Food suggestions...

[elStado]

Excellent thread. I've often thought the same. It's a bit daunting to try and pack food for such a long time, especially I have a big appetite if I am active during the day.

Light weight, easy prep, long-life and nutritious/energy dense food is what I'd be looking at. Porridge and dried fruit for brekky, wheat or rice crackers and spreads for lunch/snacks, pasta, rice or couscous mixed with some dried veges and sauce for dinner. A couple of powdered soup mixed would also be good for spare eats, variety or for a cold wet day when you want to warm up.

Being able to dehydrate and vacuum seal a bunch of fruit yourself at home would be grand.

[il padrone]

Bread in the back of beyond - it's very easy to carry flat-bread wraps like Roti bread or other wholemeal wraps (NOT Mountain bread, it just falls to bits). Packaged flat-bread in sealed packs stays fresh for many days and is tasty and easy to fill with the good stuff. When the fresh stuff runs out you may be down to salami or tuna with cheese, or peanut butter and sultanas - still yummy and good for energy.

Coffee - don't count on finding any good ground coffee in the dusty outback

[Tim]

There are some very good long-life Naan breads available in resealable zip lock bags. Check the Indian food section of the supermarket.
I carry a large tin of Sustagen Sport. Mixes well with water. It is mostly powdered milk, sugar(s), cocoa and supplementary vitamins and minerals. Not too sure whether its any good for you but gives a good fast energy hit for late afternoon, 100Km slumps.

[il padrone]

Ah, yes the Naan bread rather nice. Fill it with peanut butter and some sultanas and it almost has a satay quality to it.

Re. high energy food replacements I am reminded of the video of a guy who rode a tandem the length of the Americas trying to rely on picking up stokers to ride. Later in southern Peru with no volunteers he was drinking olive oil as a concentrated energy boost

[Tim]

Dried dates. The cheaper and drier the better. I munch on them like lollies. Good in porridge too. Just don't assume they've all been pitted (spoken thru missing front teeth )

[RonK]

Helgas Sandwich Thins are a newcomer on the bread shelves. Keep and travel quite well.


Also Dutch Company Breakfast Cake or Honey cake travels and keeps very well.

[Renovator]

I stumbled across this thread doing a bit of research being new to bicycle touring and got some great ideas
However after nearly 3 years with new products, new equipment etc.
Whats changed in your touring pantry?

[Renovator]

Sorry it's only been a bit less than 12 months (one of these days I'll learn how to read) but I would still be interested in what's changed?

[rifraf]

After an initial love affair with cous cous on my last long tour, I'm now over it and take only a little with me.
Something I have been enjoying of late and appreciate its sachet packaging is a relatively newish product from Heinz.
Its called Beans of the Day and come in about four different flavours.

http://www2.woolworthsonline.com.au/sho ... th-chorizo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/9548546641/

These are sold, at least in WA, in both Woolworths and Coles and on average are $3.50.
The pack says 400 grams.
In the bowl it looks a little light but I find it a hearty meal with a variety of different beans (not your usual 5 bean mix) and with the addition of chick peas, of which I'm fond of the texture.

If I'm really hungry or particularly greedy, I might add a sachet of Tilda microwave rice (I'm fond of the Basmati with coconut, chilli and lemongrass as a favorite)
http://www.tilda.com/our-rice-range/til ... smati-rice
Ignore the fact its for a microwave as chucking it into a pot and adding a small amount of water and heating cook the rice just fine ( I add approx 3-5 tablespoons of water) and then mixing in the Heinz sachet after the water has either steamed off or been absorbed.

After passing through a town with a Coles or Woolies, I often grab a chorizo sausage or two to chop up and pre -fry and add to the mixture.
I've also done this with salami.

I like the sachets much better than the carrying the extra weight of tins despite it being a more expensive meal.

Like most here, porridge features high for my breakfasts and sometimes my lunches if my wallets a little light or if the larders a little bare from too many days between shops.
Luckily I quite like porridge.

In between tours I tend to end up carrying a lot of belly lard so I look forward to a tour as as opportunity to lose some kgs.

[stevage11]

So you're about to set off on an Australian tour. You will not see a shop for a week. You walk in to a Coles, Woolies, IGA or whatever and walk out with....


Breakfast: Porridge, sultanas, honey, carmans deluxe muesli, banana chips, milk powder

Snacks: Carmans muesli bars, sesame bars, mixed salted nuts (love these), dried fruit, natural confectionery lollies, chocolate covered coffee beans, dark chocolate

Lunch: tortilla/mountain bread, vegemite, peanut butter, cheese

Dinner: pasta, salami, dried mushrooms, peas and carrots, rice, condiments, tuna.

Drinks: coffee (i take a machine with pre-ground beans, a ritual where i start the day with a little writing), tea, sport drink powder kept in one bottle only - they get festy.
What are you buying?

Sounds like a hike, not a cycle tour. But, having just done a 5.5 hike in Tassie, here's what we did:

Breakfast: fancy Woolworths museli (orange and macadamia! cinnamon and something!), milk powder
Snacks: lots of different types of museli bars (for boredom), scroggin, snickers bars
Lunch: the new Vitawheat square shaped crackers, cheese, salami, salmon sachets
Dinner: Backcountry Cuisine, Strive (failing that, angel hair pasta with salami and tomato sauce)
Drinks: coffee bags, tea, milo. A friend of mine brings coffee beans, grinder and aeropress. Too much effort for me.

[RonK]

Dinner: Backcountry Cuisine, Strive (failing that, angel hair pasta with salami and tomato sauce)

Backcountry? Ugh! Revolting!

Never tried Strive. Think I'll stick with Chefsway.

[petie]

Well tried to get an airspresso with no luck, so decided to try an aeropress and porlex grinder. Decidedly impressed, will be trying to squeeze it in on any touring trips!!

[stevage11]

Dinner: Backcountry Cuisine, Strive (failing that, angel hair pasta with salami and tomato sauce)

Backcountry? Ugh! Revolting!

What, all of them? Or you tried one once and formed a general opinion?

[RonK]

Dinner: Backcountry Cuisine, Strive (failing that, angel hair pasta with salami and tomato sauce)

Backcountry? Ugh! Revolting!

What, all of them? Or you tried one once and formed a general opinion?

Pretty much all you can get in EnZed, but sold everywhere, even in supermarkets. You don't need to find a tramping store. So I decided when in Rome, do as the Romans do...

On two tours there I've tried the Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti Bolognese, Beef Curry and the Beef and Pasta Hotpot , so not every one, and yes I formed the general opinion about the other recipes. That was more than enough experimentation for me.

Next tour I'll be taking some of my favourite Chefsway, which I have found appetising on many bushwalks including the Overland Track, Tasman and Freycinet Peninsulas just to mention a few.

[stevage11]

>On two tours there I've tried the Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti Bolognese, Beef Curry and the Beef and Pasta Hotpot , so not every one, and yes I formed the general opinion about the other recipes. That was more than enough experimentation for me.

Ah, so you tried four flavours of beef We had the Chana Masala which was good, and the pasta vegetariano which was really good - although we supplemented it with some other dehydrated vegetables so maybe that's why.

[RonK]

>On two tours there I've tried the Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti Bolognese, Beef Curry and the Beef and Pasta Hotpot , so not every one, and yes I formed the general opinion about the other recipes. That was more than enough experimentation for me.

Ah, so you tried four flavours of beef We had the Chana Masala which was good, and the pasta vegetariano which was really good - although we supplemented it with some other dehydrated vegetables so maybe that's why.

Unlike a through-walk, on my bike tours I rarely find it necessary carry large quantities of food. I can usually pick something up each day or go to the pub for a steak and a pint. So only carry one freeze-dried meal for unexpected situations. But Chefsway is much more compact to carry than BackCountry on multi-day walks (once the extraneous packaging is removed).

[grasshopper]

>On two tours there I've tried the Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti Bolognese, Beef Curry and the Beef and Pasta Hotpot , so not every one, and yes I formed the general opinion about the other recipes. That was more than enough experimentation for me.

Ah, so you tried four flavours of beef We had the Chana Masala which was good, and the pasta vegetariano which was really good - although we supplemented it with some other dehydrated vegetables so maybe that's why.

I thought the Chana Masala was OK too, but the roast chicken and roast lamb were very good and the Thai chicken even better. Hot, but good. Honey soy chicken was OK but I'd prefer one of the others. Think we had the beef hotpot too, but not exciting.

[RonK]

This Tassie company seems to be a relatively recent entrant into the dried food market. And they have an online store.

According to Bushwalk Australia forum members the pasta bolognese, vegetarian laksa and chili con carne are good.

Strive Food

[PapaJohn]

I like any brand of "instant meal" augmented by salami, onion, carrot, seeds & nuts - half a dozen carrots and onions is not a hardship to carry (real stuff for the evening meal) Dried mushrooms are OK. Cous Cous based meals are good, or rice carry some kasoundi for flavouring. The instant meals have been a mixed bag over all of time. Stars have been Hormel's "Marakesh Express" range (no longer out there) or Ainsleys. What's available changes with monotonous regularity. Every trip requires some research as to what there is and what sort of supermarket carries which brands. Continental stuff is overpriced and too salty. I usually try a lot of new stuff in the month or two before a trip just to see if it is what I like. I'm lazy, like to start with some sort of flavoured base, then add stuff, rather than start only with basic ingredients, and avoid anything which falls on its face for lack of meat to add.

I always ditch boxes, and repack the inner packs only. I've tried the recipes, don't need instructions, anyway am going to meddle with them considerably. I like custard powder, brown sugar, raisins or sultanas, rolled oats and rice, coffee in any form that does not require elaborate preparation or special equipment, and full milk powder in premium brands only, otherwise forget it. Perfectly good red wine comes in boxes which benefit from tossing as well, just pack the bag so the valve does not open in transit.

I've done lots of "cooking from scratch" trips of different sorts, making up meals from basic ingredients. Generally the repacking of supermarket buy packs into the containers I'd like to have with me for stuff makes it such a bother or too bulky if I leave stuff in the retail packs, I end up wishing I not bother if it is just for me, but cooking for a group can make it worthwhile, so long as people have similar tastes. All manner of herbs & spices are good if purchased in little bags or sachets (not little jars) then kept rolled up in a zip lock back between uses. Very compact.

Carrying 4 or 5 days food (which is allowed to run down at times) allows considerable flexibility in stay/travel/detour arrangements. It's a good cushion, and an excellent thing to be able to stay another day, do that walk, or side trip, and have it not cause any concern apart from taking time.