I was talking with a friend yesterday about how differently food tastes when you're backcountry versus a "normal" life. I spent 4 months straight eating oatmeal with peanut butter and a scoop of protein powder (and sometimes some cinnamon life cereal on top) for breakfast and never got sick of it. Less than a week after coming home to a regular life again I couldn't eat it.

What weird creations do you love to eat when camping but don't like when you're not? Food just tastes better when you're camping I think.

When you are burning a lot of calories food is all about replacing those calories. I can't say I don't get tired or camp food. About 10 days into a two week trip I start to crave real food.

My daughter hates potatoes, but after more than three days in the woods, she loves mashed potato flakes. I think anything warm and full of carbs is amazing when you're working hard. I try to make it a point to not even try trekking food at home, because I know it'll be disappointing, while in the woods it's always great.

I only eat GORP in the woods.

I can’t say I’ve ever experienced food tasting better while camping. I have made some weird substitutions for ease of preparation though. At home I would never use cellophane noodles as a substitute for spaghetti.

About a week into a back packing trip if you want to end it start talking about real
food steak ,pizza, ect ect.

Your camp mates well soon be talking about cutting the trip short.

That is why canoe tripping is different then a back packing trip one canoe trips one can take a lot more real food.

TominMpls: "My daughter hates potatoes, but after more than three days in the woods, she loves mashed potato flakes. I think anything warm and full of carbs is amazing when you're working hard. I try to make it a point to not even try trekking food at home, because I know it'll be disappointing, while in the woods it's always great."

I know how she feels. I love instant taters in the woods too. I also love Saltines and peanut butter in the woods and never crave that combo at home. One needs salt and protein when paddling.

AmarilloJim: "I only eat GORP in the woods."

Me too. Even if I make my "Premium" stuff with cashews, macadamia nuts, golden raisens, cranberries, and M&M's, it just sits around if it's not for a trip. And oatmeal, I won't eat the stuff at home, but in the woods.... Same with the bannock and fry pan bread. Great stuff on the trail, kinda "Blah" at home.

What I have noticed is that we (society) generally eat so well, so much and so often that food is not appreciated like it should. Or if it's not amazing we just say it's OK.

If you go into the woods for a couple of weeks or even just fast for a day or two it is shocking how good food tastes. Anybody else notice that?

mastertangler: "If you go into the woods for a couple of weeks or even just fast for a day or two it is shocking how good food tastes. Anybody else notice that? "

Not really, but since cutting refined sugar out of my diet decades ago, I can’t believe how sweet vegetables like carrots and garden peas taste.

I laughed when I saw this topic because of a specific memory from years ago.

On a rock climbing trip in the early 90's we ended up way in the boonies burning a lot of calories climbing without any food all day. We were starving.

As we were hiking out we came upon a hiker who was asking us about our day. While talking he offered us these new things called Power Bars. They were banana flavored. I'm not a banana fan and normally would have turned him down but was so hungry that I accepted. It tasted divine! I couldn't believe how good it was. Best thing I had ever eaten.

Skip forward to the following week and I was telling my wife how great these things were. You can guess what happened next. She picked a couple of them up at the store and we sat down for our "dessert" after a bike ride. Yuck! Nasty!

I guess my body REALLY needed those carbs and electrolytes. :-)

Familiar discussion passing the ranger cabin on Cache Bay after a week or 2 paddling, "you could make a lot of money selling peanut butter white bread sandwiches, and beer"!

butthead

Simple peanut butter and jelly on a plain bagel after a very hot, long, hard portage. The wonderful taste of that combination could not be replicated at home. The deliciousness was part of the total experience, a package deal, that was lacking without the hard work put into it.

I was just going to say the same, giddup. A simple thing like PB & honey on a cracker tastes so wonderful after a morning of paddling & portages. Add water to wash it down. Delicious!
when at home.....not as much.

Gorp, dried apples, and tang. Nothing too strange here.

Never been a fan of oatmeal, but I did try a package of it the other day. I did try really hard to force it down (trying to be 'healthy') but could not eat more than a few spoonfuls. I would have to be pretty desperate to eat it camping.

An old saying, but no less true: 'Hunger is the best seasoning.'

BlueSkiesWI: "Food just tastes better when you're camping I think."

I couldn't agree more with this. It didn't matter if I was eating steak on night one, tuna in a tortilla, or a Mountain House breakfast on day 8... All of it tasted better. The BWCA is a magical place!

We ended up making macaroni and cheese supplemented with lake trout mixed in while we were on Cherokee one time. We were running low on options at that point as we were headed in the next day. While I would never do that to trout under normal circumstances, I maintain to this day that it was one of the most excellent things I have ever eaten!

I take wrong turns and backtrack. I carry too much in my pack. I miss a portage and guide my paddlers miles upon extra miles. So at the end of the day, I am hungry! My paddling partners start to look so....good... to me. I can almost smell them sizzling.

I solo now, for the most part, (see above) but I have never enjoyed a filet at a restaurant as much as I enjoy a package of freeze dried 'whatever' at the end of a long day of paddling. It's a kind of bliss that you all know, but that I could never explain to anyone else!

Happy Noshing!

Dave

AG4: "

BlueSkiesWI: "Food just tastes better when you're camping I think."

I couldn't agree more with this. It didn't matter if I was eating steak on night one, tuna in a tortilla, or a Mountain House breakfast on day 8... All of it tasted better. The BWCA is a magical place!"

+1

Almost everything I eat in the BWCA I can't really enjoy eating elsewhere -- plain spanish rice dishes, various assortments of quick noodle dishes, plain Kraft mac and cheese, ramen, etc.

One of the things I find interesting about people who enter the BWCA is just how different our food preferences are. I like it very simple -- all the more time to fish, nap, paddle, etc. Some people carry in ice, fresh food, milk, eggs, etc. To each his/her own, but boy I'm glad I am more than happy with dehydrated hamburger and ramen noodles. :)

One of the things I find interesting about people who enter the BWCA is just how different our food preferences are. I like it very simple -- all the more time to fish, nap, paddle, etc. Some people carry in ice, fresh food, milk, eggs, etc. To each his/her own, but boy I'm glad I am more than happy with dehydrated hamburger and ramen noodles. :)


"

I totally agree. Again, I'm an eat to live kind of guy so my strategy is the lightest meal with the most calories. My two cousins are amazing back country cooks. On an October trip to the BWCA I had steak dinners with all the fixings, including a made at the fire grate cheesecake; made from scratch pizza with margaritas, etc. with one cousin. Lots of time and gear involved but he carried it and no lost paddling time in October with early sunset, etc. I have had a full lasagna dinner at over 12,000 feet in Colorado with the other cousin. He actually pulled out a 5lb block of cheese and multiple sleeves of crackers for hors d'oeurves!

I was fascinated and enjoyed those dinners immensely but can't imagine carrying all the weight/volume/cooking gear, etc. to do this when I'm organizing the trip.

It's your trek - do it in whatever way makes you happy as long as you don't negatively impact others. Enjoy!

Food in the BWCA always tastes so good! It never tastes the same at home.

I've started to eat as simply at home as I do on my trips. Took a little adjusting but now I don't think anything of it. Handful of raisins for breakfast. Fry a couple eggs for lunch. Sometimes bannock and peanut butter. Rice, beans, and veggies for dinner. Simple, quick, cheap, healthy, and tasty.

Alan

Instant coffee granules, sugar, nido & half a packet of cocoa.

Mocha Heaven in the BWCA, slowly brings me to life while I watch the steam rise off of the lake. Warms my soul & hands, wakes me up & gets me moving.

At home....it's not very good...and I don't think it's because my camping mug is magic. Canoe camping...my magical working vacation.

Working hard, fresh air always makes me hungry. Food tastes so much better, or I’m tuned into the tastes when camping. Not much food is ever left over when we cook, hungry guys.

I always go simple when I trip........but I really would like like to do a "food" type trip someday. Base camp and bring the works. Sounds fun to me.

Swampturtle: "Instant coffee granules, sugar, nido & half a packet of cocoa.


Mocha Heaven in the BWCA, slowly brings me to life while I watch the steam rise off of the lake. Warms my soul & hands, wakes me up & gets me moving.


At home....it's not very good...and I don't think it's because my camping mug is magic. Canoe camping...my magical working vacation. "

I was thinking of the coffee too. I never drink instant coffee at home, but it is so good in the morning when I'm camping.

This is so true, everything is better up there, yes, even instant coffee is good! Especially Starbucks. I have chuckled a few times when introducing people to our canoe country chow and they comment on how it would be amazing at home too. It never tastes as good. I even love good quality freeze dried meals up there lol.