Hey Michael!
We’ve been talking about your book already. Welcome to the discussion.
I’d forgotten about the wrench bag. Need to make one and ditch the tin box that I’m currently using.
Cheers,
B
I love you guys that you’re sharing everything so freely!! thank you so much, keep it coming
Kayakerbee - With regard to spices I purchased an old military shotgun shell cloth case which fits about 24 shotgun shells it’s very compact not much bigger than a wallet and it fits five mill plastic tubes which you can get separately online and that’s what I put my spices in 
I can’t live without spices and I have a theory about why the British Empire took over the rest of the world, it was because they didn’t have any spices in the Emerald Isles (Apart from mint and some other basic herbs) I can attest to reading the old cookbooks that produce recipes which have very little aromatics or flavor whatsoever.
Cool idea (and a good theory about English colonialism)! I’m already designing a roll pack for the kitchen tools now that Michael Gray reminded me about that, why not make one for spice tubes? I’ve got some silnylon scraps from a tarp project that will work.
I always bring along dill, thyme, garlic and cayenne since they have medicinal uses in addition to culinary. Italian Seasoning is great with beans and tomato dishes, cardamom for lentils, who could live without garlic (!) and Garam Marsala for stir fries. I friend introduced me last year to the Ethiopian Berbere and now its a earthy/spicy staple.
I saw in a previous post of yours that you enjoy bison. Have you tried juniper berries with roast bison? Seems like they would pair well.
cheers,
B
Does cheese and hot sauce count as a spice?
I like the 1oz nalgene containers for spices, keep them in a mesh bag.
You could look at the cosmetic seconds for the fry bake and save a bit. https://frybake.com/products/cosmetic-seconds-alpine-pan/
I think at that price point it’s close to what you would pay for any type of camping fry pan. Don’t forget the lid, it fits really well, and if you put a teaspoon or half teaspoon of water in and close the lid, you can “steam bake” pretty well on a camp stove. Have seen pizza, calzones, yeast risen bread, cinnamon rolls, and the drop biscuits all come off the frybake.
I call them biscuits, but you are probably closer to the actuality of them being drop scones. You can make a batch in the evening and have them all the next day. The Kodiak mix would work perfectly for this. I used to add dried cranberries, a handful of oatmeal, a handful of grapenuts, and chocolate chips made it in occasionally. They are also great savory with cheese and spices.
I have almost always used white gas stoves, especially for more involved cooking setups. They take a little longer to prime but they put out a lot of heat. If you like to cook the dragonfly by MSR would be a great stove. Most white gas stoves aren’t great at simmering, but the dragonfly can handle it well. With a whisperlite you can also simmer by priming the stove, extinguish the flame, de-pressurize the fuel tank, then re-light it to cook at a simmer. A bit involved but it works.
I think if you check the nols cookery it recommends about 1/3 liter per day for fuel rations. I think a lot of places often have Coleman fuel, but probably not as easy to find as denatured alcohol. I always like to have a little extra fuel as opposed to the alternative.
For cannister stoves, the Kovia Spider would be a great choice. You can make a windscreen out of a disposable turkey pan for it. Super easy to use stove, and one of those 16oz fuel canisters would probably last a few weeks.
If you are already comfortable with your alcohol stove setup than perhaps just stick with it. I’ve used alcohol cat can stoves for backpacking for boiling water but never for any type of baking. Honestly I have no idea how one might work with a frybake pan.
I’m inclined to be okay with calling whatever you want to call spices, spices.
Good hint and tips and thanks for the link.
On the white fuel canisters, bringing a diffuser will solve your problem. Not hard to fashion one (I never tried reducing the standard size sold in stores, but I’m certain it is possible).
The diffuser is definitely a great addition. Outback Oven had a good one but not being made anymore.
Spices are fairly personal, some folks might just bring garlic salt, others a whole spice kit. Kayak camping I tend to indulge myself and would bring a nice setup for spices, a good coffee setup, a lightweight cutting board, and good kitchen knife with a sheath.
If it’s a trip over a week I’d bring fresh vegetables; potatoes, onions, carrots, and cabbage. They often fit pretty well stuffed in the end of a kayak. Eggs often make it in as well. But there is always a bottle of good hot sauce.
Coconut butter travels really well for frying, if you don’t mind the flavor.
For a treat dinner I often bring a thai curry paste and combine with a can of coconut milk, veggies and rice.
An easy dessert is a pineapple upside down cake, a can of sliced or chunk pineapple in the bottom of a pan, throw a box of yellow cake mix on top, and cook at low temperature. Careful you don’t burn it.
Scrambled brownies in a fry pan are about the easiest dessert to make.
There’s probably a way to get a little more gourmet with fancier proteins, dry ice and coolers, but I’ve never gone that far with it.
For shorter weekend trips I’ve seen people who cook big batches of food made at home, freeze it in vacuum bags, and keep it stashed in a soft cooler until ready to heat and eat.
Then I have a friend who will make individual pizzas out of yeast risen dough, cooking simultaneously on two msr whisperlites. He always serves a cheesitizer course before dinner with cocktails so people can enjoy their time in camp.
I guess camp cooking can reflect whatever culinary style or art mode you choose, and there are several to choose from, you just have to decide which one you prefer, or have a few to choose from. For some folks food is fuel. If you dig into the backpacking world, you’ll learn that people are leaving stoves at home and cold soaking food, to lighten their pack weight. I don’t think I could stomach that at my age. Having hot food and a warm coffee is a pretty important part of my day.
I will say kayak camping I always bring a good tarp for the kitchen area, either for shade during the day, or to keep the rain off.
Eckilson,
A picnic table is a great luxury. We rarely camp anywhere near one. I bring a chair now that I am 70 even on a backpacking trip. I roll up table saves a lot of bending over. Some rivers have plenty of rock formations and the table can be left at home. A smaller aluminum Dutch Oven works well on a stove or next to a fire. I like to bake on canoe trips. After a couple of days in the bush a dessert is a big deal. Some favorite dishes are stacked enchiladas, lasagna, beef stew with wine, fried fish, or a big salad in warmer weather with smoked salmon and feta cheese.
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I’m in the Northeast, so a lot of the places that we camp aren’t particularly remote. Bushwhack camping on private property can also be a problem, so we tend to end up on rivers or lakes with established campsites. Its not unusual to have a picnic table and a thunder box or some other type of privy - life is tough 
I love cooking in a dutch oven, but I am still not good at regulating the temperature with coals from the fire. It is much easier with charcoal, but that is one more thing to lug along. If I have room I will do it every time. Frittata or cinnamon rolls for breakfast; enchiladas, lasagna or chicken pot pie for dinner; monkey bread, brownies or dump cake for desert. Makes me want to get out and do some camping.
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Ecklison,
Glad to see another DO cook. The aluminum ovens work better than I expected and are much lighter. The small one around 10 inches has no legs so I use it on the stove as well as around a fire.
May I make a suggestion? The best way to control the temperature is to move your oven away from the fire. I use around 350 degrees a lot of the time. I cook with wood found along the way. Use some coals under the oven and some on top, but not next to the fire. They are times when I put the oven near the fire, but I rotate it and do not add coals. It is easy to use too much heat.