I saw this bacon flavoured gum in a store the other day:

http://www.amazon.com/Gumballs-Pieces-Novelty-Product-Breakfast/dp/B001MP30DG

I didn't buy it (even though it comes in a tin just like Altoids!) but it got me thinking about bacon. I love bacon, especially in the bush, but I usually only take it car camping, along with the old cast iron frying pan or Dutch oven. Cooking it on a stick hanging over the fire, is probably my favorite way to cook it, because it gets infused with smoke and the clean-up is simple, but I rarely take bacon when I'm on foot. I think the biggest reason is getting it cold and the potential for a leak.

So... please! Help me get more bacon to my trail side meals! How do you do your bacon?

Fried

(Sorry, couldn't resist).

Thanks for the "hang-over-the-fire" tips, I'm looking forward to try that.

Honestly, I haven't really made all that fuss over bacon, so far I've just put it in a pan and fried it, just like at home. In the winter it's no problem keeping it cold. In the summer you either eat it before it gets funky or take extreme measures to keep it cold. On a weeklong trip I had two out of eight getting a little sick over not-so-good bacon, not fun but we were lucky: A few hours of slight discomfort and they were good again.

Canoe tip for keeping meat cold: Freeze it, then wrap it in towels inside a non-waterproof bag or whatever. Keep that soaked at all times. In a canoe it's no trouble giving the "fridge" a splash of water every now and then. Freezing isn't really nescessary, but it helps, even if it's just a small part of the total meat content.

you might be able to sweet talk Spuds into pressure canning a pint or so of bacon wrapped in parchment paper... just to see how it comes out

Is there a bad way?

I'm pretty sure I saw bacon-flavoured vodka in the liquor store the other day. No, I didn't try it.

I think there is canned bacon out there.

I have tried canned bacon. It's expensive, but you get a lot and it's surprisingly good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7RXQQK8YYY

If it is fried too crispy! Bacon done right still has some tenderness in it. And that ooh so sensual and delectable aroma! Mmmm, bbaaccoonn!

bacpacjac,

Slab bacon can be kept for several days without refridgeration, just wrap in a cloth moistened in vinegar. Canned bacon is good, but both have been replace by precooked bacon. Available in the grocery store. I like the Hormel, but most of the major brands are good. Each has a somewhat different taste, just like their uncooked stuff. I use the 1 lb equivilent for medium groups (it needs to be used in a couple of days after opening) and the big size for a crowd (72 pcs of bacon!!) or very big eaters. I also keep one in the fridge at work. Most of the time I use the smaller packages of bits or pieces for one or two. Just enough for one or two meals (I do like bacon and use a lot). I also carry some for snacking and keep it in my ruck. The only things missing are the smell of it cooking and the bacon grease for cooking. But you don't need a cast iron skillet.

I still carry fresh eggs for the first couple of days though, have not found a powdered or precooked that I like as well.

Respectfully,

Jerry

p.s. You just convinced me to make some right now! ((-:

Yup,weve done it.When cooked it tends to flake away,so more for mixing into a mashed potato pancake than as strips.Or with bean soups,that sort of thing.

But I do have some,maybe post it up when I have time.