From: Chip (rcenci@twcny.rr.com)
Date: Fri Feb 07 2003 - 18:44:58 CST
Yep there seems to be a huge deterioration in the need to cook our foods
even on the trail at Philmont. Okay so the cooking fires are gone, giving
way to high tech stoves. In 91 I can remember cooked breakfast on the
trail. I first saw no refrigeration bacon it was strictly heat and eat, it
went well with the powdered scrambled eggs. That year we also saw pancakes
with maple sugar that you either dumped in the pancake mix or boiled in
water to make a syrup. The remainder of the trek we had the oatmeal, cream
of wheat, etc. By 1999 boiling water for oatmeal, cocoa, and coffee was the
only reason the stoves came out. Again in 2002 but this time some of the
oatmeal gave way to granola and other finger foods.
As Dr Bob said "program" or the need to get from one place to the next
caused a lot of quick and easy meals. We are obsessed in getting there and
not necessarily the journey, we tend not to stop and smell the roses as
often as we used to.
As a boy in the 60s we went to camp for two weeks, every session was set
up for that length, the merit badges took that long to MASTER and learn.
Today camp is a one week trip, merit badges are run through quickly and some
of the boys are lucky to see and do the skills once.
My troop has always gone to a patrol cook camp which our council runs.
This type of camp is a dinosaur around these parts with all those dining
hall camps all over the place. I have heard our neighboring state,
Massachusetts, has banned patrol cook summer camps. Those councils still
running patrol cook camps in New York are afraid that type of ruling may
come our way too.
I am not against change, after all I now carry my water in a Camel back
instead of a military surplus canteen. I now prefer a rain suit over a
poncho and my sleeping bag is down filled instead of cotton. All of those
items got me through my first Philmont adventure and would work today but I
would rather have the new stuff.
Who knows, maybe those lightweight stoves we are carrying now will give
way to solar microwaves or the trail food will be a little pills (Buck
Rogers style). Beam me up Scotty I want to have a civilized dinner, I'll
come back down for the campfire program.
Chip Cenci IWTGBTP
PS The only thing cooked at the Chuck wagon Dinner is heated up commercial
(Dinty Moore style) beef stew. Strictly dump the can and heat.
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