Tramping Food: A couple of my most popular meal ideas....

Tasty vittles for Jon's tramping trips....

I find my posts about tramping food, tramping menus and food for the trail are usually the most popular pages on my blog. So I thought I would look at a couple of my favorite meals I like to eat when out tramping.

One of my homemade 24 hour ration packs...Chilli-Mac on the menu!

I tend to rotate freeze dried meals with homemade meals when I am out overnight. Freeze dried is light, quick and simple to make but they are quite expensive and the flavor gets tedious after awhile. Homemade meals can be cheap but usually require more cooking time and can be heavier. I much prefer the flavour of  homemade meals to freeze dried meals.

I do eat freeze dried meals..Outdoor Gourmet Thai Chicken Stir Fry

All of the following recipes get a regular outing when I go on trips into the outdoors...solid and well known meals which I know are quick to prepare, tasty and filling. Some are totally homemade while others are a mixture of commercial meal components with my own additions.

Recipes I use on my tramping trips

I'm talking about hot meals only and I have broken these recipes down into meal periods (i.e. the times when I actually eat hot meals) so breakfast and dinner really...

Breakfast meals for tramping trips:

 A lot of people just eat toaster pastries, muesli bars or breakfast biscuits etc. with a swing of water for breakfast but I think that sucks. I like a cup of coffee or tea in the morning and a sit down meal if time allows. My attitude is...I'm boiling water so I might as well make something hot to eat at the same time.

Muesli bars like an OSM can provide breakfast on the go....

....as can toaster pastries!!!!

I like to have a meal before I start walking each morning but it needs to be filling, quick and easy to prepare. I also like breakfast meals I can eat from the bag as this saves me doing too much kitchen admin when I could be tramping.

Enjoying a tasty morning brew on my hut bunk....

I find breakfast to be the most difficult meal to plan...it tends to get monotonous. I try to rotate recipes so that I have some variety in my menu...the same meal quickly becomes boring after 2-3 days and you are looking for something new.

My usual breakfast fare is good old porridge aka POG aka oatmeal with a mug of coffee/tea with sweetened condensed milk in it. I beef up the calories/flavor in my porridge by including cinnamon,  milk powder, fruit and nuts.

Note on measures: T= Tablespoon, t=teaspoon, 1 cup = 250gm's

Jon's standard porridge/oatmeal:

Porridge and coffee in Howdon Hut on the Routeburn Track, 2019

Recipe: One person

2 pkts instant oats (I like Uncle Toby's but any brand is fine)
2t sugar
2t milkpowder
1/4t cinnamon powder (optional)
Pinch of salt
1T raisins/craisins/sultanas/chopped prunes to taste
1T almond slivers

Place all dry items in a sandwich size zip-lock bag add, add 1 cup hot water and stir. Leave for 5 minutes for the oats to hydrate and eat from the bag. Quick, easy and no dishes to clean...beautiful!!!

Hot muesli with milk:

Recipe: one person

1 cup of your favorite muesli mix (I like Hubbards brand)
1/2 cup powdered milk
1t powdered cinnamon
1T raisins/chopped dates/chopped prunes/chopped apricots
Sugar to taste

Place all the ingredients in a zip-lock bag. To prepare; add 1/2 cup hot water and mix well, leave for 2-3 minutes to hydrate. This is a hot version of muesli with fat in the form of milk and added fruit. This is excellent to break the monotony of porridge every morning, eat it from the bag. 

Cheesy polenta/grits:

Cheesy Breakfast Polenta/Grits

Recipe:1-2 person
1 cup instant polenta/grits (250gms/1cup polenta mix to 1 litre hot water)
1/2t salt
A twist of cracked pepper
1/2 chicken stock cube
Pinch of paprika (optional)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (powdered Parmesan is good)
1/2 cup salami/luncheon/bacon bits etc. (optional)
Salt/Pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste

Place all dry items in a sandwich size zip-lock bag at home. To prepare; add dry ingredients to 1 litre hot water and stir into porridge like consistency. Leave for 3 minutes for the polenta to hydrate then fluff and eat. I source Italian instant polenta from a local store which just needs water+oil added and a 2-3 minute simmer time. Alternately you can find grits (basically the same thing...) at Bin Inn and health food stores. You can add some protein to this meal in the form of salami/luncheon/canned chicken/bacon bits etc. and splash in Tabasco for a fiery hit.

Loaded O-Meal Hash-brown Potatoes:

OMeal Hashbrown potatoes

Recipe: 1-2 person
1 pkt O-meal self heating hash-brown potatoes
2 bier-sticks/salami sticks/cubed luncheon/pre-cooked bacon or similar, diced
1-2 tortillas each
Salt +Pepper
Tabasco to taste

Heat the O-meal following the instructions, cut meat into small pieces and add to hash-brown mix once heated. Wrap in a tortilla and splash with Tabasco to taste. The OMeal range are retort pouch meals new to the New Zealand market...they are available at Hunting and Fishing stores. They have a flame-less ration heater included and can be warmed and eaten right from the bag. There are a variety of entrees but the one I like best is the hash-brown potatoes. 

Breakfast beans: 

Beans are a hearty breakfast or dinner meal....

Recipe: 1-2 people
1 pkt Absolute Wilderness freeze dried beans or small tin baked beans
2T Hormal bacon bits or 2 rashers bacon cut into small pieces and fried
1T dried onion flakes
1T brown sugar
1/8t ground mustard powder
1-2 McDonald's Ketchup sachets or tomato sauce of your choosing
1t Worcestershire sauce
1-2 flour Tortillas per person
Salt/pepper to taste

This is basically a stove top version of BBQ Baked Beans. At home place all of the dried ingredients in the packet of beans and reseal or place in a sandwich size zip lock bag. Worcestershire sauce can be carried separately, I reuse those small fish shaped measures you get with sushi. To prepare; add all dry and wet ingredients to the recommended amount of hot water on the bean packet. If using tinned beans add 1/4 cup of water. Stir well and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Place aside for 5 minutes to fully hydrate and then eat with the tortillas. 

Lunch/Dinner meals for tramping trips

I usually eat crackers or wraps with peanut butter/cured meat/tuna/smoked chicken/pate and cheese for lunch but I occasionally break out the cooker and whip up a hot meal.

My usual lunch...wraps/crackers with pate and a drink...

 I would usually only do this on cold wet days and if I had some cover like a handy hut, shelter, tree or similar.You usually find cooking shelters on the Great Walks and private walkways but a small tarp will suffice to keep you dry if you plan to cook lunch. I have a 1.5x1.5 tarp just for this purpose...Karen and I took it to Rakuira as I was expecting some wet lunch breaks.

Preparing to cook a hot lunch on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track

....Dutch Curry Soup and Butter Chicken Curry for lunch....

Any of the following recipes can be eaten as either lunch or dinner meals., I would pair these with a pre-meal soup (see information below) for a hearty and satisfying meal. 

Beef Chow Mein:

Easy mince chow mein......

Recipe: 2 person
1 cup freeze dried mince
1T dehydrate onions flakes
1 pkt 2 minute noodles
1 cup sliced cabbage or 1/2 cup dehydrated cabbage
1 cup freeze-dried mixed vegetables (carrot/peas/corn/green beans)
1/2 pkt Maggi Mince Chow Mein base
1/2t salt
Salt/Pepper/Soya Sauce to taste

Place all the dry ingredients in a sandwich zip lock bag. Carry sliced cabbage separately if fresh. In a pot boil 2 cups hot water and add dried ingredients then simmer for 3 minutes. Add sliced cabbage to pot and simmer additional 2 minutes. Take from heat and leave for 5 minutes before eating. Add soya sauce as required..I use those small fish shaped measures you get with sushi.

Beef & noodle curry:

Backcountry Beef Curry...better with noodles added!!!

Recipe: One person
1 serve pkt of Backcountry Classic Beef Curry
1 pkt Oriental flavor 2 minute noodles
Soya Sauce to taste
Salt/pepper to taste

Prepare the Backcountry Beef Curry as per instructions. Cook the 2 minute noodles as per instructions, drain excess water and combine in the pot with Beef Curry. Add soya sauce as required. A light, quick and tasty meal for one person...the Beef Curry is much better with the noodles added.



Cous Cous & Tuna Salad:

Recipe: One person

1/2 cup instant cous-cous per person
1/4 cup mixed freeze dried vegetables
1 crumbled chicken stock cube
1/2t dried garlic granules
1/2t dried parsley
1T chopped sun dried tomatoes
1T chopped olives
A handful of salted peanuts/cashews/almonds
1T olive oil
Salt to taste
1 pkt Sealord Tuna, Lemon, sesame and ginger or Kaffir lime and coconut

Place all dried ingredients in a zip-lock bag. Pre-chop the olives/sun-dried tomatoes and place in a small zip-lock bag. To prepare add hot water to dried ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes to hydrate, add the olive oil and fluff cous-cous. Add the nuts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and tuna. Mix well then eat. For a North African taste finely chop some apricots/dates/prunes and mix into the meal.

Loaded Mac n' Cheese:

A tramping food icon...Loaded Mac 'n Cheese!!!

Recipe: One person

2 pkt Kraft/Begg 3 minute Mac 'n Cheese (for 2 people use a box of Diamond Macaroni Cheese)
1T dried onion flakes
1/4t garlic granules
1/4 cup freeze dried mixed vegetables (optional)
1/4t curry powder (optional)
1 Baby Bell cheese cut into small pieces or 1/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup cubed salami/luncheon/smoked chicken
Salt/Pepper to taste

Mac 'n Cheese is a classic trampers meal. Place the packets of Mac n' Cheese in a sandwich sized zip lock bag, place the other dried ingredients in a small zip-lock bag, carry meat and cheese separately. To prepare: add hot water to  vegetables to hydrate and leave for 10 minutes. Prepare Mac 'n Cheese by boiling macaroni until al-dente, drain excess water and add cheese powder sachet. Combine with meat, grated cheese and vegetables and enjoy.

Asian Style Chicken Lhaksa:

Any commercial curry paste can be adapted into a tramping meal...

Recipe: One person

1 cup rice noodles (Vermicelli)
1/4 cup dehydrated beans (or dehydrated mixed vegetables)
1T dried coconut milk powder
2T Asian Home Gourmet Singapore Laksa paste
1/2 chicken stock cube, crumbled
1/2t dried coriander
1/4t ginger powder
1/4t garlic granules
1/4 cup cubed smoked chicken or small tin of chicken
Salt/pepper to taste

Place all dried ingredients into a zip lock bag, except noodles which have their own bag. To prepare: soak noodles in warm water to soften, drain after 3 minutes. Cube chicken. Add dried ingredients to one cup hot water and simmer for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add cubed chicken and noodles once vegetables are soft and enjoy.

(Lhaksa or Laksa....the term is interchangeable....)

Trail Thanksgiving Dinner:

On trail Thanksgiving dinner...beautiful!!!

Recipe:One person

1/2 cup flavored stuffing mixture (Sage is good...)
1/2 cup dried potato flakes
1T dried onion flakes
1/4 cup dehydrated mixed vegetables (optional)
1T Craisins (optional)
1/2t garlic granules
2-3T gravy powder
1T olive oil
A small tin of chicken or 1/2 cup cubed smoked chicken breast

Place the stuffing mix, potato flakes and gravy in a sandwich size zip lock bag. Place all the dried vegetables into a second small zip-lock bag. To prepare add hot water to the second bag and let the vegetables sit 10 minutes then drain. Just cover the potato/stuffing mix with very hot water and stir well. Leave for a couple of minutes then add the oil, vegetables & chicken and stir again. Can be eaten from the bag. 

Herbed Tomato Rice

Recipe: One person

1 Cup instant rice (freeze dried rice or a bag of pre-cooked rice)

1/4 Cup freeze dried corn or mixed vegetables

1/4 Cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1T dried onion flakes

1 pkt tomato flavor Cup-O-Soup

1/2 beef stock cube

1t garlic granules

1/4t dried oregano

1T olive oil

1/4 Cup grated cheese (optional)
1/4 Cup cubed salami/luncheon/bacon etc. (optional)

Salt/pepper to taste

Pack the rice, sun dried tomatoes and other dried ingredients into a zip lock bag. To prepare: Add dry ingredients to 1& 1/2 Cups boiling water and simmer for 2-3 minute.  Add the oil, stir well and then let rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate. Sprinkle over cheese and enjoy. Add some cubed bacon bits/salami/luncheon etc. for protein. 

A special note about soup...

I love soup as a appetizer before dinner or with my lunch on a cold day if I have time and water available. I usually use instant Cup-O-Soup varieties but I will also take packets of simmer soup as well.

Continental and Maggi are the instant Cup-O-Soup leaders in New Zealand with a wide range of flavors to choose from. 

Continental Cup-0-Soup...Spicy Asian Laksa....

A tasty Cup-O-Soup at Whawharangi Hut on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track

There are a number of dried packet soups from Knorr, Maggi and Continental which you can find at supermarkets and Asian food stores. All have a longer simmer time (3-10 minutes) but are more flavorsome than Cup-O-Soup so this is what I use at dinner time. There is no need to simmer them for 10 minutes as per the instruction. I just simmer these for 3-4 minutes and then leave them covered for another 5 minutes to fully hydrate. It works.....

The Knorr range of simmer soups found in New Zealand

These simmer soups will serve two people and always go down a treat...Chicken Noodle, Crab and Corn, French Onion and Rich Tomato are my favorites.

Continental also sell a range of simmer soups....

I have also taken freeze dried soups from Backcountry Cuisine on tramping trips, these just need hot water added to the packet to reconstitute and are an excellent lunch option. Currently they have three flavors (Chicken and Corn, Mushroom & Potato and Spicy Malaysian Chicken) all of which are delicious. 

Soup for lunch on the Queen Charlotte Track

Keep an eye out for Asian style noodle soup packets the next time you are shopping. My local supermarket has a soup range from Trident which includes a delicious Tom Yum Goong and three other spicy Thai style soups. Asian supermarkets will also have a range of these soups.

Trident Tom Yum soup...light, tasty and easy to prepare

I usually have my soup in the mid afternoon and then wait for a couple of hours before making my main meal. It takes those hunger pangs away when you have finished walking for the day and replaces a lot of the salt you will have lost in your sweat. I really recommend you get in the habit of having a soup with your evening meal when out on trail...

Soup makes a filling appetizer before diner.....

So there are a couple of my most popular tramping meals..feel free to give any of them a go the next time you head out. 

Bon-appetit...