Rice Pudding Breakfast

Ingredients

Hand full of Pudding Rice
2 spoons of Milk powder
Couple of pinches of ground Cinnamon
Caster sugar to taste
Glug of Honey

Boil up 2-3 cups of water and put in the Pudding Rice. Boil until still a little hard in the centre and take off the heat. Mix in all the other ingredients, place a lid on the cooking pot and leave to stand for 10 minutes or so.

Mushers Lunch

Ingredients

Hand full of diced Salami
1 cup of water
1 cup of Smash

Fry the diced Salami in a pan until it starts to go slightly brown, throw the water in with the Salami and bring to the boil. Add in the Smash and mix well.

Beef Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Hand full of dried Beef
Pack of Supa Noodles
2 sachets of Cupa Soup


Boil up 2-3 cups of water and throw in the beef for 3-4 minutes. Chuck in the Noodles and simmer until cooked, then add in the Cupa Soups and stir well.

Bannock

A great belly filler, versatile and light in weight. The Bannock is a traditional bread originating from Scotland. The recipe below is my version of it as I have a sweet tooth, but you can put anything into the mix, meat, fish, dried fruit etc. Too make life a little easier I sometimes make the Bannock mix at home, and just add water when in camp. Here’s how I do it.

Ingredients

2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of fine milk powder
1 tea spoon of baking soda/powder
½ cup of caster sugar

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl or Billy can, then add water in small increments until you have a dough like textured ball. From here the cooking methods are many. Here’s a few of mine.

1. If you have oil or butter add this to a frying pan. When sizzling place in the Bannock mix and flatten with the back of the hand. Fry until golden brown then add a little more oil or butter and fry the other side. This is a great way if you want a sweet Bannock, even better if you add in some dried fruit.

2. If you have a stew or soup, take this off the boil and add in the Bannock that have been rolled into small dumplings. Only push the dumplings in so they are half submerged, then place the lid on the pot. Wait 10 minutes and they will be ready. Its best for savoury foods to omit the sugar, and add in salt and pepper.

3. This is the easiest method if you have a fire. Make a Bannock mix and split into four. Take a green stick around arms length and index finger thick and strip the bark off around half way. Push the stick into the ground bark end first, so the peeled end can be warmed over the fire. Roll the Bannock into a sausage, and wrap it around the stick in a spiral. Eat when golden brown straight off the stick. This method is really quick, and there is no washing up.

4. If you have a cast iron pot or Dutch oven, make a mix while the pot is warming by the fire. For a savoury bread add in a little flour to the bottom of the pan to stop the Bannock sticking, for a sweet mix add in oil or butter. Place the mix in the pot and put the lid on, suspend over the fire at hand mark 5 (hold your hand just under the pot and you should be able to keep it in position for 5 seconds before too hot. If you can not keep the hand this long as too hot raise the height of the pot. If too cold lower) If you have a Dutch oven with a recessed lid place hot coals from the fire on top so the bread will cook from both sides. For a normal pot turn the lid over and place coals into the dished recess.

Notes:

1. For checking the Bannock is cooked, sharpen a green stick and occasionally prod the bread. If dough comes out on the stick its not ready, when the stick comes out clean its done. If the bread is cooked but looks pale and uninteresting, prop up by the fire and brown off.

2. DO NOT DISCARD ANY UNWANTED DRY FLOUR INTO THE FIRE. IT IS FLAMMABLE.

Batter Mix

To cover something in batter and deep fry to a golden brown anything tastes good. Recipe as follows.

Ingredients

1 Cup of plain flour
1 Egg fresh or 2 table spoons of powdered egg
½ to 1 cup of milk fresh or mix up powdered milk
4 cups of vegetable oil

Place the flour and egg into a bowl or billy can, gradually mix in the milk until a lump free quite runny mix occurs. Get the oil really hot, dip in the batter what you want to fry and place into he hot oil remove when golden brown.
Try prawns, fish, Crayfish, rehydrated dried fruit. Out of this world.

Cinnamon Apple and Sultana Crumble

This recipe is great for a group, especially in Autumn when you can get the best home grown apples. It best baked in a cast iron pan:

Ingredients

Enough Apples for the group 1 each
Hand full of dried Sultanas each
2 cups of sugar
Lemon juice
Cinnamon
2 cups of Plain Flour
½ Pack of Butter

Peel and core the apples and chop into dice sized cubes. Place the apples and sultanas into the pan with a little water. Place over the fire initially at hand mark 5, then reduce the heat to hand mark 3 when they start to simmer. The apples are cooked when they are soft and mushy. Add in the sugar leaving a little behind for the crumble, a glug of lemon juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Take the pot off the heat and place by the fire to keep warm, stir occasionally.

Place the flour in a bowl with the butter and rub together to make a crumb mix. Place this mix on to the apples and sultanas and level out to form a crust. Sprinkle on the remaining sugar, place on the lid with hot coals on the top. Check every 5 minutes or so until the crumble is golden brown. For that extra bit of a treat, instant custard or mascarpone cream is a real plus.

I hope you enjoy reading this article and have a go at some of the recipes. Any feedback is much appreciated.


Mike Rushton
Tamarack

Physical Conditioning

The Outdoorsmans Handbook

By Mike Rushton

Chapter 1 Physical and Mental Conditioning

To enjoy the outdoors it pays to be in good physical condition and have the right mental attitude to carry out all the tasks that are required. The rigours of the outdoors and the wrath of nature will inevitably take its toll on those who are not prepared both in body and mind. In this chapter we will look at a physical training programme that truly applies to outdoor backpacking, along with mental conditioning to build confidence while out alone or in charge of a group.

Physical Conditioning

In this instalment we are concentrating on backpacking and wild camping, so the physical training required will be exactly that. I am a firm believer that to get fit for a task, that task is the best training. The physical training programme that features further on in this chapter is my personal training programme, that has proved me well over the years.


Physical Training Programme

So, as previously mentioned to get fit for a task, that task should be trained, here is my suggested training programme. You need to find a local walk close to home that is around 3 miles long, with some form of uphill section. This could be a local park ,footpaths through agricultural land, road etc. With the training there is no need to purchase training shoes or tracksuits for this training walk, use what you will wear on the trip ( see chapter 2 clothing and equipment ). This is of paramount importance especially with the boots to be worn on the trip.

I find that training in the morning more beneficial than in the evenings. This is because if I train early morning the training is done for the day so I can concentrate on my work, there are less people around at this time and I feel more refreshed and switched on. At the end of every training session make a mental or written note of the time it has taken, you should see a visible time difference from when you started to the end of that training period, with your walking style becoming more fluid and lighter of foot.


Warming up

The warming up stage of training is more important that the training itself, especially in the early morning.The warm up gradually stretches and warms the muscles and joints prior to exercise to prevent injury. Try and concentrate on arms, shoulders, trunk and legs. The warm up does not only have to be prior to training, it can be put in place within a camp routine before you set off on the trail for the day.


The first training walk should be without rucksack. Carry this walk out 2 to 3 times a week for 4 weeks. On week 5 add in a 20 lb (9 kg ) rucksack. Pack in your rucksack the equipment you will carry while out camping, do not substitute the weight for sand, gravel or any other weight. Carry out the walk with the rucksack twice a week for 4 weeks still making mental or written notes of the time if you wish.

On week 9 take the weight in your rucksack to 30 lb (13 kg ), and carry out the same programme as the above paragraph. Week 13 take the rucksack weight to 40 lb (18 kg ), and carry out the same programme. After the 16 week programme, back off the training to once a week with a 40 lb (18 kg ) rucksack, this then should be maintained week in week out to stay in descent physical shape.

My 3 mile walk takes me approx 49 minutes to complete with a 40 lb (18kg ) rucksack.

Warming down

The warm up took into consideration stretching the muscles and joints to carry out physical exercise. The warm down should do the same with less vigour. Stretching all the muscle groups in the format of arms, shoulders, trunk and legs. If your clothing is wet from sweat, ensure that you place warm garments or have a change of clothes to keep the body warm.

Further Physical Conditioning ( Endurance )

The 16 week programme above is to enable a reasonably fit person get fitter for the rigours of the trail. Within the programme you will only be carrying your rucksack for approx 1 hour every time you train. On the trail you will be carrying the rucksack for prolonged periods over rough terrain, so the next part of the training programme will concentrate on endurance.

To build up the stamina for prolonged periods of exertion, the training should have to replicate this. As always the best way to gain stamina and build on the essential muscle structure is to train the task to hand. Start with 1 day walks of approx 5 to 8 miles with a 20 lb (9 kg ) rucksack over rough terrain or footpaths. Do this for a 6 week period, differing your route ensuring that some form of uphill section is included. After this period, carry out a 2 day walk with the same mileage and weight over a further 6 week period.

After this 12 week endurance building period, up the weight to 30 lb (13 kg ) and carry out 2 day walks of 8 to 10 miles per day, yet again including an uphill section for 6 weeks. Increase your rucksack weight to 40 lb ( 18kg ) after this period and carry out 2 day walks of 8 to 10 miles per day, for 6 weeks.

After this endurance period you should find yourself much fitter, tougher to the rigours of the trail and used to carrying weight over rough terrain, which in essence is what backpacking is all about. Not only that, you have added to your tally of days out, which is all important.

I keep mentioning the " rigours of the trail " in this and subsequent chapters, which in my thinking encapsulates backpacking and wild camping. Please do not think that all the time out-of-doors is rigorous, there are times when there is no better place to be, and all your pre training pays off. I have a saying " Train hard, walk easy ".

Mental Conditioning

In my eyes mental conditioning is as important as physical conditioning. First of all to go wild camping and carrying your home on your back, you have got to want to do it. By carrying out the physical training programme above, this should also build up mental character and get the brain as well as the body fitter and more resilient.

Travelling Alone

For some people one of the biggest strains on the mind while backpacking is the solo trip. Around 90% of my own trips are solo, which could be misconstrued as that I am a loner and don’t like other peoples company. This is far from the truth, I like travelling and camping alone because I have been doing it from the age of 11, and enjoy it immensely. Some people cannot do without the company of others for any length of time, and mentally struggle being on their own in a solitary state for even a short period. A lot of this is a lack of confidence in their ability, and the reassurance of others in the party that is something bad happens, they have people around them to lean on.

When going solo the only person to lean on is yourself, you have to be navigator, medic, Sherpa, cook, cleaner, latrine digger, maintenance operative and many other roles that need filling to have a safe and eventful trip. A lot of people think that if they are placed in a wild remote area devoid of human contact that they are alone. Remember that the human race is not all powerful and does not rise above all other animals. We as humans are part of the animal kingdom, therefore when we are solo wild camping we are never truly alone.

By going solo the confidence of the backpacker is increased, the awareness of place is all encompassing, the self reliance and the ability to carry out tasks safely and efficiently is paramount.

The Dark

A lot of young people and even adults are afraid of the dark. I have seen this many times while out with groups especially in a woodland environment.
If being afraid of the dark is an issue to the wild camper, the best way to mentally condition the mind to true darkness is first of all put out of your mind the Bogey Man syndrome. The Bogey Man does not exist in any shape or form, there is nothing to fear within a woodland or any other environment within the UK. The next stage is to go into a woodland at night and place a head torch at eye level in the fork of a tree. Then walk away from the light some 50 meters, then walk an imaginary circle around the head torch keeping the light in the middle and eventually spiral back to the head torch and make a mental note of what your feelings are. Do this exercise on a regular basis, and you will gain confidence in moving around in the dark.

Another exercise is to go into the centre of a woodland wearing your head torch and sit down at the base of a tree. When comfortable switch off the head torch and sit quietly for 45 to 60 minutes to gain your night vision. Once you have your night vision, walk out of the woodland with no head torch the same way you came in.

These two excercises will build up confidence for coping with a fear of the dark, as well as experiencing a woodland environment when the majority of the mammals are active.

Weather

The weather we find in the UK to put it mildly is some what changeable. From one minute to the next it is ever changing, and sometimes even getting sun, rain, sleet, snow and frost within 24 hour period. I have been leading groups of people who have all the correct equipment, are well fed and watered, not lost or injured and having a great time on a nice sunny warm spring afternoon. On arrival back at camp, the cloud has moved in and it has started to rain with ever increasing force. The whole party has gone silent, people start to hunker down when there are jobs to do and even some retiring to there tents as though the day is over. The best way to overcome this is not let the rain get inside your head, do not let it defeat you and banish you to your tent. On the other side of the coin do not be over confident, you or one of your party might have poor quality or damaged equipment that will get them soaked to the skin, which could lead to in extreme cases hypothermia. Let the rain be an advantage, gather water from the edge of tents and tarps for washing pots and clothes, gather tinder and kindling before it is soaked etc, in other words keep busy and the rain will pass.

"What if" Syndrome

The "What If" syndrome is for those people who constantly worry about things going wrong, especially solo camping. Talking to people over the years there fears are many with the outcome being certain death. To list peoples fears of wild camping would take a complete chapter, but here is a short list.

Being lost
Broken leg
Drowned
Attacked by an animal
Bad cut with knife or axe
Burnt
Running out of food

Obviously, all of the above could place you in a survival situation with an unknown outcome. To mentally condition yourself and reduced the fear that you have merely takes training and a matter of time. For this example of "what if syndrome", lets take the being lost fear. To hurdle this fear first of all you need to be able to navigate to a very high standard, you can do this by either training yourself or attending the myriad of navigation courses currently available. You will need to be familiar with both map and compass as well as GPS systems and practice these so they are second nature. You need to practice navigation in all environments, at night and especially poor visibility so you know where you are down to at least 10 square meters at any point on the trail. By carrying out this training regime, before you know it your confidence will far out way the fear, so giving you more enjoyment of the outdoors.

As everything though, once you can navigate you need to keep practicing to ensure this skill does not turn back into the fear of being lost.

In essence, the only way to mentally condition yourself is to get out there and do it. If you carry out the physical conditioning programme this by itself is not only getting you fit, but is building up confidence in yourself as you hit the trail on your training walks. It is also giving you that valued trail time, getting you used to carrying a rucksack and most importantly getting you out-of-doors.