What could you give up

[Billiebob]

If you needed to consolidate, make your kitchen simpler, smaller, lighter.
What could you give up.

If you had to eliminate a basic ingredient, additive, product what would it be.

For me, sugar. We have not bought sugar or any other sweetener for 20 years.

 

[Billiebob]

Another easy one was "purchased, bottled" water.
We live off tap water all the time.

I have never "bought" a bottle of water.
Still alive 64 years later too.
In India, I lived for the beer.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

Fridge/Cooler. Perhaps it's not traditional "kitchen items", but there are plenty of ingredients, meals, and snacks that do not require refrigerated ingredients.

 

[J.W.]

Anything beyond pilot bread and beef jerky is optional.

{submitted from my hotel room}

 

[J.W.]

In all seriousness, soda and most processed foods are the things I have no problem abandoning. I am not fancy when camping. Usually I am so tired from hiking and sightseeing that a simple meal and a distilled beverage is all I want. A steak and baked potato cooked fireside is tough to beat but some dried salami and wheat crackers will fill your belly in a pinch. Fireside spaghetti with stew beef for the meat is also pretty simple and will feed a bunch of people. The packaged/dehydrated stuff has really improved over the years and I eat it from time to time but I don’t really like putting all that stuff I can’t pronounce in my body.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not above having Spam and canned cheese for a trail lunch, I just don’t like to do it regularly. And I’ve found that I feel better during the day when I eat simple, whole Foods for my meals.

 

[trikebubble]

We gave up on cooking hash browns/potatoes with our breaky awhile ago and haven't missed them. We make sure to buy a good loaf of bread to go with breakfast, and have enjoyed it more than before.

 

[Billiebob]

My favourite breakfast in yogurt, granola & coffee.

I save the bacon & eggs for dining out.

 

[greydog]

I would have to say Bisquick I use it for everything biscuits, pancakes and even pie dough, it would be tough but it is the heaviest thing in the camp kitchen.

 

[greydog]

I learned to cook from a chuck wagon cook so I guess that make me real old school!

 

[Roam Bearded]

For our kitchen we just created an "ultralight' tote for our short overnighters. Our main totes has the Dutch oven, cast iron skillet, 2 burner stove, food for an army lol, etc. (we do like to cook at camp). Our quick tote has the backpacking stoves and cookware, a handful of dehydrated meals, snacks. Essentially it could replace the 3 totes we carry normally.

So we don't really give up anything, it's more situational packing.

 

[JoelIII]

Well, I suppose I could give up 80% of the crap I eat/drink and that would save money as well as being WAY more healthy!

 

[RonaldHoward1313]

I could, would give up my ice cream to save room. And most of my other junk foods. I would keep the hard candy tho, it's small and gives you a little sweetness when needed. And If needed, I may even give up my Mt Dew...lol

 

[MazeVX]

The third plate, the second cutting board, the forth knife, soup plates...
"wife requirements"

 

[64Trvlr]

Over the years I started with a plate and cast iron skillet and moved on to a ton of kitchen stuff. I'm down to a comfortable amount of stuff that works for me.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Food for thought , backpackers live for weeks at a time hiking 10 hours a day with everything they need to survive in a 25-35 lb pack ..... how much do we really need to sit in a heated /ac controlled rig and eat well at night .

 

[Highplainsdrifter]

Me and my brother used to regularly go out to Joshua tree in the winter with cans of chili and a ground tent no sleeping pads just bags and go hiking and just hang out some of the best camping trips I have had but I now enjoy a different kind of camping I still like being away from everything but if I can take things that make it more comfortable I do it’s truck camping if it fits it goes I also never leave behind a good book lol

 

[Pretzel]

Food for thought , backpackers live for weeks at a time hiking 10 hours a day with everything they need to survive in a 25-35 lb pack ..... how much do we really need to sit in a heated /ac controlled rig and eat well at night .

For me that's 2/3s the reason I camp out of the truck, so I can bring enough of the things that make a comfortable camp for my family and I.
I do also love backpacking and getting to those spots you can only access by foot, but they are different trips.

 

[grubworm]

definitely with @J.W. on giving up soda. that's a lot of weight and space toting sodas on a trip and they aren't good at all from a health perspective. the wife and i have pretty much moved that into everyday living and quit the sodas all together.
i also gave up spices. i cook a lot at home and use a LOT of different spices. i took a few spices camping and they either spill all over or get damaged or as usaual...they cake up quickly and become hard to use. after quitting the huge amounts of spices camping, i also cut back at home and find that food can taste just fine with a lot less spices.

 

[Tundracamper]

Does a cast iron waffle iron count? I so wanted this to work, but always ended up with an iron full of waffle parts. Just never could get the waffle to come out right. I’ve had good luck with pancakes, which is close enough. Lot of weight saved ditching the waffle iron.

 

[Virginiawilderness]

I’d give up fresh food. Go all dehydrated with some fruit or veg as snacks.