Camp food
08-28-2008, 06:52 PM
#21
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location:
Posts: 260
RE: Camp food
Normally we do the bag of food items as well, but Finnbear's post brought back some memories. When I was a kid during deer season in Michigan one of the guys didn't hunt. But he owned a restaurant in Detroit and would pack up a trailer with all sorts of food, beer and as kids the most important item ICE CREAM. We would usually eat so much sometimes we would skip hunting to watch TV and wait for lunch....We were not really ruffin it then!
Jake
Jake
08-29-2008, 09:13 PM
#22
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 39
RE: Camp food
I would do some coordinating with the other guys and see what they think would be good for you to bring. You don't want to eat chili 5 nights in a row, for example.
In our hunting group, someone serves as the menu coordinator and food buyer. This is perhaps the most critical position in theentire hunting group and requires someone with logistical talent to pull off. It is important if your heading to a remote camp that each meal be planned out in advance. Prepare for plenty of extra foodfor each meal and have extra meals if needed. Don't skimp on serving sizes. Remember the old outfitter's creed - "you can't do much about the weather or thegame, but everyone's outlook on life is much better if they have plenty ofgood, hot food".
The menu coordinator puts together a draft menu well in advanceand runs it by everyone for comments, etc. Then a food kitty is put together with everyone donating a hundred bucks or whatever seems reasonable (likely to be more this fall). The MC goes to Costco or Walmart and gets as much as possible in bulk which is packed into individual meal kits labeledfor breakfast, lunch or dinner.
What you are describing is exactly what we try to avoid - everyone just bringing what they think is good. That maywork ifyou can head to a nearby cafe in a pinch (read culinary disaster), butit breeds discontentand eventual mutiny in the backcountry. Planning is critical. Especially with plenty offolks that can not eatcertain foods or have a prescribed diet. Also, some people's food choices and cooking, for lack of a better word, suck. Such people must be controlled and not allowed to subject other's totheirculinarytorture under the guise of hunting camp.
In our hunting group, someone serves as the menu coordinator and food buyer. This is perhaps the most critical position in theentire hunting group and requires someone with logistical talent to pull off. It is important if your heading to a remote camp that each meal be planned out in advance. Prepare for plenty of extra foodfor each meal and have extra meals if needed. Don't skimp on serving sizes. Remember the old outfitter's creed - "you can't do much about the weather or thegame, but everyone's outlook on life is much better if they have plenty ofgood, hot food".
The menu coordinator puts together a draft menu well in advanceand runs it by everyone for comments, etc. Then a food kitty is put together with everyone donating a hundred bucks or whatever seems reasonable (likely to be more this fall). The MC goes to Costco or Walmart and gets as much as possible in bulk which is packed into individual meal kits labeledfor breakfast, lunch or dinner.
What you are describing is exactly what we try to avoid - everyone just bringing what they think is good. That maywork ifyou can head to a nearby cafe in a pinch (read culinary disaster), butit breeds discontentand eventual mutiny in the backcountry. Planning is critical. Especially with plenty offolks that can not eatcertain foods or have a prescribed diet. Also, some people's food choices and cooking, for lack of a better word, suck. Such people must be controlled and not allowed to subject other's totheirculinarytorture under the guise of hunting camp.
08-29-2008, 10:30 PM
#23
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 599
RE: Camp food
I'm more in favor of the planned menu approach with a competent person in charge. Hunters as a whole are notoriously cheap and "just get by" specialists, so likeJBS mentioned, "these people need controlled."
Roadside base camp = one culinary standard:
Steak & new potatoes; lemon pepper chicken; jalepeno chicken, beef stroganoff, cajun boil, and paella with shrimp, clams, mussels, Chorizo sausage, chicken, and pork. Elk chili, tortilla soup, grilled jalepeno poppers, blackened fish, etc. etc.
Pack in spike camp = a differentstandard:
Basic, fast, easy, sufficient.
Roadside base camp = one culinary standard:
Steak & new potatoes; lemon pepper chicken; jalepeno chicken, beef stroganoff, cajun boil, and paella with shrimp, clams, mussels, Chorizo sausage, chicken, and pork. Elk chili, tortilla soup, grilled jalepeno poppers, blackened fish, etc. etc.
Pack in spike camp = a differentstandard:
Basic, fast, easy, sufficient.
08-31-2008, 06:03 PM
#24
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Magdalen Islands ,Quebec,Can.
Posts: 108
RE: Camp food
I go to moose camp every fall for 10 days, we cook all our meals there,It gets dark here in october at 5 30 so we are back in camp by 6:30pm and usually eating just before 8pm. Time for a few cold ones before eating then sleep.The only quick meal we always have on standby is spagetti with homemade meat sauce. but we save it for an evening where we might get back later than usual.If we are having stew one of us will start it around noon and just leave a little later for the afternoon hunt but all we do is add the veggies when we get back from hunting.... all this is making me anxious... I cant wait!!! opening day is Oct 18th!!
09-01-2008, 12:19 PM
#25
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kittitas, Wa.
Posts: 462
RE: Camp food
Don't U have a tent to sit in, with a stove??? Or areU really roughin it?? then the precooked stuff is a no no again...then U should be just eatin spuds onions and beans!!
I have 2 12X15 wall tents with stoves in both, one fer sleeping and one fer cookin, eatin and socializin in !!
hell we don't sit around and freeze, we be nice and comfy!!!LOL!!!!
Bugs11, Hanson pond Rd........LOL!!!!!!!
I have 2 12X15 wall tents with stoves in both, one fer sleeping and one fer cookin, eatin and socializin in !!
hell we don't sit around and freeze, we be nice and comfy!!!LOL!!!!
Bugs11, Hanson pond Rd........LOL!!!!!!!
09-01-2008, 05:58 PM
#26
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 39
RE: Camp food
A tip that works for me - use a pressure cooker.
Even at higerelevations, a pressure cookercan cook dried beans and frozensmoked hamhocksto done inside of an hour. A frozen pot roast, complete with spuds/sides, in 45 minutes. Baby back ribs, with BBQ sauce, that pull off the bone in around 30 minutes.
A propane or gas stove is perfect for the use of a pressure cooker in camp, but many a pressure cooker has done time on a camp wood stove.
Good hot chow that'seasy to make is always welcome after a long day in the cold air. A quality pressure cooker is light, compact and highly versatile. As far as easy, once you get it loaded with your supper, put it on the stove and let the pressure valve spread good smells throughout camp. Soon the sound and smellof a working pressure cookerwill cause a Pavlov reaction in you, and the hunting crew willrip into what is soon ready to eat.
[quote][/Remember, we're not trying to rough it, but smooth it. Things are rough enough back in town.quote]
Even at higerelevations, a pressure cookercan cook dried beans and frozensmoked hamhocksto done inside of an hour. A frozen pot roast, complete with spuds/sides, in 45 minutes. Baby back ribs, with BBQ sauce, that pull off the bone in around 30 minutes.
A propane or gas stove is perfect for the use of a pressure cooker in camp, but many a pressure cooker has done time on a camp wood stove.
Good hot chow that'seasy to make is always welcome after a long day in the cold air. A quality pressure cooker is light, compact and highly versatile. As far as easy, once you get it loaded with your supper, put it on the stove and let the pressure valve spread good smells throughout camp. Soon the sound and smellof a working pressure cookerwill cause a Pavlov reaction in you, and the hunting crew willrip into what is soon ready to eat.
[quote][/Remember, we're not trying to rough it, but smooth it. Things are rough enough back in town.quote]
09-02-2008, 04:29 PM
#27
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 220
RE: Camp food
Everyone has a different idea of what roughing it means. If you can pack in pressure cookers and have have dedicated cooks that is great. I just don't want to spend more then the time it takes to boil water preparing a decent meal regardless of what some of you think getting all that equipment in and out of the back country is a giant pain.For me it is easier to have alot of it planned out, prepared ahead of time and ready to go. Not knocking anyone but that is what is easiest for me.
Nemont
Nemont
09-02-2008, 08:01 PM
#28
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NW Montana / SW Alberta Rockies
Posts: 3,258
RE: Camp food
Just keep in mind your going on a hunting trip and not a picnic so keep it simple. After combing the bush all day, cooking is of little priority, I just want something quick, but nutritious and protein and the less work it is the better. Its nice to cook a nice gourmet meal the first day or two but the novelty wears off after a couple days. There's been a day or two when I had only enough strength to eat out of a can. Freeze your food ahead of time as its quick and few dishes to do.
Bobby