"Courageous Cookery"

[SSScout 1615]

And the thirteenth point of the Scout Law is "A Scout is Hungry"...

 

*(( The true author of this article is unknown. It is here copied from the COME HOSTELING newsletter, Sept. 1980, of the Potomac Area Council of the American Youth Hostels, who received it from Dick Schwanke, Senior PAC Staff Trainer, who read it in the APPALACHIAN HIKER by Ed Garvey, who got it from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Conference Bulletin, which quoted it from THE RAMBLER of the Wasatch Montain Club of Salt Lake City, which reportedly cribbed it from the I.A.C. News of Idaho Falls, which reported it from the 1966 PEAKS & TRAILS. I offer it here for your enjoyment and inspiration. Note that some of the ingredients are a bit dated. Adjust as necessary. Enjoy!))

"Courageous Cookery" by John Echo*

Once the convert backpacker or cycle camper has accepted the subtle gustatory nuances associated with sustained operations beyond the chrome, he should try the advantages of ultra fringe living so that he will realize what he is paying for his nested pots and pretty pans carried so diligently and brought home so dirty after every "wilderness experience". The following system works. It is dependable and functional. It works on the big rock. It even works when the weather has gone to hell, you are wet and cold and the wind is blowing down the back of your hairy neck. It is not for the timid. It consists of a stove, a six inch sauce pan, a plastic cup and a soup spoon. If you insist on a metal cup, you must never fail to mutter "I'm having fun, I'm having fun", every time you spill the soup on your sleeping bag.

Breakfast: Instant wheat cereal-- sugar and powdered milk added-- ready two minutes after water boils. Eat from pot. Do not wash pot. Add water, boil, and add powdered eggs and ham. You'll never taste the cereal anyway. In three minutes, eat eggs. Do not wash pot. Add water or snow and boil for tea. Do not wash pot. Most of the residue eggs will come off in the tea water. Make it strong and add sugar. Tastes like tea. Do not wash pot. With reasonable technique, it should be clean. Pack pot in rucksack and enjoy last cup of tea while others are dirtying entire series of nested cookware.

Lunch: Boil pot of tea. Have snack of rye bread, cheese and dried beef Continue journey in 10 minutes if necessary.

Dinner: Boil pot of water, add Wylers dried vegetable soup and beef bar. Eat from pot. Do not wash pot. Add water and potatoes from dry potatoe powder. Add gravy mix to taste. Eat potatoes from pot. Do not wash pot. Add water and boil for tea. Fortuitous fish or meat can be cooked easily. You do not need oil or fat. Put half inch of water in pot. Add cleaned and salted fish. Do not let water boil away. Eat from pot when done. Process can be done rapidly. Fish can even be browned somewhat by a masterful hand.

Do not change menu. Variation only recedes from the optimum. Beginners may be allowed to wash pot once a day for three consecutive days only. It is obvious that burning or sticking food destroys the beauty of the technique. If you insist on carrying a heavier pack, make up the weight you save with extra food. Stay three days longer.

 

YiS (This message has been edited by SSScout)

[CA_Scouter 11]

Hmmm, it looks to me the time you save cooking might be taken up by the increased number of times you have to 'trot' off into the bushes.

 

Bring the Imodium!

 

 

[yellow_hammer 10]

If you're objective is to have maximum nature time and you consider eating and all that goes with it a nuisance then I suggest you go light to max - don't take any food at all. You can leave the pots, stove, and fuel at home as well. I did it in an escape and evasion course once for ten days in February. I lost 27 pounds but was none the worse for wear. Another side benefit - no need for cat holes. The first three days were kind of tough but after that I wasn't hungry anymore.

 

I went on a 5-day rock climbing trip once in fair weather. We only took summer sausage and some GORP to eat. No cooking gear needed. We took the food and water, ponchos and poncho liners to sleep in, ropes to climb with, and that was about it. We rolled everything except the ropes up in the ponchos and tied it all in a loop that we put over our shoulders like confederate soldiers did. It was one of the best times I had in my life.

 

Of course, I was a bit younger when I did those things.

[GernBlansten 10]

At NT, we had the human sump. Each meal someone was designated the sump. At the end of the meal, the pot was awashed in water, heated then the human sump processed it. We had very little trash at the end of the trek. And the designated human sump made sure everyone finished the meal. Made KP duty a cinch too.