One Pan Wonders

 What is a "Dicentra"?
It is my self appointed trail name. It is also the latin name of one of my favorite flowers. It is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring here in the lowlands. That is about the same time I start hitting the trails overnight. It is also a common garden plant here (but that is a much bigger version than our pretty little native variety). 

 Have you considered writing a backpacking cookbook for children?
Actually, I have! But I don't have a good recipe tester. The Madster will eat almost anything. The only things she won't eat are bell peppers and asparagus.  Seriously! I've seen this kid eat saffron risotto, balsamic glazed Brussels sprouts and eye-watering cocktail sauce. She is NOT a normal toddler when it comes to food!

 What kind of stove are you using?
I have a Snow Peak Giga. I cannot rave enough about this stove. I love it! It weighs 3 ounces (I have the auto-start feature) and is made of titanium.  A small canister of fuel will easily last four days or more.  A large canister is good for a week to ten days or more. It just depends on your cooking style.

Yes, I have used liquid fuel stoves. I don't really like them. First of all, I'm a clutz, so me and liquid fuel is a dangerous thing! Second, I didn't like all the fussing I had to do with them (priming, cleaning, etc).

No, I don't have much experience with the soda can or penny stoves. I do, however, have friends that use them on most of their trips (so I get to watch). The biggest problem I've seen with these is getting water hot enough at altitude or in the cold. The canister stove has a similar problem. I wrap the canister in a sock on cold trips to make it function better.

 What type of pans and other cookware do you use?
It actually varies with the trip and my menu choices.

 Do you ever cook on campfires?
Rarely. Almost never on backpacking trips. If we have a fire on one of our trips it is because someone else in the group wanted one. Generally I don't like how it makes me and my gear smell after a trip. It is also messy to clean up the soot off of my pans after cooking on a fire. Foil pouch meals are great in the fire though! Thinking back on my last trip where we had a fire (car camping) I still cooked on my stove! However, I did do a lot of over-the-campfire type cooking growing up, so I am familiar with it.

 What kind of dehydrator do you have?
Nesco Gardenmaster with 8 trays, screens and fruit roll trays.

 Where do you find _________ ingredient?
Too many to list! Send me a message via the contact me feature and I'll do what I can to help you.


 Isn't cooking in zip lock bags dangerous and/or harmful to your health?



 Isn't cooking in zip lock bags wasteful? Is there another way?
You can also dump your food into your pan of hot water or use your trail cup. Reuse the plastic bag.


 How do you store food between trips?
Either in zip lock storage bags or in glass jars with tight fitting lids. Trail bars are kept in a shoe box. The zip lock bags full of food are in an under-the-bed type of plastic storage container.  Most dehydrated food references suggest that you store your dehydrated food in the freezer or refrigerator. To me this seems not only redundant, but defeats some of the purposes of dehydrating food in the first place. If you want to be extra safe, do chill your food (and you should for dried meats).

 How do you store your food on trips?
In zip lock bags.  Those are then placed in a nylon stuff sack.

 Do you have any no-cook dinner recipes?
Yes. And I am working on more. Here is a link to the stove-free article I wrote for the ALDHA-West Gazette.

 Can the recipes be converted to freezerbag cooking?
Yes! Many of them can. Contact me if you have questions about a specific recipe.

 How much does ______ recipe weigh?
Coming soon! Contact me if you want to know about a specific recipe.