In our family my mom and I like thinner soups, stews and Chili's while my dad likes it thick. Here's a tip my Great Grandmother passed on that we tried on the trail this past winter with some Chicken Noodle soup.
At home mash together clarified (or regular butter if your trip is short) along with some all purpose flour. This needs to be done in equal parts. So a tablespoon of butter to a tablespoon of flour.
To thicken a soup or stew add some of this mixture a teaspoon at a time on the trail and simmer.
Being that my Great Grandmother is 88 and lived through the depression, she has given my dad alot of interesting things. She pronounced this as "Burmany" but after we did some searching found that it's actual name is Beurre Manie' – or French for kneaded butter.
