I have a confession to make…
…Cauliflower.
In fact, half a fresh cauliflower. That’s just under half a kilo of vegetable.
It was October 1999 and that half a kilo of tasty veg was sitting at the top of my backpack, whilst my cousin shouldered an equal amount of fresh broccoli. We had set off from Katoomba station to start a 5 day (132km) walk to Mittagong in the New South Wales Southern Highlands. You could say that what we lacked in track-smarts we made up for in enthusiasm and sense of adventure… Oh, and a 23kg pack. Yes. 23.
We really had no idea. We also didn’t have the knowledge of having walked and learned from a bushwalking club or knowing where to go looking for advice on the internet.
Thankfully, since then, I’ve learnt a thing or two! Here’s some basics on how to get started on your culinary adventures in the bush and how to avoid what George and Gary would call, ‘a world of pain’. Essentially, some basics of food for overnight hikes.