Tag: natural

January 1, 2018

Kombucha – The Journey

Secondary bottle conditioning of finished Kombucha tea.

Kombucha straight from the batch or container after 7-14 days tastes great as it is. The longer you wait for the SCOBY to do its thing, the more acidic or vinegary the liquid tastes. In addition, the more vinegary the taste, the less residual sugar resides in the Kombucha tea. There is a point where the sweetness and the acidity are fairly well balanced. This is when the Kombucha is ready to be either consumed or used in a secondary fermentation. It is my opinion that the Fermented tea should be dispensed while still a bit sweet when undertaking a secondary fermentation. The sugar is further consumed by the yeast during the secondary fermentation phase.

The secondary bottle conditioning is where the real magic happens. You can tell from the numerous posts on the internet that getting Kombucha fizzy is what a lot of people are looking for, including myself.

I find that 4 things have a large effect on getting a good carbonation on your finished Kombucha.

Use fresh fruits, fruit purees, and/or organic, as-raw-as-possible fruit juices.
Temperature has a lot to do with how long you need to allow the bottle conditioning, at room temperature of 70-75 degrees F., to continue. I have been leaving the room temperature secondary ferment to continue for up to 5 days when the temperature was at 70-71 degrees F.
Use good, strong, bale-top bottles to do the secondary, bottle conditioning. Mason jars and inexpensive bale-top bottles usually made in Italy are not suitable to contain the pressure and do not maintain a good seal in order to contain the carbon dioxide.
Enough yeast to consume any added sugar or fruit. This is accomplished by agitating the yeast on the bottom of the vessel before dispensing to bottles.

Fresh fruits are the most desirable items to use to flavor finished Kombucha tea. Strawberries, raspberries, lemons, oranges, ginger root, mangoes, pineapples – these are just a few of the many fruits that can be effectively used to flavor finished Kombucha tea. Fruit purees make a bit of a messy “sludge” which can be strained out with layers of cheesecloth but will infuse the fruit flavor into the finished tea. Purees take more time and effort which most of us are not overeager to use. Good, organic, pure, not-sugar added, etc. fruit juices are the most convenient way to add flavor to finished Kombucha tea. However, it is nearly impossible to beat the taste of fresh, organic fruits in the Kombucha. They just have to be strained before drinking unless you like the tart, slightly fermented taste of the fruits themselves. In that case, go for it.

Temperature has a direct bearing on the bottle-conditioning time for the secondary Kombucha flavoring stage of Kombucha tea. I was told by someone who has been fermenting all sorts of things that there is a big difference between winter fermentation and summer fermentation. Most homes are kept rather cool in the winter and much warmer in the summer months. So, when bottle conditioning in the winter time, you need to wait longer to do the secondary, or bottle conditioning. Summer fermentation relating to Kombucha will be new to me. I suppose the winter bottle conditioning can take up to 5 days whereas a summer secondary condition will take more like 2-3 days before storing in the refrigerator.

Purchase or locate good quality, swing-top bottles specifically made to hold highly carbonated drinks. I initially tried several Italian made bale-top bottles for the secondary fermentation. First of all, they don’t hold a good seal. Second, the glass is thin and, if they held a seal, they could break from the pressure. These are best used to contain flavored vinegars. Mason jars are not made to hold a lot of pressure. They are made for a vacuum seal. Also, the jar lids may or may not hold the carbon dioxide, but the danger from glass breaking is too great to chance it. The Grolsch style bale-top bottles used in brewing beer are the best. They do make a clear bottle which allow you to see the contents of the Kombucha which is nice. However, the brown bottles help keep the sunlight out which is detrimental to the life of the yeasts and bacteria. So, get some good quality bale-top bottles to contain your secondary brewing of Kombucha tea and flavorings. The 32 ounce growler bottles with a flip-top sold at growler shops are very good for the secondary, bottle conditioning. Also, Trader Joe’s sells a bale-top bottle of Ginger Ale which are a nice size as well and hold a good seal. I cannot emphasis the fact enough that a good airtight seal is paramount to a good carbonation of Kombucha tea.

Finally, tea is a matter of taste. I found that green tea is much lighter in taste than black tea. Green tea also seems to sour quicker than the darker, black tea. I also believe, again a matter of taste, that the black tea melds better with most fruits flavors than the green does. It really does not take a great deal of fruit to flavor your Kombucha tea. Experimentation is the name of the game when flavoring finished Kombucha tea.

August 22, 2016

Vancouver and Vancouver Island

February 28, 2016

Liquid Salad

Run the ingredients below through a juicer for an energizing drink that you will actually feel in about 20 minutes after you drink it. Add a lemon or lime for some extra zip.

1 Full Long Stalk Celery 4% Potassium, 2% Sodium, 5% Vitamin A, 3% Vitamin C, 1% Magnesium
1/4 Cauliflower Head 50% Potassium, 7% Sodium, 22% Protein, 472% Vitamin C, 55% Vitamin B-6, 22% Magnesium, 12% Calcium
1 Large Cucumber 12% Potassium, 4% Protein, 14% Vitamin C, 4% Iron, 5% Vitamin B-6, 9% Magnesium, 4% Calcium
6 Carrots 5% Potassium, 1% Sodium, 1% Protein, 203% Vitamin A, 6% Vitamin C, 5% Vitamin B-6, 1% Magnesium, 2% Calcium
1 Bunch Kale 9% Potassium, 1% Sodium, 133% Vitamin A, 134% Vitamin C, 5% Iron, 10% Vitamin B-6, 7% Magnesium, 10% Calcium
1 Green Apple 5% Potassium, 1% Vitamin A, 14% Vitamin C, 1% Iron, 5% Vitamin B-6, 2% Magnesium, 1% Calcium
3/4 Inch Fresh Ginger 1% Potassium, 1% Vitamin C, 1% Magnesium
1 Inch Fresh Turmeric 4% Potassium, 3% Vitamin C, 15% Iron, 5% Vitamin B-6, 3% Magnesium, 1% Calcium

Makes aprox. 40 oz. (4 servings)

Percent of Daily Recommendation:

Nutrient 40 oz 10 oz
————- ——— ——–
Potassium 88% 22%
Sodium 11% 2.8%
Vitamin A 342% 85.5%
Vitamin C 631% 157.8%
Vitamin B-6 85% 21.25%
Magnesium 46% 11.5%
Calcium 21% 5.25%
Iron 25% 6.25%
Protein 23% 6.25%

February 10, 2016

Fruit/Vegetable Preparation Tips

Tom Warner Photography

Fruits & Vegetables	How To Prepare
Apples	Core your apples and remove the seeds before pushing through your juicer.
Apricots	Rinse and slice in half to remove the pit.
Asparagus	Rinse the stalks carefully and push through juicer, putting the bottom of the stalk through first.
Avocado	You can blend your juices in a blender with an avocado to thicken it up, but never put an avocado in a juicer.
Bananas	Similar to the avocado, never juice bananas! But feel free to blend your juices in a blender with a banana to thicken it up.
Beets (Beetroot)	Peel your beets before juicing them! This will avoid the “earthy” taste that many people complain about after juicing an unpeeled beet. Depending on the size of your beets, slice to fit your juicer shoot. Juice your beet greens, too!
Bell peppers	Rinse and remove the stem, but you can save time and forget removing the seeds – it’s fine to juice them. Cut to size and juice.
Blackberries	Rinse in a strainer. They don’t keep well after being rinsed, so best to wash them the day you plan to juice them.
Blueberries	Rinse in a strainer.
Broccoli	After rinsing, juice it all. From the stalk to the head, you can receive many nutritional benefits from juicing broccoli.
Butter lettuce	Rinse leaves individually, checking for dirt and sand. No need to remove the stems. Roll the leaves up and run through your juicer. Leafy greens move best through your juicer when followed by a harder fruit or vegetable, like apples, celery, or cucumbers.
Cabbage	Green and red cabbage are great for juicing. Be sure to select a cabbage head that is firm with crisp leaves. Cut the cabbage in quarters, or smaller if needed, so it easily fits into the juicer shoot. If you don’t like the taste of beets, you can substitute red cabbage in any juice recipe that calls for beets.
Cactus pears	Peel and cut to size if needed.
Cantaloupe (Rockmelon)	Remove the rind, flesh and seeds before juicing this orange melon.
Carrots	Rinse thoroughly before passing through the juicer and that’s it! You can juice your carrots with the greens and skins still on.
Celeriac (Celery root)	Wash carefully, as grit can get stuck in the nooks and crannies of this hearty root vegetable. As with beets, if you don’t prefer an earthy taste, peel the celeriac first. Cut to fit your juicer.
Celery	Rinse thoroughly and add entire celery stalk through the juicer (even the leafy tops).
Chard (Silverbeet)	Rinse leaves individually, checking for dirt and sand. No need to remove the stems. Roll the leaves up and run through your juicer. Leafy greens move best through your juicer when followed by a harder fruit or vegetable, like apples, celery, or cucumbers.
Cherries	Rinse and use a small paring knife to remove the small pits before juicing. Add a handful to your juicer at one time.
Chayotes	Wash and chop to fit your juicer, then juice!
Collard greens	These are a great leafy green, and can be used if kale (Tuscan cabbage) isn’t available. Wash the large leaves and roll up before juicing.
Cranberries	Rinse and run through juicer. Make sure you juice them with something sweet because these are really tart…not like the commercial cranberry juice you buy in the store!
Cucumbers	Cut the cucumber in half and use it to help push leafy greens through your juicer. No need to peel.
Dandelion	Juice as you would any other leafy green – wash leaves and roll up. Push through with firmer produce. These have some bite to them, so use sparingly, or round off with a sweet and juicy fruit, like pineapple.
Eggplant	I’ve never juiced eggplant and I don’t think I ever will! I think eggplant is best for eating.
Fennel bulbs	Rinse and cut them to fit through your juicer and you’ll notice a slight flavor that might remind you of black licorice.
Grapefruit	Peel and try to keep as much of the white pith on as possible since the pith contains nutrients that help your body absorb the vitamin C and other amazing antioxidants found in citrus fruits. Cut to fit your juicer and juice. You can keep the seeds in as they contain excellent nutrients too.
Grapes	Wash your grapes, remove them from their stems, and add them through your juicer. Experiment with all color grapes.
Jicama	Wash, slice, but don’t peel jicama before adding it to your vegetable juicer. The jicama juice will contain nutrients that were near the skin even after the skin’s been pulped away.
Kale (Tuscan cabbage)	Use any kind – lacinato, red, green, purple, curly, etc. – and add the leafy green through your juicer after rinsing. It’s best to add 3 – 4 leaves at a time.
Kiwi (Kiwifruit)	Peel and run through your juicer, seeds and all.
Leeks	Keep the root and the green part on the leek, and slice in half the long way. Gently separate and rinse between the layers. Check for dirt or sand hiding between the layers.
Lemons	Peel and try to keep as much of the white pith on as possible since the pith contains nutrients that help your body absorb the vitamin C and other amazing antioxidants found in citrus fruits. Cut to fit your juicer and juice. You can keep the seeds in as they contain excellent nutrients too.
Limes	Peel, and try to keep as much as the white pith on as possible (you can use a peeler for that), since the pith contains nutrients that help your body absorb the vitamin C and amazing antioxidants found in citrus fruits. Cut to fit your juicer, and remove the seeds. If you have a centrifugal juicer, you can keep the seeds in. They contain excellent nutrients too.
Mangos	Peel and cut spears of mango from the core. Makes a great tropical juice when mixed with pineapple! Also lends a great creamy texture to your juice.
Melons	Cut into wedges and remove outer skin with a knife or peeler. You can juice these with seeds.
Mustard greens	Juice these like you would any leafy green but definitely choose a small amount of mustard greens. This potent green will give a very strong taste and adds lots of spice. It will literally warm your insides.
Onions	Go easy on these, as they can give your juices a super strong flavor. Some people prefer not to juice these at all. Peel papery skin and slice to fit your juicer, if needed. Onions are another one to start with a small amount, taste your juice, and add more if you like it. If eating raw onions bothers your stomach, you probably want to skip juicing them.
Oranges	Peel and try to keep as much of the white pith on as possible since the pith contains nutrients that help your body absorb the vitamin C and other amazing antioxidants found in citrus fruits. Cut to fit your juicer and juice. You can keep the seeds in as they contain excellent nutrients too.
Papayas	Cut in half and peel the skin. You can leave the seeds in to juice them.
Parsnips	These are super easy, like carrots, especially if you have smaller or skinny ones. Just rinse and run through your juicer! If they’re larger, you may need to slice in half lengthwise. Use these to run leafy greens through your juicer.
Peaches	Cut in half to remove the pit and juice.
Pears	These can be juiced whole. Just wash and slice to fit your juicer, if needed.
Pineapples	The heavier a pineapple is, the riper it is. Grab hold of the top and twist off. Slice into quarters, cut out the woody core, peel the skin, and juice.
Plums	Wash and slice in half to remove the pit. These give your juice a gorgeous color with an antioxidant punch.
Pomegranate	Here’s a trick for this tricky fruit: Fill a bowl up with water. Slice pomegranate in half without pulling the halves apart, and then submerge in the bowl of water to break it apart. This keeps the juice from squirting everywhere. Then, keeping it in the water, break the pomegranate into chunks and tease the seeds out. The white parts will float and the seeds will sink. Remove all the skin and the white parts from the top of the water and use a slotted spoon to remove the seeds. Then juice the seeds!
Radishes	Just rinse and run through your juicer. Leave the root and stem on, but remove the leaves if they have any. Watch out! These can spice up your juice in a flash, so add small amounts at a time. If you’re feeling cold, adding these to your juice will warm you right up.
Raspberries	Just rinse and juice. Add a little bit of lemon to a juice made with raspberries, or combine them with fresh peaches for a peach melba juice.
Romaine lettuce (Cos)	Rinse leaves individually, checking for dirt and sand. Roll the leaves up and run through your juicer. Leafy greens move best through your juicer when followed by a harder fruit or vegetable, like apples, celery or cucumbers.
Scallions	Just rinse and juice! No need to remove the roots or dark green parts because you can juice it all. These have a strong flavor, like onions, so start small.
Spinach	Wash well because some bunches can have a lot of grit on them. Roll into a ball and run through your juicer using firm produce, like apples or carrots to help push the leaves through.
Squashes	This goes for all squashes, including pumpkin and summer squashes: scrub and remove stem. If the skin is really tough and thick, you might want to peel it. Otherwise, slice and keep the seeds in (you get those extra cancer-fighting chemicals by keeping in the seeds), and juice.
Strawberries	Delicious and sweet, they have a powerful flavor when you juice them – so just mix them with other berries, or maybe one or two other fruits. Just rinse and pop right in the juicer.
Sugar snap peas	Rinse and run through juicer. These don’t have very high water content, so they’re not going to yield a lot of juice. Juice along with carrots to drink your peas and carrots!
Sweet potatoes	Scrub and cut into chunks. Sweet potatoes make a delicious dessert juice.
Tangerines	Peel and try to keep as much of the white pith on as possible since the pith contains nutrients that help your body absorb the vitamin C and other amazing antioxidants found in citrus fruits. Cut to fit your juicer and juice. You can keep the seeds in as they contain excellent nutrients too.
Tomatoes	Wash and remove stem and any leaves. If they’re large, you may need to slice to fit your juicer. No need to take out the seeds. Fresh tomato juice is worlds away from that canned stuff!
Turnips	Scrub and chop in chunks to fit your juicer. Turnips in a juice make a great drink for cooler weather when those tropical fruits aren’t in season!
Watermelon	Makes an amazingly refreshing juice, especially in hot weather. Cut into wedges and remove the skin and rind. You can keep the seeds in.
Wheatgrass	Some juicers are better at doing wheatgrass then others. If you’re just doing a small amount, any kind of juicer should be able to handle it. Rinse the wheatgrass, twist or roll into a ball, and push through with something juicy and firm, like apples. Gives a nice and strong green flavor to your juice, and provides lots of great green chlorophyll energy.
Zucchinis	Scrub and cut off stem, but leave the other end on. These are great for pushing through greens.

Herbs & Spices

Herbs & Spices	How to Prepare
Basil	Carefully wash the leaves, removing any grit. If your basil seems very gritty, submerge in a bowl of cold water and swish around. Remove and rinse. To juice, tear the leaves off the stems and roll up. Push through with firmer produce.
Chinese 5-spice powder	Don’t put this through your juicer!! Just sprinkle into your juice.
Cilantro (Coriander)	Wash thoroughly. You can juice the stems and the leaves.
Cinnamon	Don’t juice this either! Sprinkle ground cinnamon on juices with apple, pear and sweet potato.
Dill	Rinse and pull the delicate fronds off the stem to juice.
Garlic	The flavor is strong, and so are the benefits. Use fresh garlic and peel before running through juicer. Start with a small amount and taste your juice before adding more. Better to start small and add more than the other way around!
Ginger	Peel your piece of ginger by cutting the size that you need for the juice and then take a spoon to peel the skin back. You can also use a knife to cut it but a spoon does the trick. Ginger doesn’t produce much juice but it does add a rich flavor so be careful not to go overboard.
Jalapeno (Chili pepper)	Wash and juice. As you probably know, these are pretty spicy, so use with care!
Mint	Wash thoroughly and remove leaves from stem before juicing. Goes great with pineapple, grapes, watermelon or strawberries.
Tarragon	Gives a nice herbal flavor to vegetable juices. Wash and tear leaves off their woody stems before juicing.
Parsley	Carefully wash the leaves, removing any grit. If it seems very gritty, submerge in a bowl of cold water and swish around. Remove and rinse. To juice, tear the leaves off the stems and roll up. Push through with firmer produce.

February 7, 2016

Vegetable Based Juice Recipes

Almost everyone who has studied nutrition can agree that freshly pressed vegetable juices are highly beneficial to human health. But few people make time to prepare and drink them regularly.

Health Benefits of Raw Juicing helps to detoxify body provides nutrient dense food allows higher consumption of a wider variety of vegetables strengthens immune system helps with mental alertness facilitates weight loss improves digestion increases energy anti-aging may help with allergies unlocks all nutrients of raw food allows one to consume the entire veggie/fruit tremendous source of live enzymes decreases body odor uplifts mood supports the liver helps with sleep issues helps with hormone issues

Juice 1

2 carrots
2 ribs of celery
8 leaves of romaine lettuce

Juice 2

2 carrots
Handful of parsley
6 leaves of romaine lettuce
Squeeze of lemon

Juice 3

2 tomatoes
3 ribs of celery
1 carrot
Squeeze of lemon

Juice 4

6 leaves of romaine lettuce
1 tomato
1 rib of celery
1 carrot

Juice 5

4 ribs of celery
2 carrots
1 apple

Fresh & Healthy V8 Raw Juice Recipe

Ingredients (Always use organic ingredients when available.)

3 large tomatoes
3 stalks celery
5 medium-sized carrots
1 small beet
¼ head of cabbage
1-2 bell peppers (red, green)
2 cups spinach
3-4 kale leaves
¼ sweet onion
½ clove garlic (or more to taste)

Instructions

Use organic vegetables and wash thoroughly. Juice all vegetables in juicer. Add chili pepper and/or Kosher/Sea Salt for a more tangy taste. Tabasco sauce to taste can be substituted for the chili pepper.

December 20, 2015

Raspberry Syrup Recipe

Things needed:

2 Sauce Pans
Fine Mesh Strainer
Glass Container for Finished Sauce
Funnel (optional)

Ingredients for 1 to 1-1/2 pints (depending on reduction)

1 LB Raspberries
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Water

Steps:

Wash Raspberries
Place raspberries in sauce pan and cover with water
Bring both to a boil
After the liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer
Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes (skim off any foam on surface)
Strain liquid through fine mesh strainer into another sauce pan
Place back on heat and bring back to a boil
Slowly add in sugar, stir constantly
After sauce comes to a boil, continue boil for minimum of 5 minutes
Stir and allow to boil longer for a thicker syrup (15-20 minutes)

Lower Sugar Recipe

PREP TIME – 15 m
COOK TIME – 1 hour
TOTAL TIME – 1 hour 15 m
Makes: 9½-pints or 5 pints

INGREDIENTS:

10-1/2 cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.), fresh or frozen
4-1/2 c. apple juice
1-1/2 c. honey
1-1/2 c. sugar (or you can use all honey: 2-3/4 c. honey total- use a bit less as honey is sweeter than sugar)

DIRECTIONS:

Place fruit in an 8-quart pot and crush (if using frozen fruit, let thaw at room temperature first).
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Stir constantly towards the end as it gets close to boiling, just to make sure it doesn’t overflow the pot.
Reduce the heat slightly- enough to keep the fruit at a medium boil – and stir often as the mixture cooks and reduces over the next 40 minutes.
It should be thickened and reduced by almost half. If not, continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, prepare the canner and 9½-pints jars (or 5 pint jars) and lids. Keep the jars warm until filling.
Immediately fill hot jars with the syrup, leaving ½-inch head space. Wipe jar tops and threads clean and place lids and bands on jars.
Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool on a towel overnight before removing bands and testing lids for seal. Refrigerate any that didn’t seal and store the rest on a dark, cool shelf.
Always label the jars with the contents and a date so you remember what you’ve got. Use within a year.

June 12, 2015

11 Camping Tips and Techniques That Make a Difference

1. Use inexpensive standard leather utility work gloves when working with a campfire

Here’s Why

You can pickup hot coals and burning wood and not get burned. Obviously, you have to move quickly and deliberately when doing so, but it is much easier and more efficient than using a fire poker. Fire pokers have their place when needing to make “aeration” holes in the campfire and large pieces of wood need re-arranging, but the gloves will do a lot of the other things that are needed when tending a campfire. When baking potatoes, corn or other items in the campfire coals, the gloves are great for turning them over when needed. Sure you are going to get ashes an soot on the gloves. Just dost them together initially and then slap them against a piece of firewood and they are ready to go again. It takes a long time to wear a decent pair of them out and they are less than $5 brand new.

2. If you have a free-standing metal fire bowl that come with a grill – use the grill when camping

Here’s Why

When I purchased our backyard portable, metal fire bowl it came with a grill that I did not intend to use at home. So, I stored it in the garage. When I ran across it during camping season, I wondered if it could fit into our camping scenario. The grill itself has a 1/2 inch pipe fitting that has a set screw in it. I wondered if I could locate something that would be long and fit into it. I found that a 4 foot piece of reinforcing bar (rebar) would be perfect. Now, at our campsite fire ring, I take a small sledge hammer and drive it inside the ring. Then I simply move the grill up and down to raise and lower the temperature.

3. Raise your garbage bag into the air by tying a rope around it and pulling it up off the ground

Here’s Why

Racoons and other night creatures are on the prowl at night while you are fast asleep. Leaving your trash bag on the ground is only inviting disaster. Tie a rope around the top of the bag, loop it over a relatively high limb (10-12 feet) and pull it up into the air. It is important to get it up to at least 8 feet at minimum. We had a racoon get up on its hind legs that ripped access holes in the bottom of the bag once because is was too low.

4. Before you turn in at night, take the time to place an inexpensive tarp over any gear that is outside

Here’s Why

Besides the obvious reason of the possibility of rain, dew will put a moisture layer on all surfaces. In most cases, this dew dries off soon enough. But, if you are early risers like we are, it’s nice to have the gas stove and other gear containers nice and dry. In addition, any metal items that are susceptible to rust and other oxidation should be kept dry for obvious reasons. Over time they will deteriorate. It also helps to ensure that your firewood remains dry, so cover it too.

5. Take a bag of Lump Charcoal with you make campfire cooking even more efficient

Here’s Why

Even though lump charcoal is not inexpensive, a little goes a long way especially when used in conjunction with your campfire. Cooking on a campfire is always a matter of timing. Cook on it too soon and there’s not enough coals generated and the flames are usually high. Cooking on a campfire too late and there is not enough heat. However, if you have a few hot coals going, you can always add some lump charcoal to those coals and in about 15-20 minutes, you have some nice evenly heated coals that you can use to cook on.

6. Start you fire a little easier with commercially available fire starting pine sticks

Here’s Why

A box of these pine wood fire starters is relatively inexpensive. The name brand that I use is Fatwood. You only need 4-5 sticks to start a fire. So, a box of them lasts for quite awhile. We always keep a few sheets of newspaper on hand when camping for starting fires. So, balling up a single sheet of newspaper, then stacking a few sticks of Fatwood around it, and finally, placing a few split logs of firewood over that and lighting it will always get a fire going unless it is pouring down rain or your wood is soaked. The pine smell and soot only lasts for a short while and we have never detected the pine resin taste in our food.

7. There is a big difference between garden type water hoses and drinking water hoses

Here’s Why

Sure, when I was a kid, I drank from a regular garden water hose, the typical green ones. I didn’t know any better and I was usually so thirsty that I did not really care that it tasted a bit like plastic. However, there is a BIG difference between the water taste that comes through a garden type water hose and one that is made for drinking water. These are usually located in the camping section of large discount department stores or can be ordered online. They are generally made for RV campers and can be found at RV supply companies. They don’t cost all that much more that the quality garden variety and normally you don’t need too long of a length to get by.
Which brings up the point that a water filtering container like the ones made by Brita, make your drinking and cooking water tasted much better than the water that comes from a campsite spigot. We always carry ours with us and keep it topped off so it is ready when we need it.

8. A Thermos Brand 48 oz Wide Mouth Stainless Steel Thermos is a purchase you won’t regret

Here’s Why

It keeps liquids warm and cold for a very long time. It is tough. You can drop it, bankg it and aabuse it and it only gets a few dings. I call them character marks. You can fill it up with cubed ice, fill the space with cold water and the ice will still be there a couple day later. It keeps warm soups and beverages hot for a long time too. It has a nice handle and a carrying strap. It comes with 2 cups. An inner one and the outer one. It has a nice dispenser built into the screw off lid. You could drink from the dispenser if you needed to. The dispenser lid screws in and ends up facing the correct direction every time. So does the outer lid. Put it on with the high impact plastic tab facing right or left, give it a one quarter turn and it is locked in place. For around $40 or so, it is a cost effective piece of outdoor equipment.

9. Bite the bullet and buy high quality batteries in bulk

Here’s why

Duracell and Eveready batteries have a 10 year shelf lifespan now. That, in itself is incredible. So, if you buy in bulk which is expensive in the short run but more cost effective in the long run, it only makes sense to buy a large quantity of them. Keep some in your home, some in the bug out bag (BOB – everyone should have one), and a supply with your camping gear. An extra supply of AA batteries and several LED flashlights are usually all the light you really need for the most part. So, lighting-wise, it is easy to be “ever ready”.

10. Have at least 1 Good Quality Knife with you if possible

Why you need one

If you are anything like me, you never seem to have enough knives. There are so many uses for them and none of them do everything. I still have not located the perfect knife that does everything. I have had my Swiss Army pocket knife for many years now and it does a lot. But, you can’t cut, for instance, a watermelon with it and it is not much for food preparation unless you are in a strict survival mode which most us are not. It does not work well for cleaning fish either. With all that said, the “Light My Fire” with integrated Swedish Firesteel. The knife is under $25 and is made by the Mora company a Scandinavian knife manufacturer. The blade is made of Sandvi 12C27 stainless steel with a Scandinavian grind (basically a saber or flat grind that has no secondary bevel). A polypropylene sheath with clip. It has a 3.9 inch blade length and is 8 1/2 inches long total. The blade keeps a good edge if used properly and is very sharp. I recommend this knife for general camp cooking. It works great with cutting meat and vegetables. It is long enough for most camp cooking jobs but not so big that it is unwieldy. It is easy to clean and moisture is not a problem. My BOB knife is an old German bayonet that cost me $40. It is tough and is used for general camp use (beside cooking). These types of knives can be found a flea markets and military surplus stores. I am not a knife collector per se, so I can’t see paying several hundred dollars for a knife.

11. Collapsable Plastic Dish Washing Pan and 5 gallon paint bucket

Here’s Why

Space is at a premium when you go on a camping trip for any length of time. There is lots of gear that goes with you. A collapsible dish washing pan takes up less than 2″ of height when collapsed and works well as a regular dish pan. An inexpensive 5 gallon paint bucket or two take up space, but you can stack them together and put smaller items into the top one. We take 2 with us. Once is used for miscellaneous water where we leave the hose end in it and do some had rinsing from time to time. The other is used strictly for dish rinsing.

Another item that is really convenient is a foldable, metal dish rack with plastic drainage tray. Both of these fold nearly flat and are great for air drying dishes, bowls, and utensils.