Summary: spelling and punctuation
[[Image:Backcountrygourmet.jpg|630px|thumb|left|Go beyond hotdogs and marshmallows and become the Anthony Bourdain of the wilderness. Photo by Martin Cathrae/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/suckamc/5886328620/ Flickr]/CC]]
If you?re planning a backpacking trip, it?s a safe bet that you?ve resigned yourself to doing without creature comforts. Improvements in technology have made most pieces of backpacking gear lighter and thinner; still, no one has yet made an air-conditioner or a toilet seat that you?d want to tote on your back for mile upon mile. Moreover, most backpackers pride themselves on their toughness and derring-do. No one wants to be the softie with an air mattress in his tent.
Still, there are luxuries that you don?t have to do without, and great food is one of them. Just because most produce and meats are heavy doesn?t mean you have to leave them at home. Hauling a heavy pack over hill and dale requires a lot of fuel, and the more you can tempt yourself to eat, the happier and healthier you will be on your trip. By following some simple rules?okay, and possibly splurging on some sweet gear?you can eat just as well on the trail as in your own kitchen.
''This how-to was written by Adrienne So, a Wired contributor, freelance writer, and world traveler from Portland, Oregon.''
==Consider some investments==
Even dedicated foodies might consider a dehydrator to be overkill ? unless that dedicated foodie also loves camping. Of all the things that you have to carry, water weighs the most. That?s especially true in the fruits and vegetables that you?ll crave in the woods, to provide variety and fend off scurvy. Or constipation.
[http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/ Excalibur] models, while not very attractive, earn near-universal praise and can dehydrate up to nine trays of food at once, while the [http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-American-FD-61-Snackmaster-Dehydrator/dp/B000CEM3WM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335909188&sr=8-1 Snackmaster] is a more affordable option. Ovens ? both toaster ovens and the full-sized variety ? set to 125 degrees with the door open, will also work, but the results will take longer and not dry as evenly.
And of course, you?ll need a good camp stove. A canister system like the [http://www.jetboil.com/ Jetboil] is easy to use, easy to pack and quick to heat up water. But if you?re planning to cook for groups bigger than two, you might want to consider a liquid fuel stove, like [http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/gourmet-cooking/category MSR?s Gourmet Cook system]. With a separate gas canister, you run the risk of leaking in your backpack; they cost more and are a little bulkier. But they?re also more versatile and better able to accommodate large pots. The last thing that anyone wants on a cold, windy night is for a pot full of just-boiling water to tip over onto the fire ? or onto someone?s tired legs.
==Avoid food that you don?t recognize as food==
Michael Pollan wrote this rule, but it applies just as much to backpacking as to the rest of your life. Stay away from the ?energy supplements? section of your local camping store and prepare your own meals and snacks. They?ll taste a lot better than tubes of ?Hi-Oktane Guup Squeeze,? and are a lot more affordable as well.
In this regard, the dehydrator is your new best friend. Fruit, sliced as thinly as possible to decrease drying time, is a great snack on its own or in addition to trail mix. Lean cuts of turkey, salmon, beef or venison are also easy to make into jerky ? sliced, spiced or with marinade.
There are very few meals that can?t be dehydrated, packed in a plastic bag and brought with you, to be rehydrated on the trail later. Salads, like dried fruit, can be spread on the drying tray, dehydrated and packed in plastic bags to be eaten on the trail. Carry olive oil and vinegar in a small, leak-proof bottle and dress your salad once it?s been rehydrated.
Bean dips, tomato sauces and taco fillings are just a few of the meal options that can be cooked at home, spread on the drying tray, and packed in plastic bags for later. They will dry down to a leathery consistency that you can peel off the drying tray and roll into bags. Accompany your meals with quick-cooking grains like couscous, or breads like pitas or tortillas that won?t be the worse for the wear after a few hours of jostling in your pack.
==Spices will save your life==
A bag of dried apples can seem unappetizing after a few bites. But dried apples sprinkled with brown sugar, cayenne pepper or sea salt are better than M&M's ? each flavor is different! Even the most boring foods, like hummus or peanut butter and jelly, can be enlivened with a few additions. Experiment with different marinades for your jerky, or dry and pack different toppings for your oatmeal.
Remember: What seems appealing on day one of your trip will seem like dour, tasteless sludge by day five. It may seem more convenient to pack a 12-pack of Kraft mac from Costco, but your time investment is worth it. Food is the single most powerful motivating force on the trail. There?s no more forceful reason to quit your trip and hitchhike into town than the knowledge that you just can?t choke down one more bowl of ramen noodles.
==Keep it simple==
Preparing pans full of freshly baked cinnamon rolls or hot buttermilk biscuits is a delightful novelty on a short trip. But on any trip that?s longer than three days, futzing around with your food is the last thing you?ll want to do. This holds especially true for dinner, which, on a hilly or rainy day, might be the focus of your thoughts for hours. Make every effort to keep your meals at one-pot preparation ? rehydrate, stir, eat.
[[Category:Camping]]
[[Category:Cooking]]
[[Category:Survival]]
If you?re planning a backpacking trip, it?s a safe bet that you?ve resigned yourself to doing without creature comforts. Improvements in technology have made most pieces of backpacking gear lighter and thinner; still, no one has yet made an air-conditioner or a toilet seat that you?d want to tote on your back for mile upon mile. Moreover, most backpackers pride themselves on their toughness and derring-do. No one wants to be the softie with an air mattress in his tent.
Still, there are luxuries that you don?t have to do without, and great food is one of them. Just because most produce and meats are heavy doesn?t mean you have to leave them at home. Hauling a heavy pack over hill and dale requires a lot of fuel, and the more you can tempt yourself to eat, the happier and healthier you will be on your trip. By following some simple rules?okay, and possibly splurging on some sweet gear?you can eat just as well on the trail as in your own kitchen.
''This how-to was written by Adrienne So, a Wired contributor, freelance writer, and world traveler from Portland, Oregon.''
==Consider some investments==
Even dedicated foodies might consider a dehydrator to be overkill ? unless that dedicated foodie also loves camping. Of all the things that you have to carry, water weighs the most. That?s especially true in the fruits and vegetables that you?ll crave in the woods, to provide variety and fend off scurvy. Or constipation.
[http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/ Excalibur] models, while not very attractive, earn near-universal praise and can dehydrate up to nine trays of food at once, while the [http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-American-FD-61-Snackmaster-Dehydrator/dp/B000CEM3WM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335909188&sr=8-1 Snackmaster] is a more affordable option. Ovens ? both toaster ovens and the full-sized variety ? set to 125 degrees with the door open, will also work, but the results will take longer and not dry as evenly.
And of course, you?ll need a good camp stove. A canister system like the [http://www.jetboil.com/ Jetboil] is easy to use, easy to pack and quick to heat up water. But if you?re planning to cook for groups bigger than two, you might want to consider a liquid fuel stove, like [http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/gourmet-cooking/category MSR?s Gourmet Cook system]. With a separate gas canister, you run the risk of leaking in your backpack; they cost more and are a little bulkier. But they?re also more versatile and better able to accommodate large pots. The last thing that anyone wants on a cold, windy night is for a pot full of just-boiling water to tip over onto the fire ? or onto someone?s tired legs.
==Avoid food that you don?t recognize as food==
Michael Pollan wrote this rule, but it applies just as much to backpacking as to the rest of your life. Stay away from the ?energy supplements? section of your local camping store and prepare your own meals and snacks. They?ll taste a lot better than tubes of ?Hi-Oktane Guup Squeeze,? and are a lot more affordable as well.
In this regard, the dehydrator is your new best friend. Fruit, sliced as thinly as possible to decrease drying time, is a great snack on its own or in addition to trail mix. Lean cuts of turkey, salmon, beef or venison are also easy to make into jerky ? sliced, spiced or with marinade.
There are very few meals that can?t be dehydrated, packed in a plastic bag and brought with you, to be rehydrated on the trail later. Salads, like dried fruit, can be spread on the drying tray, dehydrated and packed in plastic bags to be eaten on the trail. Carry olive oil and vinegar in a small, leak-proof bottle and dress your salad once it?s been rehydrated.
Bean dips, tomato sauces and taco fillings are just a few of the meal options that can be cooked at home, spread on the drying tray, and packed in plastic bags for later. They will dry down to a leathery consistency that you can peel off the drying tray and roll into bags. Accompany your meals with quick-cooking grains like couscous, or breads like pitas or tortillas that won?t be the worse for the wear after a few hours of jostling in your pack.
==Spices will save your life==
A bag of dried apples can seem unappetizing after a few bites. But dried apples sprinkled with brown sugar, cayenne pepper or sea salt are better than M&M's ? each flavor is different! Even the most boring foods, like hummus or peanut butter and jelly, can be enlivened with a few additions. Experiment with different marinades for your jerky, or dry and pack different toppings for your oatmeal.
Remember: What seems appealing on day one of your trip will seem like dour, tasteless sludge by day five. It may seem more convenient to pack a 12-pack of Kraft mac from Costco, but your time investment is worth it. Food is the single most powerful motivating force on the trail. There?s no more forceful reason to quit your trip and hitchhike into town than the knowledge that you just can?t choke down one more bowl of ramen noodles.
==Keep it simple==
Preparing pans full of freshly baked cinnamon rolls or hot buttermilk biscuits is a delightful novelty on a short trip. But on any trip that?s longer than three days, futzing around with your food is the last thing you?ll want to do. This holds especially true for dinner, which, on a hilly or rainy day, might be the focus of your thoughts for hours. Make every effort to keep your meals at one-pot preparation ? rehydrate, stir, eat.
[[Category:Camping]]
[[Category:Cooking]]
[[Category:Survival]]
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/eRvPLlWkE3g/Whip_Up_Gourmet_Grub_in_the_Backcountry
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