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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maui Rhino View Post
    A few times you mentioned the "disgusting goop" you'll be eating on trail. There are many choices out there for food... Not all is disgusting. It sounds to me like you need to spend a lot of time reading the cooking sub-forum and get some ideas on meals that you will find appealing.
    dra Ha, sorry if my venting was annoying. I guess I'm really not looking forward to a lot of things, and the food is one of them. I'll look at that sub again but I actually had a thread on here asking people what they ate. I got lots of suggestions, all of them very friendly and helpful, none of the suggestions are for stuff I'm excited about eating, but that's life. I skipped anything that mentioned dehydrating my own food, because I don't have access to an oven. I did look at thrift stores for a dehydrator and maybe I'll still get lucky. Anyway i'm not sure if you can dehydrate salad/ But also I'm being stupid in not testing what I'm going to eat before I go out there. I can't be sure what pot I need until I try making the stuff. I'm really interested in the FBC thing people keep mentioning. I'm doing a search for it now.

  2. #22
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    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UzXZIH7SGYA

    This is the one I meant to post.
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by BirdBrain View Post
    Water storage in a platypus or evernew bag is a better plan.
    I'm doing that, too. Some platypus thing I've had for a decade and never used actually. But this way I'll have 3liters with me on the dry stretches. I usually drink about 3 liters per day in town and this will be Colorado, which is uncomfortably hot and dry, and there are stretches where it's 22 miles between water sources so this seems safest to me.

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu View Post
    I use the MSR Titan Kettle spec's say is 850L. I've found it to just barely be large enough for some of my meals.
    Are you eating out of the pot or do you have a separate bowl?

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by BirdBrain View Post
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UzXZIH7SGYA This is the one I meant to post.
    Great, thanks! I'm looking at that now. I'm also checking out http://www.trailcooking.com/trail-co...g-cooking-101/ This is brand new to me, not something I've ever heard of. I wonder what I shall find....

  6. #26
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    I notice you are exploring a few subjects on this site. Just a word of advice. There are so many right ways to do things. Everyone has their "right" way. There is seldom a "best" way. Find what works within your preferences. Those preferences will change as you gain experience. In general I seek the lightest function necessity within my budget. It is always a dance to find the sweet spot to best fit those 4 thoughts.
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by newToThrough View Post
    This is what my thread is asking about. What do you mean by "too small, too limiting?"
    2 cups is basically a standard amount of food, if you need to stir or mix having a pot that is just about 2 cups does pose some problems and can limit food choices. If you are just boiling water you still have issues with getting it level, carefully removing it as not to spill any and boilover possibility. And mixing foods in that small of a pot is sometimes difficult. This limits the choices of foods I can bring. This includes situations where it is boil in bag foods, the pot is just too small to work for that.

    Again for a quicky overnighter I will deal, but for much longer I don't want to.

  8. #28
    Thru-hiker 2013 NoBo CarlZ993's Avatar
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    To actually 'cook' in a pot, I'd say the smallest I'd consider is 800 ml or so (I personally use a 900 ml Evernew Titanium Pot). As others have stated, it is possible to use a much smaller pot (500 - 650 ml) to do Freezer Bag Cooking (FBC). In FBC, you boil the amount of water needed (1 1/2 to 2 C normally) & pour it into your freezer bag of dry food (only use good freezer bags). You stir up the food (preferably w/ a long-handled spoon) & place the baggie in a Freezer Bag Cozy (made out of Reflectix & sized to fit the full 1-Qt freezer bag; Reflectix is available @ Home Depot/Lowe's etc or commercially purchased online). You wait 10-15 min & your food finishes 'cooking.' You open the baggie & eat your hot food. Only your spoon needs to be cleaned.

    It is also possible to make a pot cozy for your pot. You simply boil the amount of water needed, stir in your dry ingredients, turn off the stove, & place it in the pot cozy. If your recipe says to simmer for a period of time, just simply double your wait time with your pot in the cozy.

    A pot cozy will add a small weight penalty (~ 1-2 oz or so) but will undoubtedly reduce your fuel usage. This is the way I've been cooking for years.

    I'll give you an example of one of my backpacking meals - Mac & Cheese - using the pot cozy method. I boil 1 3/4 C water. Pour in the pasta & stir. Turn off the stove & put the pot inside the pot cozy. Wait 15 minutes or so. Then, pour in the cheese powder & 1/4 C of Nido Powdered milk & stir. After a few minutes, everything should be disolved & creamy. Add some protein (chicken, Spam, tuna, etc) & maybe some olive oil. You're set. A lot of food for one person.

    There is a lady (Sarah?) that has a website called Trailcooking.com. She has written books on FBC. There are a lot of recipes on her website. I've used them before on many occasions. Find your a few recipes that you like & rotate them on your hikes. You buy regular food & not the expensive freeze-dried stuff.
    2013 AT Thru-hike: 3/21 to 8/19
    Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...t1M/edit#gid=0

  9. #29
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    Great advice above. I would suggest 2 things. Use pint size bag instead of quart. This allows for a smaller cozy and less mess on your spoon. Also, I find 1 cup of water suffices for most of my meals. The water can't evaporate in a bag like in a pot. It had to go into the food.
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by BirdBrain View Post
    I notice you are exploring a few subjects on this site. Just a word of advice. There are so many right ways to do things. Everyone has their "right" way. There is seldom a "best" way. Find what works within your preferences. Those preferences will change as you gain experience. In general I seek the lightest function necessity within my budget. It is always a dance to find the sweet spot to best fit those 4 thoughts.
    I appreciate that. It's really helpful to have this community of people who are so eager to share their experiences, too. I get the benefit of learning from their mistakes, but I'm sure I'll leave plenty of room for my own.

  11. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by CarlZ993 View Post
    To actually 'cook' in a pot...
    GREAT advice. Thank you. I have some reflectix I just used to make a sun visor for my car ($13 for the reflectix or $20 for the visor - and now I have reflectix left over) and I think I'm going to try this method out this weekend.
    Quote Originally Posted by BirdBrain View Post
    Great advice above. I would suggest 2 things. Use pint size bag instead of quart. This allows for a smaller cozy and less mess on your spoon. Also, I find 1 cup of water suffices for most of my meals. The water can't evaporate in a bag like in a pot. It had to go into the food.
    Makes perfect sense. This might be a real winner, here.... The two questions that come to mind (and which are probably answered on that website and in that video) are: (1) Is a freezer bag safe to eat out of once it's been heated? (2) How do you dispose of your freezer bags? Burn them? Carry them out with you?

  12. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by Starchild View Post
    2 cups is basically a standard amount of food, if you need to stir or mix having a pot that is just about 2 cups does pose some problems and can limit food choices. If you are just boiling water you still have issues with getting it level, carefully removing it as not to spill any and boilover possibility. And mixing foods in that small of a pot is sometimes difficult. This limits the choices of foods I can bring. This includes situations where it is boil in bag foods, the pot is just too small to work for that. Again for a quicky overnighter I will deal, but for much longer I don't want to.
    Ahhhh... yes, this is all adding up now.

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by newToThrough View Post
    GREAT advice. Thank you. I have some reflectix I just used to make a sun visor for my car ($13 for the reflectix or $20 for the visor - and now I have reflectix left over) and I think I'm going to try this method out this weekend. Makes perfect sense. This might be a real winner, here.... The two questions that come to mind (and which are probably answered on that website and in that video) are: (1) Is a freezer bag safe to eat out of once it's been heated? (2) How do you dispose of your freezer bags? Burn them? Carry them out with you?
    If you use quality freezer bags, yes. Carry your trash out. Some burn them. I would not. Your first bag from your first meal becomes your first trash bag. You need a trash bag for other things. The used freezer bags will fill that need.
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  14. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by CarlZ993 View Post
    T I'll give you an example of one of my backpacking meals - Mac & Cheese - using the pot cozy method....
    This makes sense. Do you drink coffee/tea? If so do you have a separate pot to heat that water or do you clean the pot that had the Mac and Cheese and *then* make the coffee?

  15. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by newToThrough View Post
    This makes sense. Do you drink coffee/tea? If so do you have a separate pot to heat that water or do you clean the pot that had the Mac and Cheese and *then* make the coffee?
    I boil 2 cups. A tad over a cup goes in my freezer bag meal. The rest goes in my coffee. Okay.... I am out for a bit. I will let others explain their methods. There are a few good ones.
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  16. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by newToThrough View Post
    This makes sense. Do you drink coffee/tea? If so do you have a separate pot to heat that water or do you clean the pot that had the Mac and Cheese and *then* make the coffee?
    That was not my post, but to answer anyway, I plan my messy meals (ones that may have residual food stuck to it), with my next one. I would not have a 'messy meal' if my next use of the pot was for coffee. Yes I could wash out the pot, and sometimes did, but if that residual could work with the next one and would not spoil then sometimes I would leave it. Often that was some sort of either cheese or grease*, both were usually fine for adding to dehydrated meals later and that would clean the pot in the process.

    * Aside: One of my favorite back country breakfasts was the ham, egg and cheese on a flat bagel sandwich. which sometimes caused the above to be in the pot. After coffee I would line to bottom of the pot with ham to create a 'boat', slice up a hard boiled egg and some cheese and place in the boat, place the top slice of the bagel properly on top (the bottom 1/2 could also be placed on top of the top, but I usually had this as a open sandwich). Cook slowly and covered, check to see when the cheese is melty. Then with the lid on quickly flip the sandwich upside down onto the lid and remove the pot. A breakfast sandwich on a plate , that ham grease and sometimes if the boat leaked, the cheese would be in the pot till dinner. When I did this I stored the pot empty for travel.

    Just to add some extra after a while (read when I got to Maine), I got very creative with my backcountry cooking for more variety and more 'home cooking', and made things from raw ingredients, or at least some raw combined with dehydrated 'helper' sides, so I can have some real food out there (usually only practical the first night out due to spoilage). This put a much larger need for a larger pot then the 550 (which I didn't have at that time anyway) so what one plans to do could change along the way.

  17. #37

    Default Here's What I Decided:

    Thanks for all of the advice. Since you all helped me so much, I thought you might want to know what I decided on: My main cup/pot is not going to be the 500ml Olicamp but instead will be my ol' trusty blue enamelware cup. It's about 800ml. (I know that lots of people think this is foolish because of its weight and if those people would like to give me a free titanium version, I'll take it. But this is what I've got and it should work.) I also have a tomato can lid that I cut off with a side-cut can opener and put a little heat tape on for a handle (so long as I don't touch it for more than two seconds when it's hot.) This fits over the enamelware cup as a lid. I cut the handle off the enamelware cup and made a coozie for it out of Reflectix (love that stuff!) So I put the cup in the coozie and the coozie on top of the tomato can lid in my 1Liter Nalgene jar. (Again: you may criticize the weight of the Nalgene jar and you're not wrong but I'm concerned about the 22mile stretches of the CT with no water. If the recent rain and late snowpack suggest that there *will* be water, I'll use a Crown Royal bag or some other free bag instead.) In the cup (which is in the coozie which is on the tomato lid which is in the Nalgene bottle) goes my fuel canister. On top of the fuel canister and upside down goes a tuna can that I've burned the plastic lining off of. I won't start with this on my trek but will mail this ahead with my potato pancake mix and use it to make large potato pancakes, which I plan to eat a lot of for the 2nd leg of the trip. When I pick up my second mail-ahead (and start my third leg) I'll discard the tuna can because I'll be back to boil-and-eat-in-cup meals. On top of the tuna can goes my cheapo Made in China piezo-ignition stove, and a piece of a mesh bag that oranges come in. That mesh is my brillo. Then I put the lid on the Nalgene bottle, throw it in my pack, and I'm off. I don't think that anyone suggested this system but I'm happy with it and I wouldn't have come to it if not for everyone chiming in, so I really appreciate the help. Seriously, this is a great forum.

  18. #38
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    I think your cook system is great as it will help you nail down the proper size for you before you invest in a new pot. You can do everything in that setup, and see what your food style needs.

  19. #39
    Thru-hiker 2013 NoBo CarlZ993's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by newToThrough View Post
    This makes sense. Do you drink coffee/tea? If so do you have a separate pot to heat that water or do you clean the pot that had the Mac and Cheese and *then* make the coffee?
    I add a cup of water to the total needed for my meal to account for my drink (tea, hot chocolate, etc...; I don't drink coffee). If the water totals exceed the water capacity of my pot, I make my drink first & then my meal (rarely happens).
    2013 AT Thru-hike: 3/21 to 8/19
    Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...t1M/edit#gid=0

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by newToThrough View Post
    On top of the fuel canister and upside down goes a tuna can that I've burned the plastic lining off of. I won't start with this on my trek but will mail this ahead with my potato pancake mix and use it to make large potato pancakes, which I plan to eat a lot of for the 2nd leg of the trip.
    Got a recipe? Sounds interesting. Cook it on your stove or a fire?

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