Food Basics 101... for me.

[SollyBoy]

:sun Alright! I've always been into the outdoors and have gone camping and stuff like that, but never had to worry about thing like: running out of food, having a bear or, even worse, an attack raccoon eat my vittles. So, my friend, we'll call him dscostu (whiteblaze name) decided instead of a float trip for some smallies we would do some hiking on the AT. I did some research and I'm actually pretty amped about it. My only worries are the food issues up above. We're going for 4 days, three nights. I want my dinners to be awesome, but could careless what my lunches and breakfasts are. In fact, I've already decided that my breakfasts will be oatmeal- found some gourmet instant at Shopper's. Give me your thoughts please. I have some ideas at hand but am interested in more. Blaze on!

[Midway Sam]

After a couple of days you won't care what you eat. Just take fuel and you'll be OK.

[doggiebag]

Catch a few brook trout marinate in white vinegar and garlic for about an hour. Serve with white rice and sliced tomatoes. In the Shenandoahs you can keep up to 5 brookies a day (fly gear only).

[nuwatiman]

Doggiebag- Since you are talking about fly fishing in the Shenandoah's do you have any spots that are of good fishing there?

[superman]

I am a super bad trail cook. I've screwed up about every meal I've ever cooked. I never measure anything...I just throw it in and put some heat to it. When I hike with Pat from Maine she cooks in self defense. The good news is that it realy doesn't take long before it doesn't matter. Foods that you wouldn't think of eating at home are fine when you're hiking. Fancy foods just become a bother (maybe that's just me).

[doggiebag]

Glad you asked. These are some catch and keep areas that I usually have no problem filling my limit: Piney River, Jeremy's Run, Thorbin River (north and south fork), Pass Run, Hannah Run, Hughes River, Brokenback Run ... so many possibilities (the trout would hit anything that resembles a bug just use the smallest flies you can tie .... usually a good selection of Adams and beetles would suffice. These are small creeks and you have to sneak up on pools ... hip boots would be nice if you don't mind the weight. The hikes can be demanding. Good luck.

[txulrich]

My only worries are the food issues up above. We're going for 4 days, three nights. I want my dinners to be awesome, but could careless what my lunches and breakfasts are. In fact, I've already decided that my breakfasts will be oatmeal- found some gourmet instant at Shopper's. Give me your thoughts please. I have some ideas at hand but am interested in more. Blaze on!

Here's a website, http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/, that has hundreds of recipes that you can cook in a ziplock bag. My scout troop did a backpacking trip in East Texas a couple of weeks ago. We put 2/3 cup of rice in a bag, added 1/2 packet of chicken soup mix, half a package of chicken (from a foil pack) and some cran-raisons. Add 1 cup of water, kneed it to get everything good and wet, and let it sit in your hat or mitten (to retain heat) for 15 minutes. Very tasty and very filling. You could prepare these ahead of time so that you only have to add water and meat when you get to camp. You can write on the zip-lock to identify the contents or which meal is inside. Just boil water when you get to your evening campsite.

[doggiebag]

:sun Alright! I've always been into the outdoors and have gone camping and stuff like that, but never had to worry about thing like: running out of food, having a bear or, even worse, an attack raccoon eat my vittles. So, my friend, we'll call him dscostu (whiteblaze name) decided instead of a float trip for some smallies we would do some hiking on the AT. I did some research and I'm actually pretty amped about it. My only worries are the food issues up above. We're going for 4 days, three nights. I want my dinners to be awesome, but could careless what my lunches and breakfasts are. In fact, I've already decided that my breakfasts will be oatmeal- found some gourmet instant at Shopper's. Give me your thoughts please. I have some ideas at hand but am interested in more. Blaze on!

Boil some minute rice according to directions. Get some Jimmy Dean or whatever hot sausage meat is handy. I usually fry up at least half of the roll for myself, put it aside when done. Use some of the grease to saute a few cloves of crushed garlic. Then throw all the rice in the skillet and use a spatula to ensure the stuff doesn't stick to the bottom. When it looks right (very subjective) throw the sausage back in. I usually sprinkle tabasco or white vinegar on the stuff for an extra zing. Maybe it's just me but my grease intake increases in the woods.

[doggiebag]

Sorry for the double post. I contacted the webmaster to have the redundant post removed. Ooooops ...

[jesse]

I made a food dehydrator by taking a box approximatly 20"x 20"x 20" and lined it with aluminum foil, and cutting a small hole in the side large enough to fit a 150 watt light bulb.
I make chillie, red beans and rice, whatever in the kitchen spread it out on a cookie sheet and an dehydrate it. Takes about 8-10 hours. When it has dried out I put 1 serving in a zip lock bag. Then on the trail all I have to do is add boiling water, let it sit about 20 minutes, then eat. What I lie about freezer bag cooking is there is no cleanup.