Monday, June 30, 2008

Is cooking essential?

hi i have always hiked but im thinking of backpacking overnight. is it important to cook hot food with a stove or is it just to be authentic to old style camping? im deciding wether 2 bring a couple of power barz or i dont know somthing you dont need to kook get back 2 me thankz
-uberpaintballer


Great Question! You are right on with your thought process. The truth is that you are right. Hot food is for comfort. Some people would tell you that they can carry less weight by using dehydrated food and reheating it... maybe true, but there is alot of thought and effort involved.

If you want to do all cold food, let me suggest dried fruit, cheese, summer sausage, candy bars, and powerbars. As long as you make sure that your vitamin intake and caloric intake is in balance, then go for it.

I am a softy and I like my hot dinners, but you save time and weight if you just eat ready to go foods. Grandma Gatewood, a famous Appalachian trail thru-hiker, did thousands of miles with cold only food.