Kevin, Another nicely done video. I have been camping for 54 years and cooked my 1st camp meal when I was 7. I bought your book as soon as it was available and am really impressed. Anyone that wants to know more about backcountry meals owes it to themselves to invest in the book. Great job!
Hey Kevin a former Canadian Scouter here who has been doing group cooking for quite some time. I regularly cook for 12 - 20 historical re-enactors and can tell you it is very frustrating. People today seem to think they don't have to commit to attending, let alone helping the Cook out. Preparing three meals a day often over a fire with cast iron pots and pans is challenging enough, but not knowing if people are going to attend (and pay their fair share) let alone the need for "lots" of water and help with cleaning up is a real challenge for those of us who simply want our friends to build camaraderie and eat well. I am getting to the point that I am I am too old for this and thinking I should cook for one, instead of a group.
I really feel your pain. After posting this video I've gotten lots of comments like yours. Every group large or small seems to have someone who does all the work and they often feel under appreciated. I think the best first step is saying "I'll do the cooking but someone else needs to lead the clean up".
I am a wife, and mom of 6 so I am the only person coordinating everything. There’s very little information out there that I can find on managing family food on backpacking trips. Your pic with the tarp gave me a few ideas. Thanks.
Great video with good ideas! Our group does a semi-self contained method. We will all bring our own stoves and small cookware, but trade meals once we get to the site. I find it's easier for me to prepare 5 portions of dehydrated Lasagna rather than make 1 portion of 5 various meals. That way we can get meal variety from each other, but if someone falls out there's still enough food and cookware to get through the trip. Your Dehydrated Lasagna and Shepherds Pie are both big hits in our group.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, not just this video but all of them, plus I have your book. I organise many group trips (hiking, kayaking, car camping, anywhere from 2 to 60 people) and I just find the easiest thing is self contained. But having said that I do have one friend who if he ever offers to do food its a unanimous yes because he cooks so damn well lol. I think people would be prepared to carry him on their back if he promises to cook lol (PS, I leave in 9 days for a 3-4 week trip where every one of my meals has come from your book, many thanks)
I do canoe trips with groups of 10 to 12 ppl. We plan the food ahead of time in a meeting, in person, the week before the trip. We do a brainstorm taking into accounts allergies, special diet and individual preferences. It's possible to do a vegan, nut free meal that is satisfying if everybody share experience. Then one person will choose to do all the buying and pre-cooking (if needed) and the rest of the group will pick a support role (entree / soup or dessert, chopping, washing veggies, etc) in advance. The execution is crucial, everybody sticks to their role and the reward will be a succulent meal, so it's not that hard to motivate the group. If anyone back-out of the group beforehand, everything is noted, so roles can be swapped rather easily. I once did a HUGE paella with frozen seafood, spanish rice, the whole nine yard, in a wok over a wood fire. It was amazing, and I was able to make it vegan by adding tofu and cashew nuts and leaving the meat out of the rice up until the end. It's important for group moral to go above and beyond in food taste and quality. Calories intake may double or triple (and sometime quadruple in cold weather) what a person might need, compare to the usual, so if food taste is average, some might not eat enough and expose themselves, and the rest of the group, to increase incident or accident risk. I know your book is good, but I strongly suggest you guys have a look at Odile Dumais's books, she was the nutritionist for north pole expeditions and her tips and tools (energy chart consumption base on effort, age, weather) are really useful in managing food for large groups. She called the north pole expedition the 300 000 calories challenge... Try eat that much in a month, you will understand the callenge. Safe trip everybody and thanks Kevin for the good tips.
@@KevinOutdoors I doubt it, but I sent a message to the author to see if she has a project of translation. It's not the first time I want to share the content with a fellow Canuck. Anyhow, I plan on making an online version of her calories calculator, I'll keep you posted.
@@Patat0four yeah O can't find an English version at all. I may grab a second had copy, I did speak a bit of French in my youth. I am curious how her calculator compares to the one in my book. I used the Jerome Mifflin (sp?) Formula.
Great video Kevin, I organize a whitewater canoe trip for family & friends every year, the group size has fluctuated from 6 to 16. I like to organize the trip and shared equipment but not interested in coordinating the meals. As a group we coordinate the transportation logistics and some shared equipment such as kitchen tarps, water filters, collapsible sinks, extra ropes for shelters or bear / food hangs. The meal planning, food and cooking gear is up to each person or canoe team to organize, make/buy, pack, cook and clean up. I’ve found that everyone has their own food preferences, allergies, volume needs and how much food & cooking gear they are comfortable to carry/portage. Some in our group go all out and pack tons of food while others go nice and light for single pass portaging. Each to his own. I just returned from a 5 day trip on the Mistassibi Nord-Est whitewater river and I made your recipes for beef stroganoff, sweet fruit couscous, butter chicken, sausage stew, home made oat mixture and a mixed berry baked oat recipe for dessert. Awesome meals that kept myself and my son happy and full, best meals for a trip ever and the pot cozy / rehydrating method doesn’t require much equip on the trip or much time to prepare and easy clean-up. The book is great so thanks.
Wow, thanks Chris. I love to hear how others organize their trips and I really really love to hear about when meals from my book get used in the backcountry! Thanks!
@@KevinOutdoors I somehow forgot to pack the dehydrated beef package that goes with the stroganoff mixture and we added a bit too much water when rehydrating yet the stroganoff mixture was so good we drank the remaining juice right from the pot, so so good. I'm really enjoying testing different recipes from your book, we've upsized some recipes to meet my 18 year old's appetite At 350 grams for 2, I eat 125 grams and my son eats 225 grams, long days paddling and portaging is hard work and I have to keep that engine full! Oh the Banana Mango fruit leather recipe is simply awesome, perfect sweet treat, it's very sticky so I roll serving sized pieces in parchment paper and keep them in a zipock to pull them out for an energy boost or after dinner.
@@chrismurray3199 Ha, I so often forget a component of a meal. Yeah your son is a big eater but I think we all were at that age. 225g is about 900 calories before adding any kind of fat to the meal. A large young lad working hard could conceivably be burning 3000+ calories per day so that makes complete sense.
Either, if you go to Amazon it is better for me if you go through my website because you will end up in my Amazon store and I get a small cut of Amazon's profit. You will find the shipping a little steep from my publisher but I make significantly more on the book if you go through them. Do what works for you, and thanks!
Good tips Kevin 👍. My group has always been self sufficient. We all like different things etc and it works great for us but I can see how the alternative could work out as well. Cheers, great vid!
I agree with what you say: I camp with a bunch of guys on motorcycles and everyone does their own meals-4 guys out and 4 stoves out and 4 guys eating out of their own pot... I canoe/camp with a bunch a guys from high school days and they like food groups of 6 or 8 per group but I always bring my own food for me and my son. I have had to pull out of the group for different reasons at times through the years and because we are on our own, it does not affect anyone else. Also, I like my own food that I make at home (based on many of your videos) and the group guys always have way too much and it cost way too much. Also; did that guy wash his hands before preparing that food??? How long has that chicken been thawed? What really is polenta anyway????? I like my own chilli, spaghettini, shepherds pie, etc. Keep the videos coming!!!
Thanks Stephen there are some good points there in addition to the points I make in the video. In particular you really need to trust the safety when others are cooking. I guess I have always had my toe in the kitchen in those situations. Thanks for the comment!
I am that "Somebody" Guy. It seems that I am always responsible for planning, prepping and cooking meals for our canoe group of 4 - 6 guys for the most part. The crew I camp with never want to take care of their own food... All that gets rather tiresome and I wish they would all just do their own meals or at least share the meal planning... Great video Kevin
That makes you the unsung hero of the team. In some groups, without the food guy, there would be no trip! Show this to your friends and you might get a few more beverages out of the deal! :)
I was brought up old school.my Dad would say,hey,that's what your mother's serving,if you don't like it leave the table now,and don't think your getting a snack later either!... Or my mom would say,your father works hard to put a meal on this table every night.eat it and like it or your going to bed hungry, period,end of subject... But that rarely happened because she'd cook what everybody liked normally.. Occasionally shed get a new recipe from a friend and sometimes that'd be when problems would arise, lol...or when she'd cook broiled swordfish, none of us 4 kids liked it so she'd make something else for us.but it was very rare for mom to cook 2 separate meals..but as I got older I liked swordfish. But not at 7 years old,lol...but now I'm not a fussy eater at all.I like everything except Liver,pigs feet,anchovies and weird dishes with insects in it and stuff like that.lol...I can't eat what that guy Zimmerman eats on that television show,heck no!
Hey Kevin I have been doing back county brook trout trips for longer than I would like to admit and have taken my meals to a whole new level by buying a home freeze drier the food is amazing nothing like the meals they sell in the stores. If you would like any info give me an email not on Facebook or Instagram.
Kevin, Another nicely done video. I have been camping for 54 years and cooked my 1st camp meal when I was 7. I bought your book as soon as it was available and am really impressed. Anyone that wants to know more about backcountry meals owes it to themselves to invest in the book. Great job!
Thankyou so much! I really appreciate the endorsement!
Hey Kevin a former Canadian Scouter here who has been doing group cooking for quite some time. I regularly cook for 12 - 20 historical re-enactors and can tell you it is very frustrating. People today seem to think they don't have to commit to attending, let alone helping the Cook out. Preparing three meals a day often over a fire with cast iron pots and pans is challenging enough, but not knowing if people are going to attend (and pay their fair share) let alone the need for "lots" of water and help with cleaning up is a real challenge for those of us who simply want our friends to build camaraderie and eat well. I am getting to the point that I am I am too old for this and thinking I should cook for one, instead of a group.
I really feel your pain. After posting this video I've gotten lots of comments like yours. Every group large or small seems to have someone who does all the work and they often feel under appreciated. I think the best first step is saying "I'll do the cooking but someone else needs to lead the clean up".
I am a wife, and mom of 6 so I am the only person coordinating everything. There’s very little information out there that I can find on managing family food on backpacking trips. Your pic with the tarp gave me a few ideas. Thanks.
This video sold me. I’m getting the book tonight on break ;) lol.
Love that. I know you will like it!
Great video with good ideas! Our group does a semi-self contained method. We will all bring our own stoves and small cookware, but trade meals once we get to the site. I find it's easier for me to prepare 5 portions of dehydrated Lasagna rather than make 1 portion of 5 various meals. That way we can get meal variety from each other, but if someone falls out there's still enough food and cookware to get through the trip. Your Dehydrated Lasagna and Shepherds Pie are both big hits in our group.
Thanks, that's is awesome!
Very helpful and informative video. Great presentation.
I’m glad you’re back.
Thanks Alan!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, not just this video but all of them, plus I have your book. I organise many group trips (hiking, kayaking, car camping, anywhere from 2 to 60 people) and I just find the easiest thing is self contained. But having said that I do have one friend who if he ever offers to do food its a unanimous yes because he cooks so damn well lol. I think people would be prepared to carry him on their back if he promises to cook lol (PS, I leave in 9 days for a 3-4 week trip where every one of my meals has come from your book, many thanks)
I love to hear that, thanks so much!
I do canoe trips with groups of 10 to 12 ppl. We plan the food ahead of time in a meeting, in person, the week before the trip. We do a brainstorm taking into accounts allergies, special diet and individual preferences. It's possible to do a vegan, nut free meal that is satisfying if everybody share experience. Then one person will choose to do all the buying and pre-cooking (if needed) and the rest of the group will pick a support role (entree / soup or dessert, chopping, washing veggies, etc) in advance. The execution is crucial, everybody sticks to their role and the reward will be a succulent meal, so it's not that hard to motivate the group. If anyone back-out of the group beforehand, everything is noted, so roles can be swapped rather easily. I once did a HUGE paella with frozen seafood, spanish rice, the whole nine yard, in a wok over a wood fire. It was amazing, and I was able to make it vegan by adding tofu and cashew nuts and leaving the meat out of the rice up until the end. It's important for group moral to go above and beyond in food taste and quality. Calories intake may double or triple (and sometime quadruple in cold weather) what a person might need, compare to the usual, so if food taste is average, some might not eat enough and expose themselves, and the rest of the group, to increase incident or accident risk. I know your book is good, but I strongly suggest you guys have a look at Odile Dumais's books, she was the nutritionist for north pole expeditions and her tips and tools (energy chart consumption base on effort, age, weather) are really useful in managing food for large groups. She called the north pole expedition the 300 000 calories challenge... Try eat that much in a month, you will understand the callenge. Safe trip everybody and thanks Kevin for the good tips.
Thanks I will definitely check out Odile Dumais. Are her books available in english? I can't seem to find an English version online.
@@KevinOutdoors I doubt it, but I sent a message to the author to see if she has a project of translation. It's not the first time I want to share the content with a fellow Canuck. Anyhow, I plan on making an online version of her calories calculator, I'll keep you posted.
@@Patat0four yeah O can't find an English version at all. I may grab a second had copy, I did speak a bit of French in my youth. I am curious how her calculator compares to the one in my book. I used the Jerome Mifflin (sp?) Formula.
Great video Kevin, I organize a whitewater canoe trip for family & friends every year, the group size has fluctuated from 6 to 16. I like to organize the trip and shared equipment but not interested in coordinating the meals. As a group we coordinate the transportation logistics and some shared equipment such as kitchen tarps, water filters, collapsible sinks, extra ropes for shelters or bear / food hangs. The meal planning, food and cooking gear is up to each person or canoe team to organize, make/buy, pack, cook and clean up. I’ve found that everyone has their own food preferences, allergies, volume needs and how much food & cooking gear they are comfortable to carry/portage. Some in our group go all out and pack tons of food while others go nice and light for single pass portaging. Each to his own.
I just returned from a 5 day trip on the Mistassibi Nord-Est whitewater river and I made your recipes for beef stroganoff, sweet fruit couscous, butter chicken, sausage stew, home made oat mixture and a mixed berry baked oat recipe for dessert. Awesome meals that kept myself and my son happy and full, best meals for a trip ever and the pot cozy / rehydrating method doesn’t require much equip on the trip or much time to prepare and easy clean-up. The book is great so thanks.
Wow, thanks Chris. I love to hear how others organize their trips and I really really love to hear about when meals from my book get used in the backcountry! Thanks!
@@KevinOutdoors I somehow forgot to pack the dehydrated beef package that goes with the stroganoff mixture and we added a bit too much water when rehydrating yet the stroganoff mixture was so good we drank the remaining juice right from the pot, so so good. I'm really enjoying testing different recipes from your book, we've upsized some recipes to meet my 18 year old's appetite At 350 grams for 2, I eat 125 grams and my son eats 225 grams, long days paddling and portaging is hard work and I have to keep that engine full! Oh the Banana Mango fruit leather recipe is simply awesome, perfect sweet treat, it's very sticky so I roll serving sized pieces in parchment paper and keep them in a zipock to pull them out for an energy boost or after dinner.
@@chrismurray3199 Ha, I so often forget a component of a meal. Yeah your son is a big eater but I think we all were at that age. 225g is about 900 calories before adding any kind of fat to the meal. A large young lad working hard could conceivably be burning 3000+ calories per day so that makes complete sense.
Outstanding!
I've been looking for information on planning and preparing group meals!
Glad it was helpful!
Great book, great video. Enjoyed that, thank you sir.
And thank you sir! 👍
Excellent info, I will be purchasing your book
Awesome, thank you!
Amazon or your website ??
Either, if you go to Amazon it is better for me if you go through my website because you will end up in my Amazon store and I get a small cut of Amazon's profit. You will find the shipping a little steep from my publisher but I make significantly more on the book if you go through them. Do what works for you, and thanks!
I'm in a group of 3 to 4. I prep and cook all meals. It can be stressful. Great video.
Good for you for being the one others can rely on! But, make sure you ask for help if you need it. All the best!
Good tips Kevin 👍. My group has always been self sufficient. We all like different things etc and it works great for us but I can see how the alternative could work out as well. Cheers, great vid!
Absolutely, do whatever works for you and your group. Thanks for stopping in!
I agree with what you say: I camp with a bunch of guys on motorcycles and everyone does their own meals-4 guys out and 4 stoves out and 4 guys eating out of their own pot... I canoe/camp with a bunch a guys from high school days and they like food groups of 6 or 8 per group but I always bring my own food for me and my son. I have had to pull out of the group for different reasons at times through the years and because we are on our own, it does not affect anyone else. Also, I like my own food that I make at home (based on many of your videos) and the group guys always have way too much and it cost way too much. Also; did that guy wash his hands before preparing that food??? How long has that chicken been thawed? What really is polenta anyway????? I like my own chilli, spaghettini, shepherds pie, etc.
Keep the videos coming!!!
Thanks Stephen there are some good points there in addition to the points I make in the video. In particular you really need to trust the safety when others are cooking. I guess I have always had my toe in the kitchen in those situations. Thanks for the comment!
I am that "Somebody" Guy. It seems that I am always responsible for planning, prepping and cooking meals for our canoe group of 4 - 6 guys for the most part. The crew I camp with never want to take care of their own food... All that gets rather tiresome and I wish they would all just do their own meals or at least share the meal planning... Great video Kevin
That makes you the unsung hero of the team. In some groups, without the food guy, there would be no trip! Show this to your friends and you might get a few more beverages out of the deal! :)
awesome vid!
such a cool idea and can't wait to try this
Thank you!
New subscriber here! This was great and thank you for sharing! Some things mentioned I haven’t tried yet and I will be doing that! 😊👍
Awesome! Thank you!
Hi Kevin, have a nice day !! :D
Thanks you too!
I was brought up old school.my Dad would say,hey,that's what your mother's serving,if you don't like it leave the table now,and don't think your getting a snack later either!... Or my mom would say,your father works hard to put a meal on this table every night.eat it and like it or your going to bed hungry, period,end of subject... But that rarely happened because she'd cook what everybody liked normally.. Occasionally shed get a new recipe from a friend and sometimes that'd be when problems would arise, lol...or when she'd cook broiled swordfish, none of us 4 kids liked it so she'd make something else for us.but it was very rare for mom to cook 2 separate meals..but as I got older I liked swordfish. But not at 7 years old,lol...but now I'm not a fussy eater at all.I like everything except Liver,pigs feet,anchovies and weird dishes with insects in it and stuff like that.lol...I can't eat what that guy Zimmerman eats on that television show,heck no!
thanks! that was very helpful!
Glad to hear it!
haha, 2:30 type description, you forgot to add "do all this or they'll poison your food next time" :)
LOL, I guess I don't take it that seriously :)
Hey Kevin I have been doing back county brook trout trips for longer than I would like to admit and have taken my meals to a whole new level by buying a home freeze drier the food is amazing nothing like the meals they sell in the stores. If you would like any info give me an email not on Facebook or Instagram.
Thanks, I have looked at those but they are still a little out of my price range.