View from Mt. Rainer, WA
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Playing Outdoors
Playing outdoors is one of my most favorite things! I especially enjoy backpacking and exploring in the Cascade and Rocky mountains. There are so many ways to exercise, get fresh air, reflect and have fun in nature. The opportunities are endless even if you live in a city. This page is designed to help make getting out into nature more of a reality. Scroll down to see all the entries under this tab, some of which include hiking and backpacking item checklists, camping/backpacking meal planning ideas, safety and outdoor/primitive cooking skills. More to come...and as always, feel free to contact me to let me know if there is other information you'd like to see included here or if you are planning a trip and have questions.
To view some of my hiking photo albums, please connect with me on Facebook by clicking on the link at the top right corner of this page.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful gallery of God's handiwork. This is where try to spend time hiking as often as I can.
Boulder Area Hiking Trails: this link shows which trails are currently open and closed post September 2013 floods. Scroll to the bottom to click on the map of re-opened trails.
To view some of my hiking photo albums, please connect with me on Facebook by clicking on the link at the top right corner of this page.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful gallery of God's handiwork. This is where try to spend time hiking as often as I can.
Boulder Area Hiking Trails: this link shows which trails are currently open and closed post September 2013 floods. Scroll to the bottom to click on the map of re-opened trails.
My Hiking/Camping Pack List
Here is the checklist I use when I decide to head out last minute for a dayhike or overnight...ussually I'm in Washinton's Cascade Mountains or Colorado's Rocky Mountains. You may want to add or subtract from this list. Especially when in the mountains, weather can change quickly and the unexpected can occur. It is always better to plan ahead and be prepared for an emergency that never happens than to wish you were in hindsight. This also allows for more freedom to have fun!
Note: All clothes on these lists should be non-cotton, including undergarments for better warmth when wet or sweaty. Please be prepared to pack out all garbage and bury human waste where there are no facilities. To familiarize yourself with the Leave No Trace principles click on this link.
Note: All clothes on these lists should be non-cotton, including undergarments for better warmth when wet or sweaty. Please be prepared to pack out all garbage and bury human waste where there are no facilities. To familiarize yourself with the Leave No Trace principles click on this link.
DAY HIKE
plenty of water (2-3 liters) and snacks (extra energy bars for emergencies) first aid kit head lamp & extra batteries sunscreen, sunglasses & lip balm map and compass pocket knife raincoat and extra layers of clothes because weather can change quickly, especially when the sun goes behind the mountains (including socks, down jacket, hat and gloves) emergency reflective blanket and fire starter whistle bug spray electrolytes, ginger iodine drops (for emergency water treatment) camera watch bandana hiking poles *day use/parking permits (usually the Northwest forest pass in Washington and Oregon) |
OVERNIGHT Backpacking Trips - include all day hike items as well
BIG STUFF Pack and duckback Tent, stakes, poles, footprint water filter/iodine water bottles/carabiners poles (snow baskets) hiking boots bear bag/40' lightweight and durable rope or para cord sandals/crocs tarp or extra fly wood and paper hatchet fishing rod/tackle BED Sleeping bag sleeping pad pillow sarong/sheet bag liner PERSONAL bandana toothbrush/paste pack towel feminine products if needed and bag to pack them out in plant books bible/books journal essential oil shovel/toilet paper/bag to pack out the toilet paper ear plugs for sleeping matches/lint phone binoculars |
KITCHEN stove and fuel dishes/bowl utensils & silverware salt/pepper/cinnamon or other spices Knife and cutting board matches/fire starter extra ziplocks 2 large garbage bags candle cooler with ICE FOOD trail mix with ginger veggies meat/fish potato/grains garlic, onion, ginger butter/oil limes/lemons lunch stuff CLOTHES (no cotton) Rain coat rain pants long underwear warm pants hiking pants 2 long sleeves tank tops and short sleeve wool socks and liners bras/underware fleece/down vest extra socks, underwear, bra brim hat gaiters for snowy conditions |
REI's Backpacking Pack List
REI also has great resources. See http://www.rei.com/learn.html for the "expert advice" articles and more. This one is a list of the essentials for ultralight backpacking, including the 10 essentials for any hike....
The Ten Essentials (for safety, survival and basic comfort):
1. Navigation Map (with protective case) Compass GPS (optional) 2. Sun protection Sunscreen and lip balm Sunglasses 3. Insulation Jacket, vest, pants, gloves, hat (see Clothing) 4. Illumination Headlamp or flashlight Extra batteries 5. First-aid supplies First-aid kit (see our First-aid checklist) |
6. Fire Matches or lighterWaterproof containerFire starter (for emergency survival fire) 7. Repair kit and tools Knife or multi-tool Duct tape strips; repair items as needed 8. Nutrition Extra day’s supply of food 9. Hydration Water bottles or hydration system Water filter or other treatment system 10. Emergency shelter Tent, tarp, bivy or reflective blanket |
Beyond the Ten Essentials:
Tent, tarp or bivy sack (with stakes, guylines) Footprint Sleeping bag in Stuff sack or compression sack Sleeping pad Whistle Signaling mirror Ice ax Trekking poles Meals: Energy food (bars, gels, chews, trail mix) Energy beverages or drink mixes Stove Fuel Cook pot Utensil(s) Measuring cup/mug Food-storage sacks or canister Length of nylon cord (5 feet+) |
Planning a Backpacking Menu
Ever have trouble planning food for overnights on the trail. Here are some ideas from REI...
What's for dinner?
As an outbound backpacker, your answer to that important question was made days, maybe weeks in advance. When you finally make camp after a full day of vigorous exercise, you're going to want to be happy with the decision you made. You want food that will nourish you, strengthen you, revitalize you and taste really good.
How Much Food Is Enough?
The National Outdoor Leadership School estimates that backcountry travelers burn between 2,500 and 4,500 calories per day, depending on their individual physiology and their activity. That translates into roughly 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. of food per day.
In a diet-conscious society, that may sound like a huge caloric intake. But food is the fuel your body burns as it powers up and down wilderness terrain. Finicky eaters typically morph into indiscriminate chow hounds after a few high-output days on the trail.
Anticipate that you will feel hungry often and that much of your quiet time on the trail will be spent thinking about food. It's true! Plan ahead for this stomach-gnawing reality.
If you're facing a borderline decision about how much or little to carry, take a little more. Feelings of unsatisfied hunger can distract you from the other sensory joys of a great hike. One of the 10 Essentials for an overnight trip, in fact, is a supply of extra food. One day's worth of food is a smart emergency backup.
On the other hand, don't overdo it. A common beginner's blunder is to bring too much food on a trip, forcing you to lug unwanted bulk and weight in your pack. Experience will teach you what amount of food works for you. Consider a few basic guidelines:
Factors to Consider
What's for dinner?
As an outbound backpacker, your answer to that important question was made days, maybe weeks in advance. When you finally make camp after a full day of vigorous exercise, you're going to want to be happy with the decision you made. You want food that will nourish you, strengthen you, revitalize you and taste really good.
How Much Food Is Enough?
The National Outdoor Leadership School estimates that backcountry travelers burn between 2,500 and 4,500 calories per day, depending on their individual physiology and their activity. That translates into roughly 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. of food per day.
In a diet-conscious society, that may sound like a huge caloric intake. But food is the fuel your body burns as it powers up and down wilderness terrain. Finicky eaters typically morph into indiscriminate chow hounds after a few high-output days on the trail.
Anticipate that you will feel hungry often and that much of your quiet time on the trail will be spent thinking about food. It's true! Plan ahead for this stomach-gnawing reality.
If you're facing a borderline decision about how much or little to carry, take a little more. Feelings of unsatisfied hunger can distract you from the other sensory joys of a great hike. One of the 10 Essentials for an overnight trip, in fact, is a supply of extra food. One day's worth of food is a smart emergency backup.
On the other hand, don't overdo it. A common beginner's blunder is to bring too much food on a trip, forcing you to lug unwanted bulk and weight in your pack. Experience will teach you what amount of food works for you. Consider a few basic guidelines:
Factors to Consider
- Taste--Eat what you like. Don't try and convert your taste buds to new types of food deep in the backcountry.
- Calories--Don't inaugurate a diet program during a multi-night hike. You'll need ample calories (and water!) to fight off fatigue and headaches.
- Nutrition--It's fine to tear into a candy bar during a trip, but for the long haul you want to rely on complex carbohydrates and proteins. Intelligent quick-eats such as nuts and dry fruits provide a stable flow of energy to your muscles.
- Weight and Bulk--Stick to lightweight and low-bulk foods as much as possible, especially on long journeys.
- Ease of Preparation--Unless you are an experienced gourmet, keep things simple. It's smart to be well-supplied with no-cook food items in case your stove malfunctions.
- Cost--Convenience has its price. Freeze-dried meals and energy foods can be expensive, but at the end of a long day when your weary body only has enough energy to boil water, such luxuries seem justifiable.
- Refrigeration is one of those civilized luxuries you leave behind at the trailhead. Thus fresh foods are good for 1 day inside your pack, maybe 2. Carrots can sometimes last longer.
- Canned foods sometimes have a place in your pack if the trip is short and your hunger for grocery store food is high. Tins of tuna or other canned meat products can be a nice toss-in item for a pot of rice, for instance. But skip foods packaged in traditional 15-ounce (or larger) cans. The weight and bulk just aren't worth it. Don't even think about toting glass bottles.
- Dry foods (pasta, noodles, instant rice, soup mixes, drink mixes) are light, take up minimal volume inside a pack and offer you some decent taste alternatives.
- Freeze-dried/dehydrated foods have improved considerably in taste, texture and appearance in recent years. They cost about the same as a meal at a modestly priced restaurant, but they won't taste quite that fresh and savory. Still, put into perspective, they deliver above-average taste sensations in far-flung places.
- Spices can be crucial to boosting the appeal of backcountry food. Consider bringing your own spice kit, which could include pepper, garlic powder or salt, basil, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, cinnamon or whatever else is essential to your home kitchen.
- Flavored beverages can taste mighty refreshing after a few days of nothing but water. Powdered drink mixes are a nice mid-trip treat. Take note that the caffeine in coffee and tea is a diuretic, which counteracts your efforts to keep yourself hydrated.
- For winter camping, bring extra food to help keep your internal fires stoked and rebuff any chance of hypothermia. Carry your ready-to-eat items close to your body during the day so they are not frozen solid when you want to eat them.
Backpacking and Camping Meal Ideas
Breakfast
Backpacking breakfasts can range from something fast and basic (an energy bar) to a lavish spread involving pancakes, eggs, meats and coffee. A hot meal can give you an extra boost, true, but a quick snack means no cleanup and a quicker start to the day.
Ideas: Instant hot cereals, dehydrated eggs, pancake mix, breakfast bars, granola, dry cereal, instant tea, coffee, powdered milk, juice, fresh fruit, dried fruits.
Lunch
Rather than take a prolonged break for a midday meal (involving unpacking, preparation, cleanup and repacking), a smarter strategy is to eat a series of modest energy-boosting snacks throughout the day. Such gradual calorie consumption is known as "grazing."
Ideas: Dried fruit, fig bars, bagels (which you can lug along on a shorter trip), energy bars, jerky and nuts.
Dinner
The evening meal is your reward for a full day of exhilarating exertion. If you possess elevated culinary skills that translate well into a backcountry setting, you're set for a powerful sensory treat—great food amid great scenery. If you don't mind the expense of packaged, freeze-dried or dehydrated food, the simplicity of a tasty, just-add-boiling-water meal is a relaxing treat.
Ideas: Packaged meals, pasta, instant rice, ramen noodles, instant soups and sauces, instant stuffing, instant potatoes and tuna. Consider bringing along some favorite spices (onion and garlic powder, basil, oregano).
Backpacking breakfasts can range from something fast and basic (an energy bar) to a lavish spread involving pancakes, eggs, meats and coffee. A hot meal can give you an extra boost, true, but a quick snack means no cleanup and a quicker start to the day.
Ideas: Instant hot cereals, dehydrated eggs, pancake mix, breakfast bars, granola, dry cereal, instant tea, coffee, powdered milk, juice, fresh fruit, dried fruits.
Lunch
Rather than take a prolonged break for a midday meal (involving unpacking, preparation, cleanup and repacking), a smarter strategy is to eat a series of modest energy-boosting snacks throughout the day. Such gradual calorie consumption is known as "grazing."
Ideas: Dried fruit, fig bars, bagels (which you can lug along on a shorter trip), energy bars, jerky and nuts.
Dinner
The evening meal is your reward for a full day of exhilarating exertion. If you possess elevated culinary skills that translate well into a backcountry setting, you're set for a powerful sensory treat—great food amid great scenery. If you don't mind the expense of packaged, freeze-dried or dehydrated food, the simplicity of a tasty, just-add-boiling-water meal is a relaxing treat.
Ideas: Packaged meals, pasta, instant rice, ramen noodles, instant soups and sauces, instant stuffing, instant potatoes and tuna. Consider bringing along some favorite spices (onion and garlic powder, basil, oregano).
Delicious Fruit Cobbler Recipe for on the Trail
One of my favorite desserts on the trail is a fruit cobbler. This works perfect if you are hiking through blueberry or huckleberry season. You may be competing with the bears but harvesting fresh berries to cook over the fire with an oatmeal topping is about one of the best tasting things I can put in my mouth after a long day on the trail. Here is a general recipe. I bring apples if no berries are in season. If you do pick your own berries, be sure you know how to identify them as edible.
Fruit Cobbler Ingredients:
- plenty of diced apples or fresh berries (a few cups probably)
- a cup or so of quick cooking oats (maybe you have leftovers from your breakfasts)
- a few tablespoons of butter (oil in a pinch)
- 1/2 cup of honey or sugar
-cinnamon and salt to taste
- a few tablespoons lemon or lime juice (optional)
- chopped nuts (optional- maybe leftovers from trail mix)
Directions to cook over campfire (or backpacking stove):
-mix fruit with cinnamon and a little sugar/honey and lemon or lime juice in your cooking pot/pan
-mix the oatmeal, butter, the rest of the sugar/honey, salt, nuts and cinnamon for the topping
-sprinkle the topping on the fruit mixture. cover and cook over "low" heat as best you can. the juice from the lemon/lime and fruit should be enough to steam it and not burn it but keep an eye on it. Time will vary of course but may be around 20 minutes.
Fruit Cobbler Ingredients:
- plenty of diced apples or fresh berries (a few cups probably)
- a cup or so of quick cooking oats (maybe you have leftovers from your breakfasts)
- a few tablespoons of butter (oil in a pinch)
- 1/2 cup of honey or sugar
-cinnamon and salt to taste
- a few tablespoons lemon or lime juice (optional)
- chopped nuts (optional- maybe leftovers from trail mix)
Directions to cook over campfire (or backpacking stove):
-mix fruit with cinnamon and a little sugar/honey and lemon or lime juice in your cooking pot/pan
-mix the oatmeal, butter, the rest of the sugar/honey, salt, nuts and cinnamon for the topping
-sprinkle the topping on the fruit mixture. cover and cook over "low" heat as best you can. the juice from the lemon/lime and fruit should be enough to steam it and not burn it but keep an eye on it. Time will vary of course but may be around 20 minutes.
Harvest Party at Twin Eagles Wilderness School --Primitive Cooking Skills
November 12, 2011 ~ I visited a wonderful community in Sandpoint, Idaho that is a family-based nature awareness school. We celebrated the fall harvest with singing, playing, learning primitive cooking skills and eating delicious food! I helped to make a pit fire oven and we ate elk, squash and potatoes from it. The first snow of the season graced us with its presence. Some photos are below. Check out the nature school and mentoring program for all ages at: http://www.twineagles.org/