no stove

[Phoenix7]

But keep in mind that even in warmer months it can get cold at elevation, so a stove with at least a little fuel might be wise at all times.

[Rockhound]

But keep in mind that even in warmer months it can get cold at elevation, so a stove with at least a little fuel might be wise at all times.

Cold weather? Seems like more of a reason to cook with fire if you ask me.

[Plodderman]

I have been hiking without a stove for 20 years and in the past ten years have hiked for a week or two on the AT without a stove. If I through hike instead of section hiking I probably would still not bring a stove.

[LaurieAnn]

Foods such as hummus and other bean based dips, lentil salads and the like can all be rehydrated with cold water which means you can have really great food without a stove.

[Mags]

I've done the no stove thing a day here or there in the past.

My longest stretch was a recent AZT section hike w/ Garlic (here on WB) and Pickle. I must say, I liked it. As Garlic said previously, the weight savings is not really that much..it is the no futz factor I enjoyed. Not just at night, but for resupply (food and fuel) as well.

When I hike the Great Divide Trail next month, I plan on going the no stove route then. Why? Canisters are hard to get in Canada where I am going. And, because the auto fuel (apparently) already has the equivalent of HEET in it, alcohol may be a pain to get in the small places where I am going from what previous GDT hikers told me. EVERY place stocks peanut butter, crackers, Snickers, etc. that does not require reheating. Some backpacking staples (Mashed potatoes and stove top come to mind) rehydrate very well without a stove, too.

Is no-stove the best way to go? Not for everyone. But I think for the minamlist/hot weather hiking/hard fuel resupply situations, the no stove option is a very viable alternative.

[Pokey2006]

I have a Bic lighter that is my stove. Seldom have I had a problem starting a fire, even in the rain. If it's downpouring or extremely windy I will eat cold, but that does not occur that frequently. I never have to worry about running out of stove fuel or finding someplace that sells those canisters that are filling up landfills. I find it quite odd that people need the latest, greatest technology to go out and commune with nature. Seems a litte contradictory to me. I'll stick with a wood fire for cooking, sticks for hiking poles, and continue not filtering my water. I do have a tent and a sleeping bag, but that is about as far as I'll go.

If you REALLY want to commune with nature, lose the tent. That's a much greater barrier between you and the outdoors than a stove would be.

It's also not always a good idea to have a campfire. For example, areas where firewood is scarce, or there's a drought, or it's a high fire risk location.

Canisters do bite, BTW. Alcohol rules.

I would go cook-less except for one big factor: I absolutely must, must, MUST have my coffee every morning. I won't give it up. Otherwise, I can understand why someone would ditch the stove, not so much for weight savings, but for simplicity. Personally, I get the simplicity (and weight savings) by going dehydrated.

[Mags]

It's also not always a good idea to have a campfire. For example, areas where firewood is scarce, or there's a drought, or it's a high fire risk location.

Exactly. A fire in the low desert or alpine terrain would be...interesting.

I would go cook-less except for one big factor: I absolutely must, must, MUST have my coffee every morning. I

I'm a java fiend myself. But, I quit cold turkey on hikes. However, when I DO get coffee in town...watch out! (Ask Garlic!)

My luxury item is my camera. 12 oz with the Gorilla Pod. Ouch. But I do enjoy taking photos...

[Pokey2006]

Coffee isn't even a luxury item with me. It's a necessity. I'd rather do without a shelter...

Though I suppose if you were hell-bent on going without a stove, and you were, like me, addicted to coffee, you could get away with caffeine pills or energy drinks or something. I've just never been that desperate to lose a few ounces. LOVE my coffee in the morning.

Actually, that has a little something to do with how I got my trail name. Not Pokey on the trail, but definitely Pokey in the morning.

Cameras are good luxury items to have. I can't imagine hiking without one.

[astrogirl]

Coffee isn't even a luxury item with me. It's a necessity. I'd rather do without a shelter...

Though I suppose if you were hell-bent on going without a stove, and you were, like me, addicted to coffee, you could get away with caffeine pills or energy drinks or something. I've just never been that desperate to lose a few ounces. LOVE my coffee in the morning.

You can get coffee concentrate from minimus.biz - no heat required.

I also go cold turkey on backpacking trips.

[LaurieAnn]

While I haven't gear tested it yet there is a new stove out called the Vital Stove by Eureka!

http://www.eurekatentscanada.com/pro...ype=6&prod=433

Anyway - in some areas this could work well and would reduce the fuel weight.

[sarbar]

For wood burners, this is a great option http://www.zzstove.com/mcart/

[Mags]

...and being me, I have a less expensive, lighter version:

http://www.nimblewillnomad.com/stove.htm

For those without mechanical skills and/or REALLY want to dirtbag it:

The Classic Hobo stove:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It...obo-Stove.aspx

A modified version:
http://www.journeytoforever.org/edu_hobostove.html

Never mind recycle..REUSE!

[Alligator]

There are powdered tea drink mixes in the tea aisle that have caffeine in them. This was at Wal-mart. I had been looking for them near the juice aisle but the ones there didn't have an explicit note that there was caffeine in them.

[LaurieAnn]

Well... my Vital Stove arrived today. It will be two weeks before I test it. We will have several people that will be running it through the rigors over the length of the trip so I should have some great feedback. My first thoughts are that it feels weighty compared to what I normally use but then again I am forgetting that I won't need to carry fuel. Thanks for the other links Mags. I'll have to check those out as well.

[JAK]

This summer I'm trying to perfect the three rock method, both for making just a small mug of tea, and also for boiling up a full litre of water for tea and oatmeal or lentil soup. It is easy on the beaches here to find suitable stones, and the learning curve is a nice easy 5% grade, but rather long. The rocks never fit quite like I would like them to. The wind direction, and ground slope, and surrounding rocks and ground type and wetness are other variables. Hope to get better at it, but I'm glad I will always be able to get better still. In winter its a little more critical to get it right, but in summer its nice to have time to fuss.

As for making tea, I haven't got all that worked out either. I am making my of Chai style tea now, which some now call Chai Latte. I am using my favourite loose tea, Barbours Orange Pekoe, and getting my own spices from the bulk barn; cardamom, cloves, anise, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon. I am trying to find the right combination for working with the somewhat difficult taste of skim milk powder. I'm thinking more cardamom and cloves, and maybe adding nutmeg.

I want to find some better hardware also. Not too fancy because I want it to work with a small wood fire, and I still want to be able to make oatmeal and soup also, but something maybe a little more ritualistic than just the same old pot and mug. I need some sort of a strainer also.

As far as the ritual itself goes traditionally chai is started by bring milk to a boil or near boil and cooking it awhile, perhaps to kill off any bugs, then adding the spices and the tea, not sure what order. With skim milk powder I have figured out that it is best to sprinkle the skim milk from the top after the water has boiled, about 1/3 cup per cup of water for full strength milk, maybe less if I need more hydration and less milk or if my milk is running low. I think I will still add the milk first though, or maybe the tea, then the milk, then the spices, or maybe its the other way around. Not sure. Have to see. Should be a good summer with lots to keep me busy.

[garlic08]

This summer I'm trying to perfect the three rock method....

Have you ever tried the three tent stake method? I haven't, but it seems elegant, at least for thru hikers who seldom eat where they camp.

[JAK]

I only use 2 pegs with my poncho tarp. In winter I bring 6 small nails instead of tent pegs as they are more universal. 3 tent pegs don't make alot of sense for me though, unless I plan on using 3 tent pegs, and not having tea when my tarp is up. That's the real show stopper. I've thought about using the small titanium stand that comes with the ION stove though, for a small fire that might work well, and lighter than tent pegs or even nails.

Here are some recipes for Chai:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyhs1zJM3Co
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlGav8ZgwtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpYyDRhLco4

Chai Stand Master:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yawlHHwwVcA

World's Greatest Chai Dude:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-eW0My7we0

Real Indian Chai Master:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdYpG3mMoeQ

[JAK]

Wow, lots of awesome Chai videos. Here is my favourite so far:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbx7PA0N0A4

This will definitely change the way I be makin Chai on the fungi footpath.

[JAK]

Another interesting recipe, with saffron and evaporated milk. Food colouring is a bit sketchy, but I think the order in which he does stuff might be most adaptable to use in the field with skim milk powder. Lot so different spices can be used though. Crazy. I'll have to come up with my own fungi footpath recipe, with spruce or cedar leaves maybe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3wOIiaxdr4

As far as hardware goes, I think I've got that figured out now:
1. 1 litre aluminum pot I just got at a yard sale on way to footpath
2. Smaller mug, or maybe a bowl, not neccessarily of metal, but maybe.
3. Some sort of filter. I have one now but might find something better for field.

fungi footpath oatmeal chai

1. Bring 1 litre pot to boil on small 3 rock fire or whatever with 500ml to 1000ml water.
2. Add cardamom, cloves for sure and maybe also ginger, anise, cinamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and also experiments with spruce leaves, cedar leaves, other sticks and stuff.
3. Add the tea, loose tea like Barbours Orange Pekoe, or some other tea.
4. Add the skim milk powder at the end, but keep it boiling some as it steeps 5 minutes.
5. Once steeped, strain out into the mug or bowl. Pour back and forth to help it cool and add more bubbles maybe, or just to be cool.
6. If making oatmeal, pour all of the strained chai onto the oats, and let it soak 5 minutes, pouring back some of the chai into the mug in order to sip that while waiting, and eventually pouring back all of the unabsorbed chai in order to drink special oatmeal flavoured chai while eating special chai flavoured oatmeal.

[Hikes in Rain]

This summer I'm trying to perfect the three rock method, both for making just a small mug of tea, and also for boiling up a full litre of water for tea and oatmeal or lentil soup. It is easy on the beaches here to find suitable stones, and the learning curve is a nice easy 5% grade, but rather long. The rocks never fit quite like I would like them to. The wind direction, and ground slope, and surrounding rocks and ground type and wetness are other variables. Hope to get better at it, but I'm glad I will always be able to get better still. In winter its a little more critical to get it right, but in summer its nice to have time to fuss.

The dingle stick is usually my favorite. Much more flexible. (I use a rock or something instead of the forked stick holding down the end)