PRE-TRIP Extensive pre-trip planning will always result in a better trip. It is synonymous to a symphony. The composer and the musician know how best things should be played. Ideally it is the same person who will be orchestrating the planning and the cooking on the trip. The resulting music will be a pleasant experience for all. Food and equipment planning gets easier the more times it is done. There should be one person who knows the complete meal and gear plan. In a commercial setting this is the guide. Knowing what equipment you will need to cook each meal is made more efficient by choosing simple meals requiring the same pots and pans. Longer trips need more precise planning as space will be limited for equipment and food. The models of boats being used will necessitate pots and bowl sets of certain sizes. A double will fit the larger items (propane tank, large pots, etc.) Group size varies with the needs of the group. Three at sea is a good rule to follow. The terrain into which you are headed will dictate available camping spaces. Try to keep groups under ten people. National parks limit group sizes to ten. THE TRIP CONTRACT Begin any trip with a Trip Contract between participants. Establish and communicate mutual trip goals. Are we getting up at 6:00am every morning, moving camp and covering as many miles as possible each day? Are we sitting around until noon at which point we decide whether we actually go anywhere or not? Some trips may be a mixture of both styles. Roles need to be established as well. Who is responsible for what; before, during and after the trip. With less intimate groups a chore sheet that includes who helps with which meal ensures that everyone gets the opportunity to help out. A designated meal planner will need to know the group goals so meals are chosen correctly. MEAL PLANNING Meals require careful planning for nutrition, equipment utilization, fuel consumption, storage needs, preparation time and eating time. The meal planner is responsible for ensuring the group has the necessary nutritional elements in their meals both for sustenance, health and comfort. Paddlers like to eat well. And do! We have the advantage of being able to take natural food. Diligent planners will pre-prepare meals and incorporate dried ingredients routinely. Anticipate that this planning process begins weeks ahead of time. The Food Groups Dietary limitations of the group must be consulted first, especially allergies. Know what folks like and dislike. Adjustments to the meals need be made room for different needs.Most food does not require dry storage other than dry ingredients (cereals, grains, breads, crackers, etc). Save your dry bags for those things that actually need to be dry! A healthy inclusion of protein, vegetables, fruit, cereals, beverages and treats will make for a delightful trip. Protein Although it is feasible to take ice packs and fresh meat for shorter trips, longer trips require more dried or canned protein type ingredients. Relying on resupply during a trip from foraging should be calculated as an extra. Thinking that fish will be plentiful may be a reality but if weather, loss of lures or fishing gear is the reality - have a back up. Take dried meats (salami, jerky, etc.), canned tuna, salmon chicken, ham, etc. Vegetables Root vegetables travel the best, being able to sustain repeated abuse from being pulled out and in. Most of these types of vegetables also pack well between bags. Stem vegetables (above ground varieties) require some care and it is important that trip members respect their fragility. Fruit Hard fruits will travel well. Soft fruit work with diligence in their placement and early consumption. Buy fruit that is unripe for meals later on in the journey. Frozen fruit in sealed bags can be consumed early and offers some cold to other things. Dairy Products Most dairy products can be taken on shorter trips. Milk can be taken as boxed BHT milk, canned or dried. Try ?whole? dried milk instead of skim. Butter will last and should be in a closed container. Eggs in a plastic container work well. Dried egg powder can be incorporate into recipes. Yogurt, sour cream, and cheeses will last for a short while. Harder cheeses last longer. Cheese can also be purchased canned (perfect in the tropics). Grains Any food that takes up small space yet once cooked is bulkier and nutritious is desired. Take lots of grains (oats, five grain cereals, etc.) Comfort Food Chocolate and candy should feature prominently in the food selections. Although totally decadent, it is a nice treat. Fruit leathers, dried fruit and juice jujubes are healthy alternatives. Cookies and fruit bars always fill gaps. Granola bars are a convenient way to get grains on the go. Desserts Of the total number of meals, only two thirds require dessert. Desserts take extra time to prepare but are certainly welcome. Fresh Food Things that travel well: Vegetables: onions, carrots, garlic, zucchini, eggplant, cabbages, celery, yams, potatoes, turnips, sweet potatoes. Fruit: Oranges, apples, pineapple, pears Things that need to be eaten soon: Vegetables: tomatoes, lettuce, parsley Fruit: Kiwi, berries, bananas (use in pancakes if too far gone), grapes Dried Foods Drying your own food works. Dried fruit and meats go a long way on a long trip. Longer trips will definitely involve more dried ingredients. The joy of ocean kayaking is that minimal packaged foods are required. Although if this is the cuisine you enjoy then you can carry more of other things in your boat. Water Water is essential for sustaining life. It also weighs a lot. Balance the amount of water you are carrying with the probable availability and how much time you want to spend looking for it. Space and group size will be determinants. Budget between two to three litres per person per day. With three days of water as a minimum supply. Carry water in smaller soft containers. Four litre wine bladders work really well. There may be limited water resources at the put in. You may want to fill water at home - this saves time during rushed put ins and you can be assured of its quality. Plan out water sources in advance if possible. Guide books will be a good resource. Pack water in the middle third of the kayak, preferably more towards the stern (against bulkhead) Meal Prep Time Meals that require lots of chopping of ingredients, preparation and long cooking times need to be budgeted for in the meal planning stages. Long prep times can be enjoyable on a rainy day with ample appetizers to entice helpers and keep the group satiated until dinner is cooked. Watch your available light time frame. Fuel consumption should be factored in. Cooking in the light is much easier than cooking and cleaning in the dark. Preparing some lunch components at breakfast saves time. Back up Meals Anticipate that you might be caught out for an extra day or two. Take an extra dinner and lunch. Keep left overs as long as you can. Backup meals are often the dried variety that take up minimal space and prep time. Meal Ideas Breakfasts are usually quick whereas dinners are expected to take longer. Judge your meal prep time before you start. Anticipating leftovers can be an excellent segway into the next meal. Leftover plain rice can be made into rice pudding or added to soups. Cooked oatmeal can be used in pancakes or fish cakes. Your creativity can be boundless. The key is to not have any leftovers and make things go a long way. There are thousands of meal ideas - here are a few to get started. Quick Breakfasts Hot cereal Cold Cereal Fruit salad Toast and jam Lounging Breakfasts Pancakes French Toast Scones Eggs of many sorts Breakfast burritos Quick Lunches Sandwiches Crackers and spreads Long Lunches Quesadillas Soup and sandwiches Grilled Cheese/Panninis Wraps Quick Dinners Soup and bread Pastas Pre-prepared meals Decadent Dinners Chicken Chili Kebabs (tofu, meat, veggie) Desserts Pies (graham crust with pudding) Chocolate fondue Fruit salad Puddings Poached fruit Appetizers Crackers and cheese Humous and pita Chips and dip Olives, pickles Veggie spreads (sundried tomatoes, pesto, tepennade) Beverages Juices (boxed and powdered) Coffee Tea (of all kinds!) Hot apple juice mix Fruit syrups Dried fruit infusions Milk (powdered, boxed) Wine Condiments Mayonnaise Mustard Garlic paste Olive Oil Vinegars Spices (in screw top containers) Cinnamon Chili Dill Curry Vanilla Nutmeg Garlic Oregano Basil On the Road Snacks Issue each person with their own bag of gorp (nuts, dried fruits, chocolate, etc.) In this way they can eat at their leisure. Candied ginger works well for nausea (= sea sickness). Watch for nut allergies! Longer Journeys Shipping re-supply materials on longer trips works. Confirm that re-supply shipments have actually arrived. It is fun to write yourself a note about your original intentions for the trip amidst some inspiring text. KEEPING THINGS COLD Keeping items cold longer than a few days is a challenge. A thermo cooler will help but is bulky. Block ice takes up lots of room. Budget your meal planning for the more perishable items to be eaten first. In climates where the water is cold, the cooling effect on the hull will preserve items better. By designating a particular boat as the ?fridge boat? then everyone will know to keep the bow of this boat in the shade when pulled up on the beach. Into this boat put everything that should stay chilled. This strategy also consolidates perishable items for the cook to find easily as these items should be incorporated first. GETTING PACKED You arrive at the site after a long drive/flight and all the food is in a pile on the ground. It is raining and windy. The group starts grabbing the best stuff to fit in their kayaks. The big stuff is left until the end. Knowing who has what food is the cook?s job. Read about Bagology. Keep items and food required for the first meal (lunch!) at the ready. The solution is to remove all food packages the first evening and get organized. It only gets easier as the trip progresses. Bagology Keeping your bags organized is a daunting task even on a short trip. We use a simple system of colour coordination suggested by Audrey Sutherland. Green (for go) Bags = breakfast Yellow (for sun) = lunch Red (for stop) = dinner Purple (for feeling good) = condiments Blue (for water) = drinks Black = garbage Mark each bag with a number to distinguish meals. Have some written reference as to what bag has what. Containers Glass jars of things can break both en route, during unloading and around camp. Be careful. Buy plastic container items whenever possible. Repackaging items is extra work and compromises sanitary states. Such things as mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, pesto, anchovies and more are often available in squeeze tubes at European delicatessens. Mayonnaise lasts when kept diligently uncontaminated. Extra Ziploc bags and small Tupperware type containers are a good idea for leftovers. Lexan containers with screw lids are the best. Fresh soft fruit and veggies can be stored well in a hard containers with small holes in the lids. If you are re-packaging bulky items then label and include directions. Make sure you have measuring utensils required to complete the recipe! THE COOK This job is the most satisfying of any ?job? on a trip. But also the most demanding. To care for your own needs and those of the group requires extra time. The cook has the prerogative to get help from others, and will need it, take it, even if it is something small. Once your group becomes involved, they will appreciate your efforts. Although dictatorial, a schedule of helpers makes sure everyone has the chance to help. Then everyone knows they can read their book on the beach without guilt while others toil. Their turn will come. Keep a notebook handy that include recipes, a log of which meal is in what bag. A laminated meal plan is a great idea to have in the cutlery pouch so that anyone could initiate a meal. THE GEAR Proper pots and pans are essential. Judge the size of the group you intend to feed and balance this with the available space. Space diminishes with the length of the journey. Some compromises will need to be made. Pots should all nest into each other and have lids. Some lids double as back up frying pans. Avoid non-stick pans as they tend to loose their non-stickness. A thick based frying pan will pay for itself in spades. Remove the handles. Ensure you have several pot lifters in your cutlery pouch. Keep pots in a tight mesh bag. Mixing bowls should all nest into each other and have snap on lids. A mesh bag will also keep all this together. Lexan plunger style coffee presses work well as do reusable gold filters. Coffee mugs with tight lids allow for that long slow morning with a good book and still warm coffee or tea. With knives, forks and spoons - take a few extra as they seem to get lost. Two large sharp knives allow others to help out. Remember to include two chopping boards too for the same reason. Chopping boards can be plastic and shaped to fit the bulkhead. Dutch Ovens = Baking Baking on trips adds a gourmet flavour. fresh bread on an extended trip will earn many kudos. Camping ovens are available. Any baking does require diligence and time. An improvised Dutch oven is a pot inside a pot with a couple of forks underneath the inner pot. Stoves Stoves are the best way to cook. Take two. Both stoves should be the same and use the same fuel. Liquid fuel is best and most efficient user of space. Canister fuel stoves, although simpler to use necessitate disposing of the empty canisters. Take more than enough fuel. Budget for more fuel during off season paddling that requires more hot liquid drinks and longer cooking times. One litre of fuel with an MSR Whisperlite stove will last for a few meals. Keep a few extra lighters in waterproof Otter boxes in a dry bag with the stove. Stoves should have foil shrouds for wind protection and a heat diffuser to prevent localized burning in the pots. Larger groups often benefit from using a two burner propane stove rather than multiple fuel canisters. Tarps Give us shelter! Even from the sun! Tarp technology requires that they suit the purpose. Tarps should be larger than you might expect. They should have heavy reinforcements on the corners and in the middle. Bring ample line - 3mm works best. Bring some deadmen (anchors that get buried in the sand and could even be back up cutting boards). Tarps should be installed in such a way as they will be expected to be blown to smithereens = anchor well. Leave tarps up overnight as a welcome respite in the morning. On a rainy day of paddling the tarp is the first thing to go up when you arrive. Pack it on top. Often guides will deck load their tarps. Bring a small backup tarp to take with you on day trips. Stuff it in the nose of the lead boat so it is always there. Make sure you have tied a line to it to get it out! If you are using paddles for tarp poles, ensure they can sustain the tensions exerted, as well as will they be needed to go paddling the next day? THE SITE The kitchen is home to the hearth and heart of any trip. It is the place that people gather to the comfort of warmth from the fire and the smell of food cooking. Choosing the best place for a kitchen will enhance the trip immensely. Try to choose a site that is central to tent sites. South facing is good if it is not too exposed to the weather. Encamp well up from the high tide line if possible. The kitchen should be away from main traffic zones as sand kicked up into food is not great for sensitive teeth. Some way of fixing a tarp over the kitchen will dictate the best options for kitchens. Use deadmen for tarp anchors at the front. The tarp should be the first thing to go up when you arrive. Setting up a tarp over top of an established kitchen results in sand on everything! Camp Etiquette During the day leave the camp in a neat state with everything put away. Again so critters are not enticed, but mostly so it is welcome to come home to. Arriving back late from a day trip to get a quick dinner ready before sunset is better starting with a clean kitchen.All food and garbage should be packed away securely in the boats in the evenings and during the days (if you are gone on a hike). Tie up the boats when you are not around! Fires Check to see that fires are permitted in your area. Always have someone attending to the fire. There may be time where a fire could be used to cook with. Any fires should be kept to a minimum as they consume wood, cause charring of the beach and should always be small. Fires will blacken pots. All fires must be built below the high tide line. There is no need to surround a beach fire with stones. Dig a 10? deep pit and put the fire in this. For fire fuel use wood pieces smaller than your arm. Wood should be what you find on the beach. Avoid cutting into larger logs and never use live trees or branches. Make sure the fire burns down completely at night and thoroughly doused with water before heading into bed. Cleaning up Hot saltwater can be used to wash dishes effectively. Use biodegradable soap which works in saltwater (Camp Suds, Marina Suds). A long brush is good for brushing up in hot liquids. Washing in saltwater by the beach is perfect as the sand can be used to get most items off. Greasy things are better cleaned in hot water. Leaving your site There should be no trace of your presence at the site. Footprints are hard to take with you. Check behind logs for lost cutlery, twist ties and food bits. Fire pits should not exist. Kitchen structures need to disappear. Let the next group enjoy the benefit of setting up their own site the way they want. Although we cannot leave no trace, we can certainly minimize our impact for others to enjoy each space in natural state. Look after your next astern. THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN Food spoilage Longer trips require diligence of the cook to ensure that food is still edible. Small bits of mold on cheese and bread can be quietly cut away without anyone seeing. Dairy and meat products should be disposed when in doubt. The Cook is responsible for the health of the group. When in doubt, throw it out! Hygiene Cooks and cook?s helpers must use antibacterial soap before they touch the food. Have the soap readily available for all to use. All group members should wash with anti bacterial soap before eating, as they will be touching other?s food. Toilet For those sites without toilet facilities a designated toilet site must be made clear to the group early on. Ideally an adjoining unoccupied bay works. Keep in mind your bay may have been another?s toilet. In high use areas a pit toilet should be created. Otherwise the intertidal zone is the best toilet as it has the most rapid consumption of human waste. Storms This is a good time to use a long prep meal. People will also focus more on food as there may not be much else to do. People also expect more quantities of food and drink. Light Often a short afternoon walk in the woods becomes an epic trudge resulting in a late arrival to camp. Always bring a head lamp with you on the walk. More importantly leave your camp clean so it will be quick to prepare the quick meal if need be. Light around the kitchen is best with headlamps to keep the hands free. Area lights must be bright enough to chop veggies by. Group Dynamic Breakdown A great meal, and even a hot beverage, can often be a method to change the dynamic and begin again with different viewpoints and compromise. Resources Kayak Cookery: by Linda Daniel NOLS Cookery: edited by Claudia Pearson The One Pan Gourmet: Don Jacobson Dry it You'll Like It: by Gen MacManiman Wavelength Magazine Author Chris Ladner is the owner of Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre in Vancouver. He likes to share his knowledge of over thirty five years of kayak tripping to many parts of the globe.