rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 11, 2017 8:32:45 GMT -8
Then there are other times when the objective has been just to get a few miles from the trail head into the woods and hang out. A heavy load of food and drink is called for then. Agree. It's been a long time since we had the freedom to pop out for an easy weekend, so I'm usually thinking in terms of week-long trips, where food weight starts to push our limits (you had to mention that age thing... )
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2017 10:06:27 GMT -8
It's hard for me to think of my up coming 9 day trip eating out of a freezer bag for the entire time. Any thoughts or experiences to share would be great. Thank you If your 9 day trip is a base camp trip with day excursions, I would take your white gas stove. If you'll be trekking (changing camp most every day), then I would consider going lighter. All my backpacking experience to date has been with a white gas MSR Whisperlight that I bought in the mid-80's. I recently bought an alcohol stove (Whitebox "Solo II") for a possible trek I'm hoping to do next year (I want to get some experience with it in advance of the trip). It and the windscreen combined weigh little more than the MSR maintenance kit(!), and about half as much as the aluminum fuel bottle.
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Post by nextridgeover on Apr 11, 2017 10:22:35 GMT -8
It is definitely a trek. On trail hiking 7 of the 9 days. Taking a couple days for fishing and exploring. I'm not ready for the alcohol stove experience but lightening up will be a big help. I've carried my dragonfly to a lot of places and while heavy compared to today's equipment, It's a proven workhorse that keeps on burning. A canister stove is next for me.
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Post by Campfires&Concierges on Apr 11, 2017 14:42:31 GMT -8
Have you ever had fresh biscuits and bacon gravy on morning five? Yes, on a canoe trip! I like the idea of eating really yummy food on the trail, but in reality I hate doing dishes and I'm usually so tired at the end of the day, I can barely stay awake to boil water. So, FBC all the way for me!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2017 15:03:06 GMT -8
It is definitely a trek. On trail hiking 7 of the 9 days. Taking a couple days for fishing and exploring. I'm not ready for the alcohol stove experience but lightening up will be a big help. I've carried my dragonfly to a lot of places and while heavy compared to today's equipment, It's a proven workhorse that keeps on burning. A canister stove is next for me. I think we're in similar places; OT's with many years using stoves that were de rigeur in their day but trying to figure out if there is other kit available that might make the trek a little easier. I considered a canister stove (MSR PocketRocket) for my trek also; for the convenience and weight savings, but eventually came down on the alcohol stove side. I think the canister stove will be much better for simmering. I'm not ditching my old white gas MSR stove; I'll just keep it in my arsenal and use it on trips that are the best fit for it.
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Post by Coolkat on Apr 12, 2017 9:27:48 GMT -8
Wow... as they say HYOH. But I have absolutely no interest in taking the time and effort to fix nice meals. When I'm doing a multi-day hike I loose my appetite and have to force myself to eat. I don't like the time it takes to get the food ready much less clean up afterwards. Usually clean up involves using water that I just took the time to filter. No thanks! As much as I like food it just doesn't mean that much to me on the trail. If I could find a way that I didn't have to use stove at all for my meals I'd be in heaven.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 12, 2017 10:21:52 GMT -8
When I'm doing a multi-day hike I loose my appetite and have to force myself to eat. I'm always amazed at people who have this reaction. On longer hikes, my appetite just keeps ramping up! The only exceptions might be when altitude is making me a little sick, or dehydration--something to watch for I think. It does seem like a tendency to lose interest in food might call for some careful planning of very appealing freezer-bag type meals (so that you have something you want to eat, with little effort in the making).
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Post by Coolkat on Apr 12, 2017 10:31:11 GMT -8
It does seem like a tendency to lose interest in food might call for some careful planning of very appealing freezer-bag type meals (so that you have something you want to eat, with little effort in the making). Which is exactly why I purchases Sabar's book a couple of months ago. I just haven't had time to go through it yet. Might also be time to play a dehydrator also. Since I loose my appetite you'd think I'd learn my lesson but I still seem to always over pack food a little. I think it's because when I'm planning/packing I have my normal appetite. However, on my last hike in February it was a good thing since my hiking partner accidentally left about 1/3 of his meals at home.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Apr 12, 2017 10:34:00 GMT -8
The ultimate extension I guess could be considered no cook camping. No weight of stove, pots or fuel. Little in the way of clean up. I have done it and that took determination to try it. Felt unprepared with no stove. No morning coffee. No back up of boiling water if filter fails. No warm cup of soup with dinner. But the simplicity of it is pretty cool. A meal is just a few minutes of snacking then you're done.
I did bring a couple of No-Doze caffeine pills because without a little in the morning I get a headache.
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markskor
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Post by markskor on Apr 12, 2017 10:47:13 GMT -8
RE appetite. Over my backpacking years, have learned that for the first 2 - 3 days of any hiking season, (first days of a multi-day hike) - you just don't feel like eating anything...just not hungry. For me this is pretty normal. Could be the altitude, exertion...just the change in routine? After that, maybe day 3 or 4, the appetite returns...strong. If this matches your personal condition - (Took a few years to figure this out). Now I just plan for it! Eat accordingly. Beef Jerky...pop tarts...lots of water. Dark Chocolate Milky Ways, trail mix, dried fruit?...all tried-n-true, no cook, good tasting stuff will get you through those first days just fine.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2017 10:55:09 GMT -8
My wife has done a few no cook backpacking trips. We currently boil water for dinner.
On backpacking trips we really like eating Chicken Ala King. Years ago, I made Chicken Ala King for a few dinners at home, eh. Thinking it was the freeze dried version that we liked, from backpacking, we tried it at home, bluck, patuy. We have boxes and cans of food sitting on several top shelves ready for our 2017 backpacking season and none of it appeals to us when we are at home. We have tried cooking meals we eat at home on the trail to find it is not appealing trail food.
At home and at her office my wife eats GORP. I don’t touch the stuff when I am at home. On a backpacking trip, my wife has no interest in eating GORP and I munch it down.
There are, I have found, food items that are not interesting at all for on the trail eats.
We have stopped cooking for breakfast and lunch. I get my morning caffeine from GU’s or chews.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Apr 12, 2017 18:01:11 GMT -8
Canister stoves are good compromise between weight and cook-ability. Partially used canisters they create are a drag.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2017 18:23:21 GMT -8
When my wife and I go out, I carry a full, unused canister, and she carries the partial canister. We use the partial canister till it is empty and then we switch. We have gotten pretty good in guessing how much fuel is in the canister and we know we get 6 cooks from the small (7.4 ounce canisters gross weight, 3.9 ounce net weight). When we need to know how much fuel is in the canister we float the canister in a pot of water.
We tend to experience frost throughout the spring/summer/fall camping season. We learned that, if using the canister in the AM it is best to keep the canister in the sleeping bag through the night. A cold canister can waste a lot of fuel.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2017 13:16:50 GMT -8
Canister stoves are good compromise between weight and cook-ability. Partially used canisters they create are a drag. I agree on both points. The canisters (both fuel cost and solid waste generated) are the reasons I tipped on the alcohol stove side (inexpensive bulk fuel I can carry in a plastic water bottle). The easy fuel availability (most any hardware or auto parts store) was attractive, too.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 13, 2017 14:07:27 GMT -8
most any hardware or auto parts store Or liquor store!
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