response 1 of 23:

Jun 14 22:07 UTC 2003

I just got out of the library a 1970s book on canoe camping, 90% of which is
now completely out of date.  For instance they suggest carrying along a 20
lb large canvas tent (weight does not matter in a canoe, they say, except when
portaging) and make their own tent poles at each site.  For those who feel
bad about stripping spruce boughs to make their bed, you can restrain yourself
to just using those boughs from the saplings that you cut down every night
for tent poles (which are apparently too heavy to carry in the canoe).

The list of pots and pans required is pretty similar to what Consumer Reports
suggests for a well equipped kitchen - three pots, a coffee pot, a large pot
for boiling dishwater, at least two frying pans, slotted spoon, plate and cup
and utensils for each person plus some for cooking and serving.  All cooking
is over a fire.  You should bake bread or cake or pies each day.  Date pie
- one cup dates, one cup sugar - is said to be 'rich'.  The recipe for baked
beans calls for 2 cups beans, 1 cup sugar.  (It is not rich).  Bacon for
breakfast every morning and save the grease for cooking with.  Bring lots of
ham and salt pork.  And canned beef stew and beef chow mein and beef......
Dessert obligatory twice a day.  Four people require 1 pound of salt per week
(what do they do with it all?).  When you are done with your cans, do not
throw them into the water, take them out to the middle in your canoe or
dig a hole and bury them.

Latrine - constructed of 'a log'.  I figured out that somehow you are supposed
to sit on the log.  No mention of a hole.  When you leave the site put moss
over the latrine.  I have not figured out any way to sit on a log that would
also allow me to use the 'latrine'.  

Jim found a section in there about how to stay on a moose - hold onto the
antlers or ears.  They did not say how to get there in the first place.

There is a photo of two people sitting in the middle of an enormous pile of
cans and bags putting things into bags.

You can drink any water you find in the wilderness.  You should take baths
in the river with plenty of soap.  You should rinse all your dishes in the
river.  If you cook more food than you want, do not throw it in the river,
bury it.  

If you cannot convince the children to drink coffee or tea for breakfast, you
will need to bring instant cocoa for them.  No mention of beer or wine or
potato chips, but bring lots of ketchup and mustard.

Plan on 6-8 oz of meat per person for supper, somewhat less for breakfast and
lunch.  Breakfast can be bacon and eggs and fish.  Pancakes need syrup.  Make
sure to take along icing sugar for making frosting.  This was 30 years ago
before most all Americans were overweight, surprisingly.

Bring lots of canned vegetables - wax beans, green beans, French beans,
sauerkraut.  Lots of dried soups and canned stews.  (And they still want a
pound of salt!).

response 3 of 23:

Jun 15 06:16 UTC 2003

I take my wok, a large pot for soups and stews, and a camp coffeepot or
teakettle for cooking in.  The wok does basically everything that a frying
pan does and can be used as a saucepan as well.  The large pot does duty for
dish washing when not being used for soup or stew.  I have used a Coleman
stove, but prefer the open fire.  The wok fits right down in the coals and
I used to have a grid with feet on it so that it could be set over the coals
for coffepot/teapot and large pot.

response 5 of 23:

Jun 15 07:20 UTC 2003

We cooked over fire for a month in the far west (Colorado, Montana, Arizona).
Jim would alway manage to find some dead wood on a tree somewhere.  Our
pan/pot was always filthy black.  We smelled hickory smoked the whole trip.
The grill that we needed to carry along weighed more than a stove would have.
You needed protection to remove the pan from the fire - not with a stove. 
Since then Jim has acquired three camping stoves for use in various types of
weather.  He refills a medium-size propane canister for one that he modified,
rather than buying expensive fuel.

We have also taken a wok along camping, plus a pressure cooker.  Wok for
vegetables or oatmeal, pressure cooker for grain mixed with bean.  Start the
grain first and while the pressure comes down cook the vegetables.

No dishpan needed.  Put a bit of detergent on a sponge, pour a couple spoons
of water in the wok and pressure cooker (and bowl if you do luxury camping)
and wash, pour into the next thing to be washed.  Rinse the same way.  No hot
water needed as we don't do bacon and eggs.  We carry along a quart or two
of water and refill as needed (on bikes).  One trip Jim took a bag of dried
'shrimp chips' and fried them in the wok.  They puff up.  People on the
Appalachian Trail were impressed.  But they were really more grateful when
we shared our fresh potatoes.  There tend not to be stores on the trail.  Some
people had their friend mail them food packages.

Have never yet baked a cake while camping, or pies, or cookies.  We eat pretty
much the same while camping as the rest of the time, with maybe less variety.
One trip Jim bought a watermelon and finished it in a day.

We don't cook with salt.  We don't bring prepared salty foods.  I brought a
couple ounces of soy sauce.  We get plenty of exercise and don't have heat
related problems, though Jim has gotten too much sun going through treeless
areas.  They used to force us to swallow salt pills at summer camp.  We don't
bring pepper, ginger, mustard, ketchup, pancake mix, canned hamburgers (sic).
I find it hard to believe people actually ate like that - practically solid
sugar.

response 7 of 23:

Jun 15 19:03 UTC 2003

I've got a little white gas backpacking stove, but it's somewhat anemic and
I pretty much car camp all the time anyway.  Probably I should just get a
cheapo propane stove for next trip.

response 9 of 23:

Jun 15 20:37 UTC 2003

Butane doesnt work very well in cold weather. I once took my butane 
stove winter camping and had to warm up the fuel canister before I 
could get the stove to work. It was about 10F though so most folks 
wouldnt need a stove for those conditions. 

White gas is cheaper than butane or propane. Some people think the 
white gas stoves work better. *shrug* 

Ah. It never would have occured to me to go to the Chinese food store 
for dried goods. If I ever go on another backpacking trip, I will have 
to look into that. 

response 11 of 23:

Jun 16 02:11 UTC 2003

It happens I just got back from a weekend camping trip with my son.  I 
have a collection of camping gear I've acquired over the years; steel 
plates and pans, a coffee pot (which I never use), a Coleman propane 
stove and a Coleman lantern, and so on.  I don't care how much space 
it takes; I don't carry it anywhere anyway.  I load up my pickup truck.

I have a few years supply of propane because I got a 6 pack of the 
small bottles as part of my Y2K preparations.  I knew I'd wind up 
using it.  Eventually.

My son likes pancakes for breakfast.  We took Bisquik.  This also 
became breading for the fish we ate today.  You can also put a hot dog 
on a stick, cover it with Bisquik mix, and cook it over a campfire 
into... well, I don't know what you'd call it, but kids like it.

We took Jiffy cornbread mix, and sort of made cornbread.  (I forgot to 
oil the pan, and it didn't come out very well.)

We made tinfoil dinners.  Take heavy-duty aluminum foil, add chunks of 
carrots, onions, and potatoes, add salt, pepper, and butter, include 
stew meat or hamburger or whatever, seal it very well, and toss it in 
the campfire for a half hour.  

response 13 of 23:

Jun 16 02:44 UTC 2003

Yes, people still eat 'smores (marhmallows, chocolate and graham crackers).
The hot dog is already cooked, so it just needs to get warm, which it will.