Cooking

Simple, filling, and sustainable

Introduction

We are minimalist chefs out there. What that means is a simple, hearty breakfast, ready to eat foods on trail, and a hands-off, but delicious dinner by the campfire. Of course, the big benefit here is that minimalist cooking provides more time on trail - and far less hassle!

This page has a quick look at our setup and our simple, but delicious standard meals while hiking, backpacking, and camping.

Breakfast

This is easily the most important meal of the day when you’re doing big hiking days. We prepare a breakfast scramble each morning using a gas stove and 12” non-stick ceramic skillet. Usually it’s eggs, sausage/bacon, toast/tortillas, and fresh tomatoes and avocados. And coffee. We don’t go anywhere until coffee is made. For simplicity, we use Starbucks instant.

TIP: For quick trips, we crack all our eggs before we leave and put them in a mason jar. This way, we don’t have to worry about cracking eggs in transit and making a big ol’ mess.

Lunch

Trail lunches are pretty basic and easy to carry. Sandwiches, trail bars, jerkies, or meat pouches are standard fare except when it’s cold. For those days, we’ll pack a Jetboil and make instant soups, ramen, or Knor sides to warm up. It’s also nice to have a cup of hot chocolate out there with some marshmallows;-)

Dinner

We don’t do a lot of dinners in the woods because we strongly prefer to visit local restaurants after dark. Kentucky is blessed with a number of excellent, hiker-friendly establishments serving up delicious meals and tasty craft brews.

That said, when we have dinner, it’s always around the campfire, and it’s always simple! Our standard dinner is a foil packet filled with buttered and sliced potatoes, onions, and jalapenos. You can add chicken if you like, but we usually roast brats and metts over the fire to eat with them.

Cookware

While it’s easy to go buy tons of disposable items, it’s far better for everyone including Mother Earth if you invest in some reusable wares. Here’s a list of what we have in our camp kitchen bin:

  • Single burner propane stove with tank

  • 12” non-stick ceramic skillet

  • Spatula

  • Cutting board

  • Chef’s knife with sheath

  • Reusable metal utensils

  • Roasting forks

  • Reusable plates and bowls

  • Dish towels

  • Seasonings

  • Aluminum foil

  • Reusable sandwich bags

Also, a good cooking fire never has paper or plastic thrown into it. Keep it all wood, all the time for a clean burning fire with minimal ash and toxins.

TIP: We treat our reusable utensils and dishes like a cast iron skillet - rinse and wipe down. We give a full cleaning when we get home.

Jetboil + King Thermos

When I’m hiking or backpacking solo - especially in cooler weather - I carry a Jetboil and King Thermos to make rehydrating meals a much faster proposition.

The Jetboil is great because it gets water to a boil faster than any other device out there. The 24 oz. Stainless Steel King Thermos has proven to be superior in retaining heat and greatly accelerating the cooking process.

Previously, I’ve carried a heat pouch + quart-sized baggie setup, but it takes a long time for meals to finish ‘cooking’. Though the King Thermos is super heavy, it cuts my wait time down by 80-90% - which is really nice when you’re freezing and want a hot meal quickly!

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