Trail Foods

I’m always a little surprised when someone asks me what I cook with an alcohol stove. My answer: Pretty much anything you’d cook with any other kind of stove. The recipes in this section are the kind of stuff I regularly eat during my long-distance thru-hikes from the Appalachian Trail to the Camino de Santiago.

The recipes described here are not elaborate. They include stuff like mac ’n’ cheese and largely follow the directions on the box. They’re quick, easy and readily available. I don’t make these meals and snacks because they’re delicious*—I do it because they’re easy! I’m a thru-hiker and don’t always have access to well-stocked supermarkets or specialty stores—especially in small towns with little more than a gas station convenience store for resupply. These foods won’t win any prizes, but they’ll keep you from starving in the backcountry!

* = Well, okay, the strawberry leather I think is pretty delicious. Mac ’n’ cheese... not so much!