View Full Version : Best thing you ever cooked on the trail
FarmerChef
12-12-2012, 16:40
Ok. So what do you believe your greatest culinary creation on the trail (or hike of your choice) to be? Anything is fair game here provided that you ate it in the end.
So far, mine would have to be box mix blueberry muffins for the technical skill and set up required to bake them and for the deliciously brown, fluffy consistency they have in the end. So delicious. Always gets a smile from my toughest critics on the trail - aka the fam.
MDSection12
12-12-2012, 16:57
This isn't winning me any creativity points in here, but my favorite trail meal so far was the Idahoan loaded potatoes... I made them as an 'appetizer' before my cous cous meal and by the time I finished the bag I was so fat and happy I forgot to eat the rest of my dinner. :D
daddytwosticks
12-12-2012, 17:12
Years ago, took Bisquick and made dough. Shoved it onto the end of a green stick and roasted over a hot bed of coals until golden brown. Smothered in some cheap-azz margarine. Like I died and went to heaven. :)
bigcranky
12-12-2012, 17:54
Our first backpacking trip was 3 nights in Grayson Highlands. On the second morning I made pancakes with homemade dried strawberries and real maple syrup. Man those things were good.
Of course I had to carry in a pancake flipper, a frying pan, and the maple syrup. My pack for that first hike was well over 60 pounds. Not doing that again.
mrcoffeect
12-12-2012, 17:55
i've used bisquik to make white pizza on the trail, and to make chicken raman and dumplings. yum yum
Chicken Curry - Basmati Rice, Freeze Dried Chicken, Onions, Peppers, Tomato Powder, Diced Tomatoes, Homemade Red Curry Powder, Olive Oil, Chicken Stock Powder, Cilantro, Freeze Dried Peas, Sliced Almonds and Golden Raisins.
RodentWhisperer
12-12-2012, 20:09
In 2000, I was on Isle Royale for the first time, and made a rice pudding with coconut milk powder, dried papaya, pineapple and kiwi, and topped it with crushed macadamias and toasted coconut. My wife still raves about it.
Cookerhiker
12-12-2012, 20:26
Our first backpacking trip was 3 nights in Grayson Highlands. On the second morning I made pancakes with homemade dried strawberries and real maple syrup. Man those things were good.
Of course I had to carry in a pancake flipper, a frying pan, and the maple syrup. My pack for that first hike was well over 60 pounds. Not doing that again.
Ditto for me, right down to the real maple syrup. The only deviation was I brought canned blueberries. I did this twice but both times were short hikes - a one-nighter in the Smokies and 2 nights in Connecticut (in winter).
To the OP: perhaps you should differentiate between long-distance vs. shorter hikes. It takes more effort for the former.
atmilkman
12-12-2012, 20:27
Beanie weenies. When I was on the trail back in the 70's I carried (more than a few times) a Coleman 2 burner stove like a suitcase, along with dinty moore beef stew, campbells soups, sweet sue chicken and dumplings. But my favorite on the first night out was beanie weenies. I would bring a pack of ballpark hot dogs and a loaf of bread and butter. Then in the 80's I went ultralight and carried a one burner with a propane bottle.
TJ aka Teej
12-12-2012, 20:30
Steak and cheese subs with peppers and onions. Trick is to pack sub rolls, frozen shaved steak, and olive oil. Stir fry in you pot.
Frozen steak tips peppers and onions on a skewer work too!
FarmerChef
12-13-2012, 11:12
To the OP: perhaps you should differentiate between long-distance vs. shorter hikes. It takes more effort for the former.
Good point. I intentionally left it a bit open to spur more creative juices (yes, pun intended :P ) I often cook more fresh ingredient meals after resupply or town so differentiating on length of time in woods or distance traveled could get a bit complicated. I could be swayed...
max patch
12-13-2012, 11:21
The best meal I had backpacking was Thanksgiving dinner at Blood Mtn shelter years ago. That was kinda cheating since the only thing I cooked on site was the instant mashed potatoes and instant stuffing. Everything else was precooked at home.
The best meal I ever actually cooked was steak and pork chops on my zip stove with the grill attachment and irish soda bread using my bakepacker.
max patch
12-13-2012, 11:23
I rarely cook on the trail as thats not why I'm out there. A fancy supper for me is a store bought freeze dried dinner and a bit of makers mark.
ATMountainTime
12-13-2012, 11:46
I made blueberry pancakes, with fresh blueberries, natural maple syrup, fresh squeezed OJ, bacon on a waterfall in Jacks River Ga. Totally worth the weight.
fiddlehead
12-13-2012, 12:10
That's easy:
Lobsta!
With a bottle of wine by candlelight on top of Sugarloaf mtn in '95.
I love just-out-of-the-oven cornbread with real butter, any time. To have it on trail is unbelievably great. I now have perfected a dry baking technique that works every time for me, using a wood burning twig stove. Now I bake something (usually cornbread) every time I get out on trail.
You can see a video of the technique at http://QiWiz.net/StoveAccessories.html or on my YouTube channel (QiWizDoc)
FarmerChef
12-13-2012, 15:03
The best meal I had backpacking was Thanksgiving dinner at Blood Mtn shelter years ago. That was kinda cheating since the only thing I cooked on site was the instant mashed potatoes and instant stuffing. Everything else was precooked at home.
The best meal I ever actually cooked was steak and pork chops on my zip stove with the grill attachment and irish soda bread using my bakepacker.
Now you're just taunting us :D
I rarely cook on the trail as thats not why I'm out there. A fancy supper for me is a store bought freeze dried dinner and a bit of makers mark.
I suppose a liquid dinner could count provided you actually distilled the spirits:cool:
Blackbeard30
12-13-2012, 17:49
Sausage with peppers and onions and a baked potato go with it. It was only a one night trip though.
Sausage and eggs - hands down! I went for a section hike in Me. with my son, so I carried the canister stove and a small fry pan (the lid off of a Trangia 28 cookpot). First morning of a 5 day hike we ate just like we did in town the previous morning. Fueled up with lots of nice grease! Couldn't have been better. :)
Drybones
12-13-2012, 19:02
Potatoes fried with jalopenos and onions, I'll be having some of those tomorrow night at Pine Glen on the Pinhoti.
Farr Away
12-13-2012, 20:31
Steak with marinated portabella mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash & onions. We had the makings for s'mores with us, but by the time we got through all the rest...
It was a short overnight. :)
-FA
Many Moons
12-13-2012, 20:46
Ok. So what do you believe your greatest culinary creation on the trail (or hike of your choice) to be? Anything is fair game here provided that you ate it in the end.
So far, mine would have to be box mix blueberry muffins for the technical skill and set up required to bake them and for the deliciously brown, fluffy consistency they have in the end. So delicious. Always gets a smile from my toughest critics on the trail - aka the fam.
Roasted some marshmallows. Hike On!!!
Miller
Hikes in Rain
12-13-2012, 20:52
Years ago, took Bisquick and made dough. Shoved it onto the end of a green stick and roasted over a hot bed of coals until golden brown. Smothered in some cheap-azz margarine. Like I died and went to heaven. :)
1+ on that!
For me, it was salmon Alfredo at Russell Field Shelter one cold November. Lipton Alfredo noodle mix, pouched salmon, fresh ground black pepper, and Asagio cheese. "Must...finish...last...bite!"
Wise Old Owl
12-13-2012, 21:59
Hmm, I am going to guess the question has been answered. Today it's not possible, but in Port Clinton it was a monster Blimpe Hoagie - loaded with Seafood, Mayo lettuce and tomato.... with a bun covered in black pepper and onion. I shared it with my dad as it was more than 12" and well filling.
Drybones
12-14-2012, 10:35
Steak with marinated portabella mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash & onions. We had the makings for s'mores with us, but by the time we got through all the rest...
It was a short overnight. :)
-FA
If that was a bibeye, you are the winner...can I go next time?
Josh Calhoun
12-14-2012, 12:02
me and 4 friends were camping in south mtn state park and carried 8Lbs of Deer Bacon burger, 4 lbs of deer steak. buns,ketchup,mustard and cheese. oh yea and a half gallon of jim beam. man we had a blast.
Rest day taken in the woods.
Back in the day of Svea and Touristor Cook Kit (stacking pots).
Boiled Dinner - Cabbage, potatoes, carrots, ham, salt, pepper, chicken bullion cube.
Cooked half in the large pot, once it was mostly done, I started the rest in the smaller pot, large pot as a lid to keep it warm.
Took two (maybe more) fillings of the stove.
Fed several hikers, drove others crazy with the aroma.
Tasted GREAT!!!!!
Drybones
12-14-2012, 14:02
me and 4 friends were camping in south mtn state park and carried 8Lbs of Deer Bacon burger, 4 lbs of deer steak. buns,ketchup,mustard and cheese. oh yea and a half gallon of jim beam. man we had a blast.
With Jim along it had to be a great meal, with, or without food.
Hairbear
12-14-2012, 21:53
four crappie caught at a lake.i basted them with olive oil mixed with pesto sauce mix.boiled rice and peas to go with it.the best part of the meal was the look of the other hikers.i had to listen to all their crap while i was setting my bank lines,the dont laugh any more.
hikerhobs
12-16-2012, 11:49
I bring out bacon that i cook at home, some eggs and sandwich thins heat the bacon up with the eggs. a little ketchup and black pepper. ummm.... good. :)
slowfeet
12-18-2012, 21:03
best thing I cooked was Mountain House Chilli Mac w/ Beef and MH Lasagna......
Farr Away
12-19-2012, 16:50
If that was a ribeye, you are the winner...can I go next time?
As a matter of fact, I believe it was.
The more the merrier!
Johnny Thunder
12-19-2012, 19:33
pulled a large flat-on-one-side stone from the fire ring. built a fire around and on top of it. poured a little oil on the stone, flat side up. and broiled a ribeye in the center of the coals. did about 3 steaks this way...then built the fire up and did it again. we had some noodles or something else, too. it's easy to forget.
Drybones
12-19-2012, 20:15
best thing I cooked was Mountain House Chilli Mac w/ Beef and MH Lasagna......
Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk!
Drybones
12-19-2012, 20:18
pulled a large flat-on-one-side stone from the fire ring. built a fire around and on top of it. poured a little oil on the stone, flat side up. and broiled a ribeye in the center of the coals. did about 3 steaks this way...then built the fire up and did it again. we had some noodles or something else, too. it's easy to forget.
You lucky dog...I tried frying bacon on a flat stone and about the time it was getting done the rock exploded and threw bacon into the trees, lucky I wasn't killed.
Johnny Thunder
12-19-2012, 20:50
that's why you use a stone from the fire ring
coolness
12-20-2012, 20:29
Drybones - You WERE very fortunate!! Did you save the bacon? :cool:
Breakfast - Cafe du Monde Biegnets (used MSR fuel bottle as rolling pin and cooked in Banks Fry Bake) - powdered sugar, the works
Lunch - pears, apples and gorgonzola cheese on flatbread with olive oil
Dinner - too many to mention but massaman curry tofu over rice comes to mind
Desert - Carrot Cake on the campfire in a Banks Fry Bake comes to mind - - so do some very special brownies ;-)
of course, I'm just as happy to eat Pop Tarts, Cliff Bars, Cous Cous and Mac and Cheese like everybody else too - whatever works
Wise Old Owl
12-22-2012, 04:09
HairBear reminded me of a Small Mouth Bass I caught and cooked to the horror of Father son weekend... the kids loved me gutting the fish and the men were pansies. I shared it after a open fire and portable grill - the kids scarfed it without salt.
First night of a long hike. Only 1 mile to campsite by waterfall on Gragg's Prong, which runs into Lost Cove Creek, in Pisgah National Forest, circa 1982. Filet Mignon sauteed in butter with mushrooms, topped with shrimp scampi, all served over rice, with fresh steamed asparagus on the side. All twelve of us loved it. The Caymus cabernet may have had an effect on our ability to properly critique this trailside dining experience. On the same trip Brookies were caught and sauteed in butter with garlic for breakfast. Mmmmm. Life is amazing.
Drybones
12-22-2012, 23:42
Drybones - You WERE very fortunate!! Did you save the bacon? :cool:
Retreived what was hanging low enough in the trees to reach, which wasn't much.
Mountain Mike
12-23-2012, 01:24
Pizza. On the Long Trail when hiking with a partner so weight was split I stuffed the sucker with so much pepperoni & rehydrated veggies (0nions, peppers, brock, schrooms, etc)it was well over an inch thick with multiple cheeses.18541
First night of a long hike. Only 1 mile to campsite by waterfall on Gragg's Prong, which runs into Lost Cove Creek, in Pisgah National Forest, circa 1982. Filet Mignon sauteed in butter with mushrooms, topped with shrimp scampi, all served over rice, with fresh steamed asparagus on the side. All twelve of us loved it. The Caymus cabernet may have had an effect on our ability to properly critique this trailside dining experience. On the same trip Brookies were caught and sauteed in butter with garlic for breakfast. Mmmmm. Life is amazing.
Caymus rocks. Belle Glos is his Pinot label.
Two items I usually carry are 1. A little squeeze bottle of oil (for bisquits) and 2. a folded piece of aluminum foil for windscreen. Last fall I found some Sulfer Shelf mushrooms, spritzed them with oil, wrapped them in foil and buried them in coals for about an hour. They came out brown and crispy and with a little salt and pepper rose to the top of my list of happy food experiments. (PS--don't be doin' this if you don't know your mushrooms)