Food for long Tramps

I either take back country meals for dinner or the 2 min noodles in a cup so once you have finished your food wash out the cup a make a nice coffee, just saves on having to carry cups

Couscous is a bit like sago - tiny balls of pasta, 1-2 mm round. Most supermarkets have it in the pasta/rice section. You can get it pre flavoured but it's much cheaper to buy a big box of course. Pour boiling water on it and let it soak - it will be ready a few minutes later.

You could try the 'Ainsley Harriott' brand of couscous from supermarket - comes in different flavours. Quite nice. Plain couscous needs some added flavour or is a bit bland. You can add roasted nuts, seeds, spices, garlic, sundried tomatoes etc. It's good because it's light to carry and you don't use up a lot of gas.

I always take uncle bens boil in the bag rice,vacuum packed bacon,dehydrated beans,venison jerky to add to the rice and pasta.All are lightweight and provide hot meals in a hurry. I dont like the dehy meals in packets,too dear and taste bla!! also,dried fruit and nuts and if i intend on more than a week i will take my camp oven for bread or casseroles.

How long would vacuum packed bacon last? Cheers.

Second that on the Ainsley Harriot brand of couscous. Very tasty.

Spagetti Bolanase, Babotjie, Mexican Chicken, Morrocan Lamb, Roast Chicken/Lamb (both taste the same) are the best d-hi! The worst are Pasta Hotpot, Lamb Fettuccine, Pasta Vegetariano are the worst at rehydrating properly as well as many of the beef options which strongly resemble cardboard. One trick to make it hydrate better is to chuck it back on the stove and boil it for a short time stirring as not to burn it! Also a two serve only feeds one hungry tramper! On my recently completed solo 7 dayer, continental family pack-6 side serves plus some salami or cut up Vericks Kranksy sausage kept me going! I ate 2 lunches of pasta for a instant enery shot to get me up some big climbs! Porridge did not seem to last very long so I am going to try using more than half a cup of porridge. Crackers also did not seem to last so I am going to try some different crackers, anyone got any suggestions?

I kept some Le Snaks whole for the North West Circuit - the pack has air pumped in to it and they stayed whole for 10 days! Either that or cabin bread, although they're the other extreme. I'm a tortilla fan myself - soft things don't break! I make a new batch every 3-4 days on long trips.

Deb, it would be cool to get your tortilla recipe including the method. Mealmate biccies have the most calories. I don't have a problem with broken biccies on trips. I put the lunch stuff at the top of the pack.

Vita - wheat crackers hold up pretty well and I usually have them with plastic cheese and salami. Sometimes have a tiny pottle of chutney.