View Full Version : Cleaning cookware
I'm thinking of reusing the bags for FBC. Depending on the meal, they can be a bit of a pain to clean out. So I was wondering, how safe is it to wash the bags/cookware in untreated water & let them air dry out?
This is also a general question, not specific to the AT, as I know all the water along the AT is perfectly safe to drink:D. I know some viruses can survive without water, but not sure on crypto, giardia, & other common bacteria. Would taking some hot water & swishing it around the bag before cooking the next meal help any?
Bags4266
12-09-2011, 11:25
I it really worth the trouble and effort? They would be a pain, food would be hard to remove from the corners of the bags.
The Cleaner
12-09-2011, 11:38
If not cleaned properly you could end up getting sick from germs that could grow in unseen leftover particles.You would need to rinse out with boiling water which most hikers don't carry enough fuel to do.I cook in a titanium pan&wash with a few drops of Dr. Bonners then rinse with cold water then another rinse with a little boiling water.Might as well get rid of FBC bags and use a pan.....
I used a method like this for a few 5-7 day trips. I would repackage the contents of the bag into a good ziplock bag and roll it up into a smaller form factor than the original bag. Doing this for 7 days of food save a lot of space. After repackaging, I would roll 2-3 of the original bags up around my spork and wrap a rubber band around them and stuff them in with my food bag. Saves a good bit of room if you are currently carrying the bags. For each meal, I would boil an extra half cup of water and save it until the end of the meal and then dump it in the bag after eating everything I could get a spork on. Shake the bag really well, check inside, shake it again and drink it. Then you can wash them really well when you hit town to resupply. A bit of extra work, but it did save on space.
1-8T
If not cleaned properly you could end up getting sick from germs that could grow in unseen leftover particles.You would need to rinse out with boiling water which most hikers don't carry enough fuel to do.I cook in a titanium pan&wash with a few drops of Dr. Bonners then rinse with cold water then another rinse with a little boiling water.Might as well get rid of FBC bags and use a pan.....
I usually only use freezer bags for short trips, & then I'll take them home for reuse/cleaning. But I was reading someone's post about using the bottom of a platy bag for FBC. I thought that sounded interesting, as the platy bags are more durable & can stand up on their own when filled. I also have an old bag that's leaking at the top anyways to play with.
I'm not really worried about leftover food in them, as the bottoms are more rounded & don't really have corners. I've always used hot treated water to clean dishware in the past. I guess I was really looking for feedback on the safety/danger of using untreated water for cleaning & then air drying dishware in general. Maybe it's not worth the risk, & I should just add some bleach when cleaning the bag?
Slosteppin
12-09-2011, 21:00
In my opinion, if you boil untreated water it should be as safe as any treated water.
My practice has been to pack the dry food in freezer bags. At camp I boil treated water and pour into the freezer bag, then when it is rehydrated I eat from the bag. the only thing dirty is my spoon which I lick clean and wash in boiled water.
A few years ago I hiked with a guy who cooked and ate from his Kettle. He cleaned the kettle as much as he could with his spoon. Then he rinsed the kettle in the water source. When he was ready to eat next he cooked in the kettle with untreated water and repeated the procedure. He did not get sick.
Since then I partly adopted his practice. I still 'cook' in the freezer bag but I start with untreated waster in the kettle and wash any dirty dishes with hot boiled water.
Uh... what exactly is the point of freezer bag cooking if you wash the bags afterwards? Isn't cooking in the pot easier to do and easier to clean? Then you could pack your food in lighter bags.
I don't get the whole FBC thing. Put hours of work into dehydrating food to save 10 minutes while hiking? Then throw out piles of freezer bags because you're too lazy to wash a pot? I think that "traditional" cooking is less expensive, less wasteful, and depending on how well you scrape your freezer bags before packing them out probably comes out even in weight.
It's not like I spend a lot of time doing dishes, I just scrape my pot out with my spoon and lick my spoon clean. the next day I boil the water and put my spoon in to sanitize it, then add whatever's for dinner. I've never had anything "grow" on my pot.
Uh... what exactly is the point of freezer bag cooking if you wash the bags afterwards? Isn't cooking in the pot easier to do and easier to clean? Then you could pack your food in lighter bags.
I don't get the whole FBC thing. Put hours of work into dehydrating food to save 10 minutes while hiking? Then throw out piles of freezer bags because you're too lazy to wash a pot? I think that "traditional" cooking is less expensive, less wasteful, and depending on how well you scrape your freezer bags before packing them out probably comes out even in weight.
It's not like I spend a lot of time doing dishes, I just scrape my pot out with my spoon and lick my spoon clean. the next day I boil the water and put my spoon in to sanitize it, then add whatever's for dinner. I've never had anything "grow" on my pot.
Ha ha. I guess I have a passion for freezer bags - never leave home without them. So many uses - dinnerware, storing/organizing gear, dry bags, packing out trash/tp, collecting water, emergency vapor barriers... For short trips, they are really convenient for cooking, as yes I am lazy & hate washing dishes. However, I do take them home & reuse them dozens of times (except the really dirty ones with tp in them:D).
Never had a problem with fast moving water.
Feral Bill
12-10-2011, 13:51
Okay. Boils a quart of water= 7 minutes. 1 cup->hot drink, 2 cups->washing and rinsing cook pot, 1 cup for hand washing, Morrocan restaraunt style (sanitary and oh so pleasent). 15 minutes total, tops. Works for me, and no bundle of dirty plastic bags to tote.
Slosteppin
12-10-2011, 21:42
Amanita,
What does your food cost for a week of hiking? What does your food bag weigh to start that week?
I might spend $15 for the week and my food for a week usually weighs about seven or eight pounds. I might spend up to 20 minutes at home preparing my dehydrated soups or stews. Since I'm using leftovers the cost is minimal. I would guess that I save about 20 minutes daily while fixing meals on the trail. My primary hot meal is leftovers from home made soups and stews. The dehydrating might require 10 minutes morning and maybe as much in late afternoon. Some people like to spend a lot of time in camp cooking and cleaning up. I prefer to hike later or use the extra time getting ready for sleep or talking to other hikers.
... I don't get the whole FBC thing. Put hours of work into dehydrating food to save 10 minutes while hiking? Then throw out piles of freezer bags because you're too lazy to wash a pot? I think that "traditional" cooking is less expensive, less wasteful, and depending on how well you scrape your freezer bags before packing them out probably comes out even in weight...
For me, this is a short trip vs long trip thing. For short trips, I prepackage stuff I dehydrate at home into individual meals in freezer baggies. But there's no way I'm going to do that on next year's thru attempt. I'll repackage food I buy along the way into plastic bags, and spoon out what I need for each meal. Love the book, think it provides lots of inspiration, hoping it comes out in Kindle format soon. But I'm going to make a cozy for my pot so I can do my rehydrating in it.
Well, I do spend more than $15 a week on food, but most of that is breakfast/lunch/snacks. I probably spend about $10 a week on dinners, at about 8-12oz for each one (1000-1500 calories each). Sometimes I have leftovers from dinner for breakfast the next morning.
My dinners are usually knorr pasta sides, box mac n cheese, instant cous cous, or other prepackaged microwave style dinners. I like to make them with real butter if the weather isn't too hot. I cook on an alchy stove with an aluminum grease pot.
I like that these foods I can just walk into any grocery store and buy for $1 or less each. It's easy to resupply just about anywhere.
As for breakfast, lunch, and snacks I like to buy things like pepperoni, mini bagels, dried apricots, trail mix, kit kats/candy, peanut butter, and fresh fruit for the first day out.
I pack about 1.5lbs a day not counting fresh fruit for the first day. This is 2000-3000 calories a day, because I count on burning some body fat to make up the difference.
The way it used to be done (with few exceptions):
1) Cook your meal.
2) Eat your food.
3) Add water for a hot drink.
5) Scrape stuck food into water.
6) Bring water to a boil (not necessary if it's already treated/filtered).
7) Have after dinner (or breakfast) hot drink made with rinse water.
8) If it makes you feel better, wipe out pot with paper towel or tp and burn or throw it in privy.
I pulled off a small piece of a stainless scouring pad from home for the every other day scouring of my pot. I carry bio suds for body washing, so I use that to wash my pot, cup, and spoon. All my cookware is metal so I can boil it out to sterilize it.
I'm another one who has tried, and still doesn't comprehend, the joys of FBC cooking. (Freezer bags aren't cheap, either).
Aminita, I don't dehydrate my own food, I eat the same foods you do but repackage them in freezer bags. I did this throughout my entire thru this year and never washed a pot. Repackaging made the food lighter and more compact. It also allowed me to split larger quantities of food into meal sized portions. My favorite side dish was stuffing, a box would make 3 servings, each in its own bag. Its not about being lazy, its about weight, compactness and streamlining your methods so you can get the miles in. I would not try to wash the bags, the used bag was always my garbage bag for the day.