just how difficult those meals from the outdoors store would be for someone with special dietary needs, such as celiac disease or food allergies. It used to be that the alternative was to take fresh food from home. Many of us started this way, me included. While the control and taste are there, the style of cooking fresh foods on the trail is too cumbersome for more than a night or two; it can also be heavy and can lead to food storage issues resulting in food-borne illnesses.
That brings me to the style of the trip. Whether you backpack or paddle, weight should always be a consideration. With backpacking and kayaking, you want to pay close attention to bulk as well. With canoeing trips the bulk isn’t as crucial, but one should still consider it carefully, especially for longer trips. And who wants to have to double or triple a portage?
When planning your menu, think about things such as can and bottle bans as well as fire bans. In certain areas laws state that you must utilize reusable containers. While common sense indicates that glass bottles are dangerous, I am amazed by the number of people who take them into the backcountry and leave them there, whether by accident or design. Many backpackers use canned goods, but the trend is moving away from that because the goods can be cumbersome and weighty. Fire bans can be a concern for those who enjoy having a cooking fire. If you are a campfire cook, you should always check to see if the area in which you will be traveling is prone to fire bans and double-check the status before you hit the trail.
Other important considerations are the season and area in which you will be hiking. If the weather is cold or wet, you should expect to have increased needs as far as food and camp fuel are concerned. Spoilage can occur quickly in hot weather, so it is best to choose nonperishable or dehydrated foods during those times. In the cooler weather you can expand your menu because the risk is reduced.
I also recommend taking at least a full day’s worth of extra rations and some extra snacks in the event that an emergency or severe weather delays your progress. Unpredictable things can happen in the outdoors and it’s best to be prepared.
Outdoor Cooking Equipment
Camp kitchen setups are as varied as the people carrying them. There are no hard-set rules and you’ll have to find what works best for you. Some people, especially those who solo, prefer an ultralight approach and others prefer a more elaborate setup. A more complete kitchen is easier in situations where gear weight can be split between two or more people. The following list will give you an idea of some of the items that one can consider for a camp kitchen; however, you will have to pick and choose items according to your style of wilderness travel and the menu that you create.
| • | Single-burner stove with windscreen (I recommend one with a refillable fuel bottle that can accommodate various fuel types if you are planning to travel internationally) or an ultralight stove that uses alcohol or Esbit |
| • | Fuel (The amount depends on the type of stove and cooking times of your chosen menu—I always take an extra half bottle or canister depending on the stove type.) |
| • | Heat exchanger (recommended for cold-weather trips to reduce fuel consumption) |
| • | Matches in a waterproof container |
| • | Cooking grid (if weight isn’t a concern and you are in an area where you can have a cooking fire) |
| • | Backpacker’s oven (Outback Oven, reflector oven, or BakePacker) |
| • | Lightweight pot set designed for backpacking (I recommend avoiding titanium if you plan to do anything other than boil water.) |
| • | Pot lifter |
| • | Pot cozy or Nalgene insulator |
| • | Insulated work gloves (for handling hot pots, cooking grid, and so on) |
| • | Folding spoon that can double as a ladle (one with measurements is quite useful) |
| • | Folding spatula |
| • | Salt/pepper shaker (I prefer an all-in-one unit.) |
| • | Backpacker’s pepper grinder (an “essential” luxury item) |
| • | Rehydration container (A pot, plastic container, or large wide-mouth Nalgene insulator would work.) |
| • | Cup, plate, bowl, and cutlery for each person |
| • | Water treatment solution (filtration pump, UV pen, tablets, or liquid) |
| • | Personal drinking water bottle for each person |
| • | Water containers (Nalgene bottles, Platypus bladder, or other container) |
| • | A few extra ziplock bags in case of leftovers |
| • | Parchment paper |
| • | A sharp knife (I like a Swiss Army or locking blade knife.) |
| • | Collapsible sink, camp soap, dishcloth, and scrubber or pot scraper |
| • | Pack towel to dry dishes or a mesh bag to air-dry them |
| • | Tarp, tent wing, or other shelter to cook under during inclement weather (It is important that this is not a tent or shelter where you will also be sleeping.) |
Equipment at home is equally important and you may already have most things you need for pretrip preparations in your home kitchen. This book relies heavily on dehydrating your own foods, giving you a balance between food weight and great taste. While you can use your oven to dehydrate many of the foods for your trips, I strongly suggest that you purchase a food dehydrator for the task, as it will be more efficient and the results will be better. I have had the opportunity to test units by Nesco and Excalibur. Both companies have excellent units and have stood up to a great deal of dehydrating with my creation of two wilderness cookbooks. A good, sharp paring knife and chef’s knife are very important. A coffee grinder used specifically for spices and other foods is very useful, as is a food processor. While not a complete necessity, I like to use a mandolin slicer because of its ability to create uniform fruit and vegetable slices for dehydrating.
Cooking Methods
How you will cook in the backcountry will depend on a number of factors, including the type of activity, location, altitude, duration, season, and individual needs. Most methods such as boiling, frying, heating, foil packet cooking, and grilling are familiar and straightforward. Backcountry baking, on the other hand, will need some explanation and a little practice. While what I am about to write may seem daunting at first, it is a worthwhile skill to learn as it will enhance your menus, especially on longer trips, and it’s much easier than it first appears.
You will need some additional equipment for baking. My preference is a product known as the Outback Oven by Backpacker’s Pantry. You can bake almost anything that you can bake at home in this type of oven and achieve the same results—imagine enjoying fresh-from-the-oven goodness on a wilderness adventure. There are two sizes of this product. I prefer the Ultralight, which uses a pot and lid that you are already bringing
