View Full Version : Cooking techniques on the trail
willbor58
09-26-2017, 21:41
Hey guys I am doing research into cooking on the trail and figuring out what people use in terms of boilers, dehydration and stoves. I have a survey here it would really help me get a better understanding on how cooking is done on the trail.
You can either comment below on some of your favorite techniques, preferred methods, tips and tricks and/ or take my short survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WSYS97Z
Thanks!
-willbor58
Freezer Bag Cooking. In 10 plus years of section hiking that is all I've ever done... works for me.
Odd Man Out
09-26-2017, 22:28
I put food in pot with water, boil, then turn off stove, put pot in DIY pot cozy made with a dollar store auto windshield suncreen, and let set for 15 to 20 minutes.
Tipi Walter
09-26-2017, 23:00
I put food in pot with water, boil, then turn off stove, put pot in DIY pot cozy made with a dollar store auto windshield suncreen, and let set for 15 to 20 minutes.
Exactly what I do. I use an old cut up walmart blue foam pot cozy. Oh and I dry all my meals at home.
DownEaster
09-27-2017, 00:13
Real cooking, in hard anodized aluminum Teflon-coated cookware. I can reduce boil times by placing the pot in an insulated cozy, but don't have to if it would result in decrease food quality (gooey noodles, for instance). I cook with white gas for the most part. Very little dehydrated food.
Some people have a luxury item or two. I have a luxury category, and this is it.
garlic08
09-27-2017, 08:26
Thank you for including a no cooking option.
Dry at home with Excalibur, heat water on trail with Jetboil. Freezer bag cooking.
Boil water. Add food. Wait. Eat.
It's pretty clear that the OP has no hiking experience. The tell tail was the question about how many hours your meal prep time was. If they asked how many seconds meal prep was it would have been correct.
swjohnsey
09-27-2017, 16:10
One pot, one spoon. Cozy saves fuel. I like Wisperlite (actually and old Simmerlite) but also use Zelph's Supervenom alcohol stove.
HooKooDooKu
09-27-2017, 16:19
It's pretty clear that the OP has no hiking experience. The tell tail was the question about how many hours your meal prep time was. If they asked how many seconds meal prep was it would have been correct.
And then there's the question about accessing fuel given examples such as 'propane' and 'charcoal'.
BRS-300T Titanium(25 g) or Snow Peak Titanium Lite Max(54 g) canister stove or one of Zelphs alchy stoves such as the Super Venom handles 90+% of my boiling water needs on solo trips.
On trail meal prep time involves maybe cutting up some onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, a small potato, greens etc adding to boiled water and food typically repackaged into Ziplocs. The biggest food time input is at home making resupply boxes set to go once picked up on trail or at the store that I might buy along the way.
BRS-300T Titanium(25 g) or Snow Peak Titanium Lite Max(54 g) canister stove or one of Zelphs alchy stoves such as the Super Venom handles 90+% of my boiling water needs on solo trips.
On trail meal prep time involves maybe cutting up some onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, a small potato, greens etc adding to boiled water and food typically repackaged into Ziplocs. The biggest food time input is at home making resupply boxes set to go once picked up on trail or at the store that I might buy along the way.
Definitely, if you add up the time at home cooking the meal and dehydrating it and packaging it then yes, instead of a few seconds in camp your real food prep time could more accurately be counted in hours. Even if your cooking Mountain House pre-packaged it still takes three or four minutes to set up the stove and boil the water then wait ten or more minutes for the meal to rehydrate.
Greenmountainguy
10-16-2017, 18:27
I used to use only white gas stoves with slow simmering, but I can no longer find the time for much more than overnights. I am about to try a propane stove as it promises to cut my load dramatically. I may bring some freezer bags to try that system. What the hell? If it does not work, I still have the simmer option. If I can find more time for outdoors (most of my income is made in summer) I may try my new wood stove. If nothing else it looks to be fun.
Uncle Joe
10-16-2017, 20:49
Alcohol stove and FBC!
I boil/cook/rehydrate/eat in pot and leave freezer bags at home. I use a simple homemade alch stove if just me or a gas stove if more than just me...
jjozgrunt
10-17-2017, 01:56
What type of freezer bags? None of the ones here will stand up to boiling water. I usually just rehydrate in the bag they come in but this time I'm going to use the freezer bag option and repackage everything I buy into ziplocs.
Uncle Joe
10-17-2017, 09:09
What type of freezer bags? None of the ones here will stand up to boiling water. I usually just rehydrate in the bag they come in but this time I'm going to use the freezer bag option and repackage everything I buy into ziplocs.
You don't need to get the water to a full boil, really. I think Ziploc is largely considered to the better because their bags are BPA free, fwiw. Just get the water close to boil and they do fine. Frankly, I think I've put boiling water in them with no issue.
Luna Anderson
10-30-2017, 22:40
I put food in pot with water, boil, then turn off stove, put pot in DIY pot cozy made with a dollar store auto windshield suncreen, and let set for 15 to 20 minutes.
Same as me. I often bring my solo stove when thru-hiking for 6-7 days. Maybe I'll try to make a DIY pot like you next time.
Navy Salad
10-31-2017, 01:34
Exactly what I do. I use an old cut up walmart blue foam pot cozy. Oh and I dry all my meals at home.
...And, exactly what I do, except my cozy is made from foil covered bubble wrap. Just add water, bring to a boil, and slip it into a cozy for 10 to 20 minutes. Then I just eat out of the pot.
nate.2346
03-01-2018, 18:01
...And, exactly what I do, except my cozy is made from foil covered bubble wrap. Just add water, bring to a boil, and slip it into a cozy for 10 to 20 minutes. Then I just eat out of the pot.
I'd done this as well, it works!
Alcohol stove and FBC!
Concur. FBC on the simplest cat food can stove possible. I use a reflectix cozy to finish cooking.
I'm dehydrating Hungry Hammock Hanger's Beef Stroganoff as we speak.
It's all about fish eyes.