be careful not to contaminate water containers or other utensils with untreated water. This can put you at risk of contact illnesses from bacteria such as giardia and cryptosporidium.
Keep It Personal
I like to have my own personal water bottle for drinking, and I expect my campmates to do the same. This can prevent me from getting ill if someone else’s hygiene is lacking or if they contract a cold. I also feel that it is a good idea for each person to have his or her own eating utensils, plate, cup, and bowl. Don’t share foods such as GORP. Give each person his or her own personal snack bag or have each bring a container for the mix. I also like to divide the GORP into daily portions as opposed to a larger bag, even if it is my own personal bag. Why? This can prevent issues with bacteria because you are taking a handful of GORP, putting your hand to your mouth, and then putting your hand back in the bag each time.
Cleanup
When dishwashing be sure to use a soap product that is specifically geared for wilderness camping. These camp soaps are generally concentrated so you don’t need a lot. Use camp soap with care and keep it out of lakes and streams. Be aware of any environmental impacts it could have. Steer clear of sponges—they harbor bacteria. When disposing of dishwater, ensure you follow LEAVE NO TRACE guidelines. Take any pieces of food out of the water and then scatter the water well away from camp and water sources so it is spread over a larger area.
If you drop food on the ground, pick up as much as possible. Put the food in your garbage bag to be packed out and rinse the area well. Always keep a very clean camp kitchen so that you don’t attract rodents or, even worse, a bear.
Meal Disasters
While I am an experienced cook both at home and in the wilds, I am not infallible. I have had my share of meal disasters and I’ve witnessed a few that others have had. I try to learn from my mistakes and hopefully so can you.
Watch the Water
One of my first experiences with dehydration and rehydration was spaghetti sauce. I wrote “2 cups” on a sticky note for a total measurement that was to include the dried ingredients. When I got to camp, I added 2 cups of water to the ingredients rather than putting the ingredients in first and adding enough water to bring it up to my required measurement. Oops.
When rehydrating your meals, it is always best to err on the side of caution until you get the hang of it. Less is more when it comes to water. If you use too much water, you’ll not only have a runny dish but you’ll also lose flavor if you try to drain some of the water off. Don’t rely on the measurements preprinted on water bottles, as I’ve found they aren’t always accurate. Use a folding spoon with measuring increments marked on it, or mark a cup or bottle with measuring increments before your trip. As good as my memory is, I still write measurements on a sticky note. While you think you won’t forget, it can happen, especially if you are drying a lot of meals.
Don’t panic if you end up with tomato water instead of spaghetti sauce. You can use potato starch or cornstarch to thicken it or you can cook your pasta in the sauce. The pasta will soak up the extra water. You can do the same with sauces for rice dishes. Another alternative is to reduce the water by simmering your sauce, but this can increase fuel consumption.
Prevent the Burnt Offering
If you are baking with an Outback Oven, it is important to remember to put the riser in place. It only takes a few moments for the baked item to scorch and burn if the riser has been forgotten. I remember making a cinnamon-swirl coffee cake from a mix, and it smelled delicious for about 30 seconds before the smoke started billowing out of the oven. I forgot the riser and there is no way to recover from that mistake.
If you burn something like chili to the bottom of your pot, you might be able to rescue it. Don’t stir it! Transfer the unstuck portion to another pot or your bowl and then clean out the burnt pot. However, if you stir it, you will also stir the burnt flavor through the entire dish.
Keep It Level
A level spot for your stove is of great importance. If the stove and your meal aren’t somewhat level, they can teeter and the next thing you know, you are faced with a dinner disaster. If your food happens to land on a rock, it’s easy enough to recover most of it; however, ground covered in pine needles is quite problematic. This happened to my husband on one of our trips. Thankfully it wasn’t too big of an issue because it was a dessert that was lost. That brings me to another lesson learned.
Keeping a stove level is also an important safety issue when it comes to using an alcohol stove. Because these stoves use fuel in an uncontained manner, unlike their white gas and compressed gas counterparts, the fuel can spill and continue to burn. This could cause a fire, damage to gear, and personal injury. The flame on an alcohol stove is sometimes very difficult to see. I’d like to say that we’ve never had an issue but we have. Thankfully it had just rained and we were in a car campground. The stove was on a picnic table that was saturated with water and contained about 2 ounces of denatured alcohol. The pot wasn’t centered on the stove properly and the works toppled. The entire table was aflame. As luck would have it, the water stopped any damage from occurring, but had we been on a wilderness trip, this could have had serious consequences. This is also why I tend to lean toward using white gas stoves. It isn’t advisable to use an alcohol stove on trips where you will be with small children.
Eat Clean
A male friend dropped a noodle on the ground when serving his pasta. Partway through his meal he was playing a gentle tug-of-war with a deer mouse who had wandered over to munch on the spillage. My friend thought this was adorable until the mouse climbed the rock beside him and proceeded to leap toward the plate. The mouse missed and landed on the fellow’s shoulder. He screamed and the plate of noodles was airborne. Cleanup, of course, was crucial and not just because we were in bear country; little critters such as mice can be destructive—though the last thing you want to do is something that will bring a bear into camp.
Be Careful with Spices
It is important to use spices sparingly and never pour them over the pot. The inner lid, the one with the small shaker holes in it, once came off my spice bottle when I was shaking it over the pot. What was to be a sprinkle of cayenne ended up being a significant addition—one that I couldn’t correct. It was so hot that we couldn’t eat it. The other issue with pouring spices over the pot, and this is important at home too, is that it allows small amounts of steam to get into the spices, which can ruin them.
Check Your Gear Twice
Double-checking your gear is important. If you are going on a group trip, you should ensure that everyone is clear on who is bringing what. A friend and colleague of mine embarked on a trip last year where three sets of couples were traveling together. Each couple thought that the other was bringing a pot set. Everyone realized their mistake when they set up camp the first night. Thankfully one of the couples had decided to bring a Plus 10 model Outback Oven, which has a lidded frying pan. They had to cook for the entire week from the pan, and they even made coffee in it. If they hadn’t had the pan, it could have very well ruined their trip.
Bring an Extra Meal or Two
It’s always a good idea to bring some extra food. Emergencies can happen. You could need the extra food because of one of the meal disasters we’ve talked about, or it may be something more serious, such as being camp-bound because of severe weather or an injury.
Sadly, there are times where you might have to bail out a campmate like I did a few years ago. This could be from poor planning on the other person’s part or because of someone forgetting to use his noodle, which was the case with my campmate. There were two couples
