Pasta: Pasta can form a major part of your field diet (whole grain 
pastas are nutritionally superior). Noodles of various shapes and kinds 
make an excellent start for one-pot meals. They cook in about 8-minutes 
of boiling (frequent stirring keeps them from sticking) and are quite 
nourishing, since they are generally made with egg as well as flour. 
However, don't make the mistake some hungry backpackers have made of 
counting on ramen noodles as a complete main-course (most have less than 
200 calories). Ramen noodles can supplement MRE's or form the basis of a 
one-pot meal to which you add meat and vegetables. Packaged macaroni and 
cheese can also be made into a complete main-course by using the 
"15-Minute Dinner Ideas" found on a Kraft box. Prepare the macaroni and 
cheese normally and then stir in a half pound each of cooked meat and 
cooked vegetables with some spices or extra ingredients. Some 
combinations suggested by Kraft are: ground beef, stewed tomatoes & 
1-tsp. chili powder; chicken, broccoli & 2-tsp. mustard; tuna, peas, 
1/4-tsp. Italian seasoning; Italian sausage, broccoli, 1/4-cup chopped 
red pepper. You might also consider the ease of preparation and flavor 
variety of Hamburger Helper or Noodle Roni type main-course pasta 
dishes. A variety of sauce mixes (like Stroganoff, Fettucine Alfredo or 
broccoli and mushroom sauce) can add a welcome change to a monotonous 
field diet. Discard the original packaging and consolidate the pasta 
from all the boxes into a single container. Empty the sauce mix packets 
into separate bags for each type (along with instant dry milk if the 
recipe requires milk). With a permanent (not water soluble) marking pen, 
write preparation instructions on the bag or an enclosed slip of paper. 
Write instructions both for single servings and for the number of 
portions that will fit in a large cooking pot shared between 3 or 4 
people. Carry a small plastic drinking/measuring cup and a set of 
plastic measuring spoons (not necessarily the whole set, just what you 
need) to measure out the required number of portions.


Rice, Barley, Buckwheat, Grits: These are handy staples for preparing 
many good dishes, from cereals to main-courses (like with potatoes and 
pasta, sauce mixes can conveniently add variety). The instant forms are 
less nutritious, but are much easier to cook. A lightweight aluminum 
backpacking type pressure cooker reduces the cooking time required for 
these staples, and is the only practical way of cooking brown rice 
(which takes twice as long as regular long grain rice) over a 
single-burner backpacking stove.


Soup Bases and Instant Soup: In addition to making a quick cup of soup, 
powdered bases and bouillon are also useful as flavorings for many 
dishes. When using them, remember that most bases contain a considerable 
amount of salt; use them cautiously. Don't carry single servings of 
instant soup; consolidate them into separate zip-lock bags for each 
type. Instant pea soup mixes are filling and a good source of protein, 
especially if rice, noodles or some other grain is included in the meal.


Sweeteners: Brown sugar is more versatile to use and easier to pack than 
white (put a piece of apple in the container to keep it soft). Honey, 
molasses, syrups and jam should be placed in plastic jars or bottles 
with tight-fitting lids (for extra protection, pack them inside a 
plastic bag).


Fruit Drinks: Instant fruit drinks and gelatin desserts are good to 
drink either hot or cold (nothing beats a hot cup of Jell-O with a 
little margarine for sleeping warm). Get mixes with vitamin C and sugar 
already added. More expensive artificially sweetened drinks don't have 
the nutritional value of sugar, but weigh less (lemonade or lemon 
flavored ice tea mix with Nutrasweet is good prepared half-strength to 
mask the taste of iodine after using water purification tablets).


Instant Desserts: Instant puddings and cheesecake can be packed in small 
zip-lock freezer bags (with dry milk if the recipe requires). To prepare 
just add cold water, mix it in the bag, chill in a cold stream if 
available, and then eat right from the bag.


Candy: If you choose to eat candy, make it in addition to an already 
nutritious diet. Fruit candies are more practical and offer a greater 
variety than chocolates. Nut candies are nutritionally superior.


Spices: A good spice kit can make the difference between superb cuisine 
and bland, monotonous meals in the field. A good basic selection 
includes salt (carry extra, which you will need if you are perspiring 
heavily), pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, dill, curry, 
oregano, sage, chili powder, cumin, onion powder and garlic. Tabasco 
sauce, salsa, soy sauce and worcestershire sauce can also add a dash of 
interest to a simple meal. Spices are best carried in small plastic 
bottles or covered shakers with a few grains of rice to absorb moisture. 
Flip-top lids are available to convert plastic 35mm film cans into handy 
salt and pepper shakers.


Adjusting Rations for High Altitude and Cold Weather. The higher the 
altitude, the less oxygen is available to metabolize food. Complex 
molecules such as proteins and fats may be harder to digest under these 
conditions. Fats can still be a very important source of concentrated, 
long-lasting energy, and some people are not bothered at all by 
digestive problems at high altitude. Take it easy the first time out, 
and if they give you no difficulties, then keep high energy fats in your 
rations and even increase them to about 40 percent of your diet. High 
altitude increases cooking time, which will roughly double for every 
6,000 feet. At 15,000 feet water boils at 184 degrees and will not get 
hotter without a pressure cooker. At 11,000 feet fresh carrots can sit 
in a boiling stew pot for hours and all you end up with are hot, raw 
crunchy carrots. A meal that takes thirty minutes to cook at sea level 
is not practical at high altitudes. Frying is not much affected by high 
altitude.


Cold dry air absorbs water from the lungs and the body loses fluids with 
every breath (visible or not). Extra soup and drink mixes should be 
added to your rations for cold weather or high altitude. Taking 
additional liquids will increase your blood volume, which aids digestion 
and helps prevent frostbite and hypothermia. Coffee and other diuretics 
should be used in moderation because they prevent the body from 
absorbing water and dehydration may result. An adequate supply of water 
is top priority in cold weather, even though it may be more difficult to 
find. Snow must be melted slowly over a low flame or it will taste 
scorched and be undrinkable. If you have to melt solid snow, place a bit 
of water in the bottom of your pot and stir constantly. Snow can also be
 melted in a porous cloth bag suspended over a container near a fire (no 
closer than you can comfortably stand indefinitely). After each meal, 
melt an extra pot of water and fill water bottles. A warm water bottle 
wrapped in a mitten or wool sock helps to keep your feet warm while you 
sleep. Have both food and water available at night; thirst and hunger 
are the major reasons people sleep cold. A high-fat, high-protein recipe 
to munch on and keep warm is the "Iron Man Mix"; one part each of 
raisins, cubed nonprocessed cheese, peanuts and diced beef jerky. On 
snowy peaks during the summer, you can use the sun to melt drinking 
water. If you are spending the day in camp, put a dark colored tarp or 
rain parka in a hollow in the snow. Then place a small amount of snow in 
the tarp and continue adding snow as it melts. The sun's energy will 
melt large amounts of water fairly quickly.


Personal Field Cooking Equipment. During the Revolutionary War, meals in 
the field were cooked over open fires in cast iron pots (one for every 
six to twelve men; the officer's pots had lids). Each soldier carried a 
canteen, a tin plate or wooden bowl, and a wooden or pewter spoon. 
Seasoned veterans carried big spoons so they could eat fast and get 
seconds from the pot before they ran out. As a modern day Minuteman, how 
you equip yourself for field cooking depends upon your personal 
experience and the mission. At a minimum you should have an individual 
mess kit (GI or a commercial nesting set), a canteen and canteen cup, a 
large spoon (GI mess kit type or heavy duty lexan plastic), a P-38 type 
folding can opener, and a pocketknife. You should also have a folding 
pocket stove (the British Army type is best; carry plenty of band-aids 
if you get a cheap Taiwan copy with loads of sharp corners) or a canteen 
cup stand with solid fuel. Such a compact stove will allow you to warm a 
pre-cooked meal, cook individual servings and prepare hot beverages. 
Hexamine fuel tablets are relatively inexpensive in the camping sections 
of discount stores. The US military issues trioxane fuel bars, which can 
be found in surplus stores. Both types of solid fuel can also be used as 
tinder to get stubborn, damp kindling started; trioxane is especially 
easy to ignite with a Gerber Strike Force emergency fire starting tool. 
If you get a commercial mess kit, spend the extra money for stainless 
steel; aluminum camping mess kits are quite thin, so food scorches and 
burns easily. A good value in mess kits is the Stansport one-person 
stainless steel cook set (about $17 at Bi-Mart), which has copper 
bottoms for quick and even heating, features fold-away stay cool 
handles, nests compactly into an included nylon case, and consists of an 
8-ounce plastic drinking/measuring cup, a 3/4-quart pot with lid, a 
1-quart pot with lid, and a 5-1/2 inch frying pan. In addition to the 
canteen on your belt, you may wish to carry dry staples (like rice, 
pasta or dried potatoes) in wide-mouth 1-quart polycarbonate plastic 
bottles (Nalgene and Reliance are popular brands; Reliance is 
considerably less expensive). When empty, they can be used as extra 
canteens or for soaking dried food in your rucksack while you're on the 
move (put dried food and water in the bottle at noon and it should be 
ready for cooking by evening meal time). You might also add an insulated 
plastic or stainless steel drinking mug, to prevent burning your lips 
and to keep beverages hot. A 2-quart or 5-quart GI bladder canteen can 
be useful for carrying water from a water source to your cooking area in 
camp.


Cooking Canned Rations. There are three basic methods for you to cook 
canned rations in a tactical environment. The least popular method is to 
open the can, empty the contents into your mess kit or canteen cup and 
heat it. It's after the meal that your problems begin; trying to clean 
your cooking gear, which you never seem to have the time or enough water 
to do. If you don't get it clean enough, you will wish that you had the 
next time you use it and then have to make an urgent "shovel recon" of 
the bushes. A cleaner cooking method is to pierce the lid twice and 
place the can half submerged in boiling water for 10 minutes. This is 
slow and uses a good deal of fuel and water, but is the method described 
in the British ration pack instructions and is the recommended method 
for heating MRE pouches in a canteen cup with a stand and solid fuel. 
Water used for heating cans becomes contaminated with zinc and should 
not be used for drinking purposes. The third method of heating canned 
rations is to make a shallow dent in the side of the can and place it on 
the stove. When the dent bulges out or resumes its normal shape, remove 
the can, holding it away from you pierce it to release the pressure, 
open it and eat the contents right from the can. Heat unopened cans 
slowly and remove them promptly when the dent bulges out or they might 
explode. An advantage of this heating method is that if you are attacked 
while cooking you just put the can in your pocket or rucksack (be 
careful, it will be hot) and continue to cook it whenever you have the 
time. Also, unlike the first two methods it produces no steam (visible 
over great distances in cold conditions) or cooking odors. When finished 
with canned rations, top and tail the cans (remove the lid and bottom), 
flatten, burn to remove food remnants, put them in plastic garbage bags 
and carry them with you. This process keeps down the amount of insects 
in camp and denies the enemy tactical intelligence from examining your 
unit's refuse pile.

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