Over this weekend I have been working freelance for Outdoor Activities Service on a Bronze DofE training expedition. This is a good opportunity for those going for their qualifying expedition to test their equipment and also place alot of emphasis on practising their navigation. Another area they can evaluate is their choice of food for the two days. For many 2 days out in the hills with an overnight camp on a supervised camp site is a new experience and presents many personal challenges. Food is a great moral booster, certainly is in the Marines, so this is an area where they can get some 'comfort'. Choice of food for DofE award is a somewhat discussed area. My view is to try to continue what you would normally have at home. For a two day exped you can bring a packed lunch for day 1, a choci bar, piece of fruit. For day 2, chat to the rest of your team, bring wraps, cheese spread, meat spreads etc. For evening meal if someone is cooking at home and making a curry, spag bol and the such like, make an extra portion, place in two freezer bags 1 inside the other (double bag) and then for the evening meal on exped just reheat, and there you go, home cooking on exped. You need a good start to the second day so for breakfast porridge is an ideal start. These days the supermarkets are stocked with all sorts, the porridge in a tub ideas are ideal just add hot water, take some currants along and add these. Alot of participants feel they can just have cereal bars for breakfast, better than nothing but for that little bit of time preparing much better to have some hot porridge, by all means have a cereal bar afterwards with a hot drink. You need at least 1 big mug of hot drink to start the day, try to squeeze in 2 if you can.
Other ideas can be found all over the internet, there is also one on the DofE website. Just don't take something new or something that takes loads of preparation. You really need a one pot wonder. Don't even think about frying. You'll need plenty of carbs for your energy stores so pastas, rice etc and sauce are great. You can even get beans now in a plastic pot so no tins, tip top.
On longer deployments into the jungle I used to take packets of noodle for lunch, if I was able to cook at lunch. Metal mug, gas stove+water + noodles=lunch. Done, eaten and packed away in five mins. As a break I'd have a tin of tuna added every couple of times. Not that you'll have time to cook at lunch but as an idea towards an evening meal, it's simple and very little preparation.
If you must take tins get the ones with the ring pulls, no can opener required.
For hot drinks, tea bags, coffee sachets, hot chocolate sachets or between your team you can get small plastic tupperware containers, put sugar in one and dried milk in another or if you don't mind have a milk and sugar mix. This can then be used to add to tea or coffee. A small container would hold enough for the team.
The main thing to do though is eat and drink, little and plenty is really the motto during the day, so take little things to snack. You can carry a 'nutty bag'. Prepare before you go, a freezer bag with broken bits of chocolate, biscuits, nuts and seeds (allergy dependent). Keep this in your pocket and you can enjoy chomping your favourites all day, just remember to have enough for the length of your expedition and be aware carrying this in hot weather. Discuss your menu as a team to see if you can share stuff around and saves buying single items so therefore cheaper and you can share the load. Remember DofE is about teamwork.
Hope this gives anyone interested a few simple ideas, I can go on alot longer about this but if you would like to know more then please feel free to get in touch.
