The MSR Windburner Stove System...

 Outdoor themed Christmas gifts for Jon.....

I got my usual haul of tramping gear for Christmas and I thought I would have a look at one of the items I received. My partner Karen brought me a MSR Windburner/Windboiler personal stove system after several discussions about them over the last couple of months. I really appreciate the thought and love involved in this purchase...it is certainly a gift which will see much use.

Setting up the the MSR Windburner to boil some water

I currently own five other stoves but have long wanted to buy myself a personal stove system but could not justify the expense of these units. They are all expensive...ranging into the hundreds of dollars depending on the system you choose. 

The Windburner and other cookers of this type are self contained...all of the elements pack into the main pot to make one relatively compact package. I store mine in a lite weight sil-nylon stuff sack to keep all my camp cookery items together. 

The MSR Windburner packed for transport...

Let's have a closer look at the Windburner, discuss its use and how it will fit into my tramping style. 

The MSR Windburner stove system:

I have long coveted a personal cooking system after watching people using them in huts and campgrounds. In particular I was envious of a couple of my hut mates at Casey Hut last year who were using a MSR Windburner and an MSR Reactor stove. The short boil time compared to my Firemaple Ti stove had me curious as to how one could be incorporated into my tramping equipment.

I visited the new Casey Hut II in the Poulter Valley last November

The Windburner system contains the following items: a 1 liter hard anodised aluminum pot with carry handle sleeve, a burner head with simmer control, a hard plastic lid for the pot, a canister stand and a 500 ml hard plastic cup. You will add to this a lighter, 110gms Iso-butane canister and a drying cloth. 

The complete Windburner stove system.....

Here are some statistics about the MSR Windburner;

• 430 gm's without the gas canister, 550gm's with canister
• 1 liter pot as standard- also 1.8, 2.5 and 4.5 pots and skillet available
• excellent simmer control through quality pressure regulator
• Integrated 500ml BPA free cup
• Packed sizes is: 18cm(H)x 10.5cm (W)
• retail price is $299 New Zealand dollars at most outlets

An accessory I brought to compliment my Windburner is a new coffee mug..the Sea to Summit X Mug. My previous hard plastic mug could fit inside my old cooking pot but adding it to the bag I keep my Windburner in makes for a super bulky package. The X mug is one of those foldable silicone cups and folds down into a package about 5 mm thick. 

I will let you know how it works once I take it out for a trip. 

Sea to Summit X Mug...

The average boil time for a pot of water is much less with these personal cook systems as they have windshields and heat exchangers to more efficiently use the heat produced. These stove are hard for the wind to extinguish as the flame of the burner head is protected by the wind shield. Quicker boil times mean less gas to carry....and a lighter pack!!!

The heat exchange vanes on the Windburner pot...

I have seen tests where a pot of water can be boiled in less than three minutes on a personal cook system while your average canister stove needs 5-6 minutes to heat the same volume. The Windburner/Windboiler system is the most efficient of these with an average 2 minutes and 30 seconds to boil .5 liter. This is half the time of the similar Jetboil system.....

Detail of the Windburner stove system

The Windburner system can be packed away and stored inside the main pot....the burner head, canister stand, lighter and a 110gms Isobutane canister can be easily stored inside the pot. This means less bulk as the gas is not stored separately and the whole system is in one place ready for use.

Illustration of how the Windburner nests in the pot

 MSR recommend you use their proprietary gas canisters but in reality all the brands are the same size and the contents are similar so any type can be used. My personal choice is Kovea gas canisters as I seem to get longer burn times out of them. The Windburner will accept all three gas canister sizes (110, 230 & 450 gm's) but only the small ones will fit inside this pot...

Windburner stove accessories:

There is a wide range of accessories for the Windburner/Windboiler systems which can be used on either of these two systems. There are several different sized pots built to work on these stoves. The pots range from 1 liter right up to 4.5 liters with the 1 and 1.8 liter being the most commonly used. 

A wide range of pots exist for the Windburner system...

Another accessory for the Windburner is a French Press attachment to make coffee using your Windburner pot. These come in both 1 liter and 1.8 liter versions. You just add your coffee grounds to the hot water insert the press and gradually push it down to extract the final product. Sounds like a lot of faffing about too me but I am not a connoisseur...give me a nice 3 in 1 and I'm happy...

Coffee press for the Windburner system...

MSR also make a skillet which works with your Windburner/Windboiler systems...it has an integrated wind shield on the bottom to stop your burner blowing out. I have heard mixed reviews of this...it cannot easily be used with other cookers and is heavier than similar Jetboil skillets. 

The MSR Windburner skillet

You can use other pots on a Windburner but you need to buy a separate pot stand which fits on the burner head...the gap introduced by this stops the pot from extinguishing the flame. They cost about $40 NZ dollars and are available in store or online. 

Using the MSR Windburner stove:

These units are made to heat water for drinks and dehydrated/freeze dried meals..freezer bag meals like polenta, instant spuds/rice, cous cous and rice noodles are also an option. You can cook in the pot but it will not be all that easy as it is tall and narrow. This will probably affect the planning and tone of your tramping trips at least where food is concerned...

Personal cook systems work best with dehydrated meals...

Using the Windburner is easy...unpack the system, attach the stove to a gas canister, fill the pot with water, light the stove and fit the pot to the burner head. Pour the hot boiled water in that gruesome dehy meal and Bob is your uncle and Mary your aunt. 

Very easy to use, little to no clean up and everything is readily to hand. Simple as....

Unpacking the MSR Windburner system...

Unlike some other MSR stoves the Windburner does not have an integral Piezo igniter...you need to light the stove with an external flame. You can use a ferro rod, lighter or matches to do this or you can invest in a separate hand held MSR piezo igniter. 

I brought my MSR igniter from Bivouac Outdoors here in Christchurch for less than $15 NZ dollars and it will work most times. These igniters are not great in wind or heavy rain so always have an alternate flame source....a lighter or matches!!!

MSR Piezo igniter for canister stoves...

The head of the Windburner stove has a fantastic safety feature...a thin metal wire that glows when the stove is running. During the daytime it is very hard to see if the stove is burning on the lowest setting but this glowing wire is obvious. When operating at full capacity the whole burner head will glow....as seen below. 

The Windburner stove face in use...

There is a vented heat exchanger on the bottom of the Windburner pot which efficiently distributes the heat over the bottom of the pot. This helps to lower boil times as well as making the flame more wind resistant. 

The vanes distribute the heat more efficiently...

Going forward I will primarily be using the Windburner for short overnight trips and trips where I am camping and cooking outdoors. These stoves are almost impossible to blow out so they suit the rigors of camp cooking. the are also perfect for any Alpine adventures or tops trips where wind can play havoc with simpler gas canister stoves. 

The Windburner would be perfect for windy places like Travers Saddle...

The stove is heavier than my usual cook system (430 gm's verses less than 200 gm's) so not ideal for the Te Araroa or the Great Walks. Weight is important in both these situations so a lighter option would work best...

Most Great Walks have cookers provided...here Howden Hut, Routeburn Track

In those situations I will still use my Firemaple Ti stove, Sea to Summit cup and Toaks Ti cook pot. Talking about Great Walks...most have gas cookers provided so a pot and eating utensils is usually all you need to carry... check the facilities offered before you go. 

The Windburner stove in action:

I will put images of the Windburner system out in the field and in use as I gradually incorporate it into my tramping program. 

Watch for images of the Windburner in the field...

So far it has only seen action on my recent trip to the Abel Tasman Inland Track...

Brewing up using the virgin MSR Windburner stove near Wainui Hut

Please come back for more images soon...  

Tramping Food: Pimp that meal- adding extra taste to your freeze dried experience

More flavour in your freeze dried meal...

I'm sure most of us have tasted a freeze dried meal before, they are light weight and easy to prepare but often the taste is less than ideal. There is no reason why eating a freeze dried must be a chore, with a few choice additions you can make it into food worth savouring.

Jon at Mid Robinson Hut, 2015, with freeze dried meal in hand

Tramping food: freezer bag or freeze dried?

I have previously covered suggestions for tramping food in another post, what I am concentrating on here is how you can improve the flavour of Freeze Dried (FD) meals.

When I am out for a overnight trip I generally carry two types of main meal. The first is the home-made "freezer bag" type which I make from store brought ingredients. These consist of a carb (rice/noodles/pasta/instant potato/pearl barley/cous cous/instant stuffing) with the addition of vegetables, protein (meat/chicken/fish/TVP) and some herbs and spices.  

A selection of home-made dehydrated freezer bag meals

Generally these require some "in pot" cooking time although it is possible to make meals that simply require hot water. I eat them from the bag or straight from the pot.

 The second type is the ubiquitous freeze dried (FD) meal to which you add hot water and wait for it to re hydrate. My typical breakdown would be two home-made to one freeze dried meal per trip. If the trip was 5 days or more, when food weight becomes more of a factor, FD meals will dominate.

Enjoying some freeze dried Spaghetti Bolognaise at Hawdon Hut, 2014

The advantage of freeze dry meals is their low relative weight (less than 200gms) and the ease of preparation which negates a whole lot of mess and bother at the end of a long day.

Some notes regarding freeze dried tramping meals

In New Zealand the three main freeze dried ranges are supplied by Backcountry Cuisine Absolute Wilderness and the Outdoor Gourmet Company. These are available at outdoor stores and some supermarkets. There will be a company in your locale which produce these type of meals, check your local camping/outdoor stores.

A Backcountry Cuisine freeze dried meal

Both companies produce a range of 1 and 2 serve meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner items. People will often tell you these rival products are different, i.e. one is better than the other, but in reality the differences are minimal.

Absolute Wilderness Bacon Mash

Outdoor Gourmet just pips Backcountry as their meals look more like real food. 

One of the  Outdoor Gourmet Company meals

Obviously, anything you add to this type of meal needs to be pre cooked, dried and or freeze dried as well. The idea is to add items that will increase the flavor of your meal while still minimising weight and size. 

Freeze dried Butter Chicken Curry and a big mug of Maggi soup...yum!

A note on serving size

Some people are happy to use the single serve freeze dried meals, personally I find this is too small a portion for me. I always buy the two person serves as I find them more filling especially after a long hard tramping day. You will need to decide which is best for you. A two serve will add an extra 50-75 gms to the weight. 

Backcountry Cuisine size comparison: a 2 serve, accessory pack and 1 serve

Alternately you can "bulk up" your single serve with some extra FD rice, cous-cous, par cooked grain or 2-3 dessert spoons of dehydrated potato flakes. Make sure you add water to allow these to hydrate fully.

Dried potato powder: great by itself, as a thickener or to bulk up meals...

Adding extra taste to your freeze dried meal

Below are some additions I have used to make my freeze dried meals more palatable.

Salt, pepper, herbs and spices

  

Freeze dried meals have a high salt content but given the amount of sweat you expend tramping adding a touch of salt to improve taste is acceptable. Taste your freeze dried  first as some are much saltier than others.

 Pepper is a great addition to any meal and adds a complex depth of flavour. I generally carry the small sachets of salt and pepper from take out restaurants, one of each per day used sparingly.

Salt n' Pepper alright!

A touch of dried curry powder, oregano, mint,coriander, chilli or your herb or spice of choice can add a blast of flavour to any meal.  Adding a good Tex-Mex mixture will maximise the taste of chilli and re fried bean meals.

Spice rack at the local supermarket...go mad!

I carry some small resealable bags with a selection of herbs and spices to add at meal time or you can staple your chosen mix in a small bag to the outside of the freeze dried bag.

Why not make a "spice tin" like the one in the photo below...I'm making one myself.

Small spice tin of a US hiker- from Equip2survive.com

Remember weight is important and a little goes a long way with spices; don't go overboard.

Sauce it!

There are a bewildering array of sauces on the market that you can utilise, here are a few I have used:

 Tomato ketchup/sauce/HP is probably the most obvious type, a small takeaway sachet added to dehydrated tomato dishes will maximise the tomato flavour. I use the McDonald's packets because you always get a fist full of them with your McD's meal and never use them.  

Tomato paste sachets can also be used but the flavour is a lot stronger.

Good old Mickey D's ketchup!

Tabasco hot sauce will give your meal a hefty kick,  it is especially good in stews and casseroles adding complexity to the taste as well as heat. I have a supply of miniature Tabasco bottles brought from an Asian food market but you can decant your hot sauce of choice into a lightweight plastic container.

Miniature Tabasco bottle

Soya Sauce is great with any Asian, rice or fish dish, I use the small "fish" shaped serves you get with sushi, again I found a supply of these in a local Asian food market.

Single use Soya "fish"

Worcestershire: I have taken to decanting Worcestershire sauce into a small plastic bottle as I find it adds great taste depth to any venison, beef or lamb meal. Worcestershire is a piquant fish based sauce with a hint of spice and a warm mouth fill, beautiful with all meat dishes (and on a meat pie...).

Worcestershire Sauce

Muoc Nam or fish sauce is a salty additive which is vital in any South Asian recipe. Again it is best with Asian inspired meals but can be used in a wide range of situations for example to give Bolgnaise an unusual fusion taste, or to add another flavour level to stews and casseroles. 

Muoc Nam or fish sauce I use

Dont spill this in your pack, my gawd it stinks, and it will stay there for years! 

Nuts & dried fruit

 Adding a handful of your nut of choice can add a nice crunch to any Asian or rice dish, including Risotto, the nut flavour also brings out the inherent taste of the rice. I personally favour peanuts, cashews and almonds but any nut can be used.

A selection of nuts for hiker meals

A handful of dried fruit is a traditional essential in any North African inspired meal including tagines, lamb cassolets and any cous cous based meal. Think raisins, sultanas, dates, dried apricots....

My home-made Moorish style cous-cous salad with feta, raisins, nuts

  Craisins (dried cranberries) will go well with any venison or chicken meal, they add an interesting sweet-sour note.

Ocean Spray craisins...

Adding vegetables to your tramping fare

 There is no reason you can not add vegetables to your freeze dried meal including your choice of fresh ones. There are also a variety of dried and freeze dried vegetables commercially available which can be added to any meal. 

BCC make a freeze dried vegetable mix (as well as rice/potato/beef mince/cheese and egg) which can be added straight to any freeze dried meal. I know that Backpackers Pantry and Mountain House make similar products in the US.

A quick search of your local supermarket will yield dried onion/shallots, mushrooms, garlic, capsicum, peas, beans, olives and sun dried tomatoes. All of these, properly re hydrated, can be added to freeze dried meals.  Better yet, buy a dehydrator and make your own home made dried vegetables to order.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

Don't forget fresh vegetables; a diced clove of garlic, some sliced ginger,  diced onion or capsicum, freshly sliced mushrooms, carrots and celery can all add a touch of class to your meal.

Preparing vegetables for the dehydrator

Onions and garlic will last a long time in your pack. Do not go overboard with the vege's as the fresh varieties are heavy to carry.

Extra protein for long term energy

 If you want to add extra protein to a freeze dried meal then go ahead. The downside is that adding any form of protein that is not dried will add considerably to the weight of that that meal. Personally I do not do this as I usually find FD meals have more than enough protein already.

Jack Links Jerky is a good source of protein

Good sources include cheese, tuna (or other oily fish), smoked meats (salami/jerky/bacon) and canned chicken and shredded ham. If you are going to use cheese a hard one such as Parmesan, Pecorino, Romano or aged Chedder is best (they last longer) or some form of shelf stable processed cheese.

Olive oil

Long distance "through hikers" in the US and Europe swear by olive oil: they add it too everything. Olive oil is a rich source of fats and anti oxidants as well as tasting delicious.

A local brand of Olive Oil

 A tablespoon of oil added to a freeze dry can make that meal more unctuous as fat is one of the elements the freeze drying process removes.Carry it in a well secured small plastic bottle stored in an outside pocket as it will make a real mess if spilled inside your pack.

Milk powder

Milk powder will add to the creamy  nature of many FD meals, anything with a cheese or cream based sauce will benefit.

A coconut milk powder available in New Zealand

Coconut cream powder is especially good for those who are Lactose intolerant as well as going well with Asian style meals. Make sure you add enough water to reconstitute the powder correctly.

What about crackers?

If you are the kind of tramper who eats crackers for lunch and you have a couple spare, break them up and add them to your freeze dried meal.

Leave some crackers for that tramping dinner...

 Most if not all of these meals are soupy or stew like so anything that adds a crunchy texture is appreciated.

This is hardly an exhaustive list, you should visit your local supermarket or Asian food market and see what they have available.

What about some practical tramping meal examples?

Here a couple of practical examples of how this works using meals from both Backcountry Cuisine and the Outdoor Gourmet Company product lines. I have made all of these additions in the past.

BCC Chicken Tomato Alfredo: add olives, olive oil, diced sundried tomatoes, salt and pepper

BCC Chicken Tomato Alfredo with added olives and tomatoes

BCC Morrocan Lamb: add pine and or peanuts, raisins, olive oil, dried mint/nutmeg, freshly diced garlic clove, salt and pepper (this is my current favourite BCC meal)

BCC Spaghetti Bolognaise: add diced garlic, tomato ketchup, olive oil, olives, freshly shaved Parmesan

BCC Creamy Carbonara: add sliced sautéed mushrooms, garlic, diced salami, olive oil, milk powder, salt and pepper

One of the Outdoor Gourmet Company meals

OGC Lamb and Black Olives: add nuts, raisins, olive oil, mint, garlic salt and pepper

OGC Venison Casarecce with White Wine Sauce: Craisins, garlic, sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper

Absolute Wilderness Bacon Mash: Salami, cheese, oil, chilli sauce, onions

As you can see you could really go crazy with your additions the only limit is your taste buds and imagination. Just remember to keep the weight factor in mind as you could easily negate any initial savings by adding too much to your meals. 

Tramping food: Food for a four day tramp

Tramping food for four days

I'm preparing for a trip this weekend and thought I would show you the kind of food I take with me when I go out tramping. This is for a four day trip, so 4 lunches, 3 dinners and 3 breakfasts. I also take some emergency food, quick cook pasta/noodles/cous-cous and a couple of packages of instant porridge (oatmeal to you Americans).

Four days worth of tramping food laid out for inspection

It is not uncommon for New Zealand trampers to get stuck on the wrong side of a river for a day or two after a touch of rain so you need a small emergency food backup just in case. It is no fun having an enforced hut or tent day with no food.

Why you need spare food: Flooding river (note storm in background)

Breakdown of my tramping meal periods: breakfast, lunch, dinner

What I'm looking for is a good mix of carbs/fats/sugars/protein to keep me going all day long. You also want a mix of tastes and a sweet/savoury mix so your food doesnt become boring.

 Generally, breakfast will be porridge, toaster pastries, freeze dried meals (savoury or desserts) or muesli with milk (powdered), cheese or salami and a cup of tea. I sometimes eat freeze dried eggs cooked and in a tortilla if I have the time. I also love the freeze dried rice pudding which you can buy from Absolute Wilderness.

Breakfast: eating a freeze dried Applepie at Bark Bay Hut

Lunches are crackers or tortillas with peanut butter/tuna/salami/cheese or pate. I will take 2-3 snacks per day as well as drinks like iced tea, coffee, tea and electrolyte mixes. Two minute noodles are also  good for lunch as they are lightweight and quick to prepare.

Lunch on the Lewis Pass Tops: raisins, crackers, tuna, and a lemon lime drink

 My dinner staples tend to be dried foods: pasta/rice/noodles/instant mashed potato with various additions and flavourings.  I usually start with an instant soup followed by my main meal and any left over snacks for desert.

 

Cooking dinner at Lake Christabel Hut..freze dried meal and iced tea

I occasionally take freeze dried meals, they are simple to prepare (just add hot water) and lightweight but expensive to buy. Very occasionally I take thermo-stabilised pouch meals from companies like Kaweka or MTR but weight is an issue with these.

Freeze dried Venison and Rice Noodle stirfry

Freeze dried Venison and Rice Noodle stirfry

I  finish the day with coffee, tea or a cold drink mix. Or hot Raro, yum!

Me drinking tea in East Hawdon Biv, Arthurs Pass N.P

I'm always on the lookout for good dinner meal ideas; ease of preparation, weight and taste are my criteria, not necessarily in that order.

The four day tramping menu...

Below is a representative four day menu showing  different types of main meal options and how they interact with each other. You want a bit of variety in your meals for interest sake..I once meet a person walking the Te Araroa Trail who ate porridge for all three meals.

That may be fine for you but I would hate that with a passion...

Tramping food:Day One

I'm eating a MTR retort curry on day one....with rice as a accompaniment, I would eat these bagged meals all the time but the weight would be prohibitive.

Breakfast:  At home (I often buy MacDonalds etc. on the way out of town)
Lunch: Sandwiches + fruit from home + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Olives + raisin's + scroggin pack
Dinner: MTR Paneer Butter Masala
MTR Jeeri Rice
Nestle Iced Tea + tea ( 1 T sugar) (580gms total)


Tramping food: Day 2

Mashed spuds with vegetables, meat, cheese and sometimes added gravy powder make for an excellent tramping meal...I really like it and it is one of my 'go to' tramping menu choices. 

Im also partial to a good instant Mac n' Cheese but Im not taking any with me on this trip. 

Breakfast:Instant Porridge with Raisins/milk powder/sugar + cheese wedge + tea ( 1 T sugar)
Lunch: Peanut butter (x2) + crackers + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Strawberry toaster pastries + raisins + steak bar
Dinner: Instant Cheese Mash + beef jerky + cheese wedge + dried onion
Nestle Iced Tea + tea ( 1 T sugar) (460gms total)



Tramping food: Day 3

The longer the trip the more freeze dried meals I would be eating. I have usually eaten all the fresh food before day 3-4 so after that it is freeze dried meals for dinner each day.

They may not be the tastiest but its hard to argue with that weight to nutrition ratio..and the taste & quality is geting better all of the time.

Breakfast: Cream of Wheat + raisins + milk powder + sugar + tea ( 1 T sugar)
Lunch:Farmhouse Pate + crackers + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Raisins+ beef jerky + fruit and nut chocolate bar
Dinner: Back Country Cuisine: Roast lamb with vegetables & mash (2 serve)
Nestle Iced Tea + tea (1 T sugar) (475 gms total)



Tramping food: Day 4


I'm eating a single serve freeze dried meal for breakfast on the last day as I am walking for a long distance. I usually eat the bland varieties: Scrambled Eggs, Tomato Pasta Alfredo, Nasi Goreng, All Day Breakfast etc. as I don't want to be tramping with a curry on board.

Me eating a Tomato Pasta Alfredo in Mid Robinson Hut in 2016

Also toaster pastries...they are jammed packed with sugar but also carbohydrates, fats and some protein. Your going to burn it all off over the day so the sugar doesn't mater and they taste good after a couple of days in the bush.

Breakfast: Back Country Cuisine: Nasi Goreng (1 serve) + toaster pastries + tea ( 1 T sugar)
Lunch: Farmhouse Pate + crackers + electrolyte drink
Snacks: Steak bar + raisins + scroggin mix pack
Dinner: At home (or on the way home) (370gms total)

Total weight of food: 2.2kg including the box of crackers

Tramping bread

 I've tried a lot of different things to use as my "daily bread" (bread/crackers/tortilla's/wraps/crisp-bread) but always come back to these beauties. Arnotts Sesame Wheat crackers go great with everything and I really appreciate the salt on them.


Arnotts Sesame Wheat: My daily bread on tramping excursions

My second most popular choice would be Farrah Wraps which come in a variety of different flavours. These will last for 3-4 days if handled with care, I fold them and place them in small zip lock bags.

Farrah Wrap's, spinach is my favourite flavour

MTR thermo stabilised meals for tramping

Here is a new item I'm trying out as tramping food; MTR ready to eat meals. MTR is an Indian brand, imported for sale in New Zealand; they are thermo stabilised pouch meals. You chuck them in a pot of water and boil for 3-5 minutes. The other heating method is by using one of the Back Country flame-less ration heaters, these boil water through chemical action to heat your food.

A Backcountry flameles ration heater

There are 3-4 types of rice and a dozen mains available, I've tried a couple and they are very tasty. I have since discovered that these are in Indian Army, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) ration packs.

MTR Indian Meal - Jeera Rice

This trip I have Jeera Rice and Paneer Butter Masala, the beauty of these meals is that they can be eaten hot or cold (just like a MRE). They have a subtle mix of spices in them, vegetables and this one has cubes of cottage cheese.

MTR Indian meal - Paneer Butter Masala

The realy make a change to your bog standard Backcountry Freeze dried meals.

Or try a Kaweka meal...

A similar idea are the Kaweka Meals, they are also in thermo stabilised pouches that just need to be heated in hot water. They are delicious and consist of a main and a side dish: either rice, mashed potato or cous-cous.

These are used in both Australian and NZ Army issued ration packs.

Some of the Kaweka meal range

Their main meals include:

Butter Chicken and Rice
Thai Green Curry and Rice
Beef and Red Wine Casserole with mash
Beans, Bangers and Bacon
Apricot Chicken with cous cous
Lamb Casserole with mash

These meals are available in all of the larger supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

Kaweka went out of business in 2017 but similar meals are now in Go Native 24 hour ration packs available from most outdoor stores. 

Go Native 24 hour ration packs....taste good but expensive!

The contents of a Go Native 24 hour ration pack

Always keep your eyes open for tasty items you can add to your tramping menus.

Snackage: I love them raisins !

As you can see I like raisins, they are my favourite snack as well as an additive for porridge and cream of wheat. I always carry some with me on every tramping trip. Raisins are heavier than some other snacks but I enjoy the more natural sugar high you get off a pack...much better than that from chocolate. 

Mmmmm...Raisins!

Other snacks I carry include; fresh and dried fruit, muesli bars, chocolate, nuts, toaster pastries, jerky, olives, steak bars, biscuits and cheese slices/wedges/rounds (Baby Bels rock people and last for 2-3 days). I try to take a variety of snacks so I dont get sick of any one item.

Jack Link's Steak Bars..solid jerky bars....yum!!!

Babybel cheese...tasty and will last for 2-3 days

There are many more but what I like is a sweet/savoury mix with a lean to the salty - savoury end of the scale. I am not big on the scroggin/GORP/trail mix however as I find it is heavy and you quickly grow tired of it regardless of the contents.

Classic scroggin/trail mix...I am not a fan.

Anyway, that is just a quick overview of some of my tramping meal ideas.