Spices on the trail

[Spatchka]

After doing a 'search' about spices that folks carry with them on the trail, was wondering if there is a spot where people share which ones they carry along.

Realize it is a personal taste thing, just looking for ideas I might have over-looked to carry in my pack.
One of the many things on my 'list'.
After years in the military, those little bottles of 'TABASCO' pretty much summed up 'spices' for me. Wanting to expand a little!

If this is the wrong thread to ask in, feel free to move it.

Thanks.

[Doughnut]

I hiked the Smokys with Two Fly last summer and someone had given him a small bag of dehydrates vegeables (how do you spell that word??) Anyway, a pince of those and some tobasco sure spices up raman and tuna. I have seen people with those "dial a spice" containers you find in the grocery store.
Personally, I plan to mix some peper, salt, oregano and a few others in a baggie and use a pinch as I see fit.

[Spokes]

I tried to always carry a fresh bulb of garlic along the way and minced up a clove in dinner every evening. Some may argue but I never was really plagued with mosquitoes like others and attribute it solely to the garlic.

[Hikes in Rain]

I don't go out without my Lexan pepper grinder. Other spices I add to the ingredient baggie as appropriate for what's cooking. (You can get away with that when you section.)

[RollingStone]

We always have Pepper. Most foods are salty enough on their own. We also like to carry Papa Johns Parmesan Packets for our Spaghetti, Taco Bell Sauce packets for our Mexican based Rice dishes, and packets of shelf stable mayo for Tuna.

[Johnny Appleseed]

Minced Onion, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper and basil will be mixed in one bag on my upcoming PCT hike. The oregano and basil don't go well with everything, but the other spices I add to EVERYTHING even when at home. No toasted sesame oil due to the mess it makes, but at home I use it for half of my meals. Salt N Pepper would be nice but I get enough salt from my processed food at least.

Sauce packets are worthless to me, minus parmesian from pizza places.

[GeneralLee10]

I tried to always carry a fresh bulb of garlic along the way and minced up a clove in dinner every evening. Some may argue but I never was really plagued with mosquitoes like others and attribute it solely to the garlic.


I agree garlic does help with the bugs. Plus when you are around others they will get a wiff and stay away from you. Now if it only worked the same for the mice. :)

[zeus307]

I to use the Tobassco but i found it in a packet. Like ketchup. I also found and bought the packets of Ms. Dash, like you find in the grocery stores. It is a single serve pak and works for me great. That is just what I use.

[Hatfield]

Hot sauce and beer!

[Procras108r]

At a Mexican restaurant I found boullion cubes of pesto, garlic, onion, chipotle, tomato in addition to the traditional beef, pork, ham, chicken, etc.

You could pack small batches of purchased spices in individual ziplock packets found in hobby stores. I've also seen people store spices in straws that have their ends folded over with a small piece of another straw slid over the ends to hold the folds in place.

[rockdawg69]

Most everything stated above except the garlic. I add dill to the list and the small packets of mustard and ketchup you can get at most fast-food places. Also, packets of honey to mix with PB on bagel, rolls, bread, etc.
Pick up packets as pass through town, since they add a fair amount of weight if you carry more than a handful of each.

[Connie]

I have been known to backpack:
multi-colored peppercorns
paprika
truffle flavored oil
Bertolli extra virgin olive oil
pesto (in tubes)
powdered lime in packets
ground sesame salt

[Mud__Bone]

some interesting flavors there connie. sounds like someone knows their way around the cutting board ;)

[Secret Squirrel]

Tony Chachere's makes some all purpose spice mixes (Cajun, Creole) that are pretty good. They advertize "Great on Everything". That is all I carry.

[LimpsAlong]

This here is all you need. Carry a little 1 oz Nalgene bottle of the stuff all the time. Turns Mountain House meals into Bayou House Meals !

[Spatchka]

Thanks for all the great ideas.

As I stated, planning to get back out after years on the 'plains'.

Most of my experience has been car/truck camping and pretty handy with a Dutch oven.

Last time I backpacked was in the 90's. ( Philmont, with my Scout troop )

Getting excited about all the places around me, now that I have the time.

[sarbar]

I carry whatever sounds good at that time. Be it in small bags that I pack at home (easy!) to packets I get online from www.minimus.biz or www.packitgourmet.com I also carry powders from Packit, such as soy sauce powder.

I also have been known to carry my GSI pepper grinder as well.

[Old Hiker]

http://www.texastastes.com/i/850193.jpg
http://www.texastastes.com/p1572.htm - found this in Texas while visiting - use it for everything - it's great. My bro and sis in law got me 24 bottles and I've used 2/3 of them in the last couple of years, both in my kitchen, Boy Scouts, gifts to deserving people who, for sheer bad luck, were not born as a Texan. There is also a Rattlesnake dust for those people who believe food should hurt, but I avoid THAT!

[Old Hiker]

Also - there was a product called "Cajun Sparkle" from Popeye's Chicken that was great. Had several envelopes of that in my pack at BSA Woodbadge training in Germany that saved a few blah campfire meals. Haven't looked to see if they still make it since I got my Harley's BBQ seasoning.

[LaurieAnn]

My trail spice rack is pretty minimalistic... I have salt and pepper and my GSI pepper grinder. Because I dehydrate whole meals the spice is already in the food so there is no need to carry extra. From time to time I will carry an herb mixture for bannock.

[Connie]

I forgot McCormick Italian Seasoning.

However, with all that great stuff listed so far I feel this is somewhat pedestrian.

It does make good-tasting Italian seasoning cheese biscuits and bread sticks.

I do carry a flexible sheet cutting board for a clean food prep area.

I might want to thin-slice some wild food that comes to hand.

[sarbar]

I do carry a flexible sheet cutting board for a clean food prep area.

I might want to thin-slice some wild food that comes to hand.

What works great for that are Fozzil and Orikaso dishes - when layed out flat you can cut or do prep on them :)

[Moonshadow03]

I like the straw idea and give it a shot to see if I can get it to work for my upcoming pct hike.
I started with a spice wheel when I started the AT in 03 but it was the very first thing to be lost in my efforts to reduce pack weight. I don't think I realized then (or even during my hike) how much better things could have been with a little more "help" from the spice world.

[mumbles mcgee]

Don't carry much all that often, just salt and pepper, maybe some parmesan. I'll definitely be carrying more on my thru this summer.

I used to work at an art store and bought a pack of those plastic little paint tubs to carry my spices in (they did not have paint in them when I bought them). I managed to buy a pack of 10 individual ones but they're pretty similar to the cheap paint sets that come in a string of 8. I'll probably pick up a few sets before my hike and divy up my spices to put in my maildrops for cheap so I don't have to buy/carry larger jars of spices.