READERS COMMENTS

You'd be much better off to make the full soup at home (without the chicken) and then place it on food dehydrator trays. Then at camp all you need to do is add in the pouch of chicken and rehydrate the mix with boiling water in a wide-mouth Nalgene or freezer bag for about 15 minutes. Make sure you cozy the rehydration container as it makes a big difference.
Posted: Jan 08, 2010 Laurie Ann March

Hey everyone...RETORT. In the winter reheat, don't cook. Just about any meal can be fully cooked in advance and bagged and reheated in boiling water. Single servings. No cleanup (eat out of the bag. Fast meals. Nice and hot.
Posted: Jan 06, 2010 Tim

Linda great advice and great link.
Posted: Jan 05, 2010 Joel

The "Abominable Snowman" is great -- substitute an ounce of peppermint schnapps instead of tequila.

Now let's rethink the soup. The ingredients are great. But anything that requires soaking in hot water for 45 minutes and then simmering for 10 minutes is not winter-friendly, especially in below freezing temps. Try this: cook the split peas and regular rice (not instant) at home, then dehydrate them. Mix together with the other dry ingredients and divide into 2 or 3 quart size freezer zipper bags (one serving per bag). In camp, you add the butter and chicken to the zipper bag. Boil water, approximately twice as much as the volume of dehydrated food in the bag. Pour the water into the zipper bag, seal it tight, and place into a cozy or wrap it in an extra piece of clothing. After about 10 minutes, open and eat out of the bag. Advantages: saves fuel, no cleanup.
Added advantage: if you're sitting in a camp chair while you're cooking, place the cozy either under your thighs or between them. This helps the cozy stay warmer while rehydrating the food and also helps your own body heat while you're sitting. Be sure the bag is zipped securely.
Check out www.freezerbagcooking.com for more ideas.
Posted: Jan 01, 2010 Linda

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