuff along the way. That might be more on the herb side of things. So how could you crush stuff once your ou there. Stainless steel mug and something for a mortar and pestle? What's a good something? One of the advantages of carrying stuff uncrushed is you might be able to carry some different things in the same containers maybe. I wish they made small ziplocks less wide.
What if you subdivided some small ziplocks into 3 compartments?
Then carried all your small ziplocks in something bigger?
River Runner
12-17-2007, 17:03
You all got me thinking so I did a blog entry on making a UL DIY spice kit (http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/myblog.htm?blogentryid=2666135) yesterday evening :)
Nice job Sarbar. The Pinch Plus website you reference is interesting.
River Runner
12-17-2007, 17:17
I wish they made small ziplocks less wide.
What if you subdivided some small ziplocks into 3 compartments?
Then carried all your small ziplocks in something bigger?
Look in the craft section of Wal-Mart in the jewelry findings/beads section & you can find a couple of sizes of small zipper seal bags with narrower openings. They are inexpensive too.
Kak, when I worked for the Thai importer he had brought back once a tiny, tiny M&P. Apparently they sold them at every airport in Thailand. I wanted one so badly! It was dorky cool.
Anyhoo, you could make a M&P with a chopstick and a cup :)
the_iceman
12-17-2007, 18:21
I had an odd assorment of light containers and bags all of which I kept in a QT size zip-lock to keep them together. In the end I was down to my fresh garlic and crushed red pepper, basil, oregano, and a salt/pepper mix.
The herbs were just in zip locks. The red pepper was in the container it came in becasue it was light enough and the garlic was in the bag from the store. I went through a bulb a week and shared it a lot.
88BlueGT
12-19-2007, 13:48
I think I'm going to look for those little ziplocs. Wal-Mart sure is scary this time of year, though.
Don't even bother. I went into Wal Mart yesterday to get a magnesium fire starter and ended up waiting in like for like 20 mintues at the "10 items or less" register. Go to walgreens.
You've got to learn the correct way to shop at WalMart. First, you don't go during the day. They are open 24 hours for a reason, so you go around 1 or 2 am. Then when you get there wear a bathrobe, shuffle your feet, and stare at the lights on the ceiling. This will allow you to blend in with the others, and they won't bother you for a cigarette or gas money because they conveniently ran out of gas in a WalMart parking lot. Work your way to the pharmacy section, and find the ziplocks. Then pick up a mop and a can of beanie weenies as a disguise. When you get to the checkout tell the cashier you realized you didn't need the mop or beanie weenies, and just get the bags. Pay with a debit card to speed things up because by now your disguise is gone. Once you get the receipt run and don't look back. Let us know how it goes.
The trick is--go to Wal-Mart on the rich side of town where people don't shop exclusively at Wal-Mart :)
Don't even bother. I went into Wal Mart yesterday to get a magnesium fire starter and ended up waiting in like for like 20 mintues at the "10 items or less" register. Go to walgreens.
Yes, I braved Wal-Mart to look for those bags, but I guess the Wal-Mart I went to didn't even carry them. I went to Walgreens and--in the words of Borat--"Great Success!"
Javasanctum
12-19-2007, 16:17
It would take a hundred straws to carry enough cheese powder for a week.
Use them big ones that has the candy "Pixie-dust" stuff.
atraildreamer
12-22-2007, 16:05
These little bags can slip up & get lost & are a pian in the neck when you are looking for one kind only. After going through many bags & lossing spices I love a container w/ them all in one place is best.
Punch a hole in the corner of the little ziplocs (above the seal...of course :rolleyes:) and tie all the bags together with a wire tie from a bread bag, or a loop from a key ring. :-? Get a little spoon from one of those Tuna salad and crackers packs and use it to dig out the spices. :banana
When I read this the first time I missed that 'straw' idea. Way cool.
What is the best way to seal the ends?
I used a few of these: http://www.rei.com/product/605887?vcat=REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC
They're probably lighter than official spice containers, stronger than zip locks... but not nearly as cool as the straw idea :rolleyes:
I have 7 day pill holder that is round and plastic with 7 compartments (imagine that)
I never thought to use it for spices, but i think it would work really well. thanks for the thought....
Empty Tic Tac contianers.
Empty Tic Tac contianers.
That is a GREAT idea!!!!
Empty Tic Tac contianers.
Thanks for that one. I just happen to have an empty one right in front of me when I read that...Great idea!!:)
MtnBikerGuy
12-31-2007, 23:41
I have used the straw method on section hikes and on a trip in the Grand Canyon. Works great. Just lable the outside of the straw with a maker and you are ready. The spices weigh more than the container.
Tic Tac containers are very brittle and will break somewhat easily. If you go with then, wrap them in duct tape.
johnny quest
01-03-2008, 13:37
i have several of the little red backpacker shakers from coghlans. put a few grains of rice in each one to soak up moisture.
also, ed garvey had some spice mix he made and carried. anybody know what it was?
Simply Organic sells various spices weighing in at < 1 oz. each. Other spices I carry include red pepper flakes and a cajun spice. The spices help keep the trail foods flavors interesting.