Home Front: camp cooking staples

I took a solo camping trip a few weeks ago and in doing so got to try out some camp cooking without he worry of the fussy or more gourmet members of my household that I might have otherwise needed to cater for. Wanting to keep it simple and easy to pack I pre-packed some of my food, using the Dead Person Jar Pathopak's. My primary pre-packed meal I set up was porridge. I raided the baking shelves and made up a jar of rolled oats (for quick cooking) to which I added a handful of currants, almond slices and crystallized ginger. I also packed a jar of powdered milk and sugar for both my cups of tea and to add to my porridge. They worked out great. I used a cup of this mix, and made it up with a cup of boiling water, before adding a spoonful of my milk-sugar mix. Delicious, sustaining and warming on a cold damp morning.
My other campfire staple is chilli. This may provoke disputes among aficionados, some of whom insist that the word "chili" applies only to the basic dish, without beans and tomatoes but when i camp, I take cans of baked beans, chopped tomatoes and pre-mixed sachets of seasoning. A couple of onions in my cooler bag, and some frozen diced pork, this time. If I'd been camping longer I might have taken cured, dried sausage or salami as my meat component. Diced the onions and braised it in my cast iron pot over the coals, then the same for the pork. Seasoning went in next before adding the two cans of tomato and the three cans of baked beans. and some slow cooking with the lid on to reduce it all. I ate mine out of my Optimus-Terra solo cook set mug and shared my meal with a couple of friends who came up to join me in the evening. Five cans, one packet of frozen meat, a couple of seasoning sachets and two onions. Pretty simple. Not too heavy for a drive-in camp, and probably not that bad for a hike-in either, especially if those cans were shared around a little. We had plenty to eat with heavily seasoned leftovers I ate next next day too. After serving I added a dash of water, put he lid back on and put it back over the fire to heat up again to a low roil to kill off any germs introduced during serving up.
Porridge and beans make two excellent staples when camping, but some other items can find their way into your larder easily enough. Things that add both variety and value. Eggs. Eggs are great, self contained, long lasting and generally not requiring of refrigeration. In an austere setting, if you find yourself in an egg-glut, there are a number of traditional methods for preserving the quality of eggs. Packing in salt, wheat bran or cool clean ash. Eggs packed in box and buried in ash are reported as remaining fresh after 8 months in 80% of cases. Not only does it give the eggs shock and crush protection but having leftover wood-ash at a camping trip once you've eaten your food is no drama, just dump it into your fire pit and off you go. That said, cardboard egg cartons make good fire starters. When I pack eggs, its usually because I plan to make pancakes and then pack them in my flour mix, again, in a sealable jar. They stay safe, insulated and ready or when i'm ready to cook.

Not so much cooking as snacking, I also like to take hard cheese, like a block of Parmesan and salami  or slab of salt cured meat like Prosciutto. They keep well un-refrigerated and are a very tasty addition to an al fresco snack-plate after a hike or as an addition to most meals.

Review: 20oz Yeti rambler

 I got a care package from BreachBangClear and Propper, which included some fine pieces I'll be covering over the next little while. One of the first in the new bath of things is something near and dear to my heart. I'm a big tea-drinker, all kinds, but strong dark and sweet is my preference. It comes from traveling so much.

It can be hard to find good coffee, but pretty much everywhere you go in the world, there is good tea to be found. But better than hot, dark and sweet, is HOT. Lukewarm drinks are a hardship that we can do without. Let's not even get started on lukewarm COLD drinks.

There are few things as satisfying as a frosty bubbling beverage after a hard day's toil, but no one wants the cold wet perspiration that you get on the outside of regular cans and bottles.

The clever folks at Yeti took that age old problem; cold drinks getting warm, and hot drinks going cold to heart, and took it to task. This is the Yeti Rambler in its 20oz size. Because when you are baking out in the sandbox, all shiny and chrome, or chilling with your friends on the icepack, you want to keep your beverage at optimal enjoyment temperatures, for as long as possible.

Double walled vacuum sealed Dewar vessels have been around since 1892, around the same time as the venerable Winchester lever action so Yeti have had 110 years of refinement to come up with this iteration.


The Rambler tumblers are over-engineered with kitchen-grade 18/8 stainless steel (18/8 for its composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel.) and double-wall vacuum insulated. There's a thin seam at the bottom of the outside, and a lip inside the tumbler to fit the lid to, but otherwise a smooth and easy cleaning cup with no give to the walls. It's a really solid design.

Note to the avid reader: do NOT BBQ your Yeti, they're insulated

The lid that keeps your drink in its place is easy to clean, dishwasher safe, shatterproof and crystal clear so you know exactly how much of your drink is left. The silicone rubber gasket keeps it fitting snugly into the cup, and I've not had any spill problems with the seal. The drink hole is a decent size, and there is also a breather hole. The clear lid does fog up with steam from a hot drink, and some might not like that, but it's a good indicator that the drink is still hot. There is no seal for the drink hole, so some sloshing may occur. It fits nicely in the cup-holders I've used it in, but the same problem of over-flow from the always-open lip occurs.

I made my self a tea as I sat down to watch Fury (best job I ever had) and as the credits rolled, 135 minutes later, my tea was still hot. In fact, I've burnt myself a few times having made myself tea and left it in the Yeti, because it is insulated so well.

So overall, a great design, with a couple of provisos. Watch out for sloshes and remember hot drinks are hot!

Wish Lust: DrinkTanks Offers the World's Largest Growler & Personal Keg

Sometimes hydration takes a second place to tasty beverages, even when you are out adventuring, camping, or doing what it takes to survive. At other times, just having some luxury can make all the difference to morale that can keep you going, and give you the ability to overcome an obstacle.

Sometimes you also want to have enough to share, and thats where growlers come into play

The folks at DrinkTanks have already produced a 64oz model and their 128oz model, the Juggernaut just reached it's Kickstarter goals and will be in production soon. Here's what I can tell you about it.

 The Juggernaut weighs 1.72kg (3.8lbs) with a volume of 3.78L (128 oz, or 1 full gallon, 8 pints) and sits at 37cm (14.75") tall without the kegulator, and 43 (17") tall with the Kegulator on. The body is 15cm (6") wide, and the body to the edge of the handle is 22cm (8.5") wide.

The design incorporated both double wall vacuum insulation to keep beverages cold and a revolutionary dual-bail clip cap system that is leakproof and preserves carbonated beverages, exceedingly longer than any screw cap system.

 The Kegulator, is an auto-regulating CO2 keg cap.
This acts to to keep your growler pressurized, as well as including a dispensing tap. The Kegulator turns the growler into a personal, portable mini keg! This incredible technology allows you to control the CO2 pressure for any beverage ranging from 0-40 psi. Home brewers can now force carbonate small batches without having to bottle condition. This is perfect for me and my mead and cider brewing, but apparently it also suits kombucha lovers who can can use it to gain full control over the carbonation of their brew. The Kegulator is compatible with both our 64 oz and 128 oz growlers.

I was really impressed with the look and functionality that the DrinkTanks team indicated their Juggernaut (and the original Growler) will have, and I backed them. I was thinking of having the ability to haul my rewarding foamy beverages into any abandoned warehouses, on the sides of mountains, or as I wander aimlessly through the Australian bush avoiding the grasping claws of the undead.

I shall do so secure in the knowledge that my beverage will be secure in its double walled, chilled and pressurized Juggernaut.