Expedition food

tumbleweed261

Hello!

I need a bit of help/inspiration (read: lots) for cheap ways to prepare for my Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition (I have 3 expeditions to do) - my friend and I have decided to know no fear, only budgets, and so are planning to attempt home-made versions of the expensive boil-in-the-bag hiking meals.

So, first question: can we use ordinary freezer bags? Do we cut slits in them like boil-in-the-bag rice or pour the water in the freezer bag?

Second question: is powdered tea palatable for those of us who get through buckets of normal tea, as there would be no teabags to dispose of etc...

We have nice-sounding recipes for dinners, but does anyone have any ideas for lunches/snacks? We will attempt anything! The criteria we have to fill are:

1) Backpack proof
2) Lightweight
3) Fairly cheap
4) over 300cal/100g (loving this, for the first time in my life I *have* to eat chocolate, cake, chocolate cake... heaven!)

Also if anyone has any ideas for how to sort out camping/hiking kit on the cheap, or general MSE tips for Duke of Edinburgh they will be really gratefully received. We're students, so the cheap part of the criteria cannot be underestimated!

Thank you!

celyn90

Hi Tumbleweed,

Best of luck with your expeditions!

Kendal mint cake is indestructable, small packets of nuts are good for getting the calories in, as are dried meats and fruit. Dare I say it...packet noodles are backpack proof too (don't shoot me!!). We also used to take blocks of jelly camping (the ones you dissolve in water) and eat them straight out of the packet.:D

I don't think I would do boil in the bag rice in a ordinary freezer bag - you can test by boiling one in a saucepan of water, but I don't think the majority of them will put up with the temperature, plus you don't know what's going into the water when they start to warm up. You could just take plain rice and boil it directly. If you divide it up (uncooked) into meal sized portions then put them in a plastic bag and knot the bags indiviually, you won't have to cope with a rucksack full of rice. I'd take a few stock cubes too as they make the rice more interesting.


Have fun and let us know how you get on! Cel x

Gingham_Ribbon

Tumbleweed, I'm sorry, I misread your post and moved it to the wrong part of the forum. I thought you were mainly looking for kit. I'll pm the board guide here and ask for it to be moved back to old style.

Sorry again!

MrsTinks

LOL moving it back Gingham

tumbleweed261

Thank you Gingham and Tine, I guess it just means more people get to see it and hopefully help!

celyn90

Oohh, and having just looked at the back of the flapjack I'm eating at my desk... 430kcal per 100 g :eek: (and it's plain!! Teaches me for being lazy I guess) might be another thing to think about! You could always make your own and then you could add nuts, fruit, chocolate etc... cel x

madmum33

I thought I'd seen a recipe for spicy roasted beans (thinking high calorie but slow release) and found this http://www.recipezaar.com/172399 You could probably adapt this to nuts and make your own dry roasted peanuts (or cashews if you feel extravagent!)

Make flapjacks with honey, oats and dried fruit, again slow release energy ideal for hiking and easy to carry.

Granola? http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes/slimrecs2.html

THIRZAH

Lakeland do a "Boil-in-the bag" type of bag-£3.50 for fifty though .

Tesco's own boil in the bag basmati is about 79p for four bags-each bag serves two so works out a about 10p a helping.

DD says that their value instant noodles are ok

reverie

I did the 3 peaks challenge last year, we only needed snacks to keep energy up as we had bacon sandwiches and fish and chips between mountains delivered by my friends who were driving

For the actual event and our practice mountain climbs, I made flapjacks, some fruit and some with chocolate on/in. I also made a wholemeal banana cake, with bits of toffee in (good sugar boost). I'm sorry to say it (not very OS) but you also must have Mars bars. They worked like nothing else for me when I needed a boost. I don't even normally like them but in the hail/snow/wind they really had a miraculous effect, especially followed up with a banana for a more slow burning energy. After that weekend, I can't bloomin LOOK at a Mars bar though!

Hope your expeditions go really well.

reverie

Sorry, being nosey but what are your expeditions going to be by the way?

Lydia.42

Flapjacks, cereal bars, mars bars, bananas, trail mix and jam sarnies are all good light food for keeping energy up. Lucozade is good too. Found all this out when we did 8 Munro's when last in Scotland.

When we do wild camping we often take savoury rice and bean feasts with us - again, very light - the rubbish isn't messy, and it's all cheap.

Very jealous by the way - nearly eight months pregnant with SPD and soooooo missing the walking and camping!!!! :mad:

Have a great time.

Sorry meant to also add - zip lock bags are the greatest. They are like freezer bags but are more hard wearing and almost water tight. Great for keeping food, and anything else in too. Come in different sizes and found in most big supermarkets.