by Alexa Hartono

Created on: February 14, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

Backpackers and campers do cook! At least they boil water to have something warm to drink in the morning breeze in the camp site. As a backpacker and also a camper some time in the past, what I cook the most is instant noodle and instant rice-porridge enriched with green veggies, tomatoes and beans! Complete nutrition in one meal :).

Cooking is important for backpackers and campers. As such activities like camping and backpacking requires extra energy. Besides, leaving for backpacking with a "singing stomach" is definitely NOT a good idea. It will be difficult for you to enjoy your journey with the empty stomach. Empty stomach creates haze in your brain, fireflies for your vision and then it is responsible in making you pass out. One more, starving makes you an unhappy camper.

Cooking for backpackers and campers is different than cooking for daily meals at home. Basically, during camping or backpacking you can cook anything you want to cook. But sometimes, under special circumstances. For example you have to deal with a very strong wind plus cats and dogs rain or sandy dusty weather, or even worse when you chose to go camping on the top of one of the seven summit of the world where ice is the view for as far as you can see. No way you can have nice campfire there. That's why campers and backpackers need to have a light-weight cooking utensils to bring along.

I myself trust Trangia (http://www.ultralight-hiking.com/stoves-trangia.htm l) for the camper-cooking as it is light-weight and easy to use. The Trangia stove uses alcohol/spirits and there are several pans available according to your cooking need. Trangia has large up to tiny pans, and the cheap aluminum up to a very expensive titanium pans. Don't want Trangia, you may also check http://www.msrcorp.com/cooking/ for more backpackers and campers cooking utensils.

The last but lets just say the most important thing regarding cooking for backpackers and campers is the fact that you cook in the open outdoor, in the embrace of the nature. Take a good care of mother earth, please. Leave nothing as you finished cooking and eating, at least for two immediate advantages : avoid uninvited guests and leave the campsite clean. For me, it is necessary to prepare a small palstic bag and a little room in my backpack to keep the wastes like cans, foils, etc and throw them where they belong-in the nearby dust bin-.

Cook delicious foods outdoor, enjoy!

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