A cozy place to .... in the woods!

Okay, lets get down to the nitty-gritty about backpacking on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) – doing your “business.” While there are whole books written on how to potty in the woods, the A.T. offers an additional option, the moldering privy. They provide modesty, shelter from rain, and seat positioned over a pile of composting…well you get it… One thing you won’t find is toilet paper, make sure to pack your own or hope you choose the right leaves.

Many shelters along the A.T. have privies to reduce the human impact on the area and some are quite creative. This photo is of a simple model found in North Carolina. For a fun take on A.T. privies, check out these two posts by crafty bloggers: Appalachian Trail Hike: Privy Survival and Appalachian Trail – The Toilets – Trail Privies.

Jambalaya on the FL Trail

Planning food for a backpacking trip can be almost as fun as the trip itself for a wannabe foodie like me.  I challenge myself not to use premade meals, but rather prepare my own lightweight feast.  Using some cookbook recipes and creating a few of my own, not only saves money it also allows me to work around food sensitivities.

My upcoming trip is a four-day section hike on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina. Using The Appalachian Trail Food Planner by Lou Adsmond, and Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’ by Tim & Christine Conners, I am prepping recipes such as Tree Frog Soup with Rattlesnake and Sunrise Spuds.   Before you freak out, the soup is a split pea base with spam – it just has a cool name!

My addition to the menu is a jambalaya with dehydrated sausage and pork sung.  I even carry a 1/8 oz bottle of Tabasco to kick it up a notch. I am also adding Korean instant coffee- complete with cream and sugar – to my pack.  It is less expensive than the name brands and tastes great.

To find ingredients for trail food, I haunt health food stores and Asian markets.  Both have great selections of unique dehydrated and lightweight foods.  Your local supermarket will also have fast prep dried foods you could use.  Beware of some name brands, which have an abundance of MSG.  Read labels of prepared foods if you are sensitive. This is why I look for alternatives in the health food stores.  Amazingly, the Asian markets offer many MSG free choices – just read the label.

I would love to hear what your favorite trailside meals are.  I still have a few days to add to my menu, so please post them in the Comments.  Happy trails!