It's the time of year again where I go through my kits and rotate out the hot weather specific stuff and swap it for cold weather stuff. Part of this process is changing batteries, topping up fire kits, etc, but I also use it as a chance to change up the food options I carry.

I add more food at this time of year, and think more about cooking meals that I do during our few months of summer. Hot drinks and food go a long way to fighting the cold and hypothermia. They're also a huge morale boost and cooking is one of my favourite outdoor activities.

As I was repacking my main day hike kit this weekend, I switched up my main emergency food menu - sticking with just add boiling water rice/noodles/soup and foil-packed fish/chicken, but I added more calories and changed up the varieties.

I don't want to derail ATN's thread about what kind of emergency food we pack and store in our trunks. My question to you is: do you keep anything in your kits to make your food taste better? Not main or side dishes, but spices, seasonings, sweeteners, hot sauces, etc. You can survive well on boring, bland food but why? LOL!

When re-stocking my main day hike cooking kit this weekend, I decided on salt, pepper, honey, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, soy sauce and hot sauce as my always packed go tos. Other than the black pepper and hot sauce, these are all either in convenience packs from MREs/take-out food or have been re-packed into small containers at home. The pepper and hot sauce take up some room and weight but the rest packed easily within the containers I already had in my kit. The pepper is in a bottle with it's own grinder and the hot sauce was a gift from a friend, so they are indulgences I am willing to sacrifice for. (Edit to add that I also carry cooking oil in a 4 oz collapsible flask.)

My thinking is that these should work well to season whatever trip-specific meals I bring, and will also go nicely with the basics I keep in the pack for an unanticipated meal or two, as well as any wild edibles I catch or collect. (Not to mention, some of them can be used or combined to make a nice cup of tea.)

What your pack's panty, my fellow foodies?