what foodstuffs do you carry?

[Buggane]

All depends on where I'm camping. On the hills and some of the higher wooded areas are peat soil and I tend not to have a fire and just use my trangia. If i have a fire I bring a couple of baked potatoes, carrots, bread mix, thick cut of meat and make a night of it. but if i'm just using meths I tend to use boil in the bag rice, powdered eggs and soy milk, flour, maybe a little diced chicken.

Breakfast is always oats, water and a spoon of sugar.

don't really have lunch while trekking, just water and maybe a chocolate bar if I've had the will power to ration them well.

I'll finally be ticking of January and February for camping this year so i'll actually do a video on what and how and post it up here.

 

[VANDEEN]

Something I meant to mention in my last post (but forgot - old age doesn't come on it's own) and I've posted it up else where is sprouting grains.

Some info and ideas here. LINK

Looks interesting for long term outings

Re your original posting, I've Just searched for posts by you containing the word sprouting & got no post hits, not even this one!
the poor forum search facility strikes again

Any chance of a linky to the original thread.

 

[Goatboy]

Looks interesting for long term outings

Re your original posting, I've Just searched for posts by you containing the word sprouting & got no post hits, not even this one!
the poor forum search facility strikes again

Any chance of a linky to the original thread.

I used Google to search Bushcraft UK sprouted grains. LINK to original thread.

 

[21st century pict]

Lentils, rolled oats, flour, garam masala, salt n pepper some sachets of dry milk and some sachets of mustard and a bit of cheronso for that flavor and fat rush.
Lightweight, packed with carbs and we try to forage nearly every thing else which is easier said than done but great in the mushroom session.
Without flower bread is definitely thing I seem to miss the most at mealtime's.

 

[bearbait]

I make my own trail mix from various combinations of chopped dates, figs, apricots, mango, pears, apple, pineapple, chewy banana chips, cranberries, brazils, cashews, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts. A handful of this with oats, and hot or cold water, makes a great muesli breakfast. Similarly add to some yoghurt for a pud. Or by itself as a trail snack.

A couple of hard-boiled eggs can be good for the first day or two out. Also I use tortillas as a bread equivalent; they seem to last for ages without going stale. You can make wraps with them or just smear with peanut butter or other such delight. Oatcakes are also good and lightweight. A tube of Primula spread can be good as a butter-like substitute.

Logan Bread is a high-value expedition food. There are a couple of threads here on BCUK discussing it. Not difficult to make beforehand. More like a flapjack than a bread.

This thread, amongst others, also discusses camp foods, although perhaps less lightweight.

Taking a few herbs along with you can make a difference to some rehydrated ready meals.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

One of the techniques I have used in the past, is to make up a stew, stick a portion in the freezer, and then on the morning of departure, take it from the freezer and stick it in my pack. Aside from the coldest parts of the year, over the course of the day it slowly defrosts until you get to your evening camp, and it's the ready to start cooking, but also cool enough to have not gone off.

Something I am looking to try in the spring, is freezing a couple of bangers and bacon rashers inside one of these(frozen with the lid off, transported with it on). Which again defrosts over day 1, so they are ready to cook on breakfast on day 2, whilst still being at a sensible temp.

After that, the limits on fresh meat start to run out. I am experimenting with my own meals using freeze dried ingredients (more on that in future).

But there are a few other options worth thinking about, depending on your cooking facilities.

- Long life brunch - Sainsbury's sell a "Long life bacon brunch" in a couple of forms, it's foil packed, potatoe and bacon thing that you fry up and eat. Not one to cook over the hexy maybe, but if you have better cooking facilities worth considering
- Lookwhatwefound meals - These come in a few varieties, in a pouch, pour into a pan, bring to the boil, and serve (alternatively boil in the bag). You can find them in some supermarkets, tho I notice that online the range is better. Heavier than a wayfarers meal. But better tasting.
- Grana Padano - An italian hard cheese, cheaper than Parmasan, but of a similar type. It's more durable than your average cheddar, and I've had good success with it's keeping abilities in a backpack when hiking in the Alps.
- Mars bars - From the experiments I've done, these have the highest melting point of your common off the shelf chocolate bars, also they hold together quite well when they start to soften
- Custard creams - Weight for weight, they have the same calorie density as a mars bar...
- Beanfeast - already discussed.
- Tinned - Don't discount these entirely, yes they are heavy, but they are more durable, and if you are carrying water anyway, you lose the advantage that dehydrated meals have. The range also tends to be better than most other forms.

Hopefully this will give some ideas for people to be going on with.

J

 

[Bluffer]

Holland&Barret are a good source of snack foods, honey-based hard candies, oat/cereal/fruitbars, etc.

The 1kg fridge-packs of baked beans are a good buy and I use the empty containers to carry flour and rice, along with 350ml and 500ml Nalgene bottles to carry oil, dried fruit, etc.

I try to eat outdoors just the same way I eat at home, very easily done for short trips of one or two nights.

In fact, most of my 'wilderness epics' would be more accurately described as adventurous picnics with a short hike or paddle in/out

 

[789987]

- Lookwhatwefound meals - These come in a few varieties, in a pouch, pour into a pan, bring to the boil, and serve (alternatively boil in the bag). You can find them in some supermarkets, tho I notice that online the range is better. Heavier than a wayfarers meal. But better tasting.

if you get the microwave rice you can just empty it in and cook it at the same time

 

[Teepee]

Breakfast; varies between Instant porridge with dried fruits, jam, chocolate. Fried meat with cheese and Potato farls. Cereal bars or flapjacks

Day; Usually a cold meal. Malt loaf with some lubrication like peanut butter and preserve is a fave. Potato farls with soft cheese. Flapjacks too.

Evening; Dried Packet pasta meals with added cheese, dehydrated veg, herbs meats (Chorizo, jerky) preserved sausages, are my gotos. Cous-cous and rice make a change from the pasta.

 

[Robin DuBois]

salt, never leave home without it.

 

[petrochemicals]

peanuts

massage must be 10 letters long

 

[rik_uk3]

Do they not noticed

 

[Robmc]

I must admit that I like to carry frozen meals and tins. Yes this is heavy, but I take more rests. I take some ridiculously heavy loads sometimes (food, tent, campbed etc) but I take my time and like my comfort when I camp. I'm in no hurry! Sometimes for a quick overnighter I will do the minimalist thing, but usually I consider my trips as holidays.

 

[shutupthepunx]

i try to consider my life as a holiday.

there's been some really great suggestions and advice. i would imagine the next time i go out for a few days ill be trying/carry some different stuff.

i tried sprouting stuff as i traveled/free camped a few years ago and it worked pretty well. I was in a country where supermarkets had a section where you could buy beans/grains in weights though, so it didnt mean i had to carry around half a kilo of beans all the time.

i like the idea of potato farls.