the wilderness culinarian

the wilderness cafe.

I am not only passionate about being a chef. I am also a wilderness first responder and avid outdoors person. There is a special place in my heart for the outdoors. The top photo being of my 2020 climb of Mt. Hood. I often opt to haul the cooking tools and make the food. There is something special about cooking in nature. Whether foraging the campsite for various herbs and ruffage. Or sometimes finding that mine of fungal gold, chanterelles. Taking on this task does require a bit of experience and know how.

From hauling and maintaining cast iron cookware or lighter aluminum. To preparing a fire to be cooked over. This section is geared towards getting you off on the right foot, although be warned every expedition is different and has it's own challenges to overcome. The wilderness is an amazing adventure to embark off into. But a lack of preparation or worse, misidentification. Can ultimately lead to some potentially deadly results. This not only include what you attempt to eat, but the foraged items you are burning as well.

I personally do not own a BBQ. I have instead fashioned ways of cooking open fire in the fire pit in my back yard. Additionally, if you haul the right cookware, and one survival knife, you can forage the rest of your tools from there. with that being said, I hope you boy scouts are ready to learn some lashings. The below list is what should be in your pack if you opt to be the camp cook.

Building the fire

Building the fire can be done in many ways, The log cabin, teepee, and the pyramid all work well. This is because the tinder needs to burn while the flames can expose the wood above to the heat. In order to burn properly there needs to be exposure to oxygen. Fire after all is a combustion reaction. Just like a campfire it is not the flames we are looking for. We want to progressively build this fire up over time. Do not pile too much wood on at once though. We want to end up with a roaring hot bed of coals. Placing new wood on the outer circle and pushing more coals in as you go is my preferred method. those coals are now your direct heat source and you are ready to get cooking.

Now we need to know our excursion beforehand. A climb to the 12,000 ft summit of Mt. Adams in Washington, dehydrated food and ready to eat snacks are your best bet. I took in nearly 4000 calories during and after the approach on the first day. 

Traversing an ice cap however, you can effectively pack and cook. But you will need a stove and gas. However, could then omit the hatchet from the list.

Is there more ice than water where you are going? Bring a boiling pot. The provided list are simply the necessity items for a generic excursion into the woods. Always think and plan ahead before your start to pack.

Below is an image of what you want for embers before setting up your grill. The grill will be the easiest way to cook above the direct flame.

The forager's bag

I recommend these items stay together in a foraging bag that can be rolled up and stored in your main backpack while hiking in. Waxed canvas is a good option. A close friend of mine who accompanies me on many excursions has a pretty sound philosophy. Pack lighter and save energy. I however, have a contrasting thought process. Build energy stores at all costs. Now, if we combine these two schools of thought we land on the most efficient way of doing things. Grown men do not tend to share tent's unless bivying up. And what happens in the bivy sack is best left there. With tents being the heaviest gear most of the time that is the bulk necessity weight. If you give up vanity camping and accept you do not need spare clothes or your favorite nighty. You free up enough weight to bring cookware. Cast iron is ideal. but not light. I recommend two 6-inch or one 10-inch pan. If the weight is being shared a Dutch Oven is your best option. But this isn't ideal for a long hike in, let alone backpacking.

1 wire rack, can be carried on the outside of your pack.

Heavy duty (but lightweight) aluminum sauté pan(s) can also be carried externally.

1 bear bag + scent proof liner.

Rope - 30 ft emergency prussik or paracord. (Titan wire works great with 9 types of unique survival wires inside the paracord).

1 tarp if wet.

fishing line & a couple hooks.

1 knife.

1 hatchet/chopping tool

pouches - salt/pepper/ketchup/bbq/sasquatch seasoning.

matches or a lighter.

Water filter or boiler

cooking oil and eco friendly dish soap. (both have wilderness first aid value as well)

Bear spray. (can be used for protection or hot sauce). *do not ingest bear spray!*

insulated lunch pack with cold compress.

add on items:

raw garlic cloves, potatoes, squash, onion etc. veggies have a decent shelf life.

coffee with pour over and filters.

telescoping fishing pole.

lightweight bow if legal for small game.

a small net.

jet boil/gas.

wooden spoon

mushroom brush/sheep's foot paring knife

Everyone should have their own mess kit. These can be custom assembled and are very lightweight these days. My bowls are collapsible recycled plastic that snap together. There are also many silicon options, these days. The only archaic item in my opinion is an aluminum or tin mug. Copper works if you feel chauvinistic or classy.