Breakfast is the cornerstone of your day...
It can be argued that breakfast is the most important meal of the day when you are out tramping or otherwise engaging in some outdoor pursuit. Hard physical activity means your body will be working to keep you going and food is the fuel that keeps the engine running.
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| Enjoying a brew at East Hawdon Bivouac in 2015 |
In your everyday life you might be able to get by with the most minimal of morning meals or you may skip breakfast altogether. Doing this while engaged in demanding tasks is a recipe for poor performance or failure. You need a good mix of carbohydrates, protein, fats and sugars to keep you going so the food you consume must have enough of and the right ratio of each of these.
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| Massive hill climbs burn plenty of energy...McKinnon Pass Track |
Additionally the food you take with you will be dictated by your tramping style. Are you a late riser who cannot move without a full cooked breakfast or a ultra lighter who doesn't want to carry a cooker or pot? Is morning coffee a requirement before you can think straight? Do you mind eating on the way or do you need to sit down while you eat? Questions like this will influence what you eat, how you eat it and what gear you require to prepare it.
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| Meal preparation often means dirty dishes... |
Personally I am fairly easy when it comes to my needs, I am willing to adapt to overcome if you like. I like a hearty breakfast in the morning and enjoy tea or coffee but I am totally happy to just eat on the go if required. I would prefer to carry as little weight as possible so whatever I eat must be made with a minimum of equipment. I don't like cleaning dishes in the morning so I prefer meals from the bag.
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| Tucking into a Backcountry meal at Mid Robinson Hut in 2015 |
All of these factors have influenced what foods I carry not just for breakfast but for all of my tramping meals over the years.
My top menu items for breakfast...
Here is a short list of my top breakfast meals I use eat when I am out tramping. All of these have been used multiple times and all will see you through the first couple of hours of any tramping day. These are listed in the order that I have tended to use them in the past.
Porridge/Instant Oats/Cream of Wheat/Oatmeal:
An oldie but a goodie and my favorite outdoor breakfast meal is stick to your ribs porridge. Easy to make, light weight, tasty and filling Porridge is the most common morning meal you will see people eating in the backcountry. A good hearty bowl of porridge has all the fats, carbohydrates, sugars and protein you need to keep you going for the first 2-3 hours of the day.
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| Porridge/Oatmeal is the number one tramping breakfast... |
Personally I like to use the Uncle Toby's instant oats sachets...I place two packets in a sandwich sized Ziploc bag with dried fruit, a tablespoon of milk powder, sugar and a pinch of salt. I just add boiled water to the bag, let sit for 5-10 minutes and eat. I will have it with a salami slice or three for a bit more protein...washed down with tea or coffee.
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| Porridge oats in a Ziploc ready to go.. |
As well as porridge and oats I also like Cream of Wheat (or Cremota to the other olde folks out there...) which is a finely cut version of oatmeal from the United States. It is much creamier and I find it more palatable but it is hard to find here in New Zealand. I occasionally see it at Asian food warehouse's and it can be brought online. I comes in many varieties my favorite is Maple Brown Sugar and Cinnabon.
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| Cream of Wheat is delicious... |
You can make porridge from scratch and it will taste better but it requires a lot more effort, time and creates a lot of mess. Don't bother...leave the homemade stuff for home and just eat the instant oat packets.
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| Mixing up some oatmeal in the field... |
Quick tip...chuck a knob of butter in your porridge if you have it...or some brown sugar as both make it much more unctuous and flavorsome. Chia seeds and the such may be added if that is your thing...
Other Cereal: Muesli/Granola/Just Right
My second most carried breakfast meal is cereal with milk powder and sugar added to it in a Ziploc bag. Have it hot or cold it is really up to you but I personally find the milk powder dissolves best with hot water added to it. You can make the milk separate but I just cannot be bothered and it is all going to mix once you eat it anyway.
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| Tucking into some cereal on trail... |
Typically I will use some form of commercial muesli usually something like Uncle Tobys, Hubbards or Sanitarium here in New Zealand. My preferred is Just Right as it is a much lighter form of muesli. I will sometimes add extra dried fruit for a bit more body as well as nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar for flavor. It doesn't need to be muesli/granola though...I have seen people eating all kinds of cereal including Weetbix, Nutrigrain, Cornflakes and even Fruit Loops.
Eat it from the bag to save on clean up time, dish washing and mess.
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| Kellogg's Just Right cereal... |
Backcountry Cuisine make a very fine version of both Porridge Supreme and Muesli with Yoghurt that make for very simple morning meals. The muesli with yogurt is delicious and is a easy way to eat with the minimum of fuss and preparation.
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| Backcountry Porridge Supreme...just add hot water |
Both these can be prepared by simply adding water to the bag and waiting 10 minutes for it to fully hydrate. Again you can eat it straight from the bag to save on clean up.
Hot meals: Bacon and eggs anyone?
If you have the time and the inclination then a lovely meal of hot bacon and eggs, fried egg sandwich or pancakes with bacon is the perfect way to start a long, hard day of tramping. With a piece of bread it will give you the full spread of everything you need to make you body work to its full potential. Anything you can make at home can also be made out tramping with a bit of thought.
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| A feed of Bacon and Eggs camp style... |
Other excellent options are scrambled eggs (fresh or dehydrated) on a wrap, omelets, baked/refried beans, Kedgeree (fried rice and oily fish), canned spaghetti/beans, steak sandwich, burger patties, precooked sausages/frankfurters fried on bread or a wrap, mashed potatoes with cubed ham/salami/fried bacon etc. Look for items that cook quickly without a whole lot of preparation required.
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| Breakfast Burrito's are muy bueno!!! |
You can also consider eating freeze dried meals for breakfast and not just the all day breakfast versions. I have eaten many of the Backcountry Cuisine meals as a breakfast item...go for the smaller one person serve so you do not feel too full. Backcountry, Absolute Wilderness and Radix all make breakfast items including scrambled eggs, baked beans and Cooked Breakfast. Try all of them on a tortilla or wrap...with or without Tabasco as you see fit.
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| Absolute Wilderness Bacon Mash is great for breakfast... |
Some people like to eat left overs from the previous night but I would recommend you NOT do this. Without refrigeration you are much more likely to get food poisoning so I would only eat freshly prepared hot foods. Leaving a pot of food on the bench is also likely to attract insects and vermin...pasta alfredo with a medley of Rat urine is not a taste you want to try...
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| Don't tempt him with your left overs!!! |
You are probably going to need a frying pan for some of these hot meals..look for a light weigh camping fry pan at your local outdoor store. MSR, Jetboil, Kovea and TOAKs all make good ones.
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| The Jetboil frying pan...decent kit!!! |
Some huts have fry pans in them but you can never be sure...take your own if it is required for the meal you intend to make.
Breakfast bars, OSM, Pop-Tarts and their ilk:
A lot of trampers will just eat bars for breakfast...this is a good option if you just like to get up in the morning, pack your gear and get on trail. Bars can be eaten while on the go and there is no food preparation or cleaning to slow you down in the morning.
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| A selection of hikers energy bars.... |
I have seen people eating many different bars...things like Natures Valley, Em's Power Bars, Bumper Bars and Clif Bars. Some people like the special protein rich items like Aitkens Bars, Lara Bars and OSM's etc. These are all perfectly fine items to eat for breakfast but they are also high in sugar. You will get a sudden rush of energy off these items but it will quickly ebb away. I also tend to find all of these bars a bit dense and overly sweet for my taste.
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| OSM bars are popular in New Zealand |
Other people will eat pre packaged items such as Pop-Tarts, Honey Buns, Cinnamon Scrolls, muffins, individually wrapped cakes, biscuits and buns. Pop Tarts can actually be eaten un-toasted although they do not taste as good...still pretty tasty though and one packet of Pop Tart contains a whooping amount of calories.
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| Pop Tarts are one breakfast option...cherry!!! |
I do eat bars and Pop Tarts (cherry/strawberry is my preferred flavor) but I prefer to take dark fruit cake or fruit bread for a fast breakfast item. There is a type of dense European style fruit loaf sold in supermarkets here that is perfect for tramping. Rosedale fruit loaf is firm so does not squash and is chock full of fruit and delicious with or without butter.
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| Rosedale fruit loaf is great tramping food... |
I also love Mrs Freshley's Cinnamon Swirl Buns, even if it gets 'squot like a pumpkin' it still tastes good....
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| Delectable Mrs Freshley's Cinnamon Swirl Buns |
If you are eating any of these items which are not specifically made with protein added have some cheese, dried meat, beans or milk powder to up the protein levels for sustained energy release.
The no cook breakfast:
'No cook' or 'cold cook' are methods of food preparation gaining in popularity in recent time. Both have come out of the long trail community where the weight of cookers, pots and ancillary equipment is discarded in favor of more miles walked. Less weight will always mean an easier passage...
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| A late breakfast of filled rolls at Anapai Bay, Abel Tasman NP |
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| Energy bars are also great 'no cook' meal ideas |
No cook is just that...no cooking or complicated preparation is required in these meals. A typical no cook meal will be some form of carbohydrate such as bread, wraps, crackers, muffins or bagels. To these will be added meat, cheese, pate, spreads (jam/honey/nut butter), salad, fresh vegetables, fruit, olives, sun dried tomatoes etc.
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| Pate and spinach wraps at John Tait Hut |
Really you are only limited by your imagination here...anything you could also have for lunch is good for a 'no cook' breakfast. The best no cook breakfast I have ever had was some crusty bread, hard boiled eggs, salami and half an avocado washed down with orange Raro.
Let me tell you...it was damn fine eats!!!
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| Hard boiled eggs last 2-3 days if handled carefully... |
The advantage of the no cook breakfast is that there is no complicated preparation involved...you get up, eat your food and get on the trail. There is little to no mess to clear up...no pots to wash, cutlery to scrub etc. It is a menu well favored by European trampers especially those from Holland, Germany and Austria as this is what they typically eat for breakfast in those countries anyway.
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| Typical 'no cook' tramping breakfast... |
'Cold cook' or 'cold soaking' is when you place some food into a container of some sort and soak it with cold water for a length of time in this case overnight. Generally cold soak enthusiasts carry a plastic jar or container to soak their meals in but Ziploc bags can also be used to save on cleaning. The water rehydrates the meal and while it is cold it will still be perfectly good to eat in the majority of cases.
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| Rissoni and Orzo pastas make good cold soak meals |
Any meal that can be made with hot water can also be made with cold water including rice noodles, pasta, polenta, couscous, buckwheat, instant potatoes, muesli, porridge and dehydrated meals. Rice can be done this way but I usually find it is still a little crunchy and will make you thirsty through the day. Ramen noodles are a very effective cold soak meal as is porridge or oatmeal.
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| Ramen are classic cold soak ingredients |
I have tried it,,,didn't really like it. I like to have a hot drink with my breakfast either tea or more commonly coffee 3 in 1 sachets. If I am boiling water for a drink I might as well use it for my meal as well. It is another option for you to keep in mind.
Other breakfast options...
In addition to my usual suspects here are a couple of meal ideas I have used over the years to varied success. Some of these still get the occasion foray while others were tried the one time and discarded as they did not meet my particular needs in some fashion.
O-Meal Range:
O-Meals are a new addition to the Kiwi trampers pantry...these are pre made and packaged meals that Hunting and Fishing have started selling. These meals are in retort pouches with a FRH or Flameless Ration Heater pack which heats your meal through thermo-chemical action. You simply place the meal pouch in its bag add the chemical pouch and about 100ml of water and in 3-4 minutes you will have a piping hot meal.
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| The O-Meal range of retort pouch meals... |
There is a variety of meals but the ones that interest the most are Spaghetti with beef sauce, Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Hashbrown Potatoes. I have tried all of these and they are excellent in particular the Hashbrown Potatoes. The hashbrowns are excellent with salami sticks, a sausage or two, bacon, frankfurters or just on their own.
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| O-Meals Hashbrown Potatoes..damn fine vittles!!! |
The downside are price (around $15 per pack) and weight (200gms) but if you can overlook these factors they make an important and useful addition to the breakfast pantry.
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| O-Meal Hashbrown Potatoes |
The Oatmeal is good but at $15 per pack it makes no sense when a 12 pack of Uncle Toby's sachets is about $4.00. See my article about the O-Meal range I posted earlier this year. Any of the various meals will also be great for breakfast as most of them are based around beans.
Breakfast Couscous:
Couscous is an excellent meal starter for trampers as it just requires hot water, salt and a little oil to prepare. Super light, super simply it is something I often carry for dinner meals as should you as it is so versatile.
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| Couscous is a perfect tramping base... |
I tried out sweet couscous for breakfast after reading about it on a long trail blog from the US. It is meant to recreate a meal enjoyed by many people in North Africa of a morning. To the basic couscous is added fruit (raisins, chopped apricots and dates), nuts, sugar, sweet spices (Cinnamon/Nutmeg) and coconut milk or yogurt powder. Add hot water, stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
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| My breakfast couscous was similar to this... |
To be frank I just didn't like the taste...I found the savory couscous and sweet fruit just didn't suit my palate. You should give it a go as many people feel it is Ambrosia of the Gods...
Rice pudding/Creamed rice:
Creamed Rice AKA Rice Pudding is tailor made for breakfast meals...it is filling, tastes damn fine and it has all the carbs, protein, fats and sugar you need for a busy day. It is one of those desserts I remember fondly from childhood as my mother used to make a killer rice pudding in the day. I have taken rice pudding tramping several times and will continue doing so going into the future.
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| Classic homestyle rice pudding |
I have used a variety of methods of preparing rice pudding...I have a couple of homemade recipes using instant freeze dried rice, coconut milk powder, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and dried fruit. I have used canned rice pudding and rice pudding in shelf stable individual pre packed cups. All of these work but most have some negative point...wasteful packaging, weight issues, inefficient hydration etc.
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| Ambrosia is the best canned rice pudding |
The best way to add rice pudding to your menu is by using the freeze dried packs made by Absolute Wilderness. They have three rice pudding meals in their range: Apples on Creamed Rice, Cocoa and Banana Pudding and Mocha Creamed Rice. I have tried all three and they are high quality and totally delicious.
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| Absolute Wilderness Apples on Creamed Rice |
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| The Apples with Creamed Rice from Absolute Wilderness |
All of these are easy to prepare...just add hot water, stir and sit for 10 minutes..eat it right out of the bag!
Precooked bacon:
Is there any finer food than bacon...I don't think so. Cooked bacon is good for up to two days if you wrap it tightly in tin foil and store it in the coolest part of your pack. Fry half a dozen rashers per person at home, wrapped it and add to bread, wrap or bread roll at camp. If you want it warm put the wrapped bacon on the edge of a fire, on top of a wood burner or suspend it over your cooker for a couple of minutes turning it frequently. Don't burn yourself and BTW the HP sauce is optional.
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| Classic bacon butty... |
A bacon butty and a big mug of sweet milky tea is a perfect way to start any day...
I am always looking for ways to widen my breakfast options as I find this the most difficult meal to plan without menu fatigue. I hope this gives you a few ideas for tramping breakfasts you can try the next time you head out..good tramping and good eating everyone.
