[pct-l] Three Questions/Going Stoveless

[giniajim]

I've started to move toward carrying Esbit tabs to heat water for whatever I 
want to "cook"/drink. The downside to that is that you can't ship the things 
via USPS (for re-supply) and they aren't carried in your typical corner 
store.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hayden Wilson" <hydnwilson at hotmail.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 3:16 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Three Questions/Going Stoveless


>
> This stoveless question comes up periodically on all of the hiking lists. 
> I haven't carried a stove in over ten thousand miles.  Though most people 
> assume that it is a weight issue, that is not the case for me.  One of the 
> things that I love so much about long distance hiking is the way that it 
> streamlines your life, ie., the simplicity of it all.  Dropping the stove 
> is just one less thing to deal with.  No "Does the store sell Liptons, 
> Ramen, or mashed potatoes?", no pot, no fuel bottle/cannister, and no fuel 
> supply problems (Availability and shipping of fuel is also a regular list 
> topic).
>
> Another way that things are simpler is the time it takes to eat dinner and 
> get into my sleeping bag, especially if it is cold or buggy.  Stoveless 
> cuts out a lot of "stand around shivering" heating up and cooling down 
> time.  When I was cooking the "warm me up" value of hot food was far 
> outweighed by how cold I got shuffling around in my day clothes waiting 
> for the noodles to be ready.  I know that many people cook in their tents 
> or while in their bags, but I never liked to do that.  I just prefer to 
> eat, get into my sleeping clothes, and crawl into my bag.
>
> In the morning, it works almost the same way except that I do eat in bed. 
> Breakfast is usually one of those huge muffins that they sell in most 
> quick stop markets or in the deli section of grocery stores.  Eat, take my 
> vitamins, dress, pack, and get moving.
>
> As to the overall weight, I don't really know if it is a savings or a 
> penalty.  However, I have looked at individual foods.  Sometimes the 
> results can be suprising.  A package of Ramen is about 127 calories per 
> ounce at 11% fat.  Santitas Tortilla chips (a common food for me) is 140 
> calories per ounce at 9% fat.  Planters Salted Peanuts are 166 calories 
> per ounce and 76% fat.  Thomas' Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bagels are 81 
> calories per ounce and 3% fat.  Though the bagels are the heaviest for the 
> amount of calories, I carry some variety any time that I can find them.  I 
> have also found that bagels, tortilla chips, and potato chips taste the 
> same even after you sit on them and eat the chips with a spoon.
>
> I seldom eat food bars, though I usually carry one or two.  Maybe I have 
> just eaten too many of the things, but I now view bars as a kind of 
> emergency ration.  If I have misjudged my food needs, there is always that 
> hated food bar in the bottom of the bag.
>
> My favorite stoveless foods are things like pizza (best trail food ever), 
> fried chicken (take out the bones so you won't have to deal with them on 
> the trail), grinders or subs, hamburgers, etc.   I have also carried out 
> bagged salads, avocados, and bell peppers.  Balogna, cheese, pepperoni, 
> summer sausages and luncheon meats (the more processed the better) are all 
> good trail foods.  I know, not really light weight, but they taste good to 
> me.
>
> This all works for me because I like this kind of food and do not mind 
> eating a bagel sandwich every night.  I know many others who are more 
> experienced than I am (probably smarter and better looking too) who are 
> very attached to their stoves and hot meals.  I believe that the whole 
> stove or no stove thing boils down to PERSONAL PREFERENCE, HYOH, YMMV.  If 
> you are going to try it on a long hike, you might put you pot and stove in 
> your bounce and see how it goes.
>
> Hayden Wilson "Birdnut"
>
>
>
>
>
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