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Grub it in style...don't just grin and bear it!Grubbin'
Grubbin’ : A little planning, a lot to look forward to…

Trail foods have come a long way from pemmican and parched corn (although both are nutritious high energy rations). Not only are a wide variety of foods available, but they come in such an extensive range of processing and packaging that a person can be overwhelmed at first. Here’s how to find the foods that will let you be creative and adventurous in a practical way while still planning tasty, easy to prepare meals.

NUTRITION AT A GLANCE
new2yello.gif (111 bytes) Spice It Up
Foraging for trail grub

 

FRESH FOODS

On the trail, fresh foods aren't always the best -a head of lettuce can turn to brown slime after a day in a warm, jostling pack. Since most fresh foods have a fairly high water content, they're quite heavy. Most often you want to take only a few fresh foods and eat them early in your trip to lighten the load and prevent spoilage. They add a nice variety, as well as good energy and essential vitamins and minerals. Also, they tend to be relatively inexpensive and easy to find at local grocers and general stores. Here’s a small list of some fresh foods suitable for more than one day on the trail:

CANNED FOODS

You can get all kinds of foods in cans: meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, sauces, stews, pasta dishes,and even entire meals. All can be stored for a year or more. Because canned foods contain lots of water, they're heavy- a drawback for backpacking, especially for long trips. And you must pack the cans out!!! Most are inexpensive to moderate in price, are available at supermarkets and require little or no cooking. Canned foods useful for backpacking include:

LOW-MOISTURE AND DEHYDRATED FOODS

By exposing these foods to heated air, a large proportion of their water has been removed. Because of the reduced water content, these foods weigh less than their fresh counterparts and are fairly durable and nonperishable. Cost is low to moderate. Rehydrate by soaking or simmering. Many are stocked at grocery and health food stores (some require a little more searching like a visit to an oriental or other ethnic food store), examples include:

DRIED FOODS

These lightweight, non-perishable foods have only about 5% of the water they normally contain. Some, such as milk, reconstitute easily in cold water. Others, such as dried beans, require long cooking to rehydrate and soften. Because of their durability and ease of preparation, these dried foods will most likely form a major portion of most back-packers diets. Cost tends to be low to moderate, but can get rather high depending on how exotic, or where you buy from. Some good sources are backpack suppliers, health food stores, and ethnic grocers. Good dried choices include:

RETORT FOODS

The newest in the line of backpacking foods is retort packaged foods; these are high moisture foods cooked in durable foil pouches or "flexible cans." They require only the pouch to be dropped into boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, thus saving a messy pot. Some can be eaten cold out of the pouch (smoked salmon) or placed in an inside pocket to warm without cooking. For rice and pasta, a perforated pouch allows cooking in 5 to 10 minutes in the same pot of boiling water as another dish.

Retorts are heavier and more expensive than many other freeze dried or low moisture foods, but they're very palatable and come in a variety of complete entrees. They're non-perishable if the pouch remains intact. If the pouch becomes punctured, spoilage can occur because preservatives are rarely included. Retorts make excellent, easily prepared stormy weather meals. They're available from local distributors, backpacking stores and some grocery markets. Examples include:

Also new on the food packaging market are foods in hermetically sealed semi-rigid foil/paper/plastic composite packages. They're durable and need no refrigeration until opening. Because these foods are fresh and high in water content, they're also heavy. Their cost is moderate and they're available at the local grocery. The package is nonburnable and must be packed out. Examples you may want to take along include:

FREEZE-DRIED FOODS

These very lightweight, nutritious and appealing foods, which retain a fresh appearance after reconstitution with water, have had up to 97% of their water removed. For use, most require only soaking in cold or hot water or minimal cooking time. Disadvantages include their expense and occasional blandness when prepackaged as "complete entrees." So, I prefer to use freeze-dried foods separately or to make my own combinations for preparing meals. This way, flavors remain more distinct. Most freeze-dried foods must be purchased from backpacking stores, ethnic grocers, or trail food mail order houses. A partial list of freeze-dried foods includes:

 

NUTRITION AT A GLANCE

How carefully you plan the nutritional composition of foods you take to the backcountry depends mainly on the duration of your trip. In general, hikers on trips lasting fewer than five days do not run the risk of developing unbalanced nutrition, especially if adequate calories are consumed daily. There are five nutrients necessary for good health: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

1. Carbohydrates: Both simple and complex provide efficient fuel for your body. The simple carbohydrates are found in sugar, honey, jellies, syrups; complex carbohydrates come from whole foods (rice, cereal, pasta) and fruits and vegetables. On the average, carbohydrates should make up 55 to 60 percent of the calories in your daily diet.

2. Proteins: Needed for maintenance, repair and growth, come from plant and animal foods: lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, cereal grains, beans and peas, nuts and seeds. When planning menus for a trip, make sure 15 to 20 percent of daily calories come from proteins.

3. Fats: Also obtainable from plant or animal sources, have more than twice the energy provided by either carbohydrates or proteins, but they should constitute no more than 25 to 30 percent of the daily calories. Foods high in fats are vegetable oils, butter, margarine, cheeses, nut butters, salamies, beef sticks and sausage.

4. Vitamins: Are necessary for the many chemical reactions in the body to take place. Minerals are components of many body parts. On short backcountry trips, vitamin and mineral deficiencies are not a problem if a variety of foods are eaten.

5. Water: As mentioned earlier, is absolutely essential. An adult’s body is about 60 percent water, which is in constant change and circulation. All bodily functions depend upon water, so adequate amounts must be furnished to prevent dehydration. At sea level, under conditions of moderate exercise, an average adult requires about two liters of fluid daily. As attitude, exercise and sweating (or excessive open-mouth breathing of cold air at high elevations) increase, the requirement for water rises.

When planning your menus, figure on packing about the same amount of food for each meal that you would normally eat at home. This may be about 1 to 21/2 pounds of food per person per day. Remember, individual energy requirements vary greatly; endurance trained individuals burn food more efficiently than sedentary people.

 

Spice It Up

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On short trips, taste is probably your most important consideration. It’s extremely important to make meals appetizing and diversified. Even favorite foods can become tedious when served daily. Take turns, try new things (preferably at home first).

One simple way to liven up foods is with herbs, spices, condiments and extracts. You'll need only small amounts, and seasonings take up minimal space in your pack. Basic vanilla pudding can become banana or coconut by using extracts; a dash of cinnamon and sugar converts toast to a breakfast treat. Curry paste or powder to that regular stew or soup. Hispanic, middle-eastern, and oriental condiments and spices go a long way to perking up any meal. Plus they tend to be considerably cheaper than camping suppliers!

You might also try spicing up your meals with dried, prepackaged gravy and sauce mixes. Herb blends -commercial or home-(blended favorites can also add zest to everyday foods).

Trailside Flavor Enhancers

 

Foraging for trail grub

In general, you may want to buy much of your food at a supermarket. Prices are low and you can choose from familiar brands. Certain foods are best found in backpacking retail stores or through mail order outdoor-food companies. Mail order companies have a larger selection, but you must allow for shipping time, backorders and possible shipment damage.

Health food stores and ethnic markets (Hispanic, Middle Eastern, European, & Asian) are another overlooked, excellent source of foods for the trail. Many of these foods come in dehydrated or dried forms-excellent for the pack. Oriental markets have many varieties of pickled vegetables, ingeniously packaged in pouches, which form delightful fresh and crisp additions to camp meals.

If you're really adventurous, you may want to forage for some of your own backcountry food. Gathering wild edibles can supplement camp meals with unique and fresh foods. Some common examples are: blue berries, huckleberries, blackberries, watercress, dandelion greens, mint, and nuts. Remember to never harvest more than will be used or wipe out a plant colony and don't rip up roots -unless edible root portions are your goal. Never gather species that are endangered. If hunting or fishing, be sure to have proper licenses and follow all local rules and regulations. Show some common sense and don't eat anything you can't positively identify, or are "if-y" about.

A little planning, shopping , and preparation ahead of time will insure that your trailside fare will not only be nutritious, but quite a bit more pleasing to the palate. (Experiment at home with new condiments and dried food combinations). You’ll look forward to that next meal more than ever…!

Bon Apetit!

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