Wow... it's been long enough, eh? If you have read Parts one & two you should already have a good idea of the sort of trip you have in mind. Ideally you have a notebook or binder where you are keeping track of these sorts of things- lists of options on where you want to sleep, rough ideas of your budget, and the sort of traveling you intend to do. Now you need to decide where you are going and how you are going to get there.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
How to Plan a Cross-Continental Adventure pt. 3
Wow... it's been long enough, eh? If you have read Parts one & two you should already have a good idea of the sort of trip you have in mind. Ideally you have a notebook or binder where you are keeping track of these sorts of things- lists of options on where you want to sleep, rough ideas of your budget, and the sort of traveling you intend to do. Now you need to decide where you are going and how you are going to get there.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Kickstart My Heart
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Camp Cookin'
Obviously one of the most amazing parts of camping is the food. While I do believe that they have a food cart on site, Jake and I will most likely be bringing a coke-can burner and making some delicious concoctions. Click on the pretty picture to find out how to make a coke-can burner....br00tal!
So I adapted the following recipe from Backpacker Magazine as I literally started drooling while reading. PLUS, it's vegan.
1 4-ounce package homestyle instant mashed potatoes
1 packet powdered mushroom sauce (such as Simply Organic)
2c. Just Tomatoes! Dried Vegetable Mix
1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil 3 cups of water. In one freezer bag, combine mashed potatoes and 2 cups of water. Seal and mush the bag until potatoes are fluffy. In a second freezer bag, combine vegetables, herbs, bouillon, and powdered mushroom sauce. Add remaining cup of water, seal bag, and mix thoroughly. Pour vegetable mix into a bowl and top with potatoes. Eat until you explode. Repeat.
For convenience, I substituted the tofu on the original recipe for an extra cup of vegetables. You can follow the original if you'd like, but this is still incredible. Aaaaand you can't go camping without a little dessert! Unfortunately, s'mores (my absolute favorite camping dessert) aren't particularly vegan so we are going to have to settle for....
Camping Crisp
2 Cups Just Tomatoes! Just Fruit Salad
2 Tablespoons Just Tomatoes! Blueberry Powder
1 cup water
2 cups granola
Boil 1 cup of water. In a freezer bag, combine boiled water fruit salad and blueberry powder. Seal and set aside. In the meantime, toss the granola over the heat in your heatproof bowl/messkit pan until warm. Put fruit mixture into bowl and top with granola.
Dried fruit and veggies are amazing for camping and backpacking because they still contain all of the nutrients, just happen to way practically nothing!
Do you have a favorite camping recipe? Email bytesizekelly@gmail.com or leave it in a comment to have it featured!
How to Plan a Cross-Continental Adventure pt. 2
The Wine & Diner: You will want to be traveling to be on vacation. While you may still be on a budget, the money you do spend will be on good food, and tourism. You don't so much care about staying in the best hotel in town, as much as you enjoy the comfort of knowing you have a reservation awaiting you when you arrive...and a continental breakfast just happens to be a plus. Your main transportation will probably be guided tours, or walking to places you'd like to see. resources you should use: expedia.com, tripadvisor.com, and tourism guides
The Hostel Hopper: You will likely be traveling alone or with a close friend. You don't mind sharing your sleeping quarters as you do not intend to be staying in your room for long. It is likely that you will be spending from dawn til dusk exploring the city you are in. You look forward to meeting other travelers from all over the world, and making new friends. The funds you have brought will probably be spent on the metro, going out with your new friends, and maybe on some snacks, but nothing major. resources you should use: hostelworld.org, lonelyplanet.com, guides for public transportation
The Backpacker: It is likely that the only things you have brought with you are your backpack, and a smaller pack. You intend to sleep wherever you can, hostels, with friends you may have met throughout your travels, hotels if need be, and trains. You have a large itinerary, and perhaps not a lot of time to reach these places, so you spend as much time as you can seeing the sights, learning about the cities, and taking photographs. Since a lot of your finances will be devoted to transportation, you eat mostly at food carts, farmer's markets, fast food chains, and vending machines. resources you should use: hostelworld.org, lonelyplanet.com, couchsurfing.org, eurail.com, travelindependent.info
The Hiker: The only things you have brought are what you can carry on your back. You intend to walk most everywhere, and hitchhike if need be. You are likely on your journey for the primary reason of exploration. Your main food sources are probably a combination of protein bars or "camping food" that you have brought with you, farmer's markets, foraging, or freegan networking. You mostly sleep in a tent using bivouacking methods, and treat the environment with respect. resources you should use: lonelyplanet.com (the forums), trail guides, wilderness-backpacking.com, hikingandbackpacking.com
The WWOOFer: Your main interest is immersing yourself in the life and culture or the places you travel. Physical labor does not bother you, especially if it means you will have food and shelter in return. You likely have an interest in food, the environment, and/or language, and have no problems staying in one place for a few weeks at a time. You don't have much money as your expenses are minimal, and you cherish the connections you make with your hosts. resources you should use: wwoof.org, oveuropa.com
There are many other resources out there, these are simply a starting point. Google, Yahoo, and Ask Jeeves all you want because there are constantly new websites out there that will help you plan your journey.