Eggs are great, and a good source of protein that is often badly needed for any long-distance hiker. The egg stands in front of many houses out in the country are often my favorite stop along different hiking trails. Here is how to cook fresh eggs while saving both Fuel and Water. Boiled eggs are a great no-mess way of cooking eggs out in the woods. As frying an egg is often impossible due to the need for fat and an ultralight frying pan. Both items are often not in a hiker’s backpack. But leaving your stove burning for longer results in more fuel loss. With this method, you still…

Related to my earlier recipe for Dutch Instant Stamppot, Sauerkraut Potato mash or “Zuurkool” in Dutch is a winter staple. This recipe uses some ingredients that last a long time in a rucksack in any condition. Read on for the full recipe! Sauerkraut is a food preservation technique that goes back a long way. Famously it goes back to the exploration days on ships to combat scurvy. And as a staple for many militaries on a campaign, the same as the hardtack or sea biscuit is known for. With modern packaging and clever use, you can take Sauerkraut quite easily on hiking and camping trips. This recipe shows a classic…

Hot drinks make you feel more human, just like a hot meal. When thru-hiking, section hiking, or just an afternoon stroll. Having a hot drink is a welcome addition to any situation. Let’s cover some of the drink choices for your next hike! Everybody has their favorite hot beverage of choice, there is little reason not to take your favorite drink out with you hiking. Almost all drinks require little preparation with modern drink mixes, the only downside is that they do require a bit more fuel on a daily basis. Since most often you will have to boil more water or boil twice a day. You can avoid having…

A good breakfast option that is slightly different from your standard oats is a pudding with a cult following all over the Netherlands and Germany. The go-to dessert, or get well-soon dish from your mom, Griesmeelpap or Griessbrei is easy to make and tasty on the trail. Let’s get into the trail meal! Semolina is used for everything from Couscous to many different pasta types. And in the Netherlands and Germany for sweet pudding. In Germany, there are also the traditional soup dumplings made from Semolina, and even more delicious in my opinion, Griesschnitten. Which is basically the same recipe as today. Only with a bit more Semolina to make…

It’s time for another Trail Meal! This time with some homemade hardtack, with a put-together powdered gravy. Great as an on-the-go trail meal while keeping the weight as much down as possible. let’s get to the recipe! When you make your own trail meals you include yourself much more in the process of what you’re going to be eating out on the trail. If that process is not enjoyable to you, you better of buying some ready-made meals for you to take. This trail meal recipe can be made with pantry ingredients that most likely are already in your cupboard. Or can be bought for pennies. Quick Jump list Ingredient…

In the Netherlands lies the Zaanstreek, one of the original industrial areas above Amsterdam this region is known for its hearty and warming recipes. This mustard soup is one of them. With a few twists to make it more hiker-friendly. Let’s get to the recipe! Mustard has been milled in Zaanstad in the Netherlands for a long time, the most famous company that still does it now is the Huisman brand. A family company that has been making mustard for over 4 generations. The “grove” or course kind is my all-time favorite to put on my bitterballs and croquettes. This mustard recipe has been a long time in development, and…

Since I first started out hiking and backpacking Hardtack or Hartkeks, as I got to know them. Are a great quick and ready to eat lunch that can be very filling. Here are my favorite ways to eat Hardtack. They come under many different names but are basically the same in many recipes. A biscuit of flour and water that has been twice baked to draw all the moisture out. Since the early days of travel and exploration, these have been part of the diet of ship crews and travelers alike. And still hold a special place in my backpack for those days that you just want to get food…

Couscous is a staple in the hiking community for its ease of preparing out in the backcountry. With one pot needed and not much cooking at all, you have yourself a filling meal. Here is another Couscous recipe to put in your backpacker’s pantry! I thought of this recipe by buying some of the well known ready-made fried onions in the supermarket a few months earlier. With pretty much stuck in a partial lockdown in Germany my mind went to thinking off a few trail meal recipes again. Here is Fried Onion Couscous! Ingredients for Fried Onion Couscous Calories: Couscous one cup 112 kcal Fried onions half a cup /…

Bread is a staple in many parts of Europe and the western world. Having bread out in the backcountry or on long distance hiking trips is filling, easy to eat and comforting. Here is how and what kinds of bread to carry. As a Dutch guy, bread is a staple for breakfast, lunch, and sometimes even a lazy dinner. You can do basically anything with it. From carrying some butter with you, cheese, olive oil, Nutella. The options go on and on. For many hikers that want to carry bread with them, they notice that the ordinary sandwich bread gets easily squashed in their backpack. Here are the best options…

This time on Trail Meals is a dead simple recipe that is great for any hike. Semolina soup with only a handful of ingredients. Ultralight and very tasty. The recipe is an adaptation from a few different sources and ideas. And adapted to make it as easy to prepare with limited resources and weight out on the trail. When experimenting with other types of soup ideas I stumbled onto research from an old German cookbook. The recipe described here is not really similar but kind off. Feel free to share the correct way to do it or the traditional way. But I had to improvise a little to make this…