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So... let's start at the beginning. First, shop for food in "food stores," not at your local "bring plenty of credit cards" outfitter. Most health or grocery stores have dry or packaged foods that taste good and are a million times cheaper that the nasty outfitter freeze dried stuff. Please don't get me wrong, the nasty outfitter freeze dried stuff has its place in expeditions to the North Pole or K2 or some place where an two extra ounces of weight will kill you, but for most "normal" people and adventures, store bought food is just fine. A personal favorite of our local Lizards is an Italian deli that has lots of cheeses and goodies...
Package up the food as you are going to use it... Typically, one Lizard will be responsible for one evening meal and one breakfast, with lunches on the trail a free-for-all. Put everything you need for a meal in a single bag (smaller bags inside the big bag are OK). Mark the bag if you have several bags (i.e., Thursday Night's Bean Treat). And ALWAYS hang any food or use bear-proof containers in the woods. For Lizards failing this last bit of guidance a mandatory You Idiot Award will be issued. Note: With multi-Lizard adventures it is always a good idea to bring more than one stove... especially in winter when plenty of snow melting is required.
And finally, eat smart... Multiple power goodie bars per day will bust your gut. Eat dried fruit, nuts, and "normal" food on the trail and drink lots of water. Drinking enough water to stay hydrated (Test is... output color is clear). Leave the 'lectrolytic super sport drinks" for the gym. In the woods they are OK for short term energy, but are a poor choice for the long trips... just too much stuff in them... just drink lot's of water.
Below are some Lizard favorite dishes. Feel free to send in some of your own...
A favorite "first night" meal of Lizards. Typically, Lizards will live with the extra weight of a frozen meal especially if an Apprentice Lizard can be found to carry the thing. Burrito Surprise is prepared at home and then frozen hard as a brick in a pot, and wrapped in newspapers and plastic bags. The whole thing can weight up to eight pounds, but its worth it!
A good size piece of chuck roast is browned on all sides and seasoned with salt and your favorite spices. Add water to cover the roast about an inch, add in a package of dry onion soup and let cook on the stove top for about an hour. Pull out any extra fat or bones from the mixture and pull the meat into small strips. Add cooked pinto beans to cover the mixture, mash like
crazy, and cook for another half hour.
The mixture can be left in the pot and frozen... Serve with tortillas, grated cheese, and salsa.
Hot Hands...
Get a MSR or Peak stove going really well... Quickly throw a tortillas on the burner and start turning and flipping. When the tortillas or your hands are a nice crisp texture, throw on some grated white cheese, salsa, and wrap it up. A good morning starter!
T-shirt Turkey... An Off the Trail Treat
Ever bite into a turkey sandwich and wonder if someone had substituted an old sock for the turkey? Ever get a piece of turkey jammed in your throat that no amount of liquid could flush out?... The Lizards have the cure!... T-shirt turkey.
With "free" or really cheap turkeys during the holidays, there is no doubt of the bird's meat to bucks ratio, but its dry dirt-like qualities... well, leave something wanting. But there is a cure to bone dry turkey, and it's T-shirt turkey:
Step #2... Cover the bird well with a layer of T-shirt (we are going to assume... clean).
Step #3... Rub a layer of butter into the T-shirt... Not really thick, but enough to well coat the bird.
Step #4... Add another layer of T-shirt to well cover the bird.
Step #5... Place the wrapped bird (breast up) in a covered baking container and then place in the oven.
Step #6... Set the oven to bake at 250º F and go to sleep.
Step #1... Thaw out the bird in the usual manner (in the frig or in cool water) and in addition to your normal seasonings, put a nice thick layer of butter between the skin and the meat of the breast area.
The bird will slow cook all night and eight to nine hours later... when the drumsticks want to come off without much help... you've got a tender, juicy dinner. Not a new coating for your hiking boots. Note: Eight to nine hours of cooking works for a twenty pound bird. Adjust cooking times for the size and personality of your bird.
Optional Step... If you like a "browned" bird... give him a blast of 375º F for about ten minutes with the T-shirt layers and baking container lid removed.
Lizard Cooking Tip:
Whenever preparing dehydrated food (dried stuff), soak it for one hour before cooking... You'll save fuel and the food will taste better.