It's All About the Food

It is good to journey towards an end, but in the end it's all about the food.

The original saying is "It is good to journey towards an end, but in the end its all about the journey".

I think the food is more accurate. Hikers get so bored with their food they start doing drastic things.
Some thru hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail told me their last resupply in Stehican, for 89 miles (about 4-5 days) was 50 candy bars and one package of ramen noodles.

I've seen guys ditch the stove and go cold food. This meant hiking out of town with a 3 pound sausage, several pounds of cheese, some bagels, some dried fruit and nuts. Lots of snickers. Very heavy, very bulky.
Then there's the guy that bought 3 cans of chunk pineapple for an evening treat. He didn't care about the weight, it was so worth it.
I've carried out a can of black olives, a birthday treat for my hiking partner. Sodas, a few beers, pressed upon us by trail angels. Then carried the crushed cans to the next town to recycle.
I've cooked my granola, eaten ramen raw like pretzels, added wild onions to the rice. Never get instant rice, or pop tarts without frosting. Just not worth the weight. A trail mix of pretzels, box of raisins and 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips in a gallon zip lock bag wasn't too shabby. When the chocolate chips melted it was more like eating chunks. It worked.

Then there's the hiker-box, trail-mix find. An assortment of unlikely stuff and god knows how many bacteria, it can be eaten while hiking, and has enough distraction for miles of guessing games (was that a dried cranberry??) I've seen gorp bags containing goldfish crackers, captain crunch, dried strawberries, m&ms, dried peas, pretzels, raisins, coconut, Cheerios, jelly beans and even taco chips.
Just throw it all into one bag, it ends up in the same place anyways.

One of my strangest resupplies was the last one the Colorado Trail by Silverton. Assured that the camp store had supplies, we were determined to not go into town, just buy some food and head out.
All they had was snacks.
So, 5 grandma cookies equaled breakfast.
Cashews, candy, chips, jerky, for lunches. A previous hiker had abandoned a drop box, so tortillas and instant black beans from said box were offered by store keeper. That became supper. Memorable.

I've learned the hard way not to have all sweets, or all salty, or all spicy. I make sure to mix it up, especially if its going to be a week before getting to town again for a resupply.

There are hikers who carry a good assortment of spices along. My favorite is cinnamon for oatmeal, garlic for suppers. Salt is not even optional. Unless all your food is already salted, you're going to need and want it. A little salt goes a long ways in making a big difference.

No matter what food you decide to survive on for a week, don't forget the water. All this has to be washed down some way.

Man, Woman, Wild-My Take

I'm a survivor-flick addict, I admit. Survivorman, Man VS. Wild, I Shouldn't Be Alive, Locked Up Abroad. I watch them all.

This new series Discovery is showing, though, has me baffled. We have this really good looking couple out surviving for several days at a time. She has a British accent and he is a calm and collected American. With a huge bowie knife he can accomplish all sorts of things. Its obvious he has skills and I've seen some stuff I want to try.
Like boiling water as a purification process in a plastic water bottle above a camp fire.
Like using steel wool and 9 volt battery to start a fire. I tried the Grade 3 Steel wool, it didn't work, even with a new battery. I'm thinking I need the fine 000 grade. Not like this is something I would normally have on me, but any survival skill is worth knowing.
I'd like to also practice with the fire bundle: carrying a live coal in a dry but rotted log, pampering the coal during the journey for the evening fire in a new location.

But what gets me is how clean they stay, not a smudge on them after making campfires, trudging around in the desert or swamp, hunting, killing and gutting creatures. She wears a white jacket and her nails are never dirty. Yet they'll say "we've been out here three days". Seriously folks, if you want some credibility, make it a little more believable. Get dirty. Wake up from the parachute hammock with your hair messed up. Let me see a smudge on your face and your nails with dirt under them. Lose a button, or get a small tear in your pants.

Even car campers get dirty and there's no way a white shirt or jacket is going to look that good after one night, let alone 3 days in the boonies surviving the elements with no soap and water.

Its a series with potential however, so I'm going to watch it and learn by trying some of the skills in my wilderness adventures. I'll post here what happens, the good, bad, and the ugly.

Over the Edge:Death In the Grand Canyon

A Book Review of this lengthy and well written book by authors Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers would really take several postings to do it justice.

Three hundred ninety pages of gripping stories, statistical data, complete bibliography leave us with no doubt the authors have done their research.
Chapters include: Falls, Environmental Deaths, Flash Floods, Killer Colorado, Air Causalities, Freak Accidents, Suicide, and lastly, Murder.

I was amazed at some of the risks people took before their deaths: perching for photos, hiking with insufficient water, bushwhacking impossible terrain, disregarding flood warnings, swimming in swirling eddies. Also amazing were the seemingly benign circumstances and easily escaped dangers had the people paid attention.

The Epilogue sums it up quite well that as a people we have become so domesticated our adventures are sought out and not everyone who is ill prepared can be protected from them.

I highly recommend this book. At times the factual parts could bog you down, at times it reads like a Hollywood thriller. The charts at the end of each chapter summarize quite nicely the trends and highlights.
A very educational book as well, its lessons can be used in all survival situations. Be prepared, do not over estimate your abilities. Never disrespect or underestimate the wilderness or Mother Nature.

Stove Stories

I've seen a lot of stoves on the trail.
Some guys would get obsessed with having the fastest stove and boil contests would be held. Each person starts with one pint of cold water. Then, lighting the stove, a stop watch would keep track of how long the stove took to heat the water to boiling. Usually the soda can stoves would be in a class by themselves. Backpackers with canister stoves and whisper lights just had too much power behind the flame to be fair.

We had our sleeping bags all stretched out in the shelter on the AT when a guy starts to light his stove next to my sleeping bag. This is so wrong on many levels. Number one, you shouldn't be cooking in the shelter. Course, most of us did anyways. Number two, you should be more respectful of other's gear. What if your stove leaked, exploded or tipped over (as has happened to long distance hikers one time or another)? You could send someones sleeping bag up in flames, especially a down $265 Marmot, like I had.
I politely moved my bag in spite of protestations that he was being careful.

I've seen the screw from a photon stove go flying past it's owner's eye. Another time the guy poured fuel into the priming pan, lit his stove and caught the floor of the shelter on fire.

I knocked my stove and cook pot full of pasta over when I woke up from an accidental snooze while leaning against the shelter wall.
These things happen.

Just to see what would happen, I lit a soda can stove while it sat inside my old silnylon tent, shut the screen and filmed it. Of course, the heat eventually caught it on fire. I posted this on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/brawny03
The response to the video was mixed. Everything from "what a waste of a good tent" "dumbest video ever" to "thanks for posting, you saved lives"

So, when you play with fire, or stoves, expect stuff to happen and be safe.
A way to put out the fire (snuffer, wet cloth, water) and a way to move the pot when the food is cooked are great ideas. Not cooking too near your flammable gear is smart. Stay awake, even if you have to walk around.

Keeping it Real

Now, I admit I thought about deleting my first film about the slow burner on YouTube. The first tries at baking with the prototype didn't go so well.

I went back to reread my
http://www.trailquest.net/baking.html
page that we did years ago and saw my mistake.

But, just keeping it real, never give up when things don't go perfect the first time. Keep tweeking it. Have patience, stay positive. By posting my first attempts others can learn from my trials as well.

Even though the first couple cornbread tasted pretty fine the pan had to be scrubbed between tests. This was not acceptable. The pancakes were pretty easy but the trick was to find a pan light enough to be worth carrying. The one I found only weighs 44 grams ( 1- 3/4 ounces). Not only that, it makes a good buffer for the pot when I want to bake a thick cake.

The second film on YouTube about baking is shorter, and very successful. It also shows a prettier stove and promotes the idea that a person can make one of these with just a few simple tools. One soda can is all you need, and a pocket knife. I love the fact that its so simple you can make it in just minutes.

I've invited my trail partner to a backpacking breakfast of brewed coffee and blueberry pancakes. We'll post the ultralighter's kitchen set, and photos. As soon as the color starts in North East Georgia a trip into the wilderness is planned.

The Second Stove and Perfection

Originally I thought all the holes had to be open to the air. First tests showed it still burned too hot. I slid the top down so that the bottom covered the holes half way. Then, putting the thick batter into a cold pot, with oil both in the batter (1 tablespoon) and oil in the pot, I let it cook for about 6 minutes.

Once again I worked with my slow burner. The second version is more precise, and I was able to adjust the amount of airflow until it made a sputtering sound. This sound told me just enough air was getting to the fuel to allow a slow combustion.

Perfect. I didn't want too much heat, especially for such a thick cake.

The second video is at YouTube also

http://www.youtube.com/user/brawny03

It shows how the pot support, windscreen and buffer pan was utilized to create this perfect cake.

I call it a cake. Really, it is 4 ounces Jiffy cornbread mix, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon oil, and just enough water to create a thick batter.

Rainmaker pronounced it delicious.

Stay tuned for the Ultralighter's Kitchen: a system of stoves and cookware to create gourmet meals on the trail.

How To Make the Stove

To make the slow burning stove, you only need one soda can.

You can use simple tools like a knife to cut the can. You can even make the air holes with a knife as well. My first stove was made with just a pocket knife while I was working this summer in Zion National Park.

Now home, I decided to use a paper puncher to make the holes. You could also use a drill, but I decided to do this at the lake, no electricity was available.

Make sure the top is tall enough to overlap the bottom. The bottom should be at least 2.5 inches tall.

I will tape the seam on the outside of this stove, as I did the prototype once the second round of tests are done to be sure there aren't too many hole which would make the stove burn too hot.

My second round of trail tested recipes will be make with this new stove. Stay tuned for updates.

Baking With the Soda Can Stove

In my quest for the perfect slow burning stove methods, I revisited the page Rainmaker and I wrote several years ago and posted on our website www.Trailquest.net. Back then we used a set of muffin tins that we cut in a specific way to achieve an adjustable "simmer attachment".

It really worked. We came up with an assortment of good recipes which are online for you to see and use. Rainmaker took the photos. Its still one of the most popular pages at Trailquest.

http://www.trailquest.net/baking.html

Now that I've reread it, I see when baking one should really put oil in the pot, spoon in the cake batter, then put on the flame.
With dumplings or a top crust, heat up the liquid to boiling; with pancakes, heat the oil and pan first.

Its a process, and well worth the learning.

Powdered foods are lightweight and versatile. Having a stove instead of the muffin tin "attachment" will be an improvement because the stove will be sturdier, and give a person two cooking stoves for a two course dinner.

A Prototype Stove

I'm excited about my new stove. It only weighs 12 grams and will allow me to bake bread and cake on the trail. My plan is to bring both soda can stoves because one will cook quickly, the other will bake slowly.

The first baking tests shown on my

http://www.youtube.com/user/brawny03

account were somewhat disappointing. I let the pan get too hot, the bread burnt on the bottom. It tasted delicious however and I knew the burning could be remedied. Pancakes were easy. This is a great food, too, because wild berries can be added, and the mix is widely available.

My fourth try at baking gave me the results I was looking for. A perfect cake, nicely browned, and easily removed from the pan.

Possible delectable backpacking meals are in the works for upcoming blog posts. My criteria will include: inexpensive, satisfying, easily found in grocery stores, packable. I plan to include stats on calories, protien and pack weight.

I avoid the mountain house type meals. They just seem way overpriced for what you get, and too much packaging for the long distance hiker.

Mushroom Conclusions

After several days of mushroom study, I have decided they are a little sketchy as far as food sources go. Several species have poisonous look

alikes. The coloring can vary just enough to throw one off a positive identification. Clues like gill structure, size and length of stalk, texture, smell and taste all play important roles in identification. My conclusion is one should take a walk with a good mushroomer, and learn by hands on rather than relying on books alone.

This is true of many areas in life. I knew a woman who waited until she retired at age 62 before attempting an Appalachian Trail through hike, a distance of 2,178 miles. A through hike is completing an entire trail in one calendar year, usually referring to a long trail, such as the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail etc.

She prepared by reading books and online journals. Her longest hike was a weekend jaunt through a familiar section of woods.

This led her to believe she knew what she was facing. The struggles, doubts and pain that are all a part of a through hike on the Appalachian Trail was dismissed as unnecessary failings of those who didn't take care of themselves .

Needless to say, disappointment and disillusionment caused her to quit before she got half way.

My point here is that real life experience vastly outweighs anything we can learn from books. Books are great tools, holding knowledge we can intellectually assimulate.

Its getting out in the actual forest and trying things where the knowledge is cemented into understanding.

We seek understanding and confidence. The first step in surviving is recognizing one's mortality.

Shelf Mushrooms

Shelf mushrooms are easily identifiable because they grow like shelves on rotting trees and fallen logs.

The Jack Lantern is poisonous, but the others are considered a viable food source. They really don't taste very good, however and are leathery.

The main thing then, is to know what the Jack O' Lantern looks like. It does have a 3-8 inch stalk, but grown at base of stumps and buried roots of deciduous trees, and is saffon to yellow-orange.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms galore!


My four mile morning hike took a lot longer than usual because there is a profusion of mushrooms. Its really hot and humid in my neck of the woods and with all the rotting vegetation a more perfect environment can not be found.


We have a great reference book on mushrooms. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms
a 926 page leather bound work with color photos has caught my attention more than once. Earlier this spring I used it to identify and taste some shelf mushrooms, nearly all of which are edible.





Now, there are a lot of mushrooms out there. Its like being introduced to an auditorium of strangers. Its impossible to remember every ones name and home town when presented with such a huge group all at once.


Mushrooms have all sorts of names: Deadly Conocybe, Destroying Angel, Yellow Patches, Slimy-veil Limacella and many more. These names give me a clue that I better just take one at a time, get to know it by sight, feel, smell, and if safe, taste. Taste is the very last thing where mushrooms are concerned.

The above, white mushroom, looks suspiciously like the Destroying Angel. and its cousin the Cleft-Foot Amanita. Further research states that it is one of the most strikingly beautiful , found alone , shining white against a brown background . Very poisonous, the symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and cramps. Kidney and or liver dysfunction follow and without treatment can result in death.
Humm, this is why I research what I eat. Better to go hungry.

This mushroom looks like the Smooth Chanterelle, which is considered choice eating. If I was going to taste it, I would look for the following next time I see one: size 1-4 " cap, flesh thick at center, fruity odor,stalk 1-4 inches long and 1/4-1 inch thick. I would be sure the flesh was white, solid and becoming hollow.

I would take the field guide with me to read everything just to be sure. Mushrooms can be hallucinogenic or poisonous.

Surviving the Road Trip

As I crested the mountain just east of Franklin, North Carolina, storm clouds abated enough to let me photo home.

Yes, the Appalachian Mountains are home. But in March, the hankering for a seasonal adventure got the best of me and I began thinking about Utah. What if I got a job at one the the national parks, explored on my days off, and visited all the family members scattered across the United States on the way there and back? I posed this question to my partner, and he promised to come visit.

Well, before I could sneeze twice, I landed a job at Zion National Park, cooking in the Lodge. I headed out early May, worked three months, and headed back to Georgia.

A lot of my daily musings both good and bad can be read in my

http://www.brawnyview.blogspot.com another blog I do which is more philosophical and has been online a couple years now.

All told, I've put nearly 7,000 miles on my 1996 Geo Metro this summer. I did all the driving, navigating (using Mapquest and yahoo driving directions) and came up with strategies for survival. I started in Georgia, drove to Zion, in Utah. Next stop Boise, Idaho. Then Madison, Wisconsin. A couple days in Sycamore, Illinois. Then back to Georgia.

I am a frugal minimalist by nature so these strategies will perhaps amaze, shock, and verge on ridiculous. So?

Seriously, when all is said and done, I accomplished my goals and returned richer and wiser in many ways.

I wanted to explore the canyon lands of southern Utah, see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, cook in fine dining, visit family and satisfy the adventure lust.

I recommend Zion National Park, both as a play destination and work location.

To read about the Surviving the Road Trip, a Soloist's Journey, please check out the page linked to blog, on the right navigational box.

And, its good to be home and looking forward to my new survival projects. Stay tuned.

Eating Worms

Eating bugs and worms is way over rated.

I saw a Dr. Phil show where some women were facing their greatest fear: camping. In order to go camping, and to win a reward, each woman was presented with a bug she had to eat.

Now, this is ridiculous. I've never eaten a bug on purpose, and I've spend days, months and years in the back country. Sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend. Sometimes seriously low on food. Sometimes just a spoonful of instant potatoes and and Ramen seasoning. That made a bowl of hot soup, and I told myself that was supper. Some wild onions mixed with instant rice or pasta. Its just that simple.

I've been asked how do you make people like the wilderness. How do you make a woman like backpacking? It sure isn't by asking them to prove how tough they are, by requiring them to eat stuff crawling around in the dirt.

A peaceful co existance unless required for survival is the path to feeling at home in the wilderness. When you are at home, there is no anxiety or fear.

Intelligent Bushwacking

I love to get out alone. I realized today, no one knew where I was going, not even me.

No itineraries. Just let it happen.

With enough time and water, a lot of adventure can happen. In Zion in the canyon itself, a person can't get lost too easily, for too long. Both sides are steep along a narrow valley complete with river and road. Both of these major landmarks are visible much of the time from the cliffs which line this valley.

It can get pretty dangerous, however, because there are drop offs of several hundred feet. Its hot and water can become an issue if you're high above the river.

The river is a good source of water in an emergency with some form of treatment. Some use chemicals, some filters, some nothing.

I am a fan of chlorine droplets. The EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, recommends everyone have bleach (chlorine ) in case of emergency water treatment. You don't see a water filter being recommended. Chlorine is widely used for municipal water treatment. It is also used to sanitize hospital.

Its always best to choose a small stream over a river, when possible. Small streams have fewer pollutants in general, fewer sources emptying into the body of water. The Virgin River has horses tramping through it, people playing in it, and wild animals using it.

A small stream may generate from a natural spring, with little or no pollutants.

Descending slopes in a slow controlled manner is always best. A "switch" back style of hiking lessens the chance of creating an avalanche. It prevents erosion and uprooting of vegetation.

Careful Bushwacking

These cacti grow nearly everywhere in Zion National Park. A person bushwhacking back near the horse trails and game trails will eventually end up with stickers in their skin.

Nearly invisible, they really hurt and are hard to get out. I wear long pants of a nylon-cotton blend with pockets and the stickers still get through to some extent. By slowly passing the finger tip over the tip of the sticker you can locate it. If possible, pinch the pricker and pull it out, using a downward motion. If you are unable to grab hold of it, use your finger nail and scape it out using a downward motion.

Arms are vulnerable to picking up prickers as well. How this happens is a mystery to me, because a person doesn't touch these plants.
While scrambling nearby in the rocks you maybe touch the ground close enough for these "jumping" stickers and prickers to attach to your skin.

Washing in a nearby stream can help alleviate the temporary pain.

Found Objects

While hiking back to the Court of the Patriarchs in Zion National Park, I found this camera lens cap. My whole intention was to turn it into the front desk for the lost and found box.

You can always tell when you're near a road or civilization by the trash you find. This lens cap was on the trail used by guests who've booked a horse ride, and a few adventurous hikers.

On the Pacific Crest Trail I would always know when I was nearing a road because bottles, cans, wrappers and other trash would appear. In the back country there is very little garbage because if anyone is back there they haven't hauled in bottles and cans. They seem to respect the land and pack out the wrappers they may have carried in.


An unusual exception to this is the fire rings on the Appalachian Trail. You will find the packaging for instant/dehydrated preportioned meals like Mountain House in fire rings. These expensive meal options are used by inexperienced backpackers. Used by novices, they seem to be the only ones that actually expect this packaging to burn.

I used to maintain a portion of the Appalachian Trail, the last section in Georgia, just before you get to Bly Gap. I'd hike the sections before it as a walk through, and report back to the district manager. Many times I'd pack out garbage from fire rings, and things abandoned in the Plum Orchard Trail shelter. These were items hikers decided (or simply forgot ) were not worth carrying any further. One of the biggest items was a full size fluffy bath towel. I found a black leather jacket laying beside a rock and a 9 x 12 piece of Tyvek neatly folded and laying on the famous tree at the Junction past Bly Gap.

As a survivalist, I pick up some items knowing it could come in handy later. A good piece of cordage or line, a tent stake or ditty bag, perhaps some plastic sheeting. This lens cap, if needed could be put into use as a survival tool if necessary.

Being able to improvise with found objects is a skill one can develop. It takes imagination and experience that can be drawn upon in times of need.

Regardless of what is on your body or in your pack, the most important tool you have is your brain. By getting outdoors often and playing a person can build skills and add to the knowledge.

Rock Ducks

On my days off here in Zion, I like to hike early mornings. One morning I decided to do a little off trail exploring, back by the Sand Bench Trail. I bring my water bottle, some chlorine for water treatment, sun screen, and hiking poles.

This trail is fairly difficult walking because the horses create a "trench" of fine sand. I wear long pants, not shorts because of the prickers and dirt that gets in the socks and shoes when wearing shorts. Even with this protection I still end up with cactus thorns in my lower legs, which must be removed as soon as possible.

Amazingly, while off trail, I found a series of rock ducks. These man made landmarks are handy and totally harmless to the planet. The smaller ones I add a rock to, and build a few more along the sketchiest stretches.

Now, actually, I didn't tell anyone where I was going this morning. So, if I would break a leg in this scramble, it might be awhile before anyone found me. I come prepared for this eventuality with the stuff I carry in my pack, and take my time in the loose rock and steep climbs.

As they say, what goes up must come down. Gravity sees to that.

But, what goes down, doesn't always get back up. The Grim Reaper never sleeps.