View Full Version : To cook or not to cook?
During my research to come up with the stove that was right for my needs I started seeing some mention on the web of a few hikers that didn't carry a stove at all. Im starting to maybe think the same thing to cut that weight out. I will however carry matches/lighter in case I feel the need for a hot drink/meal cooked over an open flame. If any of you did this, how did it work for you?
Warm Regards
class of 2015
max patch
09-11-2013, 15:10
Almost everyone brings a stove although if you want to go cookless it is certainly doable.
On my thru I mailed my stove ahead 3 weeks as an experiment. I concluded that I preferred having a stove.
If weight is the issue you can always go the alcohol stove way.
daddytwosticks
09-11-2013, 15:35
Wish I could go stoveless. Love the simplicity and I am, as my wife points out, a simple type of guy. However, my morning coffee addiction prevents me from trying to go stoveless. :)
I knew several hikers on the PCT this year who went stoveless. Keep in mind, depending on the type of food it's not necessarily lighter. You're saving the weight of the stove, but may have to bring heavier food to avoid cooking. One way to keep a light food weight is to use the soak method. A few dry foods like couscous, Ramen noodles, and some dehydrated meals can be eaten after soaking in cold water. The length of time of the soak depends on the food and your ability to stomach the "al-dente" noodles. ;)
And some people would fill a jar with water and food at lunch, pack it up, then it would be nice and soft by dinner time. I think this method doesn't save any weight because you have to carry an extra jar of water, that probably weighs more than a stove and fuel!
peakbagger
09-11-2013, 15:43
Once the weather warms up stoveless is an option but in spring cold/wet conditions its hard to beat a warm meal. Carrying a stove also has a secondary use, if the weather gets colder than your gear, you can always quickly heat up a hot water bottle and throw it in the sleeping bag. Its a lot less weight than carrying a bag with a lower rating. Once it warms up, I agree that stoveless is an option
jimmyjam
09-11-2013, 15:58
I'm just a section hiker, but what I like to do is stop at a shelter around lunch time and cook what most people eat for dinner then on my cat can stove and then hike on. Then around 6 or 7 or 8 pm I eat PPJ or tuna on a wrap for dinner. I found this works good for me as I am too tired to mess with cooking at the end of the day and it cuts down on the food smells where I camp.
Old Hiker
09-11-2013, 17:12
I'm just a section hiker, but what I like to do is stop at a shelter around lunch time and cook what most people eat for dinner then on my cat can stove and then hike on. Then around 6 or 7 or 8 pm I eat PPJ or tuna on a wrap for dinner. I found this works good for me as I am too tired to mess with cooking at the end of the day and it cuts down on the food smells where I camp.
I started doing this after a week or three. I still liked a hot cup of coffee/hot choc mix with my poptarts in the AM and sometimes a hot cup of lemonade or some such on a cold night. Supper was usually something quick: bagel and cream cheese, etc. Didn't like to cook when I was really tired.
I don't think my Pocket Rocket, two pans, long-handle spoon and 8 oz canister weighed too much for the benefits I got.
pyroman53
09-11-2013, 21:03
I'm going to give stoveless a try on my upcoming section next month. I've been considering it for awhile. I can still have my coffee...just do cold "iced" coffee in a water bottle. The only thing I'll be giving up is the warm POC Mountainhouse or Lipton meals in the evening. What I gain is no hassle eating no matter how tired or how crappy the weather is. Yeah, a warm meal is nice on a cold evening but so is munchin on some Fig Newtons and a PB&J tortilla from the warm confines of my sleeping bag. I admit this may not work for me but I'm bettin it's going to work just fine. Time will tell.
Java Juice is great for cold coffee
23945
garlic08
09-12-2013, 08:40
...On my thru I mailed my stove ahead 3 weeks as an experiment. I concluded that I preferred having a stove....
This is the best thing to do--try it for yourself and see. I did this repeatedly on the PCT and finally concluded that my hiking was better without the stove. I went on to hike the CDT, AT, PNT, AZT, WT, and others without the stove. If you're a camp chef and addicted to coffee, it's certainly not for you. If, like me, all you can turn out is warm salty glop that's a mess to clean, you might like it.
One benefit I found hiking in arid terrain is that a dry camp is easier without a stove. If I only see one water source every day or even two, I'll eat my main meal at the water source then just snack when I camp. That led to seeking dry camps because I found that they're better sites--better views, less condensation, and fewer bugs, rodents, people, and other nuisances .
As mentioned above, it's not about the weight so much as the simplicity. To travel for months and not once resupply with fuel has a certain freedom to it. But the way I do it, it is lighter, too, overall--if not on the first day, it certainly is on the last. Hiking into town with no stove, pot or empty fuel container in your mostly empty pack is a great feeling.
The Cleaner
09-12-2013, 08:52
FWIW folks with expensive dental work or just older hikers with possible teeth problems need to be careful if going stoveless. If you got teeth like a horse you won't have a problem eating all the stuff that makes up a no cook meal...
That brings back a fond memory of a thru I met in SNP a few years ago, he showed me his method of sprinkling the flavor pack on the dried block of Ramen noodles and eating the entire chunk as is, now that's hard core!
Wrote this article a couple months back:
http://www.pmags.com/going-stoveless-cold-food-for-thought
ChinMusic
09-12-2013, 13:53
I'm a coupla days from completing my AT right now. I've been stoveless the whole way. I don't even carry a cup. I have a plastic spoon for peanut butter. That's it.
Stoveless/cookless is just natural for me. Tortillas are my friend. I get plenty of warm food in towns.
Plodderman
09-12-2013, 14:06
I am not sure if I would not cook if I were thru-hiking it all at one itme but I am a section hiker and have done 600 miles a few weeks at a time and I have never had a stove. This past years week of section hiking past I went vegan on the trail and had no problem at all. I do not remeber any htru hikers or others sections hikers who did not cook but it would be hard to notice beacuse I have my food ready and ate while the others are cooking.
I will say that if you do not cook you might lok at adding pumpkin seeds to your food needs as they are high in calories.
bigcranky
09-12-2013, 18:34
Iced Via gives me my coffee fix, along with chocolate covered espresso beans. But I only go stoveless in warm weather - I like a hot meal when it's cold.
I am just a section hiker, but after my first section to Neels Gap, the first thing I bought was a Jet Boil. I do not think I would have made it 630 miles now without it. I sort of see it as a compromise. I just boil water for oatmeal, grits, and Mountain House (and even Knors/Lipton). Get hot food for breakfast and supper, but never have to worry about cleaning a pot. And as Chin Music says the warm food in town is always something to look forward to.
MuddyWaters
09-12-2013, 21:40
Here is why I bring a stove:
1) Variety of food
2) Hot food is a comfort thing. Most dinners we eat at home, are hot.
3) I need something to do while my sweat soaked clothes from the days hiking dry out a bit on me. Gives a reason to sit around for 45 min or so.
Just because you have it, does not mean you have to use it.
Amazing food for thought. Thank you all for the helpfull information. I have a section hike in Maryland coming up this November. Since I already have a selection of Mountainhouse picked out I think I will be cooking this trip. Next trip though, I will be trying stoveless with some of your ideas. Thanks again gang.
I went stoveless a few years ago, had the pleasure of meeting and hiking with two well known thru hikers, Trek and Eric D (PCT guy), although I am only a section hiker I am not sure I would go back to cooking. Neither of them do.
It is not all a weight thing, I prefer the simplicity, can camp anywhere - only need water to drink, pass enough towns on the AT to enjoy what is available. I am also eating a minute after I sit down. Have hiked to near dark more times than not in that all I have to do is pitch my tent, find a place to hang and get water if needed or nearby.
There are a TON of no cook foods, Eric D turned me onto single serving SPAM, new dinner staple with pita bread, mustard and cheese if I have it.
If someone has a fire going I will cook my SPAM or cook my ramen. Ramen soaked for a few hours in a zip loc bag works for me.
Another Kevin
09-16-2013, 22:09
Life is too short not to eat well.
garlic08
09-16-2013, 22:57
In my no-cook diet I get more fresh vegetables and fruit and whole grains than I did when I used to cook those crappy pasta sides and ramen--warm, salty glop.
Wrote this article a couple months back:
http://www.pmags.com/going-stoveless-cold-food-for-thought
Thanks for the great article, Mags. Also thanks for the heads up on the web page Packit Gourmet. Love that web page. It is now my primary source for yummy trail food, hot or cold. Waiting for my first order to come in the mail now.
Starchild
09-17-2013, 12:59
There are bags that use some chemical reaction to heat/cook food that are very light, but also single use, I believe they are sold in 5 packs. If you want to go stoveless but uncertain perhaps you could bring some of these or at least one as a fallback/moral booster if you need it. They are expensive if you cook often, but if you just need one hot meal or so to get you thru a time the cost is minimal. Plus no stove to carry and no pot to carry.
I still can't shake the Boy Scout in me. When I was a lad we spent many nights on the trial and never carried a cook stove. If we wanted a hot meal, we started a fire. I know thats not always practical with burn bans, and all the rain we have been seeing the trial get. I have plenty of time before 2015 to decide. You have all given me some great info. Thanks a ton.
Being able to cook a hot meal is one of the creature comforts that help a hiker to have a sucessfull hike. There is nothing like getting up on a cold morning and being able to have something warm to drink and eat. Nothing like a hot meal after a long hard day. I would definately not start a thru-hike without some kind of stove. If you decide to not cook later than send it home.
Being able to cook a hot meal is one of the creature comforts that help a hiker to have a sucessfull hike. There is nothing like getting up on a cold morning and being able to have something warm to drink and eat. Nothing like a hot meal after a long hard day. I would definately not start a thru-hike without some kind of stove. If you decide to not cook later than send it home.
Probably the best advice so far.
I did 2 months in late summer/early fall on the northern part of the AT going cookless as an experiment. When the weather starts to turn cold in October and its wet, having a warm dinner at night does start to sound appealing. Otherwise, I had no issues and still often go cookless. I'm planning a CDT thru-hike and I'm planning on starting off without a stove again. I'll probably add one in late in the hike when I expect the weather starts to turn cold since having a warm meal when its cold can be a morale boaster.
It comes down to personal preference on how you like your diet. For me, as I normally only cook for dinner, it didn't really seem much different without it. Some people couldn't handle it, others don't mind at all. Its certainly doable for an entire thru-hike as many have done so. Try going on a few short trips without a stove and see how you like it.
Leanthree
09-19-2013, 22:58
I section in a variety of seasons and will go cookless if it is very hot out and my body just rejects hot things. Eating a hot bowl of couscous w/ a salmon packet and some dried veggies is great until it is 80-85 degrees out at dinner time.
bobtomaskovic
09-20-2013, 00:08
I carried my old wisperlight so I could cook whatever I wanted. Hard boil a dozen eggs, red beans and rice, and other stuff that is just too big or takes too long for an alky stove. Drip brewed real coffee and generally ate way more grocery store food than others. Life really is to short not to eat well.
I think of this lunch I had many times growing up that my Grandma made: crusty bread, spicy capicola, provolone, red onions, roasted red peppers with oil and vinegar, followed by some leftover frittata (room temp) and with some some nuts and dried figs for dessert. . Then I wonder about how "eating cold" is not eating well? ;)
Being serious, I think it is great if people are getting gourmet (pronounced GORE-MET) on the trails. There is definitely a place for it. Being someone who grew in up in a very food oriented culture and loves to cook, I can definitely appreciate it.
But, as Garlic said, the majority of thru-hiking meals are salty and overcooked processed glop.
I take Miner's approach and make it trip and weather dependent.
Life is too short to do things the same way all the time and look at no other options.
I carried a MSR Reactor stove and it was very useful for boiling water quickly. The downside of course is the weight... but even with all of my gear and food I was still hovering around 25-30pds. I would say take a stove. Many people prefer alcohol because it is cheap and you can get the fuel almost anywhere... but it can be messy at times too. One canister of fuel was all I needed to get me from Springer to Hot Springs with my stove.
astrogirl
09-27-2013, 11:11
I've done several sections without a stove, all in either May or late Sept. early October.
It's not the weight - it's the simplicity. And I *love* summer sausage and cheese. I have to be careful not to eat it all in one day, in fact.
It's fabulous to be able to choose a dry site and have no need to cook at all.
Tipi Walter
09-27-2013, 11:29
FWIW folks with expensive dental work or just older hikers with possible teeth problems need to be careful if going stoveless. If you got teeth like a horse you won't have a problem eating all the stuff that makes up a no cook meal...
Totally agree with this. Older folk will end up breaking teeth and losing crowns/bridges while out in the woods, so caution is needed.
Beyond this, why make a black or white rule? Take a stove and go cookless for a couple days. Some days I snack only and don't use the stove, other days I fire the thing up 3 times daily. VARIETY is the name of the game when it comes to backpacking food, and a stove helps with variety. Plus, if you want to use wild edibles like rock tripe or violet greens or burdock roots etc it helps really helps to have a fire/pot and/or stove.
Beyond this, if you get heavily into home dehydrating you will need a stove and a pot cozy. My lightest food loads come from careful at-home drying coupled with on-trail cooking/hot water rehydrating.
Should you carry a stove?? A couple pics come to mind---
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Green-Cove-Cabin/i-Bkh9qpS/0/L/TRIP%20147%20019-L.jpg
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2008/Trip-72/i-wRdZ9VR/0/L/Trip%2072%20060-L.jpg
Totally agree with this. Older folk will end up breaking teeth and losing crowns/bridges while out in the woods, so caution is needed.
Beyond this, why make a black or white rule? Take a stove and go cookless for a couple days. Some days I snack only and don't use the stove, other days I fire the thing up 3 times daily. VARIETY is the name of the game when it comes to backpacking food, and a stove helps with variety. Plus, if you want to use wild edibles like rock tripe or violet greens or burdock roots etc it helps really helps to have a fire/pot and/or stove.
Beyond this, if you get heavily into home dehydrating you will need a stove and a pot cozy. My lightest food loads come from careful at-home drying coupled with on-trail cooking/hot water rehydrating.
Should you carry a stove?? A couple pics come to mind---
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Green-Cove-Cabin/i-Bkh9qpS/0/L/TRIP%20147%20019-L.jpg
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2008/Trip-72/i-wRdZ9VR/0/L/Trip%2072%20060-L.jpg
Tipi, I love the pics. How long did you carry those eggs on the trail before you ate them. Sure looks good though, you make a fine argument for a stove. :)
Tipi Walter
09-28-2013, 08:08
Tipi, I love the pics. How long did you carry those eggs on the trail before you ate them. Sure looks good though, you make a fine argument for a stove. :)
Hey Midlife---Being a vegetarian, I decided I just wasn't getting enough protein so I started to consider seriously eating "one egg a day". On a recent 16 day trip took 18 eggs (!) in two containers---a Lock & Lock 12 egg and a small yellow 6 egg thing. The Lock & Lock has a rubber seal and snaps shut and seems to keep the eggs from jostling and cracking---and won't leak if an egg breaks.
And to answer your question---for me fresh eggs last as long as I am out---18 days. The main problem is during winter trips when fresh eggs freeze solid and difficult to prepare. One solution is to fry up a dozen eggs at home and cool and put in ziplocs and put in the freezer. Then pack them in your food bag for your Jan/Feb trip.
Here's a google link to the Lock & Lock containers and also a link to a pic of the eggs I took out---
https://www.google.com/search?q=lock+and+lock+egg&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=jcVGUvPaO4XS9ATnlYA4&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=826&dpr=1
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Backpacking-Bryan-DeLay/31739248_8HT5zg#!i=2752388880&k=RtqqqkH
Wow, Tipi! You did 15 days on the trail? How much food did you have to carry? I can hardly fit 5 days worth of food in my pack.
Tipi Walter
09-28-2013, 13:46
Wow, Tipi! You did 15 days on the trail? How much food did you have to carry? I can hardly fit 5 days worth of food in my pack.
Getting a bigger pack helps in carrying more food, uh . . . .
A normal backpacker, with some thought to carrying dehydrated foods (and meals) can carry 20 days of food at a time and with restrictions could go to 25 days. The most I have carried for one trip w/o resupply is 22 days and I wasn't concerned about food weight cuz I took apples and smoothie drinks and grapes, etc. 18 eggs works great for an 18-20 day trip.