Chai Guy
01-06-2006, 02:41 PM
Here are some tips and tricks for eating well on the playa.
There are a lot of different ways to eat on the playa, from "no cook" snacks and MRE's all the way up to full blown kitchens and sushi chefs flown in from Japan (I shit you not!)
Here are the basics:
1. Coolers
You're going to want to bring two "good" coolers (you can leave the Styrofoam one's at home; they'll be useless on the playa). I like the Coleman steel belted cooler the best, it seems to hold ice the longest. You're going to want to elevate your cooler off the ground, keep it out of the sun, and keep it closed as often as possible.
I use the first cooler as my "Dry Ice" cooler, in it I keep everything that needs to be frozen or kept really, really cold. I keep it closed all the time except when I'm transferring items into my "ready to eat" cooler. I also duct tape the lid around the seam to keep it extra cold. I'm the "cooler captain" which means that only I'm allowed to open the "Dry Ice" cooler, this ensures that it gets opened only when absolutely necessary.
I also label everything so that when I do go in it, I know I'm getting exactly what I want. For all kinds of good info on dry ice check out this site http://www.dryiceinfo.com/
I use my second cooler as my "ready to eat" and beverage cooler, I keep one block of ice and one bag of crushed ice in it at all times. Anything that can't or shouldn't be frozen also goes in here.
I like to get ice every day; some people only get ice once or twice for the entire week. I like cold drinks though, so I use a lot. If you go to get ice, do so first thing in the morning to avoid the incredibly long lines later in the day.
2. Stoves
While you don't need a stove for survival on the playa it sure makes life more enjoyable. I have two types of stoves that are personal favorites. The first is a simple table top propane camping stove, the second is the larger propane stove that stands alone and often comes with a griddle attachment. I love propane because it heats up fast and isn't as dangerous as the white gas variety. Choose which ever stove meets your needs best. Propane BBQ's are great if you have the room, but leave the charcoal at home as carting all those used ashes home is a pain.
3. Table
You're going to want to bring a table with you. A table allows you to cook using a table top propane stove, serves as a place to prep food, holds your condiments, provides a stable place for a lantern, and is a great place to sit your water container on (place a bucket underneath to catch the drips). It also doubles your storage capacity, you can pack all your food/coolers/water under the table, making them easily accessible and out of the way. Put a table cloth on your table and you've now provided shade for your coolers underneath. A table is an absolutely essential item to any camp kitchen. Rubbermaid makes some really nice light weight and easily pack able tables.
4. Food
The more prep work you can do at home, the more fun you'll have on the playa. Try to keep all meals to a single dish. In fact, I usually only bring one large skillet. I premake all of my food at home, and then freeze it in a ziplock bag. Once I get to the playa, all I have to do is put the food in the skillet and heat it up. This means I don't have to chop, prep or do any work on the playa and no food scrap waste to cart home either! You'll also save on water by not having to boil it for pasta or rice dishes.
Not much of a cook to begin with? No problem! Go to your favorite restaurants, order your meal to go, take it home and freeze it, now you're ready to go!
Another idea is to head to Trader Joes frozen food section, they have a ton of great one skillet meals ready for you, they're all almost the perfect amount of food for 2 hungry people.
For lunch I usually go with pita sandwiches, bread and lettuce don't keep well in the desert, but pitas and sprouts are great. I bring a big tub of humus, some tomatoes, cucumbers and a couple of onions.
I also love Miso soup (you need more salt in the desert), and while some people hate them, I love Tasty Bites (pre-packaged Indian food in air tight bags, they need no refrigeration and are available online or at Trader Joes). Tasty Bites make a great lunch snack, and you can throw them in your backpack for a quick meal without heading back to camp.
Remember that in the desert you won't have as much of an appetite as you do at home. You still need to eat well, you'll be burning a lot calories out there and you'll need the proper nutrition to keep you going.
5. Snacks
Lot's and Lot's and Lot's of snacks! I always bring a bunch of nuts (good protein!), and again, you'll be craving salt! Energy bars are great too. Don't be afraid to load up on snacks and always take some with you when you leave camp.
6. Beverages
You'll want to bring an electrolyte replacement drink, like Gookinaid, Gatorade, Emergen-C or Zipfizz. I suggest diluting to about 50% of the recommended strength. Try to stay away from things with caffeine, or at least remember to drink more water when you do indulge. Caffeine is a diuretic and will facilitate your dehydration. Same goes for alcohol. You won't need to drink as much to feel the same effects you do at home. If you drink an alcoholic drink, take it easy and remember to drink extra water. Ending up in the medical tent with an IV in your arm is not a fun way to spend your vacation on the playa.
If you like beer try to find it in an aluminum can rather than a bottle. Cans are easier to dispose of and take back home with you (they also have a recycling camp that will take your cans). If you have to bring bottles, save the original case containers for your empties to make taking them home easier. My personal preference is Sapphorro, they come in giant and mini can sizes.
Hope this helps, happy eating on the playa!
There are a lot of different ways to eat on the playa, from "no cook" snacks and MRE's all the way up to full blown kitchens and sushi chefs flown in from Japan (I shit you not!)
Here are the basics:
1. Coolers
You're going to want to bring two "good" coolers (you can leave the Styrofoam one's at home; they'll be useless on the playa). I like the Coleman steel belted cooler the best, it seems to hold ice the longest. You're going to want to elevate your cooler off the ground, keep it out of the sun, and keep it closed as often as possible.
I use the first cooler as my "Dry Ice" cooler, in it I keep everything that needs to be frozen or kept really, really cold. I keep it closed all the time except when I'm transferring items into my "ready to eat" cooler. I also duct tape the lid around the seam to keep it extra cold. I'm the "cooler captain" which means that only I'm allowed to open the "Dry Ice" cooler, this ensures that it gets opened only when absolutely necessary.
I also label everything so that when I do go in it, I know I'm getting exactly what I want. For all kinds of good info on dry ice check out this site http://www.dryiceinfo.com/
I use my second cooler as my "ready to eat" and beverage cooler, I keep one block of ice and one bag of crushed ice in it at all times. Anything that can't or shouldn't be frozen also goes in here.
I like to get ice every day; some people only get ice once or twice for the entire week. I like cold drinks though, so I use a lot. If you go to get ice, do so first thing in the morning to avoid the incredibly long lines later in the day.
2. Stoves
While you don't need a stove for survival on the playa it sure makes life more enjoyable. I have two types of stoves that are personal favorites. The first is a simple table top propane camping stove, the second is the larger propane stove that stands alone and often comes with a griddle attachment. I love propane because it heats up fast and isn't as dangerous as the white gas variety. Choose which ever stove meets your needs best. Propane BBQ's are great if you have the room, but leave the charcoal at home as carting all those used ashes home is a pain.
3. Table
You're going to want to bring a table with you. A table allows you to cook using a table top propane stove, serves as a place to prep food, holds your condiments, provides a stable place for a lantern, and is a great place to sit your water container on (place a bucket underneath to catch the drips). It also doubles your storage capacity, you can pack all your food/coolers/water under the table, making them easily accessible and out of the way. Put a table cloth on your table and you've now provided shade for your coolers underneath. A table is an absolutely essential item to any camp kitchen. Rubbermaid makes some really nice light weight and easily pack able tables.
4. Food
The more prep work you can do at home, the more fun you'll have on the playa. Try to keep all meals to a single dish. In fact, I usually only bring one large skillet. I premake all of my food at home, and then freeze it in a ziplock bag. Once I get to the playa, all I have to do is put the food in the skillet and heat it up. This means I don't have to chop, prep or do any work on the playa and no food scrap waste to cart home either! You'll also save on water by not having to boil it for pasta or rice dishes.
Not much of a cook to begin with? No problem! Go to your favorite restaurants, order your meal to go, take it home and freeze it, now you're ready to go!
Another idea is to head to Trader Joes frozen food section, they have a ton of great one skillet meals ready for you, they're all almost the perfect amount of food for 2 hungry people.
For lunch I usually go with pita sandwiches, bread and lettuce don't keep well in the desert, but pitas and sprouts are great. I bring a big tub of humus, some tomatoes, cucumbers and a couple of onions.
I also love Miso soup (you need more salt in the desert), and while some people hate them, I love Tasty Bites (pre-packaged Indian food in air tight bags, they need no refrigeration and are available online or at Trader Joes). Tasty Bites make a great lunch snack, and you can throw them in your backpack for a quick meal without heading back to camp.
Remember that in the desert you won't have as much of an appetite as you do at home. You still need to eat well, you'll be burning a lot calories out there and you'll need the proper nutrition to keep you going.
5. Snacks
Lot's and Lot's and Lot's of snacks! I always bring a bunch of nuts (good protein!), and again, you'll be craving salt! Energy bars are great too. Don't be afraid to load up on snacks and always take some with you when you leave camp.
6. Beverages
You'll want to bring an electrolyte replacement drink, like Gookinaid, Gatorade, Emergen-C or Zipfizz. I suggest diluting to about 50% of the recommended strength. Try to stay away from things with caffeine, or at least remember to drink more water when you do indulge. Caffeine is a diuretic and will facilitate your dehydration. Same goes for alcohol. You won't need to drink as much to feel the same effects you do at home. If you drink an alcoholic drink, take it easy and remember to drink extra water. Ending up in the medical tent with an IV in your arm is not a fun way to spend your vacation on the playa.
If you like beer try to find it in an aluminum can rather than a bottle. Cans are easier to dispose of and take back home with you (they also have a recycling camp that will take your cans). If you have to bring bottles, save the original case containers for your empties to make taking them home easier. My personal preference is Sapphorro, they come in giant and mini can sizes.
Hope this helps, happy eating on the playa!