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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A ton of good ideas here. Would add instant coffee (like Starbucks Via packets) is on my must-have list for a camp kitchen.

Also, think about how you're going to clean up any pots/dishes - is there a washing station nearby? Same with trash (particularly how to keep it away from any curious/hungry critters). Depending on where you're going that can be a bigger logistics challenge than the food itself.[/quote]

Ok I give up.  I’m ordering a box of MREs[/quote]

We do some car-camping but also some true backpacking and I spent years fussing over good ways to cook—finding things that can be made simply, that taste good and are nutritious, that arent' heavy, don't require a ton of garbage to be hauled out, can easily be stored in something bear proof, etc. Some things were okay, but it was always a hassle.

Then we went backpacking with a friend who is in the military and he brought MREs. Holy cow! It was such a success that I had him go to the PX and buy me a couple dozen—they'll keep in my basement for decades, they're practically magical because they require no fire or cooking, and because they aren't dehydrated, they actually taste pretty good. They also are relatively small for what you get—like 3,000 calories in each package—the waste is tiny. I don't love all the meal options, but they beat the hell out of just about any other option for backpacking food.

That said, I dont trust the ones you get from anywhere but the military—they're hugely marked up and who knows what they really are until you get them. But, especially in DC, it's not hard to find someone who has access to the PX who can buy a ton for you.

The one downside, my son, who loves gum, was delighted to find two pieces of gum in the MRE (in the packet alongside the instant coffee, sporks, napkins, toilet paper) and happily took off down the trail chomping them, unaware (as was I) that it was laxative gum, because MREs are high on protein and carbs and low on fiber, and if you're in the field eating them for weeks at a time, you need that gum. He did not need that gum, and he ran the last 2 miles of our hike to get to an outhouse at the end![/quote]

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