No refrigeration needed

[Mike S]

The classic from Hemingway's Big Two Hearted River - onions, salami, crackers.

[Ray Hyland]

When we travelled in the malaysian jungles we would often bring rice, some dried vegetables like mushrooms, dried mung beans, dried fish (ikan-bilis, which is like anchovies but dried and salted) dried cuttle-fish (the chewing gum of the orient), some dried cereal, some powdered milk, some cooking oil, salt, curry, etc.

We always had lots of water in streams and springs where we were, and when you boil a big enough pot of water for long enough you can then drink it, cook with it, and wash with it, etc. We carried drinking water too but water for cooking and re-hydrating was plentiful.

Usually there were Orang-Asli villages in the jungles every couple of days where you could buy a live chicken and some eggs, and in a pinch it was pretty easy to catch a lizard for gecko-kebabs.

Anyways, for the purpose of this list I'd say dried fish, dried mushrooms, and dried beans would be a good addition. Plus enough spices and curries so that you can make different dishes out of the same dried stuff every day for a week and not get bored.

[Ruined Adventures]

this topic was also brought up on OVEXPO's "Overland Tech & Travel " page.

There's some really good ideas listed there too.

[proto]

ANZAC biscuits!

The iconic favorite of Australia and New Zealand. Kind of like a homemade granola bar -- it's a treat, it's nutritious, and reasonably shelf stable.

The story goes that, during the First World War, wives and girlfriends would bake ANZAC biscuits to send to their soldiers posted abroad. The biscuits had to be tough and non-perishable to survive the journey by ship with no refrigeration.

Everyone has their own variation of the recipe, but the primary components are: rolled oats, flour, sugar, and coconut -- which are all fairly stable, especially if kept sealed and airtight. The other ingredients (margarine, baking soda, and water) are more perishable but are used in small amounts. And, the biscuit is baked until it's pretty much dry (and I suppose sterilized). The texture can be made anywhere from soft(-ish) and chewy to hard as nails. The stiffer the biscuit, the longer they last. Sealed in a zip-lock bag they can stay good for weeks.

One special ingredient is required that might be unfamiliar here in the States: golden syrup (syrup from processed sugar cane, kind of akin to molasses). There are (arguments abound) satisfactory substitutes but, If at all possible, I recommend using real golden syrup -- it has a toasty/buttery aspect that really makes the flavor. Look for Lyle's Golden Syrup (in the can with the dead lion surrounded by insects, yum!) I have found it at Safeway, but Amazon carries it if all else fails.

ANZAC biscuits at wikipedia

Oh yeah, they call 'em biscuits but they're really cookies.

[NuggetHoarder]

Here's a pdf with some great info. It comes from a couple who are full time cruisers and all of their advice regarding life without refrigeration can easily be applied to overland travel.

Living Without Refrigeration
http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/Livi...rigeration.pdf


They also have a "Provisioning List" pdf file. It lists their typical load for two people for three months on a sailboat. It's not a perfect correlation to overland travel, but this list is worth a look.

Provisioning List
http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/Provisioninglist.pdf

[grimbo]

Love the fact the ANZAC cookie made the list.

Spices, packet soups, instant noodles, canned tomatoes, pasta, canned tuna are things that are always packed and ready to go for us

[NuggetHoarder]

Love the fact the ANZAC cookie made the list.

For those of you in the USA, the equivalent to ANZAC is hardtack. You can find more about hardtack on wikipedia... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardtack

[bftank]

i've never tried it but what about smoked meats like bisket or pulled pork. doable?

[Black_ZJ]

So weird, just last night I was thinking about this very same topic, then I pop on here today and it was bumped up to the top for me to see. Some very good reading indeed, we grew up with food storage and learned a few things in the process. I always keep 4 MRE's in the Jeep for emergencies, this is enough to last 2 people 4 days if rationed correctly. The problem with things like jerky and dried fruits is that you have to keep it out of reach while driving, otherwise you tend to gobble it up as you are moving.

[Photomike]

So weird, just last night I was thinking about this very same topic, then I pop on here today and it was bumped up to the top for me to see. Some very good reading indeed, we grew up with food storage and learned a few things in the process. I always keep 4 MRE's in the Jeep for emergencies, this is enough to last 2 people 4 days if rationed correctly. The problem with things like jerky and dried fruits is that you have to keep it out of reach while driving, otherwise you tend to gobble it up as you are moving.

GREAT idea for the MRE's in the vehicle. Even the daily driver vehicle can use one or two.