Dempsey
Im taking a backpacking trip this year and Id like to know a few tips about what to bring and Id also like to know what difference there is between backpacking campsites and normal ones.
Answer
The difference between a backpacking camp and a normal one is a backpacking camp doesn't have anything, sometimes there will be a fire ring.
Check into freeze-dried food, you can save a lot of weight and most of it is easy to prepare, just boil water and add to the bag, no dishes. The most comprehensive site I have found is called wildernessdining.com, they sell products from many different manufacturers. I prefer Mountain House, but they all have some good meals. I suggest buying some ahead of time, sampling it, experiment with adding to the meals. There's nothing worse than finding out you really don't like dinner when there is nothing else to eat.
Another place to save weight is in your gear, saving weight means spending money, in most cases the lighter it is the more it is going to cost. I've been backpacking for many years and I am still trying to make my pack lighter. If you take something on a trip and you don't use it, does it need to go next time?
While backpacking you are always trying to strike the balance between weight and comfort. I go to great extremes to save a few ounces anywhere I can and then I carry an aluminum chair so I don't have to sit on rocks and logs around camp.
It's all very individual and will depend on you. I do a couple of trips a year with a group of guys and some of them are carrying packs twice as heavy as the other guys. They are carrying stuff the other guys don't have any problem doing without.
Good Luck and have a good time!
Over 35 years backpacking experience, more than a 1,000 nights in the back country.
Camping food...any ideas?
Q. Cant be refrigeratored. I need breakfast lunch and dinner ideas. No meat. I prefer something i dont have to cook. Oh and the main thing it needs to be as healthy as possible with as much protein as possible. Can you name some meals (im going for a few days...i pretty much got snack handled. But most of the food i eat needs to be cold or cooked. I would go and get the food i bring on backpacking trips but they dont have the ones i can have and this trip wa sreally short notice. Im leaving tomorrow. And just found out. So any ideas? Thanks
Answer
Cooking over a campfire or a cook stove can be very difficult and fraught with disasters if you are not experienced at camping. Campfire meals can be very limited in terms of preparation and tastes. Camp cooking can also be inconvenient, especially if you are returning from a hike or fishing and you are just too tired to cook. At these moments, it is good to have no-cook meals standing by to save the day.
Cold But Bountiful Breakfasts
You can start your campers' day right with a healthy breakfast that is high on taste and energy, and low on fat and prep time. Set out a veritable outdoor breakfast buffet featuring chilled juices, bottled chilled coffee, whole grain cereals, chilled milk, fiber bars, a variety of yogurts with and without fruit, bagels and cream cheese and fresh fruits that include oranges, grapefruits, raspberries, blueberries, and bananas. Instead of spending energy on cooking, put effort into the presentation. Lay out your spread on a tablecloth, and add sprays of freshly picked wildflowers and greens. Make sure the milk and cream cheese come out of a deep-chill box, stocked with dry ice, as serving begins. Return these products quickly to the cold when finished with them.
Hearty Cold Luncheons
Prepare a variety of sandwiches at home and then freeze them or pack them in a chill box with dry ice. Make up toasted focaccia bread with a pizza sauce spread in advance. Add cold mozzarella cheese and salami to suit at camp. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are classic. Add bacon strips, or banana slices to spice them up. You can make a number of chicken or tuna salad spreads in advance. Take crusty rolls along, cut them and invite campers to spread their own. Be sure to keep chicken and tuna salads very cold to prevent spoiling. Top lunches off with chips, fruit and bags of trail mix with chocolate and nuts. Serve lemonade or iced tea.
Cold Suppers
You can prepare any number of entree items for dinner in advance and pack them away in dry ice chests. At dinnertime, pull them out of cold storage and serve them up with little âprep.â Entrees that are delicious cold include meat loaf, roasted chicken with herbs, crusty Parmesan chicken, barbecue wings, cold roast beef, cold steak and flat iron steaks nestled in a pocket. Take garlic salt, shake-on spices, and salad dressings and vinaigrettes to use to spice up any of these entrees.
Cold Salads Galore
You can make literally hundreds of different salads, in advance or on the scene, that are great served cold with lunches or dinners. If you use any mayonnaise, egg or meat products in the salads make sure to keep them on dry ice to prevent spoiling. Salad ideas include pasta and pepper salads, macaroni salads, layered salads, slaws and potato salads. You can make fresh lettuce salads to order in camp.
Self-Warming Foods
Food products are available that come packaged in a special thermal can that includes heat-producing chemicals. When you pull the tab, the chemicals mix and produce enough heat to warm the foods. An inner barrier separates the food from the chemicals. Soups, coffees and hot tea packages are available. If you do not want to light a fire in camp, these products can be lifesavers, especially if a cup of hot coffee is a must first thing in the morning.
Snacks
If you are camping with a gang of people or family members who may be milling around or in and out all day, have plenty of self-serve snacks available. Chips, fresh crunchy vegetables, pudding cups, fruit cups, cookies, whole grain crackers and the ubiquitous âcheese in a canâ are munchies everyone can help themselves to without a cook's help.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
