Winter Cooking, KP Duty Styles & Techniques

[blacklab2020]

I have been winter camping for a while now and have always tried to make meal clean up as easy as possible.

However there are times when those pots do get gooked up (i.e. cooking with a MSR torch) and it takes quite a bit to clean a pot. Fortunately those times have been during reasonable temps and working with bare hands and a pac towel wasnt too unreasonable.

I also find that if i keep the water very hot for clean up that when i finish rinsing the warmth of the pots helps the water evap or leave the pot better.

I am looking to see what other people do, maybe I could gain a few tips for those cold weather scenarios. So here are a poll-type few questions.

How much water do you generally use for clean-up?
How do you dispose of that water (is there soap in it?), esp if you are above treeline?
Do you always use hot water?
Do you dry with a pac-towel or just let it freeze to the pot?
Do you forgo cleaning and let those remaining starch saturated drops of rice and chicken freeze to the pot?

Thanks
~Justin

 

[KenC]

In the cold weather i'm pretty lazy. I use a combination of freezedried, instant and things that require only warm up. Then i line a large mug or smaller pot with a heavy oven bag, add hot water and presto! In short i plan the meal with as little mess as possible, then just pitch the lot into a ziploc. No food scraps on the ground or food odor water to attract our woodland friends!

If the meal is going to be a pot cleaner, i throw in a couple sets of xtra large med/latex type gloves, and wear them over a glove liner for the few minutes it takes to clean. Go well away from camp and use snow to scour the pot with a bit of warm water, works pretty good. I use anodized cookware so no soap needed. Titanium or uncoated might have to use a soap.

 

[Rick]

Justin, I agree with Ken - when Winter camping with a tent or L/T, I try to make things as easy as possible - Freeze Dried is great as well as eating your oatmeal out of a ziplock - Especially when you want to get a very early AM start and you want to eat your oatmeal and drink your coffee at the same time (Otherwise you would need a mug and a bowl).

When I do cook in a pot I find it is easiest to bring a little water to a boil (no soap) and then swish it around well and dump it away from Camp - I then use snow to clean the pot the rest of the way. Next step is to fill it with water and let it sit in the snow (or freeze) to be ready for the next meal.

I usually bring a 2 qt Vacuum thermos so I have hot water right away in the AM. Also, so I always have a little extra water for cleaning something if I needed it. My buddies that winter camp don't care (They think I am a clean freak) they just let the crap freeze on their cups and then thaw it and eat it with their next meal or cup of something hot, I like to have a bit of cleanliness..

 

[Chip]

You all are probably tired of me mentioning MRE's, but they're in Boil-in pouches. Boil the water, boil the pouch, eat, drink the hot water and you're done. Frozen, burned, food crusted pots are no fun and boiling more water just to clean up wastes time and fuel.

 

[KevCon223]

I think freeze dried is the cleanest way to go. For breakfast I go with oatmeal, sometimes the "just add water" packs. Also, I usually have tea and sometimes instant coffee (blah).

 

[giggy]

I just go by the "if it looks clean - its clean" method. I am so basic with winter eating - ramen, oatmeal, couscous , hot choc. is about what I do.

rinse it, dry it a bit and thats about it - might have some noodles in my oatmeal the next day - but I don' t care - goal is to get the gunk in the stomach -

I never even think of bringing soap or anything like that. But for winter - I am typically only out 1 or 2 nights.

I clean them when I get home.

 

[blacklab2020]

overnight vs multiday

I definately hear you guys on the laziness... let it freeze, make it easy bit. On overnights I usually will let it freeze, but for those extended trips, sometimes I make a little extra effort to clean things off better.

My problem is I look to cook and I like to eat well, even in the backcountry. One meal I like and has easy cleanup are those Indian meals sealed in aluminum/orsome metal pouch boil that with some boil in a bag rice and there is not too much else.

Does anyone bother carrying a pac-towel or do you guys just let it freeze?

~J

 

[sli74]

Though I normally go the "gourmet route" during 3-season camping and backpacking, I almost always eat freeze dried meals in winter. I also eat things such as oatmeal and couscous where I empty the contents into a FREEZER ziplock, add boiling water directly to the bag and eat and dispose. No muss, no fuss . . .

I also found that those Thai Kitchen Pad Thai packages they sell in the grocery store can be prepared with out much of a mess. The boiled noodles are drained and dumped into a freezer ziplock and all the other sauce and stuff added to the ziplock, minimizing the mess. I also use the "drained water from the noodles to make couscous. And then boil some more water in the pot for soup making the pot come out clean.

I almost never cook anything during winter that needs a "clean-up"

sli74

 

[KayakDan]

We use 2 titanium pots(nesting)-one for water only-one to cook. Clean the cooking pot out ,rinse with a little hot water-dry with a paper towel-done.To avoid the bottom scorching,use a disperser plate on the stove. Snow also works pretty well as a pot scrubber.
We eat lots of those 99 cents a pack Lipton Noodle packs. There's a pretty good variety,and I only use the ones that cook in 8 min. or less. We generally start with some soup(Knorrs Leek soup is a favorite) to stay warm(and busy )
while dinner is cooking. Bring some cheese and pepperoni to snack on,and there you are-gourmet dining by LEDlight!

 

[Johnnycakes]

After my tent, sleeping bag, etc. are set up I fill my empty stuff sack up with snow and put it right next to the tent door. That's my water supply right there. Once I'm in that tent and start cooking, I'm not coming back out until the morning, although I suppose there could be instances where I would still hang a bear bag. If I have to pee, I go in plastic bag.

As far as handling dirty dishes, like others, I usually cook meals that are easy to cleanup. I keep my stove going while I'm eating my meal, melting more snow for water, but also so I have some warm water when I'm done eating to clean up with. I pour some warm water into the dirty pots, and then use my finger or spoon to scrape and clean up the pot. Then I just drink the "dirty" dishwater with whatever floaters might be in it. If I don't get the pot clean on the first try, I simply repeat the process. It's a great system, and helps one rehydrate as well. No need to get back out of my tent, and it's very low impact, as I'm not leaving food scraps anywhere.

Obviously, you won't want to use any kind of soap if you choose to use this method. I would also advise against using a sponge, as they can hold bacteria and you may end up with the runs. Best bet is to stick with the finger or spoon.

John

 

[KMartman]

Then I just drink the "dirty" dishwater with whatever floaters might be in it.

I have seen many a hiker use this exact procedure even in summer months. Makes total sense...LTN and no worries about furry critters...

M

 

[jfb]

For easy cleanup, preparation is important. First, I try not to cook more food than I can eat so there's no waste. Second, I try not to burn any food in the pot. Third, I eat as much of the food as possible.

To cleanup, I just sprinkle a bit of water on a clean paper napkin and wipe whatever needs cleaning, starting with the cleanest items. When the napkin gets too wet and starts to fall apart, I put it in a trash bag and continue with a new napkin. By the time I'm finished, I've used maybe 4 napkins and all my wastewater is in the trash bag.

 

[mtnpa]

Great trick from my mother in law: Pre-cooked food frozen in a Seal-a-Meal. Just boil the packet in water. Pot stays clean and you can use the hot water for clean up. We've brought beef stew, chili, and even chicken parmesan on backpacking trips. Yum!!

 

[daxs]

I am lazy year round. I never do anything but boil water in the pot. I use freeze dried or other easliy reconstituted foods and zip lock bags. The zip lock then becomes a garbage bag. No muss or fuss.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Solo in winter, I always use freezedried, or something that will leave the pots easy to clean. My pot cleaning consists of adding water, swishing it around, drink it, repeat until clean.

If with a group, here's a tip. Volunteer to cook (and do a good job). That way, the others will clean the pots, so you don't have to worry about it. People who have been with me think I'm nice, because I cook them nice meals. The truth is out. I only do it, because I HATE washing dishes.

 

[Lawn Sale]

They always told me the cook also has to do the dishes!

Then again, I hike solo, so it may just be the voices in my head.

 

[MissionsMan]

i HATE doing dishes

I am soooo with you Pete....except i find other "value added" means of avoiding KP duty - busting trail, tent setting/site prep, etc. However, i most frequently travel solo, so everything "no clean up required" is used (dehydrated stuff mainly).

 

[the starchild]

i use a stove and pot or a jetboil stove only for boiling water. This ensures always having clean, hot water. I use a nalgene fair share mug inwhich i add the water and: oatmeal, ramen, soup, rice'n'beans, mac'n'cheese, etc. As i eat i try to scrape the sides, at the end, add some water, scrape the sides again with my spoon and chug it!!!! (remember, if it doesn't kill ya, it'll make you stronger) sometimes after mac'n'cheese i'll wipe out the inside with TP if needed, but a little cheese in your oatmeal ain't gonna hurt! also, i made a foam coozy that wraps around the mug, keeps things hot for a long time. instead of simmering a meal on the stove in a pot, i just add the water to the mix in the insulated mug and let it steep. works great.

i'll use a regular nalgene as a water bottle as well as hot drinks like tea and hot coco. clean it the same way: add hot water, swish around and chug it.

i like doing this as i don't have to worry about waste water, soap or food scraps.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

However, i most frequently travel solo, so everything "no clean up required" is used (dehydrated stuff mainly).

Bigest benefit of freeze dried.

I find it kind of odd that I go from one extreme to the other with eating. When solo (the norm), I go for something as simple as can be. When with others, I've brought fresh vegetables, cans of soup, fresh spices, etc.

And more in line with the thread, winter can be good here, because fresh meat can be brought.

 

[DougPaul]

Don't forget that in winter, you are living in the refrigerator. You can bring a variety of frozen and/or fresh food. And when you are done cooking, you can just leave the pots and bowls in the refrig--nothing will happen as long as it stays cold. If you wish, you can scour them with snow. Every time you boil water, you will re-sterilize the pots. Two pots will allow you to keep one clean for making drinking water.

Also if you don't eat all of dinner, you can just let it freeze in the pot and reheat it for breakfast.

Doug