[pct-l] IDEAS on what stove to use when cooking for 4

[Charles Doersch]

Thanks, Dave,

Yep. We enjoy that style of hiking, too. :-)

What you've recommended as for cooking is pretty much exactly what we've
decided on for now. :-D   We're planning on using the MSR Reactor (we have
one already -- we'll get another). And the freezer bag cooking style that
I've been hearing examples of (in various permutations) + pot cozy sounds
like it saves fuel and mess. We presumed the individual portions &
components from our days long ago using Mountain House freeze-dried
backpacking food -- everyone could pick his own meal that night. But we
ain't doin' Mtn House no mo.

I don't think we'll be doing the dehydrating -- I'm guessing we'll do
variations with ingredients (instant mashed potatoes -- or couscous, etc.)
from what's available from stores along the way.

I'm a little hampered myself when doing Quik-E-Mart grocery shopping by my
reaction to MSG and nitrates (they give me blazing migraines). I'll be okay,
though -- I've learned to read labels carefully. But the rest of the family
isn't so limited by ingredients -- so they'll be able to have much greater
variety with what to mix & match in their individual-oriented meal bags.

Thanks, again. And thanks for yours & Andy's calculations, as well. That's
encouraging. Big time!

Cheers,

Charles Doersch



On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 6:06 PM, David Ellzey <david at xpletive.com> wrote:

> Charles,
>
> Sorry to jump in late but I was actually out on a long hike with my wife
> and daughter!
>
> I usually hike with my wife. We maintain speaking distance between us the
> entire hike and although we are fairly fast hikers, it affects our overall
> speed since a quick stop for one is a stop for all. It does add up. However,
> we enjoy this style of hiking together and it works for us. If you want to
> discuss opinions on group hiking, I'd be happy to share my experiences and
> opinions.
>
> On to your question; I recommend using 2 Jetboil personal systems with the
> freezer bag cooking method. As mentioned previously, each person usually
> requires 2 cups of boiled water so 2 Jetboil systems will get you that
> boiling water in just a few minutes. If one system fails, you can all share
> the remaining one sequentially. What's more, I actually sat down with Andy
> Skurka one day and did the math (because that's the kind of guy he is) and
> it appears that if 2 people share a Jetboil to freezer bag cook, it is
> actually lighter than 2 people carrying alcohol stoves due to the
> differences in fuel weight.
>
> Freezer bag cooking is essentially pre-preparing all your meals components,
> dehydrating them then mixing them up in freezer bags. You then boil water
> (usually 2 cups, but portion dependant) and pour it into the bag. The bag
> sits inside a cozy for about 10 minutes until reconstituted. This way every
> person can choose whatever they wish for that nights meal. And the best
> part? Eat right out of the bag with a long spoon, no dishes to clean up,
> just zip up the bag when finished.
>
> Anyway, that's my recommendation based on what works for me. You'll need to
> weigh in with the your own experience and requirements and plan out a
> solution that's best for you guys.
>
> Dave (BigToe)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of Charles Doersch
> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2011 5:23 PM
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] IDEAS on what stove to use when cooking for 4
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> Since there's four of us in my group next year, we've presumed the MSR
> canister would be our quickest, hottest, most efficient way to heat water.
>
> I've read some advice that alcohol-burning stoves might not work
> particularly well for four guys together (quantity of water being heated,
> etc.)-- but I'm wondering what your experience has been.
>
> Of course, availability of the canisters at stores along the trail could be
> a problem. Is it an important problem?
>
> We have had enough experience cooking over wood-flames (chaparral flames,
> dried cow dung flames, etc.), that we thought of utilizing that as a fall
> back or regular alternative to the MSR canister.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Charles Doersch
>
>
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