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Cooking from Canterbury to Rome

Time of past OR future Camino
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Background
In September 2018 I walked from Canterbury Cathedral to Chaumont-en-Haut-Marne.

I thought I was reasonably well set up. In addition to the usual garbage I also had a two person tent (me and my pack) and a single sleeping pad: total weight less than 900 gram. All up walking weight is just on 7 kg, including water, tablet and some nibbles for the day. I am very used to that weight and loathe to add to it.

Of my 22 nights I stayed in gite or similar on 4 nights, pitched my tent on six nights and hotels for the balance. And that part was costly.

I regulalry need gite and hotels to recharge my tablet (large smart phone). For the technically minded this draws 2.4 amps compared to a typical 1 amp for a "normal" smart phone.

But I would like to add to my options by carrying the means to cook food.

My local research indicates:
1) burner, adjustable - 50 to 100 gram
2) butane (230 gram) and can - 370 gram total
3) pot set - 1 litre post and lid/fry pan - aluminium - 230 gram
I prefer to cook food bought locally every few days.
I prefer not to carry dehyrated meals (150 to 200 grams) to which is added boiled water (no cooking).

My question(s)

For those who prepared your own meals:
1) what was your equipment?
2) what was food did you prepare/cook?
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
There were four of us, so it was practical to rent an Airbnb or Booking.com apartment/house. Sometimes, we cooked steaks and salads, in small villages with limited groceries, we used to cook simple pasta with garlic and anchovies and olives. In between, we had sandwiches or sometimes even cooked elaborate stew and soups.
 
Your trip sounds wonderful. Are you walking alone? It sounds to me like you’ve done a good job keeping your kit reasonably light. I have a lot of back country cooking experience — North American wilderness backpacking —but I’m having trouble applying this technique to walking in Europe. Your pot and stove sounds just like what I would choose -but cooking supplies like butter, oil ,sugar ,flour,etc become surprisingly heavy and can only be purchased on the road in containers that always seem to be the wrong size. I could carefully preassemble what I needed for each day at home and barely stagger up the hills with a 10 to 12 day’s supply of food on a solo trip.
You’ve done a good job equipping yourself where you have the option of sleeping outside when you choose to.

A few years ago I walked a route west across France from Sete. I carried a tarp, pad, and light sleeping bag and slept outside 60 to 75% of the time. I found this economical, liberating, and as a non-French speaker essential. East of Lourdes the persistent rain became challenging and then I was rescued (adopted) by a wonderful non-English-speaking French group of three who arranged shelter each night. The Camino does seem to provide. I cherished the French food when I was able to find it but spent a lot of days eating bread cheese and nuts. It would be nice to be able to take care of eating independently, but it does seem awkward to arrange. Best of luck. Hope the rest of your trip goes well.
 
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East of Lourdes the persistent rain became challenging and then I was rescued (adopted) by a wonderful non-English-speaking French group of three who arranged shelter each night. The Camino does seem to provide. I cherished the French food when I was able to find it but spent a lot of days eating bread cheese and nuts. It would be nice to be able to take care of eating independently, but it does seem awkward to arrange. Best of luck. Hope the rest of your trip goes well.
I am neither a camper nor a (mobile) cook, but I am enjoying the thread nonetheless. I walked from Lourdes to St Jean PdP ten years ago and remember it as the wettest few days EVER, on any Camino, or VF, anywhere!!!! ;)☔🌧 I remember fabulous goat's and sheep's cheeses bought at a farmyard gate one night. My old rucksack still smells of that cheese! 🐑🐐🧀
 
I walked Canterbury to chalons en Champagne last year and camped a chunk of the time, stayed in a few gites and then a few bnbs and hotels. I took a small gas stove that time with a pot and a mug. I didn't cook anything too elaborate as the weather was so good so it was more picnic style food. But couscous and sardines is favourite stand by for me camping...A few pasta dishes...and going with the standard irish stereotype I always have a packet of instant mash potatoes which are great when I need some comfort food. I didn't take the frying pan of my set on the Vf but it would have given me much more options...and I will take it on my next section of VF
 
At the moment I'm preparing some (3 or 4, not sure yet) of my favorite spice mixes /seasonings to add (Ras el hanout/Baharat, asian, mediterranean). They don't take much space, don't weigh a lot (a total of 100 g put in a zip bag) and you can add them to red lentils, beans (can), couscous, instant-millet, polenta or instant-rice etc. add some vegetables and boil, roast or turn into a soup or whatever and have a quick freshly cooked hot meal, with as many tastes of seasonings you prepare. Or you get some meat and vegetables, roast them and add some seasoning - finito. One-pot-pasta ist another quick meal.

Needs one knife, small, flexible cutting mat, no pan, only one pot, burner & butane / campfire place.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-

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