Backpacking food

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 19:56:43 +0100, "Dave Moore"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Has anybody got any good ideas for good backpacking food?, in particular for
mid-day 'nibbles'?. Obviously, it needs to be light(ish).

I like cous cous and noodly things for dinner. In fact, I like to
precede them with a big mug of cup-a-soup. I make the soup as soon as
I stop for the evening, and then while I'm drinking it, and fiddling
in the tent, I cook the rest.

For lunch there are lots of fruit/oat/nut/seed bars around. I bought
some nice organic ones today 🙂

Yum - food! :-)

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

Dave Moore said:

Has anybody got any good ideas for good backpacking food?, in particular for
mid-day 'nibbles'?. Obviously, it needs to be light(ish).

Dave

There have been various discussions about this before, so you might
like to Google u.r.w. and see if you find any inspiration.

I tend to eat Supernoodles, or equivalent, when backpacking. There is
no way in a million years I would eat that tat at home ..... but
they're quite yummy when I've been walking all day. Also, they take
very little gas as I just boil up the block of noodles and then,
leaving the pan lid on, leave the pan to stand for 5 minutes. I don't
bother simmering. From memory, some of the packet rice concoctions
expect you to simmer for ages .... but you can always just give it 30
seconds of heat every 5 minutes if you think it needs it.

I nibble on dried apricots and raisins while I'm walking. If you're
only going for 3 days then you shouldn't have much trouble with fresh
bread products eg Naan bread or pancakes. I like the small raisin
pancakes for lunch. Again, they're horrid at home (much too sweet)
but great with a cuppa in the hills.
I also take Oatcakes (either Staffordshire or the other type) and
plastic-cheese spread.

Make sure that not all of your food relies on rehydrating. You want
to be certain that if the water-supply is not quite as good as you'd
expected that you've still got something to keep you going.

Judith

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 20:26:31 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 19:56:43 +0100, "Dave Moore"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Has anybody got any good ideas for good backpacking food?, in particular for
mid-day 'nibbles'?. Obviously, it needs to be light(ish).

I like cous cous and noodly things for dinner.

What do you do for "lumpy bits", I recall you said you were near
veggie, but what might you suggest for those of us who have less
self-control and look for "lumpy bits"... Cous cous I can eat, I'm
happy with cous cous... but on its own?? ;-) ...yes, I'm stuck at
the mo, my imagination has deserted me!

Quoted message said:

In fact, I like to precede them with a big mug of cup-a-soup.

I know that this is something of a rhetorical question but my abiding
memory of cuppa shloup was of a processed red nothing that gave me
indigestion (and I haven't tried them since), my question is the genre
more palatable "these days" or are there any varieties that are better
than others.

Quoted message said:

Yum - food! :-)

wp goes oink! ;-))

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

Dave Moore said:

Has anybody got any good ideas for good backpacking food?, in particular for
mid-day 'nibbles'?. Obviously, it needs to be light(ish).

Quite a few folk seem to go for Army ration packs, advantage:
pre-cooked just heat by standing bag in hot water (or eat cold),
disadvantage: weightier than dehydrated (but no washing up ;-)

Depends if you want to cook or warm through. From there you can choose
a number of different poisons (pre-cooked is easier, none of this
thinking about menus and what to eat with what mularkey <-- maybe this
inability is a blurk thing ;-) (yes, and my apologies to those who
would now be saying "speak for yourself pal" ;-)

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

Judith said:

Make sure that not all of your food relies on rehydrating. You want
to be certain that if the water-supply is not quite as good as you'd
expected that you've still got something to keep you going.

Ahah!! Sound advice... but given the weather we're having at the mo'
;-)

hehe, sorry Judith, not dissing your advice, just looking a the funny
side of the [censored] weather

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

SteveO said:

Quite a few folk seem to go for Army ration packs, advantage:
pre-cooked just heat by standing bag in hot water (or eat cold),
disadvantage: weightier than dehydrated (but no washing up ;-)

I find many of these foil-packed just-reheat-or-eat-cold meals too
salty. Some of the duffs are OK, though. I quite like the rice
pudding for breakfast!

The pre-mixed instant porridge is OK, if a little "odd" tasting. If
you're being really lazy (and have asbestos fingers) you can just pour
the hot water into the top of the sachet and give it a stir..... but
you end up with dried powder in the corners. I usually put raisins or
apricots in.

The ration pack drinking chocolate is very very sweet but I do like it
in the evening when I'm tucked up in my sleeping bag and the rain/wind
is doing its worst. The chocolate powder goes well in the porridge
too!

Judith

SteveO said:

hehe, sorry Judith, not dissing your advice, just looking a the funny
side of the [censored] weather

Huh! There could be a drought any minute. Just you wait and see.

Judith said:

The chocolate powder goes well in the porridge too!

8->

that's a new one on me!!

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

Pitta breads are excellent for sandwiches.

Adrian

"Dave Moore" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All,
I'm thinking of doing a quick 3 day backpack walk in a few weeks and

was

Quoted message said:

wondering what to take food-wise. I think I've got breakfast sorted as I'd
usually just eat aplen or something similar. Previously, I've eaten those
flavoured packets of rice for dinner, maybe with tuna once I've

established

Quoted message said:

camp. I'm unlikely to have opportuntity to buy anything en-route, so I'll
need to carry all that I need.

Has anybody got any good ideas for good backpacking food?, in particular

for

Quoted message said:

mid-day 'nibbles'?. Obviously, it needs to be light(ish).

Ta.
Dave

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 20:36:45 +0100, SteveO wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I like cous cous and noodly things for dinner.

Quoted message said:

What do you do for "lumpy bits", I recall you said you were near
veggie, but what might you suggest for those of us who have less
self-control and look for "lumpy bits"...

There are lots of tinned things, for those willing to carry the
weight. Tinned tuna, for instance, can be mixed in with other things,
or presumably tinned chicken/other meats. Then again, you could just
set aside part of the dehydrated packet, cook the rest and then return
the extra bit to the pot. I should think that would produce quite a
lot of lumpy bits :-)

Quoted message said:

Cous cous I can eat, I'm
happy with cous cous... but on its own?? ;-)

Hmm.... I quite like it on its own...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In fact, I like to precede them with a big mug of cup-a-soup.

Quoted message said:

I know that this is something of a rhetorical question but my abiding
memory of cuppa shloup was of a processed red nothing that gave me
indigestion (and I haven't tried them since), my question is the genre
more palatable "these days" or are there any varieties that are better
than others.

I like the ones with croutons, and interesting flavours. I've just
bought a pile to take away with me, and they're made by Symington's.
I've not had them before, but they looked nice and I trust Waitrose 🙂
I got three exciting flavours (all with croutons): French onion,
Shropshire pea and Tomato with basil. I'm planning to put 2 in a
Kettley Thing full of boiling water. Yum :-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yum - food! :-)

Quoted message said:

wp goes oink! ;-))

Quite right!

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

SteveO said:

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 20:26:31 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 19:56:43 +0100, "Dave Moore"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Has anybody got any good ideas for good backpacking food?, in particular for
mid-day 'nibbles'?. Obviously, it needs to be light(ish).

I like cous cous and noodly things for dinner.

What do you do for "lumpy bits", I recall you said you were near
veggie, but what might you suggest for those of us who have less
self-control and look for "lumpy bits"... Cous cous I can eat, I'm
happy with cous cous... but on its own?? ;-) ...yes, I'm stuck at
the mo, my imagination has deserted me!

My cous cous recipe involves frying a little onion and a few mushrooms
then adding a quantity of water a stock cube and some dried herbs.
Bring that to the boil and add the cous cous turn off the gas wait
five minutes drizzle some olive oil on a good pinch of salt and some
pepper I ground just before leaving home, give it a good stir about
and get stuck in.

TASTY :-)

Cous cous on its own is like mashed potato on its own. You need
flavourings the bring it to life. You can go without "lumpy bits" for
a while or take them in another form more suited to backpacking, say
saucisson sec.

My mid-day nibbles tend to be Tunnock's Caramel bars.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 22:34:52 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

or presumably tinned chicken/other meats. Then again, you could just
set aside part of the dehydrated packet, cook the rest and then return
the extra bit to the pot. I should think that would produce quite a
lot of lumpy bits :-)

<doh!> now why didn't I think of that?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In fact, I like to precede them with a big mug of cup-a-soup.

Quoted message said:

more palatable "these days" or are there any varieties that are better
than others.

I like the ones with croutons, and interesting flavours.

I can sense a tasting session coming on... but I'd prefer to be doing
this in the hot choccy thread! ;-)

Quoted message said:

bought a pile to take away with me, and they're made by Symington's.
I've not had them before, but they looked nice and I trust Waitrose 🙂
I got three exciting flavours (all with croutons): French onion,
Shropshire pea and Tomato with basil. I'm planning to put 2 in a
Kettley Thing full of boiling water. Yum :-)

Ahah! Kettley Thing; the indespensible tool for the discerning
backpacker!! Those soups sound quite canny, I think I'd get on quite
well with them, arterall croutons=posh lumpy bits :-)

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

I always pack a mini Pringles tube filled with hovis crackers, and a
selection of mini cheeses - german smoked, Boursin, edam and the like.
Sometimes I'll also include a few tins of red wine.
Can't beat watching the sun set whilst eating cheese and bikkies, with a
glass of red wine.

--
Peace !

Steve Wilcox

"If Whisky Don't Kill Me I'll Live 'Til I Die"

[email hidden]

"Dave Moore" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All,
I'm thinking of doing a quick 3 day backpack walk in a few weeks and

was

Quoted message said:

wondering what to take food-wise. I think I've got breakfast sorted as I'd
usually just eat aplen or something similar. Previously, I've eaten those
flavoured packets of rice for dinner, maybe with tuna once I've

established

Quoted message said:

camp. I'm unlikely to have opportuntity to buy anything en-route, so I'll
need to carry all that I need.

Has anybody got any good ideas for good backpacking food?, in particular

for

Quoted message said:

mid-day 'nibbles'?. Obviously, it needs to be light(ish).

Sun-dried bananas (not the 'banana chips'😉. Most health food shops do them.
Decent salami-style sausage. You've got to hunt around for a decent one.
Both solid & dense - small packets, loads of energy.

Ken.

In "normal" life, I enjoy good food and spending time cooking. But
I seem to be able to survive quite well on the hills (even for several days)
with the following, which is not very good food, and takes very little time
to prepare. I'm a veggie, by the way:

breakfast:
ready-brek with dried milk, butter, maple syrup
mug of Complan
mug of Lyon's coffee-bag coffee
make a flask of herb tea for the day

snacks (twice a day):
dried fruit bar
breakfast bar (Jordans make a good range)

lunch:
oatcakes and Primula
large piece of home-made fruit cake

supper:
cup-a-soup
dehydrated main meal
instant custard and dried fruit

For the supper main meal, I either have flavoured cous-cous (many
makers), or one of Tesco's quick-cook pasta or rice dishes, sometimes with
nuts or sun-dried tomatoes to add flavour/calories. I quite like the Tesco
penne in creamy mushroom sauce, or their biryani rice. Easy and surprisingly
tasty.

Hope this is useful!
Mark
--
Mark Manning [email hidden]

<snip>

Quoted message said:

What do you do for "lumpy bits", I recall you said you were near
veggie, but what might you suggest for those of us who have less
self-control and look for "lumpy bits"... Cous cous I can eat, I'm
happy with cous cous... but on its own?? ;-) ...yes, I'm stuck at
the mo, my imagination has deserted me!

I've just bought some "Ainsley Harriot Spice Sensation Cous Cous" which is
really nice. For "chunky bits", I bought a stick of Pepperami and chopped it
up. One nicely chopped pepperami goes with 100g of cous cous nicely.

Cheers, Jiffy