food
For something simple, try a simple mix of dried fruit and lard. Eat with a spoon! High energy and needs no cooking in cool weather.
Food-Cooking vs Non Cooking
I am a long time backpacker, climber, xc skiier,and river runner. Am always amazed at this modern drive to go lighter, and lighter and eating a minimum diet of non cooked foods.
Yes! You can go 30 days on Power Bars, Granola, and Gatorade. Yes! You can go 30 days without a tent, sleeping bag, stove, kettles, fuel and assorted other gear. The questions are:
Why? At what time of year? In what kind of conditions? and what is your safety net?
A paddle in California in the summer wouldn’t present any problems. A paddle on the Coppermine River in the Northwest Territories and I think you might reconsider living on cold food and and skipping the tent and sleeping bag.
There is always a trade off on trips between utility, comfort, and safety.
The older I get, sixty-seven this year, the more I edge on the side of safety vs comfort or utility. Granola and Power Bars would not do it for a xc skiier who burns 5,800 calories a day skiing backcountry with a 65 pound pack. The new tourning kayaks have enough storage to pull off a 10 day trip without resorting to energy bars, and any 16’ or 17’ touring canoe has enough space to carry gear and food for a 25 day trip.
Enjoy your outdoor experience. Don’t make it a survival experience. Survival is not fun! It is hard work and mental stress! Happy Paddling!
Folgers coffee bags for me
I drink Folgers instant at home. When Iwant a cup of coffee I want it now and no mess. Been drinking instant coffee so not really a consignor.
The coffee bags come sealed in individual waterproof tear-open pouches
food
John Muir liked plain ole french bread for the body:the mountains did the rest. Suppose the rivers/lakes would work for us water-hikers.
food
I’m of the mindset that I want food to be part of the experience and not just survival. When I wrote A Fork in the Trail I kept that in the back of my mind… but food weight is also a concern for our family and that is why, for the most part, we dry our own meals. When going on a 10 day trip with a 6 year old it just makes it easier than lugging a cooler or trying to chocke down commercial power bars (I find they have a weird taste - but that is just me).
Anyway I’ve posted a few recipes over at www.wildernesscooking.com but with permission I’d like to start posting more of them here (I wish this forum had a reciupes section).
Power bars have Fiber
I have backpacked the more primitive areas of the Grand Canyon and have taken some power bars with me as a snack. The bad part is that along with protein, they also carry fiber. The dirt is hard in the summer, and takes forever to dig a hole, especially when you’re in a bit of a hurry to do your business…
Food
I’ve spent months eating both MRE and Cold weather MRE’s there fine. However, they take a toll on you digestive track. As for the packaging on MRE’s, first thing we did was field strip all unnecessary stuff off them to reduce the size, weight, and trash. After your first time through the menu you’ll realize what you’ll eat and what you won’t, not to mention all the stuff in the accessory packs isn’t needed, there again the size of the meal will get smaller. Since I no longer have to be tactical while enjoying the outdoors I use a mix between freeze dried, instant, energy bars, and fresh stuff. I also find that shopping at the local stores is more cost effective…
Best idea is…
Best idea is to go as simple and lite as possible and be as much of a minimalist as possible…but be sure to invite a newbie to join you. Usually a newbie’s first concern is that he/she will starve to death overnight, so they always over pack (smile). Don’t ask how I know this, please, it’s embarrassing.
All funnies aside, my last big trip (7 days down the Green River) I allotted myself a breakfast bar, one small ziplock of my GORP mix, a small portion of beef jerky and a small tuna kit for supper - X’s 7. I basically bagged everything per day so it was easy to not over eat my rations. It got old but I needed the extra room in the kayak for the 7 gallons of water I carried. AND, of course, the jet boil and its french coffee press was a must. I justified bringing the jetboil by including a bag of dry beans as a back-up source of food incase of emergency.
7 gal
– Last Updated: Apr-04-08 5:23 AM EST –
you need a filter, how many calories per day do you need?
No filter on the Green
Can’t use a filter on the Green River - too much silt/minerals. I mean, it’s possible to use one but it is a painstakenly process. My friend lost a bunch of his water early in the trip and eventually had to pump later. It was “pump-pump-pump-clean” etc. I’m talking a couple of ounces per several minutes. You wouldn’t want to use it unless in an emergency. In those heat conditions a gallon a day is a minimum. I could easily have drank more per day.
me cook with fire not magic(eom)
Got food…what about water?
My staple is salami and cheese sandwiches on bagels. They hold up well in the heat and are very filling. I despise peanut better and jelly.
My question is drinks. How do I pack my kayak with water. Do I take a big gallon container or smaller bottles? A filter is not an option here.
Unless . . .
. . . you are paddling salt water, a drop of household bleach in a pint of water (2 drops if the water is very cold) makes it safe to drink.
IV BAGS
– Last Updated: Oct-29-08 7:50 AM EST –
You can buy the IV style water bags that I have used.
they are very resistant to punctures and will mold into about anywhere in your kayak for packing when they are full.
I use them for weight distribution in my boat and you can hook up a line on one for refreshment while you are paddling.
But, for food you can still get the C-ration style of food that is ready to eat like MRE's are, only they are not dried, so you don't need to add water.
One meal is 1000 calories which is like the old C-rats I had in the service.
They only gave us one meal a day and a canteen of water and I survived on that for six months.
So, you only need to pack one meal per day of travel.
JR Rude
Better not try that
in a National Park 
ditto on the folgers coffee bags
they make a pretty good cup of coffee
2 liter soda bottles fit in the bow and
stern where nothing else dares to go.
Plus you can freeze them beforehand…cold fresh water.
food
If I had to eat crap while paddling I wouldn’t go. Take food with you. If you are only going for a couple days as you suggested you shouldn’t have so much gear that food would be an issue. Personally I take fresh meat for the first few days, potatoes, eggs, etc, and cook over fire.
The bladders . . .
. . . from 5 liter wine boxes also work well. Take them full of wine for a happy paddle.
sure
Sure I’ve paddled all day on powerbars and gatorade. But its way better with a cooler full of delicious food and beers.
Check here for my fish taco recipe.
http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/tilapia-fish-taco-recipe
It’s actually quite nice to have some delicious food after a hard day of paddling. I have however gone three days on powerbars, goo and similar food but it was not fun.
-James
http://www.adventurecanoe.com