Reddit mentions: The best camping & rv cooking books

Fantastic question u/ardnassac115, and I'm glad you asked it. For some background on me, I'm 25 and used to work full-time in a pretty serious career before deciding to return to graduate school full-time. This lined up for me, and is probably one of the few times in my life I'll be able to do something this long and live-changing. When in my life will I have the holy trinity of time, energy, and money again? I had budgeted through grad school to 1.) make sure I could go through grad school without working, and 2.) make sure I had enough leftover to do something like this before returning to work. I still live at home and my major monthly expenses are student loans, car payment/insurance, and a cell phone bill. I budgeted to make sure the cost of this trip, in addition to those expenses, could be covered while I was gone before returning to work. I hope that answers your question regarding saving up.

Planning the trip was difficult at first, but became easier over time. I've never done anything like this in my life and I had no idea what I was doing. The most important thing is to first decide how long you want the trip to be. Everything else comes afterwards. I decided 6 weeks because it'd be enough to see a lot while not killing me financially. Next, I knew I wanted to see national parks, but had no idea how. This helped me immensely. It's an "optimal route" to see all the national parks in the lower 48 states (note there have been two new NP additions since: Gateway Arch NP and Indiana Dunes NP). In what I'm sure is a cardinal sin of this sub, I took the fastest, most direct routes in the interest of time rather than looking for scenic routes most of the time. I cared more about time in the parks than pretty views from my car (although there were many). If you look at the order of my route and the route through that link, you'll notice it's very similar. After, I just started researching parks and seeing which ones I want to see the most, and which ones I could skip for now or save for the future. Once I had that down, I opened up an excel sheet and google maps and started actually mapping each day, how long the drives would be between destinations, what I wanted to do, where I'd sleep each night, and how long I'd spend at each destination. How long was decided during the research part on the parks I decided to see on this trip. For example, parks like Rocky Mountan, Zion, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon all got 2 essentially full days because they were so big that I didn't think I could do all the things I wanted to do in a single day. Parks like Badlands, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Carlsbad Caverns, Gateway Arch, and Cuyahoga Valley I knew could be done in a single, very packed day. To preface that, I'm in shape and did a lot of hiking at a pretty unhealthy (read: fast) pace, allowing me to do a multitude of trails each day to get everything. I'm not going to lie, it took me a ton of effort to route my trip and make sure it was within the time frame. I essentially made an itinerary for myself. It's not as rigid as I'm making it sound, as the only thing really holding me to schedule was reserving campsites or AirBnBs. Otherwise I'd be able to do that research a few nights prior and alter as I needed. On the flip side, when it's 7PM and you don't know where you're sleeping that night, that can be a scary thing if you're not used to it.

I want to emphasize my planning of each day at parks too. I touched on that above, but this blog, where the authors spent 52 weeks doing all 59 (at the time) national parks for the centennial in 2016, was extremely helpful. The pictures, descriptions, and other info were so valuable. My friend's dad caught wind I was doing this trip and lent me three national park guides: Fodors, National Geographic, and Lonely Planet. These were the most important for actually planning my days in parks, with Fodors being by far the most useful, National Geographic also being good, and honestly not much help from Lonely Planet. Just an FYI, the links are for the exact copies I used, but there are newer versions available that you should get if you look into it. A note on this - it saved me a tremendous amount of valuable time when I got to parks to already know exactly what I wanted to do. If I had extra time and could do stuff I didn't know about, that was great! But on packed days it helps to know where things are in each park and how reasonable your "want to do" adventures are for the time frame.

For road trip prep I had to buy or borrow some things I didn't have and got the rest from my house: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, bed comforter, tarp, tent, knife, bear spray, pepper spray, a road atlas, a lantern, an abundance of snacks (clif bars, larabars, peanut butter crackers, etc), national park passport, a good cooler for water/food, camp stove and bowls, matches, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and some other things that I'm surely not remembering. A good, solid backpack and some good water bottles are necessary. Multi-tools are useful. Don't forget some engine coolant and wiper fluid just in case. Don't forget to stop for an oil change if your trip is long enough. For clothing I put a suitcase in the back seat of my car and lived out of that between laundry. Also had a box with some of the above items in it along with toiletries and other essentials like baby wipes, phone charger, electric razor and charger, nail clippers, sandwich baggies, and a few other things.

Woooo, that was a long winded post! There is so much to think about and plan when doing something like this, and I'd be lying if I said a great deal of work didn't go into my plan. If this trip had been shorter, a lot of this wouldn't be necessary. Six weeks though, that's a long time away from home, completely on my own. Having never done something even close to this, I felt I needed to do a lot of this prep work to make sure this went as smoothly as possible. It did go very smoothly too, but I attribute a lot of that to planning. I hope that this essay response helps you understand the pre-trip process I went through a bit better. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have!

allow me to talk about food for a moment. i've done a fair number of treks in the week-long range and my advice is:

1. get a dehydrator and make your own food. the stuff you buy in pouches at rei or wherever is way too expensive, not very good and the vegan selection is terrible. if you can afford a good dehydrator with a fan like an excalibur, get that -- you will wind up using it for a billion things other than camping food later on. trust me. i'm blooming wild rice right now.
   
   
2. get the 'lipsmakin' book. sure, there's a lot of non-vegan stuff in there but there's also a lot of awesome recipes, too. one of the ten best meals in my life was a rehydrated bowl of "ed's burritoes" filling from that book -- mind you, probably a big part of why it tasted so good was the fifteen km of scrambling and wading before dinner... the lightening stir fry is also a winner.
   
   
3. work out calories and weights. i know it sounds a little over the top to weigh everything, but hiking is something we do for fun and heavy packs are not fun. i generally try to get in the six calories per gramme range for food.
   
   
4. get a good gas stove. something like this. i know it's more convenient to eat no-heat foods and carrying gas is extra weight, but you will love a hot meal like nothing else after a hard trek in the rain. also: coffee.
   
   
5. bring condimenty-type things. we like to pack nutch, salt and truffle oil to add to heated meals. seriously, truffle oil will make those dehydrated potatoes tast like a religious experience. in a good way. also, salt is important. you will be leaking electrolytes all over trail. eat salt.
   
   
6. pack snacks. we used to bring primals and clif bars for snacking, and they are good. however the packaging ratio for primals is ridiculous (you have to carry that stuff out with you, after all). now we just go with one or two larger bags of gorp and learn to ration it well. nuts are awesome and have a good calorie-to-weight ratio. plus: they're tasty and survive getting wet well. we also make a 'vegetable leather' that's like 'fruit leather' except... vegetables.
   
   
7. plan for 4000 calories a day. maybe more. you know what, make it five thousand. running out of food is zero fun.
   
   
8. bring an umbrella. i know this has nothing to do with food, but humour me here. the umbrella is a mission critical piece of camping gear that will make your trek significantly more fun and less painful. an umbrella keeps rain off you and allows you to dress for the temperature (if you've ever sweated to death in the greenhouse that is a heavy gortex rain jacket you know what i'm talking about here); an umbrella keeps the sun off you; an umbrella is a windshield when you light your stove; an umbrella is a dry-patch maker when you pitch your tent; an umbrella is a privacy screen for the shy. douglas adams got it wrong: towels are useless. get an umbrella. you can get an absolute top of the line umbrella that weights half a pound (you heard that right) for only twenty five bucks from the folks at golite.

Every man, by the time they're 20? Well shit, I'm almost 20! Here's my list:

• Have a basic understanding of major vehicular systems. As a mechanic, I see people nearly every week who don't understand how to install a spare tire, or why you need to change your oil every 5,000 Km, or what lug nut torque is or why it's important. You may not want to work on your vehicle yourself, but at least understand why your tie rod needs replacing or what is involved with changing that "cat" your mechanic keeps telling you is plugged.
  
  
• Learn how to sharpen a knife, build a fire/shelter, and skin a rabbit/deer/wolf/forage for leafy foods in your area. Hunting isn't for everyone, but there may come a situation in the future when you are the ONLY PERSON YOU CAN DEPEND ON. If that day comes, you will thank yourself for learning basic survival skills. I highly recommend this book if you're at all interested, it's an exhaustive (but still very compelling) resource on nearly everything outdoorsy, and is the one book I would take with me in an emergency.
  
  
• Pick up an instrument or learn to draw/write/sing/otherwise spend time by yourself doing something you A: enjoy, and B: are becoming better at. As you progress in whatever art form you choose, you'll feel good about yourself for becoming skilled at it, and you'll have something that you can fall back on to relax with and be alone when shit goes down and you need to think.
  
  
• LEARN WHEN TO SAY NO. Had too much to drink and your friends are bugging you to drive home? Not a good idea. Have a long-term girlfriend and some cute girl is bugging you to "hang out"? Tell them to have a nice day. Seriously, having self control and ability to know WHEN to practice restraint is both one of the most attractive qualities to the opposite sex, and very important to life down the road. Learn how to judge a situation and to choose the right options based on that judgement. This one takes time and a lot of mistakes, don't beat yourself up too much as long as you legitimately had good intentions for whatever you chose.
  
  
• Save your fucken money, brah. Being able to keep that hot plastic embedded in your pocket will do many things for you, including, yunno, being able to pay for more important things you may want down the road (a house, a fast car, a rowboat, that houseboating vacation you've always wanted to take in the Shuswap). Life is all about choices, and being able to delay gratification is a VERY GOOD CHOICE if you know when to do it. But also remember that the biggest savings account in the world won't buy you happiness. If you want to learn to drum and there's a sale on a quality kit on Craigslist, and you can afford it, then you know what? Go, have fun. Cute girl in your college science class wants to take a weekend road trip somewhere? Spend the money on gas and make a memory! Life's too short to be scared. Just be smart about what you do with your money.
  
  
  Robert Heinlein had this to say: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." Learn everything you have the chance and ability to. Have fun. Make stories, love, and popsicle stick crafts. And don't forget to forgive yourself when you fuck up.

This is all great advice. If you are traveling in Denali National Park, you will likely be hiking cross-country. This requires route-finding and efficient travel. A simple sprained ankle or burned hand (from boiling water, for example) can turn an overnight into a multi-day epic. Self-care and wilderness first aid are essential skills. Bear, moose, caribou, and wolves are only a few of the animal species that can potentially impact your trip (or your life).

Here is a good resource from the National Park Service on Denali backpacking:

https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm



I highly recommend visiting your local REI or other gear outlet and perusing the book section. Check out resources like:

The Backpacker's Handbook

You might be well served going on a 2-3 day trip closer to civilization. Anchorage lies on the border of the Chugach State Park, and only an hour north of the Kenai Fjords National Park. Both of these treasures are home to dozens of trails that take you through amazing Alaskan vistas, but do not require cross-country travel. Good examples of these are the Johnson Pass Trail, the Resurrection Trail, and the Crow Pass Trail. Closer to town is Rabbit Creek in the Chugach Front Range. A rolling 5 mile trail takes you back into an amazing Alpine valley surrounded by soaring peaks.

Other examples are:

• Eklutna Lake
  
• Powerline Pass
  
• Lost Lakes Trail
  
• Nancy Lakes
  
  
  All of these areas will give you a true sense of remote Alaska, but have better opportunities for self-evacuation should your trip go south. And, again, please do not travel solo. You obviously lack experience in overnight backpacking, and are a long way from being ready for a solo trip.
  
  
  I recall attempting a 5 day trip through Colorado at age 18. We were unprepared for snow in July and stumbled back, mildly hypothermic, to the car after 2 days in frozen blue jeans (huge no-no). We were lucky and I learned a great deal about what I didn't know at that phase in life. Had anything gone slightly worse, we might not have been so fortunate.
  
  
  None of this is intended to discourage you! Just do as much research as possible before jumping in and take things slow at first.
  
  Also, be prepared to fall in love with Alaska and ditch your Lower 48 life to move up here! :)
  
  
  

I own a bunch of books on dehydrating and trail meal prep but this one is a stand out: Recipes for Adventure It is well written by a chef who obviously tested the techniques and recipes thoroughly. I have found that re-hydrating is usually the hard part to get right, especially if cold soaking.

Here are some active Facebook groups that have tons of good information including huge files of practical instruction and guidelines:

• Dehydrating Divas & Dudes
  
• Healthy Gourmet Backpacking Food
  
  From an ultralight perspective, the most common problem with food is bringing too much. No one wants to be hungry. A good article from Andrew Skurka recommends 2250 - 2750 calories per day for his hiking clients, or about 18 - 22 oz per day. article
  
  I used to bring 3000 calories per day (25oz) but I got tired of always packing food out, especially dehydrated food that I had mixed with water but could not eat. I have been dropping the packed daily calorie count on successive trips for a few years now, and 2300 calories (about 19 oz with packaging) seems perfect for me. Everyone's metabolism is different so you will have to experiment to get it perfect. For reference, I am 165 pounds and older.
  
  After you figure out how many calories you want to bring per day, it is easier to get your food's caloric density up to 120 - 125 kcal/oz on average, and then you can stop counting every calorie in each food item and just weigh out oz for each day.
  
  Be sure to test homemade dehydrated meals at home first!
  
  Sliced and dehydrated apples and mangoes are easy, and refreshing trail snacks. Good fiber too.
  
  Dehydrate fruit that is on sale (berries, mangoes, peaches) and make breakfast smoothies with Muscle Milk, oat flour, ground flax seeds, ground nuts, etc.
  
  I found dehydrating bananas to be a ridiculous amount of work, and dehydrated banana powder is cheap online.
  
  Canned chicken and tuna dehydrate well but practice re-hydrating them at home. These both re-hydrate into awesome wrap sandwich staples as well pot style meals.
  
  Experiment with adding olive oil, ghee, or coconut oil to your meals during preparation on the trail for a serious calorie boost of about 250 kcal per oz.

Whoa boy, great question! And I've been thinking about this myself a lot lately. I have two stoves, the pocket rocket and the dragonfly. They are both fantastic, but definitely have pros and cons.

The pocket rocket is amazing if all you want to do is boil water and add the boiling water to some freeze dried food or something similar (which I plan to do this summer for a trip to the Shenandoah), but I find it really hard to cook meals on it. I also find the pot holder to be a little bit small if you're using a larger pot for cooking. I've never had one fall off, but it still worries me sometimes.

The dragonfly is great if you are down for some backcountry cooking (I would highly recommend the NOLS Backcountry Cookbook if you do, because they have some AMAZING meals to prep.) Bad news is the stove is a little bulky and it takes a few practice rounds to set up the stove and learn to use it properly.

SO... The dragonfly is great if you have lots of people camping with you (I'd say 4+) and you are ready to do some serious woods cookin. The pocket rocket is great if it's just you or you and a few buddies, and you mostly plan to use it to boil water.



tl:dr

Pocket Rocket Pros: lightweight, small, easy to set up.

Pocket Rocket Cons: small, not very versatile

Dragonfly Pros: cook like a pro, cooking versatility, cooks for lots of people.

Dragonfly Cons: bulky, heavy, slightly complex if you haven't used it before

You may want to check out the "Dummies" or "Idiot's" books. Not to say you are either, just that they really are good books... it's unfortunate that there's a stigma attached to them. You might want to go to B&N or your local library and just read through them rather than ask someone to buy them.

Camping for Dummies

https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dummies-Michael-Hodgson/dp/076455221X

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Backpacking-Lifestyle-Paperback/dp/1592579604

The Backpacker's Handbook has been recommended, but I haven't read it myself.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/007175489X

The Complete Walker; I read this 30 years ago(?) A great reference.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walker-IV-Colin-Fletcher/dp/0375703233

And of course Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills

https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045

M:FotH is a comprehensive tome, which may be a bit advanced for someone who is starting out with some car camping. As the name implies, it's aimed towards mountaineers, with sections on rock climbing, belaying, first aid, mountain safety... as a beginner you might pick up some invaluable information, but most of it may be far beyond what you need, it might be a bit overwhelming. Though you may be the type that just loves to soak up everything you, in which case it's a great reference.

If you want to check it out, the Kindle version of the 8th edition has a "Look Inside" which lists the sections and chapters, and has a bit of the first chapter. The latest 9th ed doesn't have the "Look Inside" yet.

https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers-ebook/dp/B0049P1ZTC

In addition to what's already listed (which are great options, I must say)

For breakfast, granola and powdered milk works great (if you like that sort of thing).

Vodka and powdered drink mix like lemonade for sipping after a long day.

For dinners (and lunches as well), I had an ex-girlfriend change my life back in 2008. For overnight or multi-day trips, she taught me to make and dehydrate my own meals. It's really easy and good to know that you are not eating a bunch of preservatives and god knows what else. It's also more cost-effective (like super cheap) than buying Mountain House. I've taken these on backcountry ski and hiking trips and they work really well. You can also use a vacuum sealer and make many ahead of season to freeze so they are ready when you are. I usually have anywhere from four to eight two-person sized meals in the freezer at any one time. Frozen, I've had them stay good for over a year. They are shelf stable, unrefrigerated for like 3 months. No dehydrator? No problem, you can use your oven for drying them.

I'm including links to the two recipe books below to Amazon for convenience but you can buy them many places. I think I got mine at OMC in Portland. The first is focused on one-pot pre-prepared meals that you simply re-hydrate on a camp stove/Jetboil, etc. They require almost zero prep and use a single pot. Very compact and light.

http://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Gourmet-Dehydrate-Healthy-Eating-ebook/dp/B001GIPF6O/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450834460&sr=1-2&keywords=backpack+gourmet
(The portobello curry and Moroccan stew are amazing) I think there is a later edition but this one is less expensive and has served me very well.

http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Food-Cooking-Backpacking-Paddling/dp/0070344361/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450834500&sr=1-1&keywords=trail+food
This book focuses more on bringing dry ingredients to mix in the pot to cook in camp.

Below is the dehydrator I use. I bought four extra trays and added the fruit leather inserts which make dehydrating soups, stews or anything juicier MUCH easier.

http://www.nesco.com/products/Dehydrators/Dehydrators/FD-1010/session_0a694eac1158/

I hope that you find this as amazing as I have! Bon Appétit!

Yes, it's easy! Just got back from a two week canoe trip, most of my meals were dehydrated at home.

Start with something really easy, like Lentil Dip which is great on crackers/pita for lunch.


Some of my favorites are Hungry Hammock Hanger recipes:

Aztec Chicken Stew (note: I pressure cook the chicken separately, then shred it using forks and toss it in to the stew towards the end of cooking, this helps with the rehydration process)

and

Chili-Mac (note: I can never find Mole sauce where I live, so I just throw in a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder instead)

and

Creamy Tuna Salad, it's great for lunches.

I have also made some things from Linda Frederick Yaffe's excellent book Backpack Gourmet, favorites being "Saucy Tuna" and "Hash Browns with Eggs and Sausage".

As for packaging, it depends on how long I'm going to store the food. If it's for an upcoming trip I just use ziploc freezer bags (doubled). For longer term storage I vacuum seal the meals in foodsaver bags.

I haven't tried the boiling water/ziplock technique. My method is to dump the dried food in the pot, add enough water to cover the food, bring it to a boil on the stove, then put it in a pot cozy for 20 minutes. It always turns out great.

I always add a shot of olive oil to the dehydrated meals since they're very lean.

edit: also check out /r/trailmeals for more ideas.

A few...

101 Things to do with a Dutch Oven

My Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: 101 Popular & Delicious Cast Iron Skillet Recipes

This same author did a bunch for "scouts." I like them because they are pretty simple and easy to follow:

• Scout's Dutch Oven Cookbook
  
• Scout's Outdoor Cookbook
  
• Scout's Backpacking Cookbook
  
  Official Boy Scout Outdoor Cooking Guide
  
  Sunset The Great Outdoors Cookbook: Adventures in Cooking Under the Open Sky
  
  But pretty much any cookbook with a good recipe can be adapted to cook outdoors. The only thing that changes is the view and the heat.

They're awesome. You can make almost anything. I use it for almost every breakfast and dinner I make while camping.

Breakfast meals I like are:

Steel cut oats, they take some time but are worth the extra effort IMO.

Scrambles/Hash with potatoes, onion, bell peppers, breakfast meat of your choice, eggs, cheese.

I've also made bannock scones in my cast iron skillet that I plan to try in my dutch oven this summer.

Dinners?!?!? So many options.

Chicken and dumplings

Beef stew (beef/carrots/potatoes/onion/spices/dark beer/time)

Chili (protip, put some cornbread batter on top towards the end)

A lot of recipes call for charcoal briquettes but I hate packing extra crap in my van. I usually just set it right next to the fire (like almost in it) and give it a quarter turn every 5-15 minutes. If I need to brown something on top (like the cornbread on my chili) I'll just shovel some coals from my fire onto the lid. I made a simple tripod out of sticks and paracord once when I made stew that turned out pretty well.

Clean up is pretty easy. After you're done, fill it with water and put it back in/near the fire. Let it come to a boil/simmer then scrape with a wooden spoon and or cheap scrub brush. Sometimes it'll take 2 cycles of water depending on what you cooked in it. NEVER USE SOAP. When you first get it, things will like to stick a lot. Even if it's pre-seasoned. After several meals this will get better. I can fry 8-9 eggs in mine w/ a pat of butter and nothing sticks. When you get home wipe it w/ veggie oil and put it away somewhere dry.

Also this guy has a bunch of awesome books if you really need ideas.

Lipsmackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'

This book is not only great for backpacking, but for regular meals as well. You may need to adjust portion sizes since you won't need the same amount of calories if you are not trekking with a 40lbs pack. The best thing is that all recipes are simple yet tasty with most using pre-packaged ingredients like soup mixes. It is great for fast, easy meals that are tasty enough eat off trail.

For backpacking and hiking, MREs aren't the best choice. Weight, leftover garbage, and taste are all significant considerations and there are much better options out there.

One of my favorite cook books is "Lip Smackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'" which features lots of good filling easy to make recipes that you'll love and that won't take up much space in your bag.

Alternately, look up the "boil in a bag" method for camping. This is simply recipes kept in a zip lock bag that you pour boiling water into. Simply, cheap, and pretty darn good.

https://www.amazon.com/Lipsmackin-Vegetarian-Backpackin-Lightweight-Trail-Tested/dp/0762785020/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Lip+Smacking%27+Vegetarian+Backpackin%27&qid=1562978954&s=gateway&sr=8-1

I know you said you're not doing keto, but the recipes in this book are great, and you can easily adjust the macros to fit your needs.

Ketogenic Backpacking: How to Pack Lighter and Go Farther by Fueling with Fat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077Q8CT6H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_E-G6AbB9J02QC

I just did a week on the AT last month and carried nothing but recipes from that book. Tasty, lightweight, and I had tons of energy. But I'd been doing keto already for a few months before the trip.

There's a superfood type recipe in there that's packed full of calories: ground macadamia nuts, cocunut oil, and powdered fruit mix for flavor. I kept it in a little peanut butter jar and had a spoonful every now and then while hiking. Really hit the spot.

I think high fat is the way to go. You get over twice the calories for every gram of fat over carbs and protein. Good luck!

The park is BIG and driving about takes time. I always plan to be gone all day when I head out in the morning. So, bring something for lunch, bring plenty to drink. All the visitor areas have food, but, its so much better to sit by a river or valley and eat lunch vs. waiting in line at a snack bar.

I really like this book. It is small and easy to use when driving. It breaks down the loop road into sections and give you highlights of the section referenced.

I like this book also

Binoculars or a spotting scope are great for Yellowstone as there are many long distance vistas.

All the recipes I got from this Backpack Gourmet book. (Hint: you can look inside the book on Amazon and see a bunch of the recipes)

The lasagna is pretty much just a basic lasagna with some salsa added. I've made the spicy chicken pasta before and it is delicious. It's the first time I'm making the other two.

I highly recommend the book though. There are a ton of great recipes I'm looking forward to trying, especially some breakfast ones. And you can always just make them to eat at home, the don't HAVE to be dehydrated lol

1. LIP Smackin' Backpackin' This is written by, Christine and Tim Conners. (there is a vegetarian version offered as well, I have use this book the most because i've had it the longest, it offers a ton of great trail bar recipes, soups and pizza!!!!!!!!!!)
   
   
2. Recipis for Adventures, written by Chef Glenn Mcallister. (this book has the most pictures available, showing you how to layer and how to prepare individual food items)
   
   Both of these books offer a lot of good information how how to store, estimated length the food will last. The pastas offered in Lip smackin' served me many nights on the trail. Hopefully the links work below..
   
   Recipes for adventure
   
   Lip Smackin' Backpackin'
   
   Lastly Andrew Skurka made a 14,000 word (online or booklet) you can order through his site, I haven't looked at it much but I did buy in last year. Hope all this helps. Enjoy your trip and congrats on your wedding.
   
   A. Skurka

Don’t have any recipes but TVP will probably be a great addition because you only have to barely bring water to a boil and stir. Add some taco seasoning and your good to go.
Also this book will probably be of great use.
https://www.amazon.com/Lipsmackin-Vegetarian-Backpackin-Lightweight-Trail-Tested/dp/0762785020/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=lip+smacking+vegetarian+backpacking&qid=1565379203&s=gateway&sprefix=lips+smacking+vege&sr=8-1&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

I think you're off to a good start. I would recommend these two if you are just getting started:

Chris Townsend's Backpackers Handbook

Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpackin Book - it's easy and digestible

The answers to your questions really depend on preference. The distance of your hike will be up to you- start small, make sure you like it and don't bite off more than you should chew.

Of course pitching a tent, follow Leave No Trace principles.

Have fun!!

As far as comprehensive backpacking books go I haven't read any other than those 2. I'm sure there are other books out there I just don't know that they would cover any more than those two. Getting a subcription to Outside or Backpacker will help you see the state of current gear. If you're looking for more info you could always look for books on ultralight hiking. Even if you don't plan to go that route I'm sure you would find relevant information to lighten your load. Also books light Lip'Smackin Backpacking and Backpack Gourmet are great books when it comes to taking your food to better places.

Don't waste your money on a course. First thing I would do get a book or two for about $15 each. This and this look like two good books. I'm Swedish so the books I use wouldn't be much use to you.

Next is to get a backpack and some gear. Once you have the gear pack it up in the backpack and go car camping for a couple of weekends. Only use what you have in the backpack.

Then you can progress to going on overnight trips. You should be able to find organized groups that go on backpacking trips. Start with simple overnights and progress from there. Or you can just go with friends.

I used the book Lip Smackin Backpackin
https://www.amazon.com/Lipsmackin-Backpackin-2nd-Christine-Conners-ebook/dp/B00H32C9DY/

for ideas on drying food for camping. They use a combo of off the shelf food and dehydrated for recipes for back country. They also describe a system for long trips where you just bring base ingredients (potatoes, veggies, meat, beans, rice, lentils, etc.) and then cook meals from that instead of bringing pre-set meals. On longer trips it is a little more flexible with both taste and portions - if you find you are running short you can just make a little less for a few days to add a day or two to your trip.

Ovens work, and I think convection is the key - you need to have air flow. If air isn't moving stuff rots. Don't get a dehydrator that doesn't have a fan and uses heated air to cause air flow. It needs to have a fan.

I only use self dehydrated or instant meals now. It is soooo much better. I do cook and dehydrate things that may seem unnecessary, like beans. It saves field prep and cook time, and fuel. When I hit camp I put stuff in hot water, let it set for a while, then do any finish cooking that needs to be done and eat. It is pretty sweet.

It's all about the enjoyment of the outdoors with the ability to still have a great meal. All in the prep work my friend.

By far the best book I can point out is the [Backpacker's Handbook] (https://www.amazon.com/Backpackers-Handbook-4th-Chris-Townsend/dp/007175489X) by Chris Townsend. Legit advice in there.

I also recommended heading over to /r/backpacking and checking them out, as well as /r/CampingandHiking.

Appreciate the kind words, thanks a ton.

NOLS has a great cookbook for backpackers/hikers/campers - https://www.amazon.com/NOLS-Cookery-Library-Claudia-Pearson/dp/0811719812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537350390&sr=8-1&keywords=NOLS+Cookery


It's a great resource and I use it constantly.


Having said that, I love bannock bread and I usually sprinkle in dried fruit and nuts. I will make some in the morning and eat it throughout the day.


Also, there are a plethora of companies producing high quality dehydrated meals if weight and space are issues.

You gotta love these little cottage manufacturers. There is some real gold out there if you can find them. I try to keep it as simple as possible when I go out and usually stick to one-pot meals. For four days, I would plan on two different meals and just alternate them. I like this website for recipes: http://onepanwonders.com/dinners.html. I also have a couple of cookbooks that have some good one-pot recipes. I like this one a lot: http://www.amazon.com/Lipsmackin-Backpackin-Lightweight-Trail-tested-Backcountry/dp/1560448814/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368190884&sr=8-1&keywords=lip+smacking+backpacking.

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This is the best backcountry cookbook and meal planning guide I know of. Fantastic recipes that are nutritious, readily available at any grocery store and easy to make.

http://www.amazon.com/Cookery-National-Outdoor-Leadership-Library/dp/0811731081

Just expanding on Arvald's comment concerning backpacking:

If you're thinking of doing this (I think it's a very good idea. Nothing, to me, feels more spiritual, serene, or rewarding as traveling through nature. Of course, when I say "nature", I mean geographical areas that are not occupied by humans.), then I can recommend some literature to you. As an Eagle Scout, I've done my fair share of camping/hiking/trailing. I don't think it's wise to go camping by oneself the first time; but, since this is an adventure, you should say "fuck it" to wisdom.

Here are some books that come to mind:

http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Guide-Hiking-Backpacking-Cordes/dp/0963302477/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322794140&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Wilderness-Survival-Ultimate-Outdoors/dp/0974082023/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322794186&sr=1-7

http://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Gourmet-Dehydrate-Healthy-Eating/dp/0811726347/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322794215&sr=1-1-spell

Here you go:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0762725311

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0899975062

If you want something pre-packaged, do check out the Canada-based Nomad Nutrition meals. We tried Kathmandu Curry and Hungarian Goulash and both very pretty good. So it is a good diversity option,

Another Fork in the Trail: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for the Backcountry

And the latest blog entry on the Authors website is quinoa and bean chili with tomatillos.

I also really like http://www.trailcooking.com/ which has many good veg friendly recipes.

Oh I wish I had more upvotes to give. Get at least a five tray model, and get yourself some books [1] [2] and start cooking. What I do is double the recipe, have some for dinner, and then dehydrate the rest. I still have some year old meals that are still delicious once you rehydrate them.

I know you said you weren't really into dehydrated meals, but have you tried making your own? I have a dehydrator and have made some great recipes for a recent canoe trip from this book: https://www.amazon.com/Another-Fork-Trail-Vegetarian-Backcountry/dp/0899975062

It's all vegan and vegetarian recipes. In many of them you add the oil after rehydrating the meal at camp, so it would be easy to avoid added oils if that's a concern.

The hummus and bean dips have turned out really well. They can be rehydrated with cold water, so you don't have to light a stove to have some tasty hummus and pita for lunch.

Get yourself a copy of the NOLS Cookery, you can also find older/used versions for cheap. It has info for planning your trip (you'll need ~1.5 pounds of food per person per day), and many good recipes. Almost all of the ingredients can be found in the bulk section of the grocery store.

My favorite is spaghetti with a sauce of peanut butter, brown sugar, and soy sauce.

I bought the best book called ‘Recipes for Adventure’ with dehydrated recipes, and have tried quite a few and they’re awesome. And lots of veggie options. We only have a jet boil but have found that these don’t really need to be boiled to eat, you can just pour boiling water into your dish (best if using an insulated mug or bowl), cover and wait for 15 minutes and it rehydrates everything.

https://www.amazon.com/Recipes-Adventure-Healthy-Homemade-Backpacking/dp/1484861345

We have this book about dehydrating food and it is amazing! http://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Gourmet-Dehydrate-Healthy-Eating/dp/0811726347/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Hopefully a bot will price match for the best deal, because Amazon is a little high right now, but here's the book, "Recipes for Adventure".

Calzones. From scratch. I didn't make them myself but it's actually not as hard as you would imagine, although it isn't the quickest thing to make. Assuming you're about to go into the field I highly suggest you pack a variety of spices, they make all the difference plus they don't weigh too much or take up a lot of space. The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) publishes a cookbook which I highly recommend.

Edit: spelling and punctuation.

Goat cheese quesadillas when car camping. And black bean burritos when backpacking. I highly recommend Lipsmackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'.

First, I highly recommend this book I got the recipe from.

https://smile.amazon.com/Lipsmackin-Backpackin-2nd-Lightweight-Trail-Tested-ebook/dp/B00H32C9DY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1549418252&sr=1-1&keywords=lip+smacking+backpacking

It's the most complicated dehydrator meal I make on the regular.

Mix 1 pound ground beef with 1/4 tsp each thyme, allspice & paprika and 1/2 tsp each sage & black pepper. Cook it and dehydrate it.

Also dehydrate 15 oz. can beans, 8 oz canned green chilies & 15 oz canned tomatoes

Mix up what you've dehydrated thus far to make 4 bags of part A.

For part B combine 1 cup masa harina (corn flour), 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp ground cumin & 1 packet dry onion soup mix. 4 bags

Trail prep : mix one bag part A with 12 oz water. Boil it. Stir in one bag part B. Let set five minutes.

My version makes 4 servings 500 kcal 35g protein.

I'm a vegetarian and all my backpacking meals are from this book, I'd highly recommend it: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0762725311/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_FYoqtb0SEED5R

This

Edit: link to amazon instead of google

NOLS Cookery is the foremost authority on backpacking food planning: http://www.amazon.com/Cookery-National-Outdoor-Leadership-Library/dp/0811731081/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334325110&sr=8-2

We are going to offer this as a reward for patrols who put some thought into their cooking.

https://www.amazon.com/Scouts-Outdoor-Cookbook-Falcon-Guide/dp/0762740671

https://www.amazon.com/Cookery-National-Outdoor-Leadership-Library/dp/0811731081

Seconding (eleventhing?) everyone here. Start small. Start with someone, preferably someone with some experience. There's too much to cover here.
Ages ago I read an earlier edition of this:
The Backpacker's Handbook
and it helped a lot with gear selection, planning, backcountry etiquette, etc.

When my g/f and I did the Long Trail a couple years ago I was fine eating the same few meals day in and day out, she was not. She bought a cookbook designed for backpacking and dehydrating. For a couple weeks we made meals, dehydrated and stored them ready for the hike. This method worked great, she's not a super picky eater but this method allowed her to be excited for different meals each night.

​

I don't know your backpacking experience or what you know about the LT but let me tell you it's HARD. I've thru-hiked the AT and PCT, the LT is some of the hardest trail I have encountered. We planned 18 days as well, after 3 days we abandoned our SoBO of the LT. We were almost 20 miles behind schedule at that point and I didn't want to kill my g/f on a 2 week death march to complete the LT. What we did instead was spend more time in town and B&B, hitch back to the trail somewhere else, go NoBo or SoBo based on difficulty and which town we wanted to end up in next. Keep the option to yoyo around and visit small town Vermont.

​

Backpack Gourmet is a good resource.

https://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Gourmet-Dehydrate-Healthy-Eating/dp/0811713474/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1557845459&sr=8-24

Just about anything can be dehydrated. Fruits with solid/thick skins may need to be boiled (cranberries, blueberries, peas) to split the skins and allow for dehydrating. Ground meats work very well but you need to minimize fat (fat spoils regardless of moisture content) by using lean cuts. Only dehydrate canned or pressure cooked chicken (canned is always pressure cooked) as it forced sodium into the meat allowing for better re-hydration.

I could go on for hours. I learned most of what I know from this book: Recipes for Adventure