Stoveless camping - the crazy stuff

On my last trip (5 days on the AT), I tried doing the "no heating water for meals" thing. It's growing on me - I wouldn't want to do it in the winter, but for warm weather camping I enjoyed it.

While I was wandering the isles of the grocery store, I noticed some of the muffin/cookie mixes took only water, no oil or eggs. Has anyone tried eating this stuff uncooked? I remember licking the spoon when I was a kid and thinking it was pretty good. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I didn't have the guts to try it on that trip, though.

I can say that pudding is my favorite trail dessert so far - had lots of luck with that. Cous cous worked well, as did instant mashed potatoes. Freeze dried vegetables didn't work so well, though - they took a long time to rehydrate with cold water.

Cold instant mashed? Yeuch! well maybe, but ick.

If you were gonna go stoveless it strikes me like there are a lot more things, even traditional backpacking fare, that you can do stoveless and not be just "faking it" - ya know kind of like being vegitarian but eating fake meat all the time? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Cheese
Sausage
Jerky
Pop-Tarts
Cold Cereal
Granola bars
Candy Bars
Dried Fruit
Nuts
Mueslix
Gorp
Bagels
Pitas
Peanut Butter
Instant Hummus
Nutella
Powdered Milk
Tang
Real Bacon Bits
Tortilla Chips
Meal Replacement Shakes
Pemmican
Hard Candies

I think all of the above have been in my bag at least once...

Believe me, I had the usual backpacking food too. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> It wouldn't be a camping trip without GORP, after all!

Most of the trip was munching dried fruit, energy bars, jerky, etc.

I'm just trying to mix it up some - being able to eat something that was creamy instead of being dried or crunchy was a nice change.

Though the Nutella idea is interesting, I haven't had that in forever.

Well, my personal favorite stoveless meal is a couple of pitas and a bag of Casbah
or Fantastic Foods Instant hummus, with a dribble of olive oil. I've carried that with
a small fresh onion to chop up in it and some cheese on day hikes a fair bit.

That and a avocado is about all I need.

I've done "no cook" in the Grand Canyon -- where hot meals at 110*F may not be pleasant, either to prepare or eat.

Got some excellent stuff from people who I believe were called adventure foods (in GA) but they just went out of business. But what they did was mostly stuff that we know about here on this board. It was just convenient to have it all pre-assembled.

For everyone, Packit Gourmet recently opened up - check out their lunches <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
http://www.packitgourmet.com/Lunch-c6.html

They also carry items like the powders that AF carried. I have my first order on its way right now. Can't wait!

That's what keeps me coming back here -- people are nice and they know stuff. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the info, Sarbar.

Dough does taste good, but I would try it at home first. I recall that some folks get bloated if they eat an entire package of uncooked biscuit mix.

Sun-tea works well and flavors your drinking water without all the sugar. Put a tea bag in the water bottle, leave it there for a few hours, then take it out. It gets yucky if you leave it in all day.

If you have at least 1-2 hours of direct sunshine before dinner, set a collapsable water bottle in front of a black stuff sack and aim it directly at the sun. You then will at least get luke-warm instant mashed potatoes.

Rather than cous-cous, get some tabouli - it is cous-cous with really good flavorings. I find this better cold than plan old cous-cous.

If you go with uncooked food, and eat a lot of nuts, dried fruit, bars -- be sure to drink the extra water you miss by not cooking.

Some people do not like it, but I use potted meat on crackers. It comes in tiny aluminum cans that weigh next to nothing. Do not read the label - or you may not want to eat it!

Jello makes an instant cheescake mix that is really good.

Cookies - Pecan Sandies are my favorite!

Tuna in packets. Salmon and chicken also comes in the packets.

Go to a natural foods store. There are some people who believe in only eating uncooked vegetarian/vegan food. Ask someone at this store - they may have more ideas.

Nothing could stop you for experimenting in the back yard, You would be surprised what you can occomplish with a shoebox wrapped in thick tin foil or the early reflector ovens.

Excuse me-

"Rather than cous-cous, get some tabouli - it is cous-cous with really good flavorings. I find this better cold than plan old cous-cous."

This is not quite correct. Couscous is a form of pasta that can be found made from whole wheat or white flour. It IS precooked, though the whole wheat may benefit from further cooking. Bulgur is close to couscous, but not the same. I do not know how it is made, but bulgur is cracked whole wheat that has been cooked and then dehydrated. I have read that bulgur is close in nutritional value to brown rice. How it compares nutritionally to whole wheat couscous, I don't know.

Tabouli is primarily bulgur, with added mint, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and other seasonings. It can be found with tomato and cucumber added, as well. I like to add some sort of protein like soy granules, pine nuts, or chick peas. Freeze-dried green peas or very well-soaked dehydrated green peas and/or mushrooms might also work. (Green peas can seem like rocks and may or may not come back with a long soak.)

For a trail lunch, I have packaged some tabouli mix (or bulgur with the dried greens and garlic powder), added more dried parsley, some plain lemonade Koolaide powder for the lemon taste and tartness, chopped sundried tomatoes, chopped dehydrated cucumber (or a packet of pickle relish, holding off on the lemon flavoring until tasting the mixture), and pine nuts or falafel (seasoned chickpea burger) mix. An hour or two before lunch, I add water and let it ride in my pack. If it nees more water, I add it shortly before eating the salad.

I do agree that bulgur has more flavor and texture than couscous. Either can be used in nearly any recipe that uses rice or maybe instant potatoes and can be eaten hot or cold.


Consider couscous or bulgur with fruit and milk for breakfast.

Regards,

CamperMom

For a quick Lunch I really like Pilot Cookies and cream cheese mmmmmm

A ex co-worker of mine was inventing a small solar stove. He was pretty successful. I wish I could remember his website or products name. Might be interesting to check it out.

here is a great recipe that rehydrates with cold water on the trail...

http://www.backpacking.net/forums/showth...o=&vc=1

we often do no-cook meals and I have a variety of them in my book... as I develop more I will post them in the trail food recipes section.

All right, this will probably gross some folks out, but, one thing I lke to eat is just straight whole wheat flour mixed with anough water to make a kind of stiff dough. It's basically what you would make a chapati or tortilla with if you use no leavening agent. You can add a little oil to it if you like, whether for flavor or for calories. Actually, I got the idea from the traditional Tibetan staple of tsampa, which is barley flour, mixed with tea that is laced with Yak butter. I simplified it, and not having Barley flour, used whole wheat. I've always loved to eat bread dough and cookie dough, so I like your idea of the muffin mix - kinda like pudding, in a way.

Please be careful abut suggesting eating raw flour. It can carry bacteria (salmonella if I remember correctly) just as raw eggs can. Most of the time you are safe, but do you really want to get the trots while on the trail.

Raw flour is fine to eat - what you might want to be concerned with is that you are using fresh flour. Whole wheat especially has a higher amount of natural oil in it and long term storage can lead to the flour going rancid - easy to tell though - when flour goes stale, it smells and tastes flat, just as stale oil will. You'd want to be concerned in areas with hot temps/humidity.
That is one reason why to buy flour in small packages if you don't use a lot. Turn over is very important.

It used to be that flour would get contaminated by bugs, such as would happen to rice. It isn't such a big issue these days - but if the thought grosses you out, cook your flour.

The other health hazard of flour is to not get powder in your lungs - flour in the air is easy to suck in, this can cause very bad lung issues. (Ie....one reason to get kids to NEVER "antique" their friends......)

Of course, raw flour can cause tummy upsets as well. So eater beware.

Sarbar-

"Antique their friends"...Is that like the ridculous game of "White Knight" in which two groups throw flour and water at each other? That little event was an after dinner camp game intended to amuse the kids and get them to shower. It made me crazy to think of the kids inhaling the flour and possibly set off asthma attacks. I objected every year, to little avail.

CamperMom

Yep...the "game" of sneaking in a sleeping friend and dumping flour all over them <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> I cannot imagine waking up to that! Yech!

Yes, I'm kinda grossed out by your camp food. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Being sarcastic, maybe you could blend all the ingrediance of your camp food and put in squeeze tubes like the astronauts did. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Go ahead and mix in some tang while your at it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I think that for me, part of the fun of bpacking/camping is having the gear and food to inhance the experience. I don't prepare elaborate dishes at camp but do like to make pankcakes with add water only and carry a 1oz container of syrup etc.
I do take homemade gorp with M&Ms, Mt house freeze dried meals etc. I can't imagine eating bland bread dough or gruel type meals unless I'm captured by deep woods creatures, held in a box and feed through a hole <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I think this topic deserves its own heading. Like hammocks, skydiving and ultralight, those who don't like the idea don't have to participate.

Don't forget the no-cook cheesecake! It has enough preparation steps to make the worst fiddler happy.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
one word <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />CHOCLATE <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> YMMV

Add cold water to dry mix in a sandwich bag. Seal tightly and shake for a couple minutes. Go park in cold stream while eating dinner. Top with graham crumbs. Eat.

See that was easy <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Actually, I think it's something you always need to consider - I often take no cook meals, particularly if it's hot out. I don't go stoveless, just because of my coffee addiction, but taking a stoveless meal or two both allows me to carry less fuel, eat in a downpour if I don't wanna go out and cook it, etc. etc. so it's often real nice to have a cook free meal or two with you on a several day outing.

While I prefer reconstituted homemade dehydrated dinners in the freezer-bag for dinner, there have been several occasions when the weather was so inclement (like a continuing series of cloudbursts with hail) that I couldn't use the stove (I don't want to use the stove under the vestibule) or I was just too tired even to boil water in the evenings. That meant eating part of the next day's fruit, nuts and Kashi bars (I always take an extra "lunch" on a backpack). From now on I'm always going to take at least one dinner, maybe two, that can be eaten cold. Hummus is marvelous stuff. Tabouli is another, although I've found it quite crunchy when made with cold water. However, I dislike many of the other foods in the above "eat cold" lists, except, of course, as Jim pointed out, CHOCOLATE!!! (That word has to be spelled with at least three exclamation marks!) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

If you have !!!chocolate!!! you can survive anything <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> It has super powers, I tells ya!