Date: Apr 10, 2018
Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Category: Education
Are your backcountry trips limited in length by the number of Mountain House flavours in stock? Are your camp dinners less appetizing than your first attempt at cooking in college? Looking for some new inspiration for this summer’s trip menus?
Whether you already tabulate your backcountry calories on a spreadsheet,or you don’t even own a measuring spoon; whether you love your dehydrator or have no patience for one; whether your idea of a gourmet trail dinner is “cold and crunchy” or “please pass the fresh pepper grinder”… come join us for an informative and tasty evening showcasing backcountry food.
The presentation is suitable for beginner and advanced “camp chefs” and contains tips tailored towards kayakers (“Hey, do we have room for another box of wine?”) to alpinists (“You should probably cut that handle off your toothbrush…”) and everyone in between.
Topics covered will include:
- different approaches to backcountry cooking;
- considerations according to group size and trip objectives;
- caloric needs and portion sizes;
- working with and without a dehydrator;
- the differences between dehydrated, freeze-dried, and dry ingredients;
- adding boiling water versus cooking;
- meals without a stove;
- carb/protein/fat balance and sodium;
- calorie-per-gram considerations;
- cost;
- packaging;
- stove and pot choices.
Bring your questions and a spoon! Try a few bites, observe some practical demonstrations, take home some recipes, and leave with a better understanding of what makes a successful backcountry meal plan.
Location: Swan Lake Nature House
Your registration fee of $20 includes handouts and small samples. To register, contact Alois at
Workshop will be led by Jen Alloway. Jen has been a hiker, a paddler, a sailor, and a gram-minded engineer for over ten years. She likes to surprise people with turkey dinners and cheesecake on day eleven, and estimates having cooked more than two thousand backcountry meal servings from scratch.