[Philmont]: No clean up cooking

Hi everyone,

We have just returned from Trek 10. I will not provide details
of our trek, since it has been covered nicely several times
already.

I've read this list for about a year and saw a number of
discussions regarding ways to cook at Philmont. Turkey bag
cooking looked interesting so we brought some along. We never
used them! When we saw what a supper meal is like, and read the
directions, it was immediately apparent that cooking was
unnecessary. All meals are "add boiling water and wait".

We used a two quart and three quart pair of pots and two stoves
for a crew of ten. Once the two pots had boiling water we
sterilized our dishes in them, put the dryed food into our
eating bowls (2 to 2.5 cups in size), added boiling water,
waited the prescribed time (usually less) and ate the food.
People with long tongues licked their bowls clean, others added
a bit more water, mixed the bowl clean and drank the water.

There was one meal that left an oily residue and required more
iterations to appear "clean".

The pots never had any thing in them but water and we had almost
no water waste.

We never used any soap related to meals.

We never used the sump (except for brushing teeth) and never used the
frisbee strainer.

No one argued about an uneven division of food (though people
did need to partner up and divide the ingredients evenly in two).
Individuals could choose their own level of "is it done yet" and
their own level of "soupy versus thick". Some combined several
courses into their bowls at once and added the combined water
amounts, others preferred separate courses.

If I had been packing my own food it would have come from the
grocery store (rather than a freeze dried backpacking outfitter)
and would have needed actual cooking, but at Philmont it just
isn't necessary.

Just some food for thought,

Bob

--
Bob Moench (rwm); Troop 446 Eagan MN
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