SAVING MONEY ON BACKPACKING FOOD
By Steve Williamson
(C) 1995 Williamson Imagineering
Many people find the purchase price of prepackaged "backpacking food" to be
costly. Such dehydrated foods are convenient, however, as well as light and
easy to carry. This article details some very simple ways that you can save
money when feeding yourself on backpacking trips while keeping that
convenience and conservation of weight and space found in store-bought
dehydrated foods.
In Appendix A, you can find a list of the many different types of food
appropriate for dehydration and backpacking, and the best times of the year
for their purchase.
FOOD TYPES
The fact remains that we need certain nutrients to survive. Something as
mundane as Vitamin C becomes a valued commodity when you are out to sea for
extended periods of time, lending meaning to that old pirate saying, "Argh, ye
scurvy dog!"
Although you won't get scurvy by not eating an orange a day on a week-long
backpack trip, nutrition is still a factor when it comes to keeping your body
supplied with the necessary energy (in the form of carbohydrates, sugars and
fat) to get your body back OUT of the woods.
The single most important food item you need when trekking the backcountry is
water. Drink as much as possible. Period. You can survive much longer
without food than you can without water. Even if you do eat, you still need
water in your system in order to metabolize that food, much in the same way
that wood needs oxygen in order to burn.
Many people find that meat is not a necessity when backpacking. Protein in
sufficient quantities can be found through many lighter foods that won't
spoil, such as nuts, beans, and peas. Peanuts are fairly high in protein, as
well as lentils. Jerky, in all it's wonderful forms, is great for its flavor
and munchability. Plus, it won't spoil the first day you hit the trail.
Carbohydrates keep your muscles fed with energy, and also help to keep your
body warm as well. Carbos can be found in many wonderful food items such as
pastas (great source!), fruit (dehydrated, of course!), and dairy products,
such as powdered milk and cheese.
Fat, typically, is not a desired food item during the regular hustle and
bustle of everyday life. At least not if you listen to TV commercials. But
in the woods, it equates to energy, approaching carbohydrates in value. If
you are taking a particular food item on a backpacking trip, and you have a
choice between the regular or the low/non-fat type, get the regular kind.
You'll be burning plenty of calories huffing it up that trail, so don't get
paranoid about how wide your hips will be when you get back. Their high fat
content is what makes grub worms such a highly valuable survival food.
Individual nutritional needs will vary, of course. Women, for example, have
a significantly higher need of iron for several reasons. Women don't store
iron as well as men do, and their monthly cycle drains their body of iron in
the form of red blood cells. In Addition, iron becomes important at high
altitudes because it enables your red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout
your body more effectively.
PRESERVATION
This section deals with the two factors involved in packing your food with you
on long trails: preservation and conservation. The former is obvious: how
long will your food last without spoiling? The second deals with how light or
how small the food becomes, thus helping to conserve weight and valuable pack
space.
The standard method of preserving and conserving food is through a method
called "dehydration". To dehydrate something is simply to remove any and all
moisture from it, thereby making it "dry". This often results in a
substantial space and weight reduction in the food item, while leaving most,
if not all, of the nutrients in tact.
Many foods come without water in them right off the shelf, such as pastas,
beans, peas and nuts. Meats, fruits, and vegetables, however, usually need to
be dehydrated separately, or bought that way from the store.
Many different kinds of fruit can be purchased in a dehydrated state: apples,
apricots and peaches can often be found either in the produce or baking
section of the grocery store. Banana "chips" are found in the bulk-food isle,
as well as other more exotic fruits such as papaya. You can
also pick up "quickie" rolled oats in the bulk-food isle; add some dehydrated
berries or banana chips to make some really great hot oatmeal for those cold
mornings.
Meat is typically found in the form of jerky, as mentioned earlier. This
author, however, will also take along tuna in the single-serving sized
pull-tab cans. Granted, the empty can still takes up just as much space as it
did full, but you can add the tuna to just about any hot dish to change
the flavor significantly. (Get the water-packed type, not the oil-packed
variety.)
Vegetables, however, aren't very easy to find dehydrated in the store. At
least this author has never been able to find any. This usually requires the
use of a food dehydrator at home...
Food dehydrators range in cost from $29.95 (mail order) to several hundred
dollars, depending on quality and capacity. They all, however, basically work
the same. A heat source, as well as air movement, combine to slowly remove
all moisture from the food items placed on the stackable trays. Just about
anything can be dehydrated using these appliances; most come with a booklet
describing how to properly dehydrate various foods, as well as estimated time
requirements. Homemade dehydrators are also possible, with the use of
plexiglass, plywood, several wood-framed screens and a well placed lightbulb.
Seal dehydrated foods in a zipped bag, or for people that backpack several
times a year, a vacuum sealed plastic bag. The latter is the best method for
long-term storage. Vacuum sealers range in cost between $40 to several
hundred dollars.
SAVING MONEY
If you backpack often enough, the cost of a dehydrator and vacuum sealer can
easily be justified. Pre- packaged dehydrated backpacking meals can be quite
expensive. In order to save money on food, buy your granola, beans, peas, and
pasta in the bulk-food isle of your grocery store. Then head over to the soup
isle and pick up several packets of the old stand-by "instant soup". I
recommend you avoid the Ramen-type noodles as they take a large amount of
water and fuel to heat it up. Rice-a-Roni also makes a two-serving package of
"quick fix" flavored rice dishes that work great on the trail, all for around
$1.10 per package.
Keep your eye open when traveling the isles of your grocery store. If
something requires that you add hot water in order to prepare it, it is a good
candidate for backpack food. Base your ultimate decision on the nutrition
gained vs. the preparation time, weight, and size.
Even some prepackaged backpacking foods would require a professionally trained
chef to prepare, so read the label. "Boil 3.5 oz of water for 7.5 minutes,
then slowly add the contents of packet 2C, stirring in a counter-clockwise
motion, for another 3.25 minutes. Begin mixing the
contents of packet 1D in a sterile brass container with 2.3 oz of water (at a
temperature of 184 degrees Fahrenheit)..."
PREPARATION
Assuming you have plenty of no-cook food items, such as granola, fruit, or
jerky, there is then little or no preparation to be done, thus saving fuel and
time. However, most other food items described herein that require cooking
only need the addition of hot water.
Feel free to experiment with combinations of foods. Take along a small
container of table spices, such as Mrs. Dash, to liven up otherwise boring
soup mixes or pastas. Add dried tomatoes and corn to a hot pot of tortellini.
Better yet, add your spices ahead of time when "bagging" your
home-dried foods.
Below are some sample recipes for combining dehydrated food items to make a
regular meal. It is usually most convenient to pre-mix these items into a
single bag before setting out:
WAKE-UP OATMEAL
"Quickie" rolled oats
Powdered milk
Cinnamon Apple chips, in 1/4" chunks or
slices
Half-packet of hot chocolate mix
This makes an apple/cinnamon oatmeal with a little bit of a chocolate taste
that really helps to warm yourself up on a cold morning. Some people
substitute "Instant Breakfast" mix for the hot chocolate mix - - in order to
get more vitamins and minerals -- although it doesn't usually taste quite as
good. You can also add brown sugar if desired.
TASTY OMELETS
Powdered eggs
Dehydrated tomatoes
Dehydrated green peppers
Onion flakes
Use differing quantities of tomato, peppers, and onion to taste. The trick is
to pre-mix everything at home, after experiment with spice quantities, so that
all you have to do is pour your powdered concoction into a pan of hot water to
get a morning or lunch omelet that doesn't have the traditional "powdered egg
blahs."
BEAN AND PASTA SOUP
Pasta (tortellini, elbow macaroni, etc.)
Pinto beans
Cous cous (sp)
Dehydrated red peppers
Dehydrated green onions
Onion flakes
Garlic powder
Again, experiment with the quantity of spices, then combine ahead of time in
single-serving bags. This dish tastes great and provides lots of protein and
carbohydrates. Be sure to pre-soak the beans for about an hour prior to
cooking. This can be done while still on the trail.
RICE POCKETS
Rice-A-Roni (quick cook) or 5-minute white rice
Parmesan cheese
Dehydrated green peppers
Dehydrated mushrooms
Pita Bread
Cook the rice as directed, along with the green peppers and mushrooms. When
the rice is done, scoop it into a pita bread pocket along with the parmesan
cheese. This dish is loaded with carbohydrates and fiber, and tastes great.
TANGY WATER
Gatorade/Kool-Aid packet (w/o sugar)
Water
Tired of tasting the iodine in your treated water? Keep a zipped bag of
flavored, granulated drink mix with you. After treating your water for the
prescribed duration, add just enough drink mix to it to cover up any foul
taste from the purification tablets. If you carry a survival water filter,
your water should have no noticeable taste.
APPENDIX A
Most foods will cost you less money if you buy them during certain months of
the year. This is usually due to their availability, harvest times, and
perceived consumer demand.
JANUARY:
Potatoes, turnips, winter squash, cauliflower, avocados, bananas, cabbage,
mushrooms and pears.
FEBRUARY:
Bananas, avocados, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tangerines, winter
squash, mushrooms, and pears.
MARCH:
Radishes, spinach, avocados, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, broccoli,
grapefruit, mushrooms, and lettuce.
APRIL:
Strawberries, asparagus, cabbage, bananas, chicory, onions, pineapples,
escarole, rhubarb, and spinach.
MAY:
Tomatoes, watercress, asparagus, celery, bananas, papayas, peas, pineapples,
potatoes, strawberries, and watercress.
JUNE:
Peas, avocados, bananas, apricots, cantaloupes, cucumbers, cherries, corn,
figs, green beans, limes, mangos, nectarines, onions, peaches, peppers,
pineapples, plums, and summer squash.
JULY:
Prunes, watermelon, apricots, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, cabbage,
cantaloupes, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, figs, dill, apples, green
beans, nectarines, peaches, peppers, and okra.
AUGUST:
Summer squash, tomatoes, apples, bananas, beets, berries, cabbage, carrots,
corn, cucumbers, eggplant, dill, figs, melons, nectarines, pears, peaches,
plums, and potatoes.
SEPTEMBER:
Squash, tomatoes, yams, apples, bananas, broccoli, corn, cucumbers, carrots,
cauliflower, dill, figs, grapes, greens, melons, okra, onions, pears,
peppers, potatoes, summer squash, and apples.
OCTOBER:
Apples, pumpkins, yams, bananas, broccoli, grapes, peppers, and persimmons.
NOVEMBER:
Pumpkins, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, broccoli, cranberries, cabbage,
cauliflower, dates, eggplant, and mushrooms.
DECEMBER:
Apples, tangerines, avocados, bananas, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, lemons,
limes, mushrooms, pears and pineapple.
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