Archive for the ‘Trail Food’ Category

Have you ever paid $15 dollars for a spoon? Well then you just haven’t lived yet! Today I found a fantastic spoon, the Cadillac of the spoon world! The Sea to Summit™ AlphaLight Long Spoon weighs in at a mere .4 oz!!! The beauty of this spoon is that it is made of 7075-T6 aircraft aluminumalloy, which gives it the uncanny ability to cool down and dissipate heat in record time. Also, this metal beauty is 8.5 inches long! It’s perfect for your trail gourmet recipes from Freezer Bag Cooking, and getting that last delicious bite out of the bottom of your quart sized freezer bag! Pick yours up today and shed those pesky extra ounces!

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(Photograph taken by The Mad Backpacker ‘Daniel Albin’)

Well I can tell you that the reason for the season in the springtime in Michigan is the elusive morel mushroom.  One of my favorite pastimes to do while out hiking is to keep an eye out for them.  This is mostly because if you’ve ever eaten a wild morel in any dish, it tastes similar to a heavenly angel open-mouth kissing you in front of all of your friends.

Well let us start out by a basic education on wild morels and a few tips on how to find them:

• The Morchella genus contains many different types of morels.  Most morels that you will see in Michigan around the spring is the Black Morel (Morchella elata).

• Morels can be found in most forests, although there is a reason that they are “hunted”… they’re not very easy to find, and they are extremely camouflaged.

• Start looking for them mid-April.  Typically they will start showing up after a week of a few warm nights, and a couple of good rains.  When the bugs start coming out, then the mushrooms will too.

• Here’s the important thing, so write this one down…  there are many signs to try to find morels.  Here’s a few that I use.  Use these as guidelines only!  Remember, what works for some, perhaps won’t work for others.

• Look for a carpet of Elm leaves on the ground.  You want at least 70% or more of elm leaves all around you.

• Check your horizon for Elms.  When you see quite a few, make a note of that.

• If you find elms, look for lots of downed wood on the ground.  The more decayed the better.  Remember, morels are the “zombies” of the woods, and eat dead things (and brains)

• Large hills tend to spread the spores via gravity and water flow.  If you find a large hill with elms on it, you’re on the right track.  Always start checking hills from the bottom to the top.  This way you can see the morels at eye level, and will save your neck later.

• If you find one morel, stop and squat down to your knees.  Very seldom is there just a single morel.  By squatting down you will be able to “3D Map” the area around you and see the mushrooms stick out better.

• Always carry mesh sacks (onion bags, potato sacks, ect) to carry your morels in.  This allows the spores to fall out as you’re out hunting, so you’re spreading the seeds for the next crop of morels.

Please note:  There are “fake” morels that grow just as well as the real ones.  One simple way to identify a fake morel is check under the “cap”.  If the cap connects to the stem, then you have a good morel.  If the “cap” does NOT connect to the stem, then it’s a fake, and poisonous.  Just remember that if the mushroom is “wearing a dress” it’s not a true morel, and leave it in the woods.

Well I can’t give away all of my secrets, but this should be enough information to make you dangerous out there.  If you have any questions, you can always email me at themadbackpacker@gmail.com or contact me through this site’s Contact Me page.

Enjoy your hunt, and good luck!

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My first attempt to find a good book on trail cooking was a book that seems to be all over the Internet regarding hiking and backpacking.  This book was Trail Food: Drying and Cooking Food for Backpacking and Paddling. I couldn’t really justify buying it new, and about the time I was going to search for it on Ebay, Kelly and I found it used at a local Gander Mountain for $6.  Needless to say, I was ecstatic and purchased it immediately.

Upon spending an afternoon drinking Earl Grey and reading through this book, I found myself flipping through the pages trying to find a recipe in a backpack quantity.  The book contained very interesting recipes, and even blueprints to make your own homemade dehydrator, closet size!

In my opinion, this book is very good for getting ideas, and especially good if you are into Kayaking or multi-day canoe trips.  Basically, if you are planning a trip that does not concern weight, this book is good for you.  On the lighter side (pun intended) it does give quite a few handy tips and tricks to dehydrating your own fruits, vegetables and meats.

Point in case, if you can find this book on sale, or at a used book market, then pick it up just for the dehydrator information and the recipe ideas.

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So I had mentioned in my previous post about Freezer Bag Cooking™. I remained skeptical for several weeks before I gave their site another chance. This time, however, I watched the videos…
My “role” if you will on the trails is Camp Chef. This has to do partially with my mother being an accomplished cook, and also with my neurotic obsession with cooking. Just because I feel I have to cook everything however, does not justify hiking all of that weight out on the trails. I watched the videos starting the charming Ms. Sarah Kirkconnell, and it was then that I had been convinced to give this a try. I ordered a copy of the cook book, as well as a cozy for myself and one for Kelly.

Less than a week later, I had my new toys! Anxiously, I ripped open the package as a child does on Christmas morning. The cozies were both very beautiful and well sewn. I sat down and began to read through Freezer Bag Cooking™: The Cookbook.

After just over an hour, I had completed the book. It is not a terribly huge book by any means, but good things come in small packages. Even with my background in cooking, this book is what I had been looking for. It gave me ideas! Who would have thought of couscous for breakfast?! Genius! The book had sated my lust for new and exciting hiking food! Granted that the meals contained therein were neither cheaply made, nor expensive. Most of the weight involved in these recipes come from the 5oz to 7oz pouches of chicken, tuna, and various seafoods, but that is a reasonable weight to burden. After all, you are packing very minimal kitchen gear now. The beautiful thing about the freezer bags, is that once finished, you can seal them up to reduce the scent in the air, and they weigh virtually nothing! Plus no dishes to do!

I would strongly recommend this book to others who have an interest (or frustration) in trail foods and preparation. Check it out!

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