Cycle camping food

[Petrichorwheels]

We are not talkking about cooking at home. Its camp cooking we are discussing.

I meant i wouldn't want to eat at all anywhere.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Anyone recommend a light and compact cooking set?
I thinking if getting the grey one off eBay.

The one you meant is ok for small very basic stuff. I have one. It's a standard item so worth shopping around. Mine cost a fiver though probably not available for that anymore.

 

[MichaelW2]

My long term camping kitchen includes a flexible chopping/food prep mat, a dedicated food knife ( yellow Kuhn Rikon paring knife), smallest wooden spoon, sporks, pump action mini pepper grinder and washing up plastic scourer. No special coffee kit for me.
When travelling without kitchen, I use my swiss army knife but also a plastic spoon and a small cup . Offers of tea or coffee at the campsite need a cup.

 

[8mph]

Must be tough rides you do if you can't chop a carrot at the end. No need to peel.

by the end of the day I'm not too fussed about what I eat. Like I said, I'm keen to get some coffee in me, one before pitching my tent and one after eating if possible.

 

[oldwheels]

My preferred evening meal solution; stop short in a town, eat your fill and then ride till camp. Have a flapjack type bar to start off after dawn (having struck tent) and have a decent breakfast after an hour plus on the road. And repeat.

NW Scotland and no towns handy you have to be self sufficient for at least 3 or 4 days. We sometimes pinched a few potatoes in our impecunious student days and a couple of times got a fish when they were landing. Oatmeal and rice featured a lot along with a few eggs which were a pain to carry but worth it.

 

[Vantage]

My dear old dad and I lived on pasta pots and porridge pots on our tour. Instant coffee sachets did for hot drinks. Oh, and Guinness of course. In between meals we had cereal bars ready in the bar bags. It doesn't get anymore simple than that.
The pasta and porridge pots take up alot of room if carrying for a few days worth so we emptied the contents into food bags and kept one empty pot of each to gauge the hot water required.
I've numerous stoves but my favourite is the first I bought. A cheap £3 Chinese job from Amazon. It's never failed. I've a set of cheapo alloy pots such as those linked on eBay by @Jameshow and they've survived numerous camping trips. I do have 'posher' stuff, but in my honest opinion, it's not a huge amount better than than my cheapo stuff.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Can I ask what folks cook/eat? Any top tips? And do folk really eat those ready meal camping things?

I like instant rice/pasta packs. You need to be careful not to buy ones that need milk though. Also those rectangle bricks of noodles, many varieties available, with a smoked cooked sausage are great.

 

[chriswoody]

Anyone who has read my tour ramblings in the travelogue section will know I have a bit of a thing for ultralight off-road riding and a fair bit of off-grid wild camping. Eating well and in good quantities has always been important to me and at the moment I'm quite happy with my set up.

For cooking I use a MSR Pocket rocket mini stove kit that packs away into one neat little unit, I also carry a small knife and a Spork.

I also carry an Alpkit titanium mug, inside which nestles my Aeropress go coffee maker, which is my only "Bulky" luxury. Coffee is important to me, so the Aeropress is a great way of making fresh coffee. I do grind the beans just before the trip though and take just enough in a small nalgene bottle, which conveniently also nestle's inside.

Food wise, I tend to make a batch of food before a trip, so Homemade Granola for breakfast and snacking, Homemade energy balls and flapjacks for on the go. I also tend to make one fresh meal for the first night. So in Switzerland this summer, I took a mix of sundried tomatoes, olives, mixed seeds and pesto, which I then mixed with a handful of pasta for a filling and tasty meal.

I also use couscous and fresh veg, or maybe some filled tortellini or a lentil chilli. Trying to think what other tasty meals I've cooked, tends to be based heavily around pasta, couscous or rice along with fresh veg, I won't carry tins and try to keep packaging and waste to the minimum. I also carry a small herb box with a pinch of veg stock amongst other herbs. I don't tend to pass through many towns on my trips and when I do, I don't like to rely on them having open shops, Sundays for instance are all closed, so I carry a few meals at all times on the bike. I'm not adverse to also stopping for a good Pizza if a suitable opportunity presents itself.

Instant meals I tend to avoid like the plague, I find them very salty in the main and not so tasty. This year though I managed to get my hands on a couple of Firepot meals sachets, whilst they do contain more salt than I would like, they were super tasty and I could well see me keeping one as a spare option tucked into a bag somewhere.

 

[tom73]

@chriswoody Your right about the Pocket rocket mini stove kit sure is a great bit of kit all round.

 

[Jameshow]

Anyone who has read my tour ramblings in the travelogue section will know I have a bit of a thing for ultralight off-road riding and a fair bit of off-grid wild camping. Eating well and in good quantities has always been important to me and at the moment I'm quite happy with my set up.

For cooking I use a MSR Pocket rocket mini stove kit that packs away into one neat little unit, I also carry a small knife and a Spork.

View attachment 670358

I also carry an Alpkit titanium mug, inside which nestles my Aeropress go coffee maker, which is my only "Bulky" luxury. Coffee is important to me, so the Aeropress is a great way of making fresh coffee. I do grind the beans just before the trip though and take just enough in a small nalgene bottle, which conveniently also nestle's inside.

View attachment 670365
Food wise, I tend to make a batch of food before a trip, so Homemade Granola for breakfast and snacking, Homemade energy balls and flapjacks for on the go. I also tend to make one fresh meal for the first night. So in Switzerland this summer, I took a mix of sundried tomatoes, olives, mixed seeds and pesto, which I then mixed with a handful of pasta for a filling and tasty meal.

View attachment 670360

I also use couscous and fresh veg, or maybe some filled tortellini or a lentil chilli. Trying to think what other tasty meals I've cooked, tends to be based heavily around pasta, couscous or rice along with fresh veg, I won't carry tins and try to keep packaging and waste to the minimum. I also carry a small herb box with a pinch of veg stock amongst other herbs. I don't tend to pass through many towns on my trips and when I do, I don't like to rely on them having open shops, Sundays for instance are all closed, so I carry a few meals at all times on the bike. I'm not adverse to also stopping for a good Pizza if a suitable opportunity presents itself.

Instant meals I tend to avoid like the plague, I find them very salty in the main and not so tasty. This year though I managed to get my hands on a couple of Firepot meals sachets, whilst they do contain more salt than I would like, they were super tasty and I could well see me keeping one as a spare option tucked into a bag somewhere.

How the pros do it!

 

[Salad Dodger]

Re the dehydrated " camping" meals, I watched a YouTube wild camping video recently where the bloke had paid £10.99 for a single sachet of dehydrated food, and aa he ate it he said it wasn't even all that nice!
No way, Jose.........

 

[oldwheels]

Just had a look on my bookshelves and found “The Backpackers Cookbook” by Dave Coustick. Good for ideas but published in 1996 so probably not now in print.
Gourmet backpacking.

 

[Baldy]

This book is quite good, lots of ideas on simple one pot meals.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moveable-Feasts-What-great-outdoors/dp/1852845341/ref=sr_1_20?crid=27LZ15EGOBJQX&keywords=moveable+feasts&qid=1670434272&sprefix=moveable+feasts%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-20

 

[Jameshow]

Thanks for the recommendation!

My dear old dad and I lived on pasta pots and porridge pots on our tour. Instant coffee sachets did for hot drinks. Oh, and Guinness of course. In between meals we had cereal bars ready in the bar bags. It doesn't get anymore simple than that.
The pasta and porridge pots take up alot of room if carrying for a few days worth so we emptied the contents into food bags and kept one empty pot of each to gauge the hot water required.
I've numerous stoves but my favourite is the first I bought. A cheap £3 Chinese job from Amazon. It's never failed. I've a set of cheapo alloy pots such as those linked on eBay by @Jameshow and they've survived numerous camping trips. I do have 'posher' stuff, but in my honest opinion, it's not a huge amount better than than my cheapo stuff.

 

[Jameshow]

Thanks for the recommendation!

My dear old dad and I lived on pasta pots and porridge pots on our tour. Instant coffee sachets did for hot drinks. Oh, and Guinness of course. In between meals we had cereal bars ready in the bar bags. It doesn't get anymore simple than that.
The pasta and porridge pots take up alot of room if carrying for a few days worth so we emptied the contents into food bags and kept one empty pot of each to gauge the hot water required.
I've numerous stoves but my favourite is the first I bought. A cheap £3 Chinese job from Amazon. It's never failed. I've a set of cheapo alloy pots such as those linked on eBay by @Jameshow and they've survived numerous camping trips. I do have 'posher' stuff, but in my honest opinion, it's not a huge amount better than than my cheapo stuff.