I always thought headlamps were a little gimicky. Our Scout troop was going caving and we had to provide our own lights so I broke down and bought a Petzel Yukon (I think). Has a center bulb for distance and three led's for close light. Found it to be pretty convenient, but slightly bulky with three AA's. Bought my son a Petzel Tikka Plus for our trip to Philmont. Super light weight. Ended up buying one for myself. Used for 9 days on the trail on a pair of AAA's and you could hardly tell. It sips battery juice. Now it is my first go to when the lights go out. It is a whole lot easier to drag out the generator from the garage and run the cable through the basement to the disconnect switch, when you don't have to fumble with a flashlight.

I know I am slightly off topic with the above, but I can remember back when I used to cook on a camp stove in the dark with a minimag in my mouth. Now I wonder why I was so stubborn about trying a headlamp!

Right, Streamlight makes some with rubber straps, but this kind of setup goes in the "fragile" part I was talking about. I can easily imagine a strong branch getting under the strap and catching the whole lamp in rough terrain!

I am working on some kind of setup with glue and plastic hooks to keep the strap near the helmet...

Somewhere in the distant past, I think I read about some stand to hold freeze-dried meal pouches while you filled them with boiling water. It was pretty much a waste to carry anyways. I think some people still make "bag cozys" out of that mylar-ish bubble wrap to hold in heat while the food rehydrates. I've only ever eaten a few of those meals and gave them up for the bags of instant flavored rice or noodles. One of those and a retort-packed bag of chicken makes a heck of a warm meal for only a little more weight (but less money) than a bag of freeze-dried sponges.

Since I keep my Arc AAA-P on a keychain, I can usually toss or tuck half the keychain's load somewhere to put the light where I need it. Or I just hang it from a neck lanyard. I keep a nylon cord fob (braided neck lanyard) on another light and I can just bite down on the fob instead of the metal light body.

I like headlamps, particularly the cheap ones. I use a cheap Energizer one that swivels, so I can just set it on a work surface and angle it how I need to. Or it makes a decent night-light in the tent.

I like the idea of trying out your cooking. I break out a soda can stove every month or two and cook a simple dinner for me and the kids. Partly to try out my latest stove or pot stand or other toy and partly because they think it's neat. I need to break down and try baking over a can stove.

Having lived without power a few times due to different storms, it's amazing how much you can crave just a hot meal. PB&J, cheese crackers, granola bars, etc. get old really quickly.

The mashed potato pouches, particularly the "loaded" kind. Add a small can of deviled ham or some bacon bits, maybe a shot of butter and/or sour cream powder if you enough of a headonist to have put that in your stash, and a maybe a small can of sweet corn. If you find them, some wild onion, or fresh chives that went wild. And it is good to carry in the fall- cut it with half the volume of mashed cattail tubers, and no one will be able to tell.

And you don't need to drain anything like you do with pastas. Just slowly add a little water until it is your desired consistancy- the rest of the water turns into tea.

Although, if you are true survival gourmet.... Freeze dried corn, with some lime juice crystals, butter powder, and freeze dried salsa, in a pouch. Add a some water to rehydrate it, add a broiled partridge (and the juices), toss to coat.

Or carry lime, lemon and orange crystals, and mix a bit of each (I do two parts lemon and lime, one part orange) with some black pepper and water, and marinate the partridge in it before steaming in foil along with fresh fiddlehead ferns and the first dandelion leaves of the spring.

Or some dried onion, a tiny bag of real bacon bits, and a sliced puff ball, sauteed in a little deer fat along with a nice plump rabbit that has been cut into strips.

Hmm... five star grubby living. Beats the wonder of MRE clam chowder all hollow. And no, that isn't why my pack is heavy- it's the water.

Maybe this could be usefull for people who needs a helmet ?

I wear a hardhat in an industrial environment where snagging isn't a real big concern. Seem to me that anything you add to the outside, like hooks, is going to increase the likelyhood of getting snagged. How about using adhesive (maybe 3M Super 77 spray or brush-on rubber cement) on the inside of the band to keep it next to the cap. The adhesive would have to be recommended for use on rubber. It doesn't have to be solidly bonded, just sticky enough to make it difficult to get a finger under. Drilling mounting holes can weaken the cap and some glues will make the plastic brittle.

*edit* - OR... how about covering the strap with a layer of our dear friend, duct tape.

Puff ball! Battered, seasoned, and pan fried. Mmmmmmm... That's some good fungus. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I harken back to my original post---

Not to discount the substantial significance of renewable natural edibles, but freeze dried food in an emergency=NO pots to scrub. Somehow, I cannot discount the incredible value (to me), of that. Not only am I lazy, but it does conserve considerable water to use for more cooking/drinking activities. OK, I AM real lazy.

Sorry. I enjoyed your post and can fully appreciate no-cleanup cooking and careful use of water. It's good that you got out there and tried some of your emergency stuff, something I should do more often.

It's just that "Chewy chicken tasting sponges in a white sauce." made fried fungus sound pretty tasty. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I'm kidding!!! (not about the puff ball though, it's good stuff)

We need a recipe thread.

In Iowa, where I used to live, my yard was the national puffball sanctuary for some reason. I do know what you mean about sliced and sauteed puffballs. And also sauteed morels, which are quite available IF (a big IF) you know where to look. It's a highly guarded secret!