Posts filed under 'Camping'
June 12th, 2007
spryken
Our troop is in the final preparation stage for our Fontana Lake trip. A group of older/experienced scouts will be backpacking on the Appalachian Trail from Clingmans Dome to Fontana Marina for 3 days then will canoe on the Lake to complete 50 miles total. The younger scouts will be canoeing on the lake and doing day hikes in the area while the older boys are on the AT.
This is an example of some 2 pronged camping trips we have tried to plan to provide more adventure for the older boys while giving the younger boys a taste of what to expect. I have to admit this has been a logistical nightmare. Earlier trips like this one have been of the same duration. This time, the older group is staying 2 extra nights. Transportation of the canoes and getting the travel vehicles from Clingsman to Fontana has been difficult to plan, to say the least. Another issue is the dropout rate. Seems that scouts sign up for trips without asking their parents, who have summer vacation plans.
But all of that is behind us, all the plans are made and finalized. Now it is just finish my packing, prepare some trail bars and do some last minute shopping, then we are on our way. We will hit the trail some time Friday afternoon. These last few days at work are going to be miserable. I just can’t wait to get on the trail again.
Hike On!
Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping
June 8th, 2007
spryken
As I am preparing for my weekend backpacking trip to the AT, I’ve been thinking about food. Surprise, surprise. I’ve already posted about freezer bag cooking. A lot of those recipes call for a packet of some condiment. Have you ever thought about where you can get those packets?
I’ve already started my trips to the fast-food establishments. There are 2 problems with that.
- I tend to eat there.
- Supplying a crew of 8 can raise some eyebrows.
- You can’t find everything you want or need.
Enter Minimus.biz. “Minimus - For All Your Travel Size Needs”. They 1000s of items in packets or travel size packages. Free shipping on domestic orders over $20. I wish I had found them earlier. I don’t think I can get an order in and delivered before I leave.
They even have the Jalapeno Squeeze Cheese I remember from Philmont. Oh well, there is next time.
Technorati Tags: Backpacking, Hiking, Cooking, Travel
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Camping, Cooking, Hiking
June 7th, 2007
spryken
After my recent post on Turkey Bag Cooking, I found a great resource for Freezer Bag Cooking.
This website discusses the benefits of Freezer Bag cooking. Such as:
When ready to eat, the meal is prepared in and eaten out of the freezer bag. Mealtime becomes fast, effortless and cleanup is as easy as licking your utensil and sealing the zip top bag.
They also have a lot of recipes. Here is one for Tuna Bruschetta:
Tuna “Bruschetta”:
In a sandwich bag put:
1/4 cup Just Tomatoes sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled
2 Tbl dried onions
1/4 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
black pepper to taste
Notes: Measure dry ingredients and mark on bag.
Also take:
1 3 ounce pouch Albacore tuna
1 packet olive oil (1 Tbl)
2 tortillas
1 ounce cheese of choice, diced
Add a 1:1 ratio of water to the vegetable bag. Let sit for 10-30 minutes. Add in oil and stir. Toss in tuna to coat, then add in cheese. Serve on tortillas
Serves 1-2.
This site is definitely worth a look. They have resources to explain how to dehydrate you own food, recipes and gear.
Technorati Tags: Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, Cooking
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Camping, Cooking
May 31st, 2007
spryken
You can use the oven roasting bags, also known as turkey bags, to cook on camping trips. I don’t mean to bake or roast anything, although you can do that too. No, you can use a turkey bag to cook your dehydrated trail meals.
When our troop goes on extended backpacking trips, such as Philmont or our upcoming AT Trip, we share the load of crew gear. We carry 2 stoves and 2 large pots. We do not have to carry 1 stove per person and a pot per person, so we save on total weight.
Here is how we use the turkey bags. We all eat the same dehydrated meal. Measure the required water and bring to a boil. Pour all of the dehydrated meals into a turkey bag. Place the bag in an empty pot and carefully pour in the boiling water. Stir thoroughly, this will take some work. Then close the bag as tightly as possible and let sit. It will need to sit a few minutes longer than the recommended cooking time. Open the bag and again stir thoroughly. Serve. Clean-up is easy, store the used turkey bag in your trash container.
You can do other bag cooking too. Using a zipper bag you can make omelettes. Place 2-3 eggs in a quart size bag. Squish the bag around to “beat” the eggs. Add any omelette fillings you like and cheese. Close the bag and place in a pot of just boiling water. One word of caution, use freezer grade bags. Any others will melt against the side of the pot.
Again, easy clean-up. The boys have fun with the omelettes too.
Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping, Cooking, Gear
December 11th, 2006
spryken
This is a delicious and easy soup. It can be cooked stove top or in a dutch oven. And it really tastes like lasagna!
Yield: 8 cups - 4 servings for hungry scouts, so double or triple
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, diced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs. garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped (14 1/2 ounces)
1 can tomato sauce (10 3/4 ounces) we used jar marinara sauce
2 1/2 cup bowtie pasta
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup provolone cheese or fresh mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh basil - optional
Brown sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; saute’ 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and garlic, and saute’ another 3 minutes.
Add broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and simmer until cooked, about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted.
Place 1/4 cup cheese into serving bowls and pour soup on top. Garnish with Parmesan and basil.
Technorati Tags: boy scouts, scouting, bsa, scout, cooking, camping, recipe
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Entry Filed under: Boy Scouts, Camping, Cooking, Recipes
