As temps drop and the nights grow longer, it’s rough crawling out of my snuggly sleeping bag. Luckily, Cusa Tea is there to make the transition into the brisk morning just a bit easier with ready to drink tea in just three seconds, plus boiling water time.
Every summer Alpenglow Sports hosts an annual, free Mountain Festival, filled with adventure and fun for people of all ages and skill levels. When I saw backpacking and backcountry gourmet on the menu, I was sold. If there’s anything I love almost as much as being outside, it’s food. And cats, but that’s a different story. Alpenglow Sports partnered with Michelle from Adventure Dining Guide to lead a women’s trip out into the wilderness. The destination was originally Desolation Wilderness, but with the ridiculous snow year, plans changed to Watson Lake. It was a little closer and suited for women of all skill levels. Coming straight from sea level, I was a little grateful for the venue change and for being spared many miles of huffing at the back of the group like a fool.
Japanese food is my ultimate favorite in all the land. I could eat sushi and donburi forever. This recipe, modified from Adventure Dining Guide, tosses salmon on rice with seaweed and a dash of furikake. (This was also inspired by buying my nori sheets too small.) Like the frontcountry spring rolls, these bowls are completely modifiable to any palate. Salmon rice bowls are an easy meal with minimal cooking.
Camp food is, unfortunately, not high on my list of things to do well. It’s a little weird because I love eating and I love good food. My go-to dishes are usually pasta, stir fries, or if it’s been a long day, salami and cream cheese. Lately, I’ve been exploring different ideas for camping food, because why should I eat the same ol’ things when I’m out in the wilderness? I started racking my brain for some of my favorite home-cooked dishes that I could modify for camping. Spring rolls were the first thing to come mind.
Instant coffee gets a bad rap for tasting like dirt. But coffee doesn’t have to be terrible when you’re miles away from civilization. Founder and professional climber Matt Segal dreamed up the idea of good instant coffee while he was out in the Bugaboos. Alpine Start Coffee is here to change your mind.
I personally do not drink coffee—I think it all tastes like dirt, with the exception of affogatos. I enlisted the help of several friends to do some coffee taste testing for me on some recent backpacking trips. Like all instant coffees, Alpine Start is easy to prep. Open a packet. Dump it into your cup. Boil 8 oz. of water. Dump into cup with powder. Stir. Voila, coffee! Each package comes with eight single serve packets.
