Long ago I realized that I didn’t like most formal exercise. I thought I disliked exercise in general because I wasn’t willing to do endless burpees. However, with reflection it turns out that I do like exercise when it is paired with other activities. I love to ride a bike, go on walks, and do day hikes. All of these things give me quite a bit of pleasure.
A day hike is somewhere in between a walk and a backpacking trip. For me, it involves going to a trail, often for the first time, and exploring my surrounding. I’m a photographer, and hiking gives me many opportunities to shoot photos.
By the way, you may wonder why a day hiker would need emergency supplies. There are many cases where people went on a simple day hike, often on a well used path, and got lost, injured, or died. It is easy to go off trail to “do your business,” and become disoriented, take the wrong fork in a trail, or face weather/trail problems. Everyone has to decide what level of risk that they comfortable with.
I remember going on a day hike with two of my kids when they were very young. I asked some hikers who were leaving the trail if the trail was clean and if it was an easy hike. They said yes. However, it turned out to be a three mile hike with fallen trees, washed out parts of the trail, and stream crossings. There were a number of twists and turns and side trials, and I got disoriented. Because of the nature of the path it was very difficult to turn back, so we forged ahead. I had to motivate my kids to keep going and kept telling them, “Every step brings us closer to the camper.” At one point towards the end I wasn’t sure to turn right or left, but I had a little compass on my watch band and a simple map from the visitor center. I used those tools to go the right way. To go the other direction would have taken me right back on the loop that we spent most of the morning trying to get off of. We had to share one little bottle of water and I brought along only one little packet of Fig Newtons because I thought we would only be gone for a half of an hour. I should have been more prepared, but the little compass on my watch band and the park map saved the day.
If I am hiking anything more than a short distance I always bring my backpack and supplies. I have designed my hiking backpack system to be light and efficient. Everyone should design a system that meets their needs, and mine is certainly not the most comprehensive. However, after years hiking these supplies work for me. Let’s take a look at my necessary hiking gear.
I can’t stress how important a decent pair of shoes is. I was recently visiting friends in Florida and packed a cheap pair of sandals to wear to the beach. We did a little walking, and I was rewarded with three blisters on my feet. When I first started to hike, I bought a pair of decent hiking boots that I thought fit me. I used those shoes for several seasons and wound up losing my big toenail several times. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong until I went to REI and they told me that I needed to size my shoes up. Since then, I have retained my toenails! I now like to wear trail runner-type shoes. A good brand makes all the difference in the world. If you are going to spend money on anything, spend it on your shoes. Good shoes wear out, so be prepared to replace them. Everyone has their brand preference. If possible, go to a place where you can try on several brands. Additionally, good socks are important. I like Darn Tough socks, which are made of a Marino wool blend. I am a big fan of trekking poles. They steady me on declines and over streams, and they allow my arms to help my legs when going up inclines. You don’t have to buy the most expensive ones, but avoid cheap poles. I have had these poles for years. My wife bought a cheap pair at a big box store, and they cracked in half. Check reviews to find a sturdy yet reasonably priced set of poles, or opt for a brand name. For a day hike, you don’t need to go ultra-light. I bought carbon fiber, but in retrospect, an aluminum pair would have worked out just fine. I like cork grips as they don’t get slippery with sweat. Having a pack is a must. I like the Osprey brand as they make quality packs at a reasonable price. Avoid those little back sacks that use strings instead of straps, as they will undoubtedly make any long hike miserable. You can purchase more affordable packs that may better suit your budget. However, I have read reviews of no-name packs where straps have ripped off or zippers have frozen, so caution is advised. I used to use a larger Osprey pack (this one is only 13 L), but I’ve found that I over-packed it, which weighed me down. Beyond backpacks, you can get sling packs, and some find that a big “fanny pack” (called a “bum bag” in the UK) works for them. This Osprey pack model is called “Daylite.”This is everything that I carry in my backpack. the pouch has a lot of individual “kits” in zip-lock bags.This is what I carry for navigation. I’m using my phone to take these photos, hence the sticky note phone substitute. I mostly rely on my phone, but I try to carry a paper map. You can get them at a park’s visitor center for free. I also take an inexpensive compass. I’ll double-check to ensure it still points correctly at the start of the season. There are several excellent hiking apps available for smartphones. I use All Trails Pro. I have a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) that can send a distress call in the event of a life-threatening emergency. I purchased this around 4 years ago, but the price has increased considerably since then. Its advantage is that there is no monthly fee. I have also used a Garmin InReach device, which features maps and allows for text messaging. That device requires a subscription to work. Newer iPhones can now use satellites when out of cell service (US and Canada only), so that may be enough for some. Remember, a 911 call is NOT carrier-dependent. If your cell phone carrier doesn’t have a local tower, the call will bounce to a different carrier. However, sometimes there are no cell towers, such as in National Parks. That is when a satellite device of some sort may come in handy. Not in the photo is my emergency whistle. Three blasts followed by a pause and repeated is the distress call for hikers. If you scream, you will quickly become hoarse. Some backpacks have a whistle built into their straps; the Daylite does not.You never know if a hike will take longer than expected. I have had to rely on illumination to get back to my car. A headlamp is ideal and inexpensive. I also carry a tiny flashlight and extra battery as a backup. Additionally, my battery bank has a little flashlight on it. Of course, your phone also has a flashlight, but it is best to save its battery for navigation and communication.Protection from the sun is a must. I always wear a hat and try to use sunscreen. My eyes have become more sensitive as I’ve aged, so sunglasses are always part of my kit.I carry some simple first aid supplies that fit into a sandwich bag. You can go more minimal or extensive with such kits. I do have a more elaborate kit in my car. I have absolutely used many of these items on the trail, from mole skin to band-aids to ibuprofen. I have watched some YouTube hikers who say that you don’t need a knife. I don’t understand, as I use one all the time. Why three knives? I always carry the Leatherman in my pocket; it is my EDC knife. I have a small SAK knife on my keychain, which includes scissors and tweezers, and I leave the white knife in my backpack as a backup. It weighs nothing. When push comes to shove, I’ll grab the Leatherman in my pocket.I do carry a minimal fire-starting kit: a small Bic lighter, some fire tinder, including some cotton balls with Vaseline on them. I have never had to start an emergency fire. However, on a long hike, I may bring a cook kit. Usually, one of us will carry the pot/stove and the other the dehydrated food. Some sort of emergency shelter is another essential item. These are Mylar emergency sleeping bags. They are very compact. They are essentially large, sealed emergency blankets that are orange on one side and silver on the other. I have two because I’m often hiking with someone who is less compulsive than I am. Sometimes I’ll carry paracord too. Paracord has 100 and 1 different uses.I always bring more food than I think I’ll need. For most hikes, this would be in the form of snacks. If I’m going on a longer hike, I may bring “real” food or a Mountain House type meal. Yes, I usually bring enough snacks for my less prepared hiking partners.Water is incredibly important. I always pack more than I think I need, and I also have ways to get more if needed. I’ll sometimes sub out my flask for a Smart Water bottle. I also have several ways to purify stream water if needed. Lastly, I have some electrolyte tablets in my first aid kit.I have an expensive hiking puffer jacket and a raincoat. However, I can’t find them in my camper or house. I’m blaming my cat for hiding them. Better that than admitting that I put them/lost them somewhere! For now, this hoodie will do. I also bring some “just in case” emergency rain ponchos (a second for a hiking partner). If I suspect rain, I’ll bring an old, clunky plastic rain jacket that I have. It’s not as light or fancy as my lost raincoat, but it does the job.I always carry a charged battery bank. This one includes the charging cords. I have used my battery bank many times on a hike, as GPS hiking maps use a lot of energy. Don’t forget to bring a charging cord if your bank doesn’t have one built in. I also carry some duct tape. Another item with 100 and 1 uses. I have this cute little pack, but you can also roll a few feet onto a Bic lighter from a regular roll.
Additional items: I always carry an empty gallon Ziploc bag that has many uses. However, I mostly use it to carry out garbage. I’ll also carry a little travel pack of wet wipes to clean my hands or for an emergency potty run (so far I have never had to go number 2 on the trail). If you go “poo” frequently on the trail bring along an ultralight trowel. They are cheap and better than digging a cathole with a stick. Remember to bury any organic matter at least 6 inches deep and carry out any TP or similar wipe. Leave no trace! Another common thing I carry is a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is mostly alcohol and can be used to sanitize your hands, as wound antiseptic, or to start a fire. You can also get compressed towels that are the size of two TUMS tablets. There are usually 11 of them in a tiny tube and each one will expand to the size of a paper towel by adding 1 teaspoon of water to them (I think they are fun/cool). You can even buy a tiny bidet made for hikers (Culoclean) that attaches to a water bottle. However, wet wipes are multi-purpose and work best for me for many of these functions.
Meat prices continue to rise. This is most notable with beef, where formerly inexpensive cuts like chuck roasts are now sold at luxury prices. Traditionally less expensive meats, like pork and chicken, are also increasing in cost.
There are ways to reduce meat consumption. Many cultures substitute legumes, grain products, and mushrooms to make meat-free dishes. Extenders can be used along with meat to bulk up a recipe, with the breadcrumbs or oatmeal in meatloaf being an example. Meat can also be stretched by cooking combination foods, like casseroles, hot dishes, soups, and stews. In these dishes meat plays a secondary role to other ingredients. For decades, I have used these traditional hacks to stretch my family’s meat budget.
I was a medical student in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Let me rephrase that: I was a penniless medical student, and my poverty continued into my residency. My grocery budget was minimal, and I always looked for cost-saving options. In those days, ground beef was inexpensive, but ground beef mixed with TVP, or textured vegetable protein, was even cheaper. How did it taste? Like ground beef, but a bit drier and with a slightly different texture. You can no longer find ground beef with TVP at my local grocery store, but many frozen foods still use TVP as a meat extender. TVP never went away; it just went underground.
Manufacturers have jumped on the no-meat bandwagon with their meat-like creations, such as Impossible Meat, Beyond Beef, and Fable. Commercial products use various plant products, from legume flours to mushrooms, to create a meat-like texture. Their ingredients determine the nutritional value of these products, but many offer a relatively high amount of protein per serving. However, commercial “meats” are expensive, sometimes more than the real thing. These products are designed for non-meat eaters who are convenience-conscious rather than cost-conscious.
A while back, I became interested in alternative cooking methods. My goal was to produce good-tasting foods that were not clones of the “real thing” but similar enough to be considered viable options. This interest led me back to TVP and its many forms.
TVP can be made from various plant products, but is most commonly made from soy flour. Soy flour is a byproduct from making soy oil. I’ll be discussing that form of TVP today.
Soy flour is mixed with water, cooked under high pressure, and extruded in a machine similar to those used to make breakfast cereal.
Soy TVP is very high in protein; in fact, it can be higher than a comparable serving of beef. It is very low in fat, and unlike meat, it is high in fiber.
Soy TVP is sold dry and must be rehydrated. This usually involves soaking or boiling it in water or broth. The excess liquid is then blotted or squeezed out before the product is used in a dish. TVP comes in various shapes, from granules used in dishes like spaghetti sauce and Sloppy Joes, to curls and chunks that can be substituted for foods that traditionally require such shapes, such as a stir-fry or a barbeque sandwich. Roughly one cup of dry TVP, when rehydrated, equals around one pound of meat.
Soy TVP is essentially flavorless, but like it cousin tofu (which is made from soy milk), it takes on the flavor of whatever it is mixed with. For an omnivore like myself, adding flavoring agents like bouillon or other meat products is essential. Vegetarians need to be more creative and use meaty-flavored additions like miso, soy sauce, and liquid aminos. Many dishes rely on spices and sauces to add additional flavor and familiarity.
Depending on your additions, you can make TVP taste like whatever meat you need. In today’s example, I’ll make a “chicken” stir-fry, but I could have turned the dish into a “beef” version by adjusting a few ingredients.
TVP is shelf-stable and can remain usable for decades if appropriately stored. It can be a great prepper food as it requires no refrigeration and is a high-quality protein source.
TVP is significantly less expensive than beef, but your savings will be determined by where and how much you buy. TVP lovers buy in bulk and will save considerably more than if they purchased a little bag at their local store. Granulated TVP (Bob’s Red Mill brand) can be found in the health food/alternative section of many grocery stores, and granulated and other TVP shapes can often be purchased at health food stores, Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Sprouts, and online. One food blogger I researched noted that TVP was about half the price of beef based on their particular use case.
As a plant-based product, it is considerably more environmentally friendly than any meat source.
Some folks are concerned about using soy products; for them, there are a variety of TVPs made from other plant flours, such as pea TVP. You can also buy TWP, which is textured wheat protein. Note that TWP is a wheat product and contains gluten.
For most, soy TVP is the product to use as it is the most available and is tolerated by many. However, avoid soy TVP if you are allergic to or have digestive issues with soy. Some are concerned that soy contains isoflavones, which can mimic estrogen. However, most isoflavones (around 70%) are destroyed when making/cooking TVP. With that said, you may want to consider a non-soy TVP product if you have an estrogen-sensitive cancer or other medical concern. Always consult with your doctor if you have any food or health concerns.
There are various methods for preparing TVP. I’m not aTVP expert, so I combined several that seemed credible. Most methods will hydrate the TVP, then pat or squeeze out any excess liquid, and add some sort of seasoning or marinade.
My method in today’s recipe was a bit excessive. It did lead to a delicious dish; I’m sure it could have been streamlined. YouTube has many TVP recipes to help you start your TVP journey.
Here is the step-by-step recipe for my first TVP dish using TVP chunks, a “chicken” stir-fry. The results were delicious, and the TVP did have a meat-like texture. Did it taste like chicken? It tasted good and had a chicken flair, but it was not an exact dupe. However, the family said they would eat it again. In fact, my son went back for seconds.
TVP “Chicken” Stir-Fry
I boiled 1.5 cups of the dry chunks in a chicken broth for 10 minutes. You could use water, or meso broth if you were a vegetarian.I drained the chunks and then ran some cold water over them to cool them down.I then squeezed them out. If I were using the granules, I would blot them dry using a tea towel or paper towels.I then toasted them in an air fryer at 400°F (205°C) for approximately 8 minutes. My goal was to dry out the outside while leaving the inside spongy. This was because I was going to stir-fry them, and I wanted the outside to be crisp. This method is used in some recipes; in others, the chunks are added directly to the dish after they have been hydrated and squeezed out. This was another “extra” step that could be eliminated by just using a simple combination of a few flavoring ingredients. However, it did result in a delicious flavor for the soy chunks. The marinade consisted of 1/3 C mayo (can use vegan mayo), 1/3 C neutral oil, 1T meso or chicken flavoring, 1T nutritional yeast, 2T lemon juice, 1t garlic powder, 1t onion powder, 1/2t thyme, 1/2 t parsley. I mixed it all together. This marinade is from “The Burger Dude” on YouTube.I mixed in the rehydrated soy chunks and put the bowl in the fridge until I needed it.I searched my fridge and found a slightly soft red pepper, which I sliced, along with some green onions, and some frozen broccoli that I defrosted. I stir-fried a couple of eggs and removed them from the wok. You could leave out the eggs if you were going vegan.I added more oil, along with green onion, jar garlic, and ginger paste, and cooked the vegetables for around 30-60 seconds. I then added the broccoli and the red pepper and stir-fried until crisp-tender. I then removed these vegetables. Note: You can use any vegetables that you choose. I just had these on hand.I added the chunks and stir-fried them so they would be crisp.I returned the vegetables and reheated them. I then added the scrambled egg. I prefer to leave the egg in larger chunks so that it adds visual interest. At this point, I added some soy sauce and a small amount of sesame oil (not too much, as it is a strong flavor). I also added some jar sauces. In this case, I used some store-bought teriyaki sauce and orange chicken stir-fry sauce, both of which I had on hand. You could opt for a simpler mixture of soy sauce, cornstarch, water, and a little vinegar and sugar (or whatever you prefer). Here it is plated up. Honestly, it was delicious. The chunks had a meaty texture and tasted good (although not exactly like chicken). I would make it again. Next time, I would try a simpler marinade for the chunks to see if I could get away with it. There was enough for four decent-sized servings.
