Menu Planning

Many years ago, I backpacked the Ridgestone Trail on Isle Royale with my Girl Scout Troop.  The methodology used for food selection and cooking was in pairs.  My food partner and I did a pretty good job with our menu, but another pair didn't have much imagination.  Partway through the trip, their mantra as we were hiking along was "Noodles and Pudding, Noodles and Pudding".  Guess what they ate every dinner all week long!  It didn't take them too long to be tired of what they were eating.  Needless to say, imagination really helps when putting together a menu plan for a backpacking trip.

To put together a menu plan, there are a few subjects to consider:

• Appropriate food for the excursion
• General appeal & Variety
• Adequate Calories and Nutritional value
• Weight and Volume
• Food Packaging
• Pre-Trip Food Preparation
• Food Preparation Methods & Equipment at Camp and on the Trail

Appropriate food for the excursion

To select the appropriate food for the excursion, you must know your trip:

1.     Will your group have access to a vehicle or food store frequently?

2.     Will the climate be below freezing?

3.     How many continuous days will be spent in the backcountry?

4.     Are there any dependencies to get out of the backcountry (are you getting a ground shuttle or a bush plane out)?

5.     What is the accessibility to water?

6.     Is there access to a grocery store, the possibility of a food drop, or could a food cache be set up for use during the trip?

7.     Will you have access to trees that are big enough to handle bear bags?

8.     How many meals per day will be cooked?

9.     What is your crew's method of cooking (white gas or propane stove, campfire, etc.)?

10.  What is the number of persons in the cooking group (individual, pairs, entire group)?

11.  What cooking method will be used (one pot vs. packet)?

Details to think about:

1.     If you will have access to a vehicle or food store frequently throughout the trip, you can consider including perishables in the menu.  If you are in bear country, a vehicle may not be adequate storage.  Consult with the location management (e.g., National Park rangers, State Park rangers, etc.) to determine what food storage technique is required and if there are food lockers available.  Leaving a cooler outside of a vehicle or food locker is not recommended.

2.     If the climate will be below freezing throughout the trip, you can, as in #1 above, consider including perishables in the menu.  It is recommended to use some sort of insulation for the perishables even during winter camping to regulate the food temperature.  (This will reduce daytime thawing and nighttime hard freezes.)  If you are in the front-country, a cooler can be used as long as it can be stored in the required food storage; in the backcountry, you will need to store the insulated perishables with the rest of the food either in bear bags or a bear canister.

3.     Food for a backcountry trek will normally weigh an average of about 2.5 pounds per person per day.  Therefore, a six day excursion will add about 15 pounds to each person's pack.  If you are in a bear environment with inadequate trees, you will need to store your food in a bear canister.  There are various sizes of bear canisters, but most are sized for around 5 to 7 days worth of food.  Other smellable items such as sunscreen, lotion, etc. must also be stored with the food.

4.     If you are dependent on transportation to get you out of the backcountry, you will want to seriously consider carrying extra food for emergencies.  In particular, if you are dependant on a bush plane flight or water taxi out of the backcountry, you need to realize that weather delays are fairly common.  In this case, you may want to pack at least two extra days worth of food for emergencies.  (When selecting the food for the emergency supply, pick items that are cheap and lightweight.  This food will most likely not be in shape to be reused for the next trip and you don't want to throw out expensive food.)

5.     Dehydrated food is by far the lightest and is the preferred selection for "cooked" food in the backcountry.  However, availability of water is a necessity for rehydration.  Alternative foods may need to be considered for dry camps.

6.     If your trip will be long enough that you don't want to or can't carry food supplies for the entire trip, you need to plan to replenish your food.  Where might you have access to purchase or replenish your supplies?  Will your trek take you across roads or though towns where there may be a grocery store?  Do you have a support crew that can meet you along the way?  A figure-8 shaped route will cross back at your beginning allowing you to set up a food cache (with proper food storage in your absence).  Can you charter a shuttle or a bush plane company to meet your group at a pre-arranged location for you to obtain the food supply that you left with them before you started the trek?  (The SPOT can come in handy here.)  For fun, you may want to plan on ordering pizza or stopping by at a restaurant along a road that your route takes you across.

7.     Whether or not you will be in bear country, if you are in the backcountry, you need to properly store your food.  Even ground squirrels can wreak havoc with your food.  You can either store your food in bear bags properly hung from trees or in bear canisters.  To use bear bags, you must be in a region that has trees with branches at least 10 feet off of the ground large enough to support the group's food weight four feet from the trunk.  If you will not reliably have adequate trees, you must plan on using bear canisters.  Weight is of primary importance when backpacking, but if bear canisters are used, volume is also a consideration.

8.     Depending on the group and the weather, a cold breakfast can give the group a faster start.  Lunches are often cold, since groups often plan to be out on the trail or doing other activities during the day.  Dinners are the most likely meal to be cooked.

9.     If you plan on cooking meals, you will need to bring a stove.  Campfires are a special treat, but because of rain and Leave No Trace, it isn't always practical or appropriate to use a fire.

10.  Whether cooking individually, in pairs, or in a group, each method has advantages and disadvantages.  Cooking individually allows each person to select their favorite camp foods and there is normally less wasted food; however, it tends to be more expensive, takes more time for planning and packaging, and many of the pre-packaged dehydrated foods come in servings for two or four.  Cooking in larger groups is generally less expensive and requires less preparation, but it is more difficult to please everyone and to ensure adequate food.  There is also normally more waste.

General Appeal & Variety

If the menu is for more than one person, consensus and communication throughout the menu planning process is imperative.  If the menu planner does not communicate with the group and get consensus on the menu, there is more likelihood that there will be disgruntled campers and leftover food.

Our crew has decreed that for desert "You can never go wrong with Chocolate".

No matter what the consensus, the menu must include variety, flexibility, and quantity.  The weather and activities impact the food desires.  If it is very hot or the activity level is low, less food is normally desired; whereas, if the weather is colder or the activity level is higher, more food will be consumed.  Regardless of the weather or activity level, the same food every day gets extremely monotonous.  The menu should allow for midstream modifications as well as spare food in the case of trip delays or other factors.

There is also a need to have a good group understanding and consensus of:  how much the food will cost, how the food will be prepared prior to the trip, and a consideration of the food preparation and clean-up on the trip.

Adequate Calories and Nutritional value

OK, so this topic is boring, but it is very important.  As discussed above, the menu content must consider the weather and activity level.  The quantity and calorie must be adequate to reduce the possibility of sickness and injury on the trail.  Common sense and variety can go a long way in this area.  Remember, just being out-of-doors makes everyone hungrier and hot food is extremely important during cold weather camping.

Weight and Volume

A general rule of thumb for estimating weight is 2 - 2 ½ lbs per person per day.  If the menu is prepared carefully, this seems to be a fairly accurate method for estimation.

Another consideration is that if bear canisters are used, the food and other smellables must fit in the canisters.  If a group is renting bear canisters, it is recommended to either purchase one canister or ask to borrow one before the trip so that everyone can check to see if their food and smellables will fit in the canister.  And even if bear canisters are not used, the food must fit into packs and be able to be raised in bear bags.

Food Packaging

Prior to the trip, the crew must repack food.  Extra packaging should be removed, but preparation instructions should be transferred to any new packaging.  Re-closable (Zip-Lock) bags are useful for collection of trash after eating.

Pack the food for the crush which will happen in the pack or in the bear canister.  Each person needs to practice the effort to understand how the food will be packed into the container.  "Pack for the Crush."  Crackers, cereal, and tortillas should be pack with care to reduce disintegration.  The bear canisters or food packages should be easily identifiable as to ownership and contents to simplify finding smellables and food in the bear bags or bear canister area.

Pre-Trip Food Preparation

Dehydrated food really eliminates much of the cooking time in camp.  This reduces the amount of fuel required and gives the group more time for hiking or activities.

There are two ways to obtain dehydrated foods.  Either buy it or make it.  Making dehydrated food is not complicated, but it is very time-consuming.  When making dehydrated food for a group taking an extended trip, several weeks will be required for preparation.  Buying dehydrated food can provide more variety and obviously takes much less preparation time, but it is more expensive.

Food Preparation Methods & Equipment at Camp and on the Trail

There are two philosophies of cooking while camping.  The first is that cooking is part of the experience.  The second is that cooking keeps one from other activities.  This should be discussed with the group during the menu planning process.

During backpacking trips, we have found that having no-cook meals for breakfast and lunch simplifies getting out of camp and reduces the time necessary for lunch breaks.  Our general procedure for breakfast is to pack up and leave camp prior to breakfast.  After hiking for about 30 minutes, we take a break to eat a cold breakfast, stretch, and re-tie boots.  However, this can be difficult for those that wish to have coffee each morning.

It is generally necessary to carry two pots for a group:  one pot is used for washing dishes after the meal and one pot is for rinsing and sterilization.  If the group will be preparing and eating their meals out of the dehydrated food preparation bags and the only utensils needed are one spoon per person, only one pot will be needed for sterilization.  However, bag cooking can be difficult:  mixing the food can be unsuccessful and holding on to the food package during eating can be uncomfortable because the container will be hot.

A combination of cooking methods can be used if the dignity of food is desired:  the main entrée can be cooked in a pot, the vegetables or other side dish can be cooked in a bag, and additional hot water for rinsing or additional food can be in the second pot.

Pots should have lightweight lids to speed up cooking.  Nested pots are convenient if bear canisters are not used.  Two large pots are nice if bear canisters are used since bear canisters can be nested inside large pots.

Conclusion

All of these topics should be considered in the menu planning.  Each group is different, so communication and consensus is a must throughout the menu planning phase.

Diane