cooking help

[Bushcraftsman]

Me and 3 friends are going on a camping trip for 3days/2nights next week... We're staying in woods that aren't too far away and we have decided that instead of taking tents and hammocks etc we are going to just take sleeping bags and we will make our own shelters. We will be able to go to the shops if we absolutely had to but we obviously want to limit the trips. So my question is... what type of things shall we cook? what ingredients do we take etc etc..our cooking equipment is fairly limited..we have pots and pans etc and have something pretty similar to a cake rack, but much bigger that we usually just put over the open fire to cook sausages on. Any thoughts would be appreciated

Thanks
Jordan

 

[JonathanD]

Take traditional trail food items like ingredients for making bannock, some jerky, bacon, salami etc.

 

[Whittler Kev]

"You know where you are with a stew". You just add to it as its quantity reduces and you boil it every time before eating to keep the bugs and squitters away :~)

 

[rik_uk3]

Only take what you KNOW you can cook well and enjoy. Stuck away from home with half cooked or burnt food is not a good time to find out you can't cook it right. You have a few days so please please please practise at home. I seriously would take along a gas stove and spare fuel.

Breakfast = boiled eggs-bacon sarnies, or cereal and milk (1 litre cartons of UHT milk last without a fridge)
Lunch = Cheese/ham/spam sarnies, tinned fruit with evaporated milk
Dinner = Corned beef stew, tin of corned beef boiled with diced spuds, onions, carrots and mushrooms covered in just enough water to cover the ingredients. Thicken up with a couple of Oxtail cup o soups.
Afters = big slab of fruit cake.

Other ideas, 5 minute cheese pasta and throw in a tin of tuna, instant noodles with added chunks of ham or sliced salami, or a tin of Chilli with tinned spuds.

There you go, minimal cooking involved.

Lots of nibbles for in the day, choc biscuits, extra cake, fresh fruit etc.

There is a lot more to camp/bushcraft cooking than bannock bread, try out menu's at home and try and use the same pots you are taking camping with you. I'd rather suck warts than eat some of the food I've seen people cook at camp

 

[drewdunnrespect]

i know you probably dont want to do this but theres always the old faithfull army rashion packs

 

[rik_uk3]

i know you probably dont want to do this but theres always the old faithfull army rashion packs

How will the lad learn to cook if he uses ration packs? Learn to cook well first, indulge in rat packs later.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

fair point richard mate

 

[slammer187]

Freezer bag meals are your best option if you have limited outdoor cooking experience and weight

 

[rik_uk3]

Freezer bag meals are your best option if you have limited outdoor cooking experience and weight

No, no, no, Let me put this really simply

GET THE BASICS RIGHT FIRST THEN MESS ABOUT WITH RAT PACKS AND BLOODY FREEZER BAGS.

Why complicate matters, just learn some really simple meals that you can use camping or when you leave mommy and daddy to go to big school and have to cook or starve.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

well said richard i agree, you definatly do need to learn the basics but surely that should bev at home and if your tramping ratpacks and freezer bags are useful but then again this guy sound as if its a static camp with a walk in so maybe we can aford to take luxuarys and do it properly as you say

 

[Nagual]

A loaf of bread and water. Simples.....

Edit: for the really daring, take some butter too.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

lol nag

drew

 

[slammer187]

No, no, no, Let me put this really simply

GET THE BASICS RIGHT FIRST THEN MESS ABOUT WITH RAT PACKS AND BLOODY FREEZER BAGS.

Why complicate matters, just learn some really simple meals that you can use camping or when you leave mommy and daddy to go to big school and have to cook or starve.

Okay
Let's break down your menu:

Carbs, Potatoes, Bread, Rice and Pasta...These are the real menu builders, try and work around these ingredients

Protein, Meat and Cheese...Learning to combine these with other ingredients is essential for good eating

Fats, Butter, Cheese and Milk...You don't need much fats so it's not a huge priority

Fibre, Vegetables essential for keeping your body healthy

Combining these ingredient into your meals will help keep a balanced diet and keep you healthy whilst in the woods...So lets look at some meals,

Stir fries,

Spaghetti Bolognese or other pasta dishes,

Chicken or beef curry,

Steak and potatoes and/or veg,

These are simple meals that are extremely simple to prepare but give you great energy and taste good too,
Try cooking these meals at home and then try them in your back garden on a fire or stove, learn from your mistakes and remember them so that you don't make them out in the field.
Just because you're camping doesn't mean that you can't make yourself a gourmet meal...when you get more experience you can dive into bigger things such a baking

Good look with you cooking, hope all turns out well

 

[rik_uk3]

Static camp with a grill is a great place to cook and not heat up stuff. Sorry for the rant but there is real cooking and then there are bushrafters who think they are good cooks lol, wolfing down awful food; the sad part is they think its great so I dread to think what they eat at home

With that, I'm off as I'm expecting my delivery of curry anytime now

 

[Ogri the trog]

No matter what you take - take lots of it and lots of water.
Building a good shelter will take lots of energy from all of you, if its cold overnight, you'll need the energy to keep warm, if its hot during the day you'll need to water to stay hydrated.

Have fun

Ogri the trog

 

[DaveBromley]

i make a simple curry and rice combo that is a great staple and gives you bundles of energyreally simple and quick to do

you need

one onion
chicken breast ( i usually use 1 for each person)
2xtins of chopped tomatoes
tomato puree
garlic
curry powder
rice

dice the onion and sweat in a pan with a little oil (or butter) add the garlic and 2 tsp of curry powder to start, heat these so you are now frying the onions. at this point add your diced chicken breast and cook until seared, add the tins of tomatoes and about half a tube of tomato puree top up with about half a can (from the toms) of water and leave to bubble whilst you cook the rice stiring occasionally also add more curry powder to taste i like quite a lot but my girls like it like this

for the rice use about a handfull of rice per person what ever this measures in you pan add twice that ammount of water bring to the boil and immediately take off the heat and put a lid on! DO NOT LIFT THE LID FOR 20 MINS and you will have perfectly cooked fluffy rice

Then scoff the lot lol

Dave

 

[Tengu]

I like noodles and rice dishes, a supply of dried fruit and salami to go with them.

I know thats not proper cooking but its what I like at home.

take plenty of snacks, you will need them.

if you have a nice fire a mixed grill is good.

 

[Highbinder]

^ Dave as I understand it its' better practise to cook your meats first then add your veg not the other way around.

Whoever suggested UHT milk and cereal is spot on. Muesle (sp?) is good for you and packs easy. If I'm out by myself I'll take an old juice bottle for my uht as most uht milk come in cartons which don't reseal.

I base most of my meals off of rice or pasta cos they're quick and simple to cook, good for you and pack reasonably well, too. Always take some soup packets and supernoodles for when I'm feeling a bit lazy. Good shout on the cheese, too, you can try 'feathersticking' your cheeseblock for your pasta if you didn't take a grater . Always worth taking an onion and garlic with you as they both last well and are 'sturdy' (try packing tomatoes and seeing if they survive...) Can be bulky but I like taking a loaf (one thats not been precut) to eat with my soup or with meats. If I don't use it and it goes a bit hard because its not been precut I just burrow in and eat the insides For meat I like bacon and sausages cos again they're simple to cook as well as easy to pack, usually don't have too much packaging, too.

I usually try and take some fresh fruit with me as well as dried fruit (apricots mmm) and nuts for energy between meals.

I'll take some olive oil too (in one of those mini fizzy juice bottles) for frying and for on my rice, as well as salt and pepper and mixed herbs for seasoning.

 

[DaveBromley]

^ Dave as I understand it its' better practise to cook your meats first then add your veg not the other way around.

Yeah you're right that is the usual way to do it BUT the way i do it means that the chicken can soak up some of the flavours and because its simmered for 20 mins while the rice is cooking there isnt as issue with it not being cooked or anything like that, ive been doing it this way for 10 years and never had any issues

Dave

 

[naefearjustbeer]

For 3 days I would be thinking along this lines. On the meat side of things I would buy a steak marinate it and pop it in a freezer bag then freeze it in advance, Some fresh chicken and a vacuum packed smoked sausage. Day one would be cook and eat the chicken with say some rice or noodles with an assortment of veg, by day 2 the steak will of defrosted and be ready to cook with say a couple of tatties and maybe sweet potatoes wrapped in foil will roast quite well in a fire. For day 3 eat the smoked sausage with Rice or noodles and some veg. Packet of bacon and some sausages for breakfast. If I were worried about the heat spoiling food I would freeze some smallish bottles of water and use them as cool packs to keep stuff fresh! Be carefull how you pack it as condesation will form on the bottles as they defrost and you wouldnt want your clothes/sleeping bag getting wet! Once defrosted you can use the water as water!!
Raw ingredients to make bannocks lunch.
I find that those tortilla wraps are handy to take away. Easy to pack plenty carbs in them and you can use them to save dirtying a plate. Just cook your scoff then pile it in the wrap and enjoy! A good selection of snacks I like the kellogs elevensies bars or the nature valley granola bars!