I am heading out Tuesday for a overnight in the Oregon Cascades with my son; we will be back packing.

I'd like to get your suggestion for a simple camp dinner.

Thank you in advance,

Blake
outdoorquest.biz
outdoorquest.blogspot.com

Tell us more- fire or stove? What will he eat? How long will you be hiking before you cook?

I'll be using a gas (canistered) stove. I'd guess that we'll have just a short 3 hour hike in.

Our standard meals for similar hikes (and using a MSR Pocket Stove.)

Lipton and other branded rice or noodle (non milk required) packages. Depending on your appetites, one pack will feed 2 if supplemented with other foods. The package directions usually state to let simmer for 15 minutes which unless you are low on fuel, is not that bad. On the other-hand, plenty of experience has found that once the water and package contents come to a boil which is not very long with a stove, turn the stove down as low as it will go and let simmer for 5-6 minutes then remove. Keep it covered and the rice will assorb the rest of water on it's own.

Idahoan Mashed Potato Flakes. Again, one package is enough for 2 depending on appetite. These packages only require 2 cups of boiling hot water added with no further cooking time needed.

All of the above single packages can be found in almost any grocery store and usually cost less then a dollar.

As for meat or other protein, considering this is only an overnight hike, add a couple of packages of Tuna or a couple of small cans of chicken, turkey etc. These each only weigh a few ounces and can be added to the above rice/noodles or potatoes. If you frequent fast food restaurants, be sure to snag some of the small single packs of Teriyaki, BBQ sauces etc as they can add flavor to all the above.

As for dinner veggies, on a one day hike, we usually skip altogether or bring a few baby carrots that can be munched on during the day or with dinner.

I haven't tried the knorr/lipton stuff on a camp stove yet, but to add some flavor those pouches of chicken work well mixed in, they absorb some of the flavoring and add some to the rest. Then if you add in some vegetables as well it makes a whole meal. The chicken flavored rice package, the recipe on the back of it calls for peas but I stick in mixed peas and carrots sometimes too.

Have you ever tried powdered milk with any of the ones that require milk?

The Knorr/Lipton packages work well on a stove provided that you have a pot big enough. I have the Primus Litech Kettle Pot which is 1L capacity and it is enough to cook one package plus there is still plenty of room to add whatever else you want essentially making it a one pot meal.



As for the powdered milk suggestion. Yes this does work and the taste is not much different then real milk. Then again, we only drink 1% at home anyway. In any case, for a one day or overnight trip, we don't bother with packing powdered milk and the meals are planned without it. When we do take powdered milk, it is stored in a small container then mixed right into the Litech when needed.

Pilchards in Tomato Sauce with Chilli & Lime Quinoa and Basmati Rice.

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsbury...Sauce_155g.html

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-pri..._Rice_150g.html

Kipper and Moroccan couscous.

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-pri...edley_100g.html

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-pri...r_Oil_190g.html

Chicken and Wild Mushroom Risotto (I suppose you could add a SPAM single, diced and sliced into the Risotto, but a small can off Chicken Breast would taste even better)

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsbury...sotto_120g.html

Fusilli pasta with Bolognese Extra Mushroom Sauce

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003TWU5OC/re...ASIN=B003TWU5OC

Camp Stovies.

Can of Corned Beef, dried potato ( Smash ) and Sage and Onion Stuffing mix.

Plus many more down at the supermarket or there is always an half cold MRE using a chemical heater bag.

1. What are the things you like to eat a home?

Usually it is not too hard to pretty much duplicate what you usually eat for the outdoors, though there may be differences in taste and texture. If there is time, cook a batch or two of "camp" food at home to see if you can find some new favorites and determine what kind of spice or other add-ons best compliment the camp food.

2. Does one of you regularly cook at home?

If so, then make that person the camp chef. Cooking is a skill that is not going to be mastered literally overnight. If neither of you cook, then keep the menu extemely simple. One dish meals are probably best: stew, hot grain breakfast with fruit mixed in, etcetera.

If there is someone in your group who is skilled at camp cooking, then be a mule for them and take lessons by watching. Be their assistant and cleanup crew. What you want is a successful adventure for your son.

3. Do you really need to cook?

If you do not need to cut-chop-mix-measure-etcetera, then don't! Take whatever you want to eat ready to heat and eat. For a short adventure the weight penalty is not a significant concern. Take along favorite fruit and other snacks.

4. What does your son want to do?

Focus on a few high points which catch your son's imagination, and pretty much plan not to worry about much else. If your son wants to do a certain type of camp cooking, then focus on that - and consider letting him learn from an experienced camp cook - you do not have to try to be an instant expert. If your son could care less about how he feeds his face, then relax and get that done in the easiest way for you.

Have fun!

I agree with dweste, have some fun with this. Pre-appoint your son the chief chef, challenge him to plan a meal, take him out to buy the ingredients, etc.

A source of good one pot meals is on the freezer bag cooking site http://www.trailcooking.com/taxonomy/term/6%2B40 - I know that any of the pesto and linquine recipes are good, most of these in fact are easy for anyone to cook. If you're just going out for one night you can fudge on usual backpacking foods (corned beef, liptons etc) and cook with ingredients your son may be more accustomed to. Instead of dried, fruit bring some apples and cut them up for an appetizer - I always eat oranges on the trail. That kind of thing. Have some fun with it.

I would start with a 2lb block of Velveeta fit into 2 large ziplok bags,1 doz.10" Flour tortillas,2-lg. cans of Chili Laredo,1-Texas sweet onion fit into 2 ziploks,1-carton frozen solid liquid eggs,2-single paks of SPAM,2-Snickers bars,Tang for drinkable Vit-C,Burritos are Always easy to prepare & eat & Kids love em'!A tortilla wrapped Snickers with a few slices of Velveeta heated over a flame,till it starts to bubble&ooze = A Wonderful & Delicious Dessert,Your son will remember,for the rest of his life! This kit should weigh around 6lbs Max.Have fun & save the healthy eatin' for home!

How old is he Blake?

Mac and cheese with crumbled beef jerky mixed in. Something sweet and desirable for dessert.

BPJ is certainly correct about considering the age/dislikes of your son.....

My tall thin son is twenty and he eats like a horse. He eats anything.

Blake

If your son eats like a horse, then he has the energy of a horse. Hope he can pack weight like a horse and carry enough food for himself...

I like that. He gets to carry the larger pack.

For Breakfast:
I like taking 2 hardboiled eggs per person (boiled at home and ziplocked), 2 biscuits per person (baked at home and ziplocked), 1 or 2 packs of instant grits or instant Oatmeal(per person), raw bacon for cooking if water is not an issue, or a canned meat such as SPAM (1 can per meal).

For Lunch:
I no longer carry a specific meal for lunch since I/we have never slowed down enough to prepare and eat a lunch. I/we carry a couple of different Trail Mixes, energy bars, cheese and crackers to eat at lunchtime and in between meals.

For Supper:
I will normally carry an MRE or a can of (Beef Stew, Chicken & Dumplings, Chili, etc) aka: C-Ration and some crackers.

Breakfast normally stays the same but I/we do something different for each Supper that we are out.

Cheese and Biscuits snacks

The Lake District Cheese Co. Extra Mature Cheddar (yes an English Cheese -not Scottish- so must be pretty darn good)

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/asda-comp..._campaign=56192

Stockans Thick Orkney Oatcakes

http://www.stockan-and-gardens.co.uk/oatcakes.html

I will even sometimes take some bread such as Biona Organic Rye Bread -with Hemp Seed.

http://www.windmillorganics.com/product-368-1.html

Puddings include Tropical Fruit Cocktail and Custard. (serve cold)

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/asda-comp...trate_400g.html

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-pri...stard_425g.html

Just Puds individual Gingerbread Puddings again served with custard (served hot)

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsbury...ings_2x90g.html

For a low-prep single overnighter, our family usually ends up with these as the final contenders:

SNACKS:
-crackers, cheese and jerky/pepperoni
-celery with peanut butter
-apples
-grapes (frozen in a ziplock bag the night before)

LUNCH:
-PB/ hot dogs/cheese in wraps (Condiment up the meat and cheese for more flavour! A mini can of salsa and/or jalapanos, sauce/ketchup/mustard from fast food places work well. Take-out jam and honey work well with the PB.)
*OR*
-can of baked beans or stew

DINNER:
-KD with hotdogs/pepperoni/tuna and sweet snap peas if they're in season. (Works with rice too! Make the powdered cheese sauce with powdered milk and margarine. Marg pepper, hot sauce, etc. from fast food places)
-cucumber and baby carrots

DESSERTS:
-marshmallows or some other roasted treat
-choco chip cookies
-peanut m&ms

BREAKFAST:
-COFFEE
-granola, or instant oatmeal, made with hot chocolate and raisins or dried cherries/cranberries

Simple is ramen with a meat packet, and finish with instant oatmeal.

a MRE meat pack, like the meat loaf in the photo, along with about a cup of instant rice is a real filler and easy to make.heat the water for the rice and while it's getting ready drop the MRE in the boiling water.i mix in a few spoons of butter to the whole thing to give more taste to the rice.

Remember that peanut butter, oranges, bacon and canned fish are what attract bears the most.

By the way, please consider reporting on what you did and how it worked out!

I like to keep it basic. It helps me with my fantasy that Im a rugged cowboy surviving off the bare minimal as I Travel to my destination... Or something to that effect.... Dont judge me....

Does that mean your compatriots have to stay upwind when dinner is served.

Not really possible to live like that now a days with hunting laws in place, you can't just live off the land like they did then

how about a Whelen Sandwich? named after it's inventor Townsend Whelen of turn of the century,1901,outdoor fame.a "clean out the frige" sandwich that's made at home and fried up in camp.the trick of course is heavy thick bread with cooked bacon,fried egg,cheese,onion..whatever.you hit camp and heat it up with the grease of your choice.no pots to clean or water to boil,just wipe out the fry pan.i would think a big hot sandwich at the end of the day would beat a freeze dry dinner--or a MRE...

I'm biased. My personal favourite is fresh trout and baked beans over a campfire. Of course, that implies that you use a campfire instead of a stove and that you have luck when fishing.

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That is a nice setup.

Jeanette Isabelle

Hmmm... shore lunch! From my brother's fishing lodge.
Friendly lake trout - I'd guess about 10 lbs (small for this lake)
Duncan Lake, North West Territories, Canada

PIZZA! or not.

Beef stew (or pork hock and lentil stew) assembled, partially cooked then bagged & frozen. Actually just about any home cooked meal that can be prepared ahead of time and frozen will work. It will thaw by the time you set up camp. You aren't limited to ramen noodles and pre-packed tuna (although I do like that!)

LOL! I learn from the best!

mmmMMM!!!

Thanks Jeanette. It was a gift to my mom, as a back-up to her propane set-up at her trailer. We also got her an old oven grill that fits nicely over the iron fire pit ring. DS and I were teaching my mom how to cook over a campfire.

BTW - that little stainless grill cost $4.99 at Walmart. It's made to hold 4 burgers. It was a bit loose for our little rainbow but it worked ok as long as we flipped carefully.

Excellent point Roar. If we know we're going to be limited to a stove because of fire restrictions, I'll very often do just that. Beef stew and chilie are popular with my brood. Just be careful about leaks.

Grrr...some of us curmudgeons aren't on Facebook!

How MANY people are you feeding? Oiy! 2 or 12?

I sure like that picture of the trout cooking over an open fire. It just doesn't get any better.

There is always the full English Breakfast fry up to get you going in the morning



Scrambled eggs, Sausages, Bacon and Black Pudding.

One of my options for a one-nighter is to get son involved in "building" foil hobo dinners a couple of days ahead. These are frozen for a couple days, then placed in plastic bag and wrapped in a towel. If you insulate them with the towel and put them in the middle of your pack they will be thawed just right for that night. I know you said gas stove... But hey, here's an opportunity to practice fire building skills.