The not cooking

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Ogden

Forager
Dec 8, 2004
172
10
Forest of Odes
Are there many of you out there not using anything to heat food or water? I reduced more and more of the cooking section. And on long walking trips I drink cold water and eat cold food. For weeks.
(Always a shock: hill station coffee - two in a row.)
 
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Wayne

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Dec 7, 2003
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Whilst that regime works for you raw foods and cold water would be my idea of hell.

Learning to to cook well and enjoy the best of the wild foods is what bushcraft is about. Others have a different view but mine is about being comfortable in the environment. If I was doing a mountain alpine style the minimal weight is a priority.
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
I'm with Wayne on this. If I'm doing a lightweight backpack up in the hills I'll do less cooking but would always carry the ability to boil water and make a hot drink. Most of my time these days is in semi-static camps in woods or trekking in my Land Rover and, for me, one of the delights of living outdoors is cooking well on an open fire. A few people will turn up and just heat up rations for the whole time but that's missing out one whole important part of the 'craft' in my opinion. However, we all do this for different reasons and to each their own preferences :)

Cheers,

Broch
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
Food intake must be warmed up (body heat energy) in order for digestive enzymes to function normally.
Q10 = 2.3. That means for every 10C change in temperature, food included,
most enzyme function speed changes by a factor of a little more than 2X.

Cooking changes digestibility by altering molecular structures, too.

We used to cold camp on remote Canada goose hunts, those beggars can see everything.
All I wanted was a gallon of hot coffee and some toast.
Cold cereal & milk, outdoors at 2C, wasn't my idea.

More power to you if you can afford the caloric loss.
My "net production" is compromised by eating cold food, particularly in our winters.
My preference is to derive maximum benefit by heating it up.
Warmed up, home canned pear slices wth vanilla bean pod is a real treat.
 

Ogden

Forager
Dec 8, 2004
172
10
Forest of Odes
Thx for sharing. For me it's not a question of standpoint. Enjoying the best of wild foods is great of course. And I definately would boil an excellent hot coffee on a Canada goose hunt... But I am speaking of mid-Europe long distance trails (and only of my personal experience). Climate nothing more challenging than the Alps. So you get through it without a hot coffee. I always had a nice Coleman, and an Optimus - which I loved - and then I stopped cooking the porridge and the meaty kitchery - which was nice with saffron - and went to good old half smoked sausages, fresh vegetables, bread and cheese. And the Jetboil-season started. But after some hikes I realized, that I rarely cooked coffee. Walking the hole day with some speed makes me being satisfied with water alone. And it is such a reduce of weight! And the walking is different. Shorter breaks, nothing to unpack. No reason to open the backpack at all - there is nothing in it anymore!
+ you win some and you loose some: no more campfire, no more hot tea with honey, no perfect morning coffee. But no more boiling too, no more packing and cleaning, no more light and heat and fire. No more sound. No sound! You just blend in.
 
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Wayne

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Dec 7, 2003
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www.forestknights.co.uk
Thx for sharing. For me it's not a question of standpoint. Enjoying the best of wild foods is great of course. And I definately would boil an excellent hot coffee on a Canada goose hunt... But I am speaking of mid-Europe long distance trails (and only of my personal experience). Climate nothing more challenging than the Alps. So you get through it without a hot coffee. I always had a nice Coleman, and an Optimus - which I loved - and then I stopped cooking the porridge and the meaty kitchery - which was nice with saffron - and went to good old half smoked sausages, fresh vegetables, bread and cheese. And the Jetboil-season started. But after some hikes I realized, that I rarely cooked coffee. Walking the hole day with some speed makes me being satisfied with water alone. And it is such a reduce of weight! And the walking is different. Shorter breaks, nothing to unpack. No reason to open the backpack at all - there is nothing in it anymore!

The important thing is to be out enjoying the beauty of the great outdoors. There is no right or wrong as long as it works for you and you're enjoying the freedom. May your journeys be full of wonder.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
I gave up on the cleaning, first. Looks like coffee, smells like chicken soup and tastes like orange juice.
You're a very long way out on the track. Just have to let some things go. I can appreciate that.
 

Ogden

Forager
Dec 8, 2004
172
10
Forest of Odes
Thx for the friendly answers. Giving up on the cleaning might not be a way for me ..., but respect. My Jetboil is (or was) slightly touched by coffee and tea only. In fact by coffee.
And Wayne, that's impressively kind. I appreciate that.
 
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Idleknight

Forager
Aug 14, 2013
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United Kingdom, Near Hinckley
If I'm doing a quick overnighter what I would call a microadventure, I often go without a stove. However I take a flask of hot chocolate. Drink half of it to warm me up before bed, then load the other half with coffee in the morning. Still take a mug, so if I wanted to, I could make a small fire and do nettle or some other tea.

Food wise I can eat before going out and as I am away quickly can eat on the way back, sometimes adding the Mc to Microadventure :)
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
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Florida
By "cold" water, I assume you mean room temperature? I'd love true cold water here but ice doesn't last long outdoors.

For a day trip I often take sandwiches and a thermos of iced tea 3 seasons a year. On the few colder weeks we get I take a couple of Thermoses; one with hot soup and the other with hot coffee (or sometime even then, sandwiches and the Thermos of coffee) For longer outings the menu depends largely on the purpose of said trip. If We're going to deer camp the purpose is hunting and the rule of the day is often to just eat cold food straight out of the can; only heating a meal every other day or so.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
You can always make cold steeped coffee. Cold water, grounds, steep overnight. Tasty.

Eating and drinking 'cold' works well in summer, but not so well in winter. Snow mixes well with dehydrated food but does not taste so well!
:)

Jokes aside, hot food has an important function to warm you up when you are cold wintertime.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
Just out of curoisity, I've just weighed each of my all-steel vacuum flasks.
I have no appetite to carry either.
Stanley Aladdin 2lbs 12oz/ 1200g
Thermos: 2lbs/900g

Snow in western Canada is always dirty from rock dust. Always melt then decant.
Since it is little better than distilled water, you must add something, anything, to
replace the lack of mineralization.

My all-time favorite is Black Cherry Jell-O as a hot outdoor drink.
Tastes like crap in the house.
 

bearbait

Full Member
I'm also a fan of "room temperature" water when on the trail (just day hikes for me nowadays). But I find that in cold temperatures it is harder to stay properly hydrated as it is painful to slug water from my bottles, carried on the outside of my pack. Maybe a water bladder and regular sips would work better for me? But I like to know how much water I'm consuming and it's more difficult with a bladder.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Contrary to what todays fashion and 'health experts' tell us, you only need to drink when your body tells you. If you drink more you just get rid of the vital minerals/salts. Excess water you wee out, but it always takes some minerals/salts with it.
If you drink fashionable mounts of water, replace those minerals/salts!

In winter, sub zero, if you drink cold water you are lowering your body temperature. To put it up to the normal level uses energy. So you either need to eat a bit more, or lose weight.
not a problem for a few days, but if you are trekking for a week or two you are talking a noticeable weight loss.

I used to put a tiny bit of salt in the melted snow water. Tastes better. Old Same trick.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
I remember in the outback, we used to use "SaltaDex" tablets. No more than dextrose (sugar) and salt.
That dry wind could cripple a person. 20-40 liters per person was fairly safe.
 

Ogden

Forager
Dec 8, 2004
172
10
Forest of Odes
I'm also a fan of "room temperature" water when on the trail (just day hikes for me nowadays). But I find that in cold temperatures it is harder to stay properly hydrated as it is painful to slug water from my bottles, carried on the outside of my pack. Maybe a water bladder and regular sips would work better for me? But I like to know how much water I'm consuming and it's more difficult with a bladder.
The water bladder stuff is now fossilizing in my closet: different bladder sizes, Thermal control kit, mouth cover ... I can't use it. Freezes in winter and hard to clean on the hike (especially the mouth valve section). And quite heavy! All those connection points and mouth valve-click-joint stuff ... I instead use two 1l water Platypus bladders, each in a small side pocket between waist belt and backpack (and in the handwarmer pockets of my smock in cold temperatures, hold in place by the waist belt during the walk) + big Dromedary in the pack (near my back, stays ok in medium winter; if I have to refill the two 1l's I do it during the walk. So I overheat and the next two ltrs can warm up). But that's just one voice, many options out there.
The best water bladder ever was the Camelbak 6l Beast. But the size of the screw top is ridicolous, you can't bring spare parts, and the whole system is damageable.
Not Cooking seems to be a question of 'room temperature'-water. And the coffee question - cold steeped coffee?

Cold Brew Coffee - just googled it. Great idea, Janne!
 
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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I am full of great ideas......
and cr@p too!

It is fashionable now, but I and guys I know from the old days (30 years ago plus) have been doing it for ages.
It was an easy way to hide the nasty plavour of water purification tablets, plus get the vital caffeine kick.

You ise much less coffe grounds too.
 

SGL70

Full Member
Dec 1, 2014
613
124
Luleå, Sweden
I do Dehydrated food when hiking and winter outings.
When fishing/hunting/picknicks i cook stuff that my ki d refuse to eat (The not eating bit, works the same in our kitchen....and I am not a complete disaster with pots and pans)

To each, his own....
Greger
 

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