Provisions for Winter Camping

[IdahoBackwoods]

Now that it's winter, I imagine everybody is thinking about what food to take along on a winter camping trip. Here, for your edification and amusement, is Warwick Carpenter's list from 1913:

From Warwick Stevens Carpenter, Winter Camping (NY: MacMillan, 1913):

Food list for four people for two weeks:
Tea, 1.5 lbs.
Coffee, 2.0 lbs.
Cocoa, 0.5 lbs.
Bouillon cubes, two dozen
Sugar, 10 lbs.
Salt 2 lbs.
Pepper, 0.5 oz.
Butter, 7 lbs.
Maple syrup, 2 qts.
Vinegar, 1 pint
Evaporated milk, 7 cans
Oatmeal, 2 lbs.
Wheatena, 2 lbs.
Pancake mix, 2 lbs.
Wheat flour, 25 lbs.
Corn meal, 6 lbs.
Rice, 2 lbs.
Macaroni, 3 lbs.
Canned corn, 2 cans
Baking powder, 1 lb.
Hardtack, 5 lbs. (or can substitute pilot crackers)
Curry powder, 1 small can
Lima beans, 2 lbs.
White beans, 3 lbs.
Dehyd. Potatoes, 2 lbs.
Dehyd. Onions, 2 lbs.
Dehyd. Carrots, 1 lb.
Dehyd. Eggs, 1 lb.
Fresh eggs, 2 dozen
Dried codfish, 2 lbs.
Bacon, 15 lbs.
Salt pork, 8 lbs.
Sausage, 6 lbs.
Ham, 6 lbs.
Beef brisket, 6 lbs. (or can substitute other fresh meat)
Erbswurst (conc. pea soup with ham bits), 2 lbs.
Prunes, 4 lbs.
Apricots, 2 lbs.
Lemon jelly powder, 2 pkgs.
Peanut butter, 2 lbs.
Sweet chocolate, 7 lbs.

TOTAL WEIGHT: 153.5 LBS.

WEIGHT PER PERSON: 38 LBS.

 

[Shewie]

Wow that`s a lot of grub. Care to have a stab at how many calories a day that is each, it`d be interesting to work it out.

Good to see the curry powder in there

What are bouillon cubes and hardtack ?

Where`s the whisky ?

 

[Limaed]

Shewie
Boullion cubes are stock cubes ala oxo etc.

Hard Tack are sort of like ships bisciuts or like the forces issue Buiscuits Brown/Fruit.
Ed

 

[Shewie]

Shewie
Boullion cubes are stock cubes ala oxo etc.

Hard Tack are sort of like ships bisciuts or like the forces issue Buiscuits Brown/Fruit.
Ed

Gotcha Ed, kind of guessed that the cubes might be something along those lines. I`ve heard of hardtack before but didn`t have a clue what it was.

 

[IdahoBackwoods]

Wow that`s a lot of grub. Care to have a stab at how many calories a day that is each, it`d be interesting to work it out.

I'm working on it ....

 

[trail2]

If you have ever had the misfortune to eat "compo" biscuits then you have had a reasonable facsimile of hardtack
Jon R.

 

[IdahoBackwoods]

Here's how the calories work out:

TOTAL WEIGHT: 153.5 LBS.
TOTAL CALORIES: 269,010

WEIGHT PER PERSON: 38 LBS.
CALORIES PER PERSON: 67,252
CALORIES PER PERSON PER DAY: 4804

This is not unreasonable. If anything, the calories are a little on the low side for adults working hard outdoors in the winter.

 

[Wayland]

Wow, that's quite a supply.

If it doesn't keep you warm eating it I guess carrying it'll do the trick.

Hardtack goes back as far as the Roman army at least.

buccellata (dry biscuits) used to be soaked in whatever liquid was going to make a porridge like mush.

I reckon the AB Biscuits Brown that we were issued had been in stores for at least that long.

 

[crazyclimber]

so that's lunch sorted, what's for desert?

 

[Tengu]

It does seem a touch low on energy, doesnt it?

I read a book on an an american expidition in the mountains in winter, they took a lot of things (including brandy) even though they had access to much.

The menu was not dissimilar to this, or to what we might like, the real emphasis was on variety.

 

[Oblio13]

Thanks for posting this, love reading old gear and grub lists.

How much difference between bacon and salt pork, especially back then?

 

[MartinK9]

I reckon the AB Biscuits Brown that we were issued had been in stores for at least that long.

Not far wrong there lol

 

[John Fenna]

At least they have a more varied diet than the Donner Party......

 

[Treeclipper]

nothing wrong with a good bit of arm or leg as long as you cook it long enough

 

[John Fenna]

But variety....

 

[Toddy]

Thanks for posting this, love reading old gear and grub lists.

How much difference between bacon and salt pork, especially back then?

Generally the bacon is cured and fit to be eaten after being quickly cooked. Salt pork really ought to be soaked for at least overnight to remove as much salt as possible, and all it really tasted of even then was just salty, kind of old, pork and was much the better for long slow cooking with something like beans or potatoes to soak up some of the salty taste.
Bacon in the past was frequently "fat bacon", sometimes more fat than meat, unlike our modern medallions with virtually no fat at all.

Interesting reading some of these old lists. Would they not have hunted fresh meat too though ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[IdahoBackwoods]

Would they not have hunted fresh meat too though ?

Carpenter's expeditions were usually in New England, where he was usually able to hunt rabbits and partridges in winter. He was also able to fish through the ice when he was near a large body of water.

So yes, he and his companions were often able to augment their diet with smaller wild game.

Cheers!

 

[crazyclimber]

what strikes me about that list is how calorie inefficient it is. In total the average is under 390 cal/100g which is about right I guess since it seems very low in fat. Fat has about 900cal/100g and both carbs and protein 400; for the same energy they could have knocked a good third off the weight - 5 or 6 kg less per person. With them being able to supplement their diet with small game I'm a little surprised. Ultralight obviously hadn't caught on in 1913!

 

[rik_uk3]

what strikes me about that list is how calorie inefficient it is. In total the average is under 390 cal/100g which is about right I guess since it seems very low in fat. Fat has about 900cal/100g and both carbs and protein 400; for the same energy they could have knocked a good third off the weight - 5 or 6 kg less per person. With them being able to supplement their diet with small game I'm a little surprised. Ultralight obviously hadn't caught on in 1913!

But their food gave a variety to the menu, plus some fish and game from time to time and that list looks pretty good. Plenty of bread, good fried meat, stews, real tummy fillers, better than noodles boiled in a Ti mug thats for sure

 

[crazyclimber]

better than noodles boiled in a Ti mug thats for sure

I wouldn't argue with you there!