Tester Info:
Name:                 Shaheen Patel
Email:               shaheen_patel@yahoo.com
Age:                    39
Height:                5’1" (1.5 m)
Location:            San Francisco Bay Area, California

Backpacking Background:
I love cooking and I love camping. The two put together... sheer bliss.

Though I have been camping for many years now, I am relatively new to backpacking. I also realize that putting together good meals is a real challenge while backpacking. For my backpacking trips I plan well ahead, plan my meals and pack accordingly. One of the biggest challenges I face is packing light, but it is something I am working on.

Book info:
Type:                   Quick and Easy Outdoor Cooking
Pages:                267
Size:                  7.25"x9"
MSRP:                $16.95 (USD)
ISBN:                  0-89886-900-5
Published by:     The Mountaineers Books in the year 2002
Year Published: 2002
http://www.mountaineersbooks.org

Review Date:     01st September, 2004

Format:
This book is a compilation of tried and tested recipes from the author Dorcas Miller, and other BACKPACKER magazine food writers.

Most of the recipes have the contributor’s name at the bottom of the recipe. The book itself is organized in two parts.

Part 1, which is comprised of 148 pages details more than 150 recipes. This section has Meal by Meal recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Dinner and Desserts, grouped according to when they are eaten. There are recipes to cook hot meals, including soups and chowder for the cold weather. For the less inclined, there are plenty of ‘no cook’ recipes which simply put together various ingredients to make a very satisfying and nutritious meals.

Each recipe has the number of servings and the nutritional information per serving listed alongside the recipe itself.

Part 2 starts off with a small questionnaire which helped me identify my tastes and the cuisine I am most likely to enjoy on my trip.   However, depending on the trips I have taken, my answers to the questionnaire have varied. For example it helps me take into consideration the difficulty of the trip and the weather conditions. This in turn has helped me plan the food intake and the type of food I know I will enjoy the most. For example while camping in the winter, I plan for hot meals like soups and chowders and for my summer trails, I prefer to plan for light meals, like wraps, which require minimum preparation.

Depending on the level of effort one is willing to put in, and the trip location, difficulty etc. the book gives helpful tips on what to pack, how much to pack and how to pack.

Part 2 has about 100 pages, and consists of information and tips on how to pack efficiently, choosing the right cooking and camping equipment, food storage, dehydrating food at home, converting favorite home cooked recipes to trail recipes, baking and planning for a long trip.

I personally think the tips on how to plan and pack for a long trip are simple and effective. I have used them very effectively to plan for 5 to 7 day trips. For example, the Tuna Wrap recipe below illustrates how to pack the ingredients required for the recipe and on the trail, this organized packing is a great help.

Some recipes require at-home preparation such as dehydration, others only need to toss the food into the pack.

Again, for the less inclined, the book has listed sources, including websites, where dehydrated and specialty food can be ordered for delivery to my doorsteps!!

The Appendixes on conversions, nutritive values for different food types, sources of ingredients are very informative. I particularly liked the sources for ordering dried, dehydrated ingredients. I have not yet ordered from any of the listed sources, but having the information readily available, if needed, is great.

Usefulness:
This is an awesome backpacking food book; the variety of recipes packed away in this book ensures that no matter what one’s culinary expertise is, be it a gourmet chef or a novice, there is something for everybody.

I consider myself to be a pretty good cook and have tried numerous recipes listed in the book at home too. They come out with flying colors (after I make the necessary spice adjustment to suit my Indian palate).

The book is very organized, and I like the way each recipe details what are the steps to be done at home, for packing the ingredients efficiently, and the steps required to churn up simple but delicious meals on the trails.

The diagrams are not very illustrative and for most parts are not really related to the recipes. But then the simple and detailed steps do not really require illustrations.

As with any camping or backpacking trip, a little planning goes a long way, and this book helps plan all the meals and the packing of the ingredients as well. It lists the food ingredients which will stay best for what period of time, and how to prepare and use dehydrated ingredients for longer trips. I have used this book to help plan out meals for many of my camping trips.

Though most of the recipes are American cuisine, there are some Mexican, Mediterranian and even Indian recipes. However, I would stay away from the Indian recipes, as through experience I know that the recipes listed are time consuming. The recipes for various ethnic flavors ensure that the cook-outs are never the same boring canned stuff, but something yummy to look forward to at the end of the day.

I was okay carting the book along for my car camping trips, but find it rather heavy to carry for my backpacking trips. For my trails, I prefer to jot down the instructions for the recipes I planned on cooking instead of carrying the heavy book along with me.

Reasons I would recommend buying the book:
I bought this book for the amount and detailed level of information it provides. Besides the recipes themselves, there are lots of other backpacker’s cooking related information with tips on :
- choosing the right pots and utensils
- choosing the right stove
- how to pack efficiently
- how to store food at the campsites
- logistics on planning a long trip, the meals, the quantity, the required calories and the
breakup into carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

There are plenty of recipes and related information for the vegetarians too. I strongly recommend this book as a must have for any newbie camper or backpacker.

Example Recipe:
Pesto Tuna Wrap
Total Servings: 2
By: Steve Howe, Backpacker

Sealed pasteurized yogurt will remain for at least 48 hours in virtually any weather, says Backpacker field editor Steve Howe. It can also be frozen, which extends its trail life by 12 hours. Pesto is available in small glass jars and metal tubes.

At home, place in a corner of a zipper-lock bag:
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

Tie off and place in another corner:
¼ teaspoon dried basil

Tie off. In the remaining part of the bag, place:
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

Pack these items individually:
1 (6 to 7 ounce) package tuna
2 (12 inch) spinach tortillas
1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt (you’ll need ¼ cup)
1 small container pesto (you’ll need 2 tablespoons)

On the trail, mix ¼ cup yogurt, 4 teaspoons pesto, and the other filling ingredients. Spread on tortillas and wrap.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 294
Protein: 29g
Carbohydrates: 20g

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