I finally cooked actual dinners on my last backpacking trip

After years of eating those bland dehydrated packets, I brought a small pan and some fresh veggies on the Lost Coast Trail. The joy of a hot stir-fry at sunset beat any weight savings from going ultralight, in my view. Do you think carrying a bit more for good food is ever worth it on the trail?

3 comments

3 Comments

sage_reed5mo ago

Guess the bears like the fancy smells too.

jasong755mo ago

Tell me about it, they always go for the good stuff.

walker.alex2mo ago

Two nights in on the JMT last year I watched my buddy crack open his fifth straight package of Mountain House and I just snapped. I had a mini bottle of sesame oil tucked in my bear can and a ziplock of fresh snap peas that were probably questionable by day three but I didn't care. The looks I got from other hikers when the smell of garlic and ginger drifted over from my cook site were priceless. Sure I carried an extra pound but I also woke up not feeling like I'd eaten cardboard the night before. Bears probably do prefer the fancy smells but honestly they can fight me for my last bit of soy sauce.