Food Prep Instructions for 2018 menu's cooked items

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We’re going to have some struggles with some of our scouts (my son included) and some of those meals.  :)

Thanks for posting!

Sorry, but we don’t subscribe to the “cook-in-bag” method. We don’t have wet food residue in the cook-in-bags to bear bag, carry out or for staff camps to deal with, just wash water down the sump.

We do a streamlined Philmont method. We don’t boil as much water or use two pots but we do sanitize, cook and clean-up in one large pot and eat out of individual bowls.

We only boil as much water as the recipes calls for. Sanitize our bowls and spoons in the boiling water before pouring the food into it. After dinner we wash and rinse everything in the cook pot using just cold water and Campsuds.

This reminds me a question about the packaging protocols.  After you cook (in pot or bag) I assume the bag is going into the bear canister until you get to a staffed camp or commissary.  Correct?

I’ve heard some say it’s better to cook in the pot because there’s a difference once you arrive at the next commissary, but it would presumably not change how you deal with the bag while still at trail camps.

Sorry, I don’t mean to offend or start a debate.

I’ve not heard of any crews carrying bear canisters at Philmont. I know they are required in some parks but Philmont relies on their Bear Bag and Cable system.  They issues bags and ropes to hang food issues, and all other smellables, from cables (BC) strung between two trees 20 plus feet above the ground.

Philmont’s cooking / clean-up method practices all food solids are to be eaten completely before washing eating and cookware so wash water has no food solids, only food film / residue to be poured into the sump. Eating and cookware are then clean and food free when left unattended near the sump overnight. Food issues in the bear bags is in sealed bags unopened and uncooked.

This cook-in-bag method has you carrying 2, 3 or 4 days’ worth of cook-in bags with spoiling food in them. Staff camps and commissaries do not want them. They expect all trash to be food free so as not to attract wildlife (bears).

If you wash out the cook-in bags so they’re clean and food free, what’s the gain? You may as well cook all the food in one pot, eat out of individual bowls and washed them.

Just my opinion.

Duh – my mistake.  I was thinking bear bags and typed bear canisters.  My question was after you cook in pot, don’t you still have to put the empty food packaging up in a bear bag or Oops bag?  It would seem to be a definite smellable.

I agree the food needs to be eaten.  When we did our alternative trek this summer in the Sierra we had some scouts that couldn’t eat everything they made on the first 1-2 days, probably because of the altitude.  Early on they weren’t sharing food, so they had to pack their leftovers around the rest of the week (using the required bear protection methodology for that location).  Later in the trek there were no extra uneaten food.  Scouts would jump on anyone’s leftovers in a quick minute!

“don’t you still have to put the empty food packaging up in a bear bag”?

Yes, but they only have a little dry power left in them, sort of like other food wrappers, not covered with wet spoiling food.

For a while some crews were using the turkey roasting bags in the cook pot to avoid washing it and turning in the nasty bags at staff camps. It got bad quick because staff camps could not deal with all that nasty trash so Philmont has banned their use. I see the cook-in-bags being banned for the same reason.

Have you watched Philmont’s Cooking and other training videos?

Don’t forget to remove those pesky dessicant packages before rehydrating.

Thank you all for the discussion.  I learned a good bit.

This thread was just about the title.  I suspect we all have cooked (and not) many methods in many places and Philmont seems to have its own way.  These meals may be used in far more ways & places than just at Philmont.

The dehydrated meals, from what I understand, are packaged specifically for Philmont because they don’t want them cooked in the bags.

I’m not looking forward to having to “happy spoon” some of those meals.  I guess early on we should err on the side of cooking a little less food because having leftovers is certainly a problem.

On everyone’s’ behave, you’re welcome. There are different opinions but everyone wants to help crews going to Philmont.

More crews should get Philmont meals and watch their videos to train with before they go like you have.

Philmont should be enjoyed, not endured.