oh, no! not food, again! :shock:

Given the little interest to the food subject (until these recent posts)- and the fact that food is a survival necessity - I've been pondering & musing, & in the end contacted Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort re: the possibility of box meals :shock:

Here is their reply:

Quote:
I have spoken with our chef answer are good to go on box lunches. We will be putting together a list of items for your guests to choose from.

Each box lunch will come with:
•Sandwich (choice of bread, meat or veggie, and cheese)
•Chips or cold salad (macaroni, potato, etc.)
•Dessert
•Drink
•Piece of fruit

The cost on this version is 12.95 pp.

If you want us to work on that just let us know what price point you have in mind and we can go from there.
Unquote.

As they told me on the phone, we just need to place the order the day before - & then come & pick it up, bring it to the camping ground and... guess... yes, right! eat it! This way we can still have a group meal (without having to walk 0.5 mile to Sol Duc & sit at separate tables) - but we will save a lot of time & hassle.

This option is more expensive that 'our own camp made food' but the way I see it, it's 'more money - less hassle'. If they can arrange lunches AND suppers, too (or else we just order a double quantity of sandwiches & keep them in coolers ' or maybe they can store them) then we are saved from cooking.

If we choose this Box Meal option, then whoever comes to Seattle first AND has a car just needs to get breakfast stuff (cereals, milk, fruit...) - but no messing with pots, pans & gas stoves - thus liberating time for doing stuff. AFAIK from MOMS, he won't be renting a van (too expensive for what it can offer) so it must be someone with a car to pick up the breakfast stuff. Or to ask the shuttle driver to stop over, & buy things on the way, as Alan suggested in one conversation.

Basically, the advantage is less hassle, no need for cooking (effort + time + washing after), less gear (a mug & a spoon would be all a camper needs- ?).

The disadvantage is a higher price, & maybe a slightly boring menu (although, afaik, no one died yet because of eating the same food for two days).

As for our own food, it doesn't simply mean to bring & cook our own food. It means:
- getting the money from everybody in advance (a special account for that purpose?)
- buying food (people who arrive early with cars (how many?) / shuttle stopover) & bringing it to the camping ground;
-storing food (need additional items, like coolers, & space)
- handing food out (?? 'two pieces of bread, two potatoes, a glass of milk / juice (and no more) per camper! -someone will have to do it, right? who?)
- and if it's not eaten, dealing with left-over food... :S

The advantage is that this DIY option would be cheaper (according to Alan's calculations in one of earlier posts, a meal would be about $8 - but we should add milk, paper tissues, detergents, garbage bags, renting (?) gas stoves, buying gas... so it would be about $10 in the end (roughly speaking). The disadvantage is... hassle! the way I call it.

The way I see it, we Still will need to buy breakfast (but only cold stuff, not something that requires cooking). AND there was an idea about a BBQ, too! AFAIK LearnNa'vi had a BBQ in 2011, anybody knows anything? How did they do it?

bummar the RDA are on my tail! Back later...
These are only my considerations (plus suggestions from Alan & MOMS via skype). Whoever has other suggestions, please speak fast: Mikko is right, the time is running fast. I guess, since we started planning early, people are used to the idea that the Meetup 2012 is still sooooooo far away - but this is not true anymore. We have 1.5 months to go.

I think you covered it all there... it's down to input from people who will actually be there early / able to drive there now, I don't have much useful to add to that.

I shudder to think about the packaging of boxed lunches.


Camp cooking for a medium sized group isn't hard, it just takes a little planning.

- Mikko

Eeee...we must like round abouts coz we seem to keep going round in circles on this one! :facepalm:...:xD:



I guess there are four options:

1. Everyone fends for them self - not really the cheapest way or practical for those flying in. Probably a dead end really apart form maybe those on the backpacking trip.
2. Go with the Sol Duc facilities and just deal with breakfast - most convenient, but perhaps not the cheapest. Regarding the waste, we could always take our own re-useable food containers to eliminate the waste and maybe reduce the cost. win-win?
3. Go with clan meals - Potentially the cheapest way forward, but more hassle in getting and storing the food especially any chilled stuff, then cooking and cleaning.
4. Go with Sol Duc for hiking food and then clan breakfast and evening meal - Not as much hassle and means we can get away early without having to prep lunch before we go.

Any more options anyone can think of?

Would it be worth trying to get a direct email to everyone who is going on the camp or just decide right here?

Once we have actually made a decision (oooOOOoo scarey:shock:) I guess we can go foward with working out 'what' we are going to eat and if there are any special meal requirements.

Then we can work out the cost for everyone and then...

and then...

...work out how we are going to organise acquiring the "om, yom, yom":rolleyes:

So, what do folks think...or rather want to decide - we need to start deciding ;)...:D

My preference would be first; 2 (using our own food carriers), then 4, 3, 1.

Alan

I'd vote for option 3.

- Mikko

3, but 4 would be fine too.

I'm okay with anything except for #2 :P

Edit: I'd really be okay with anything. I can live on air and water :P

Do you literally mean cooking?

I believe I meant cleaning actually. Though anything done in larger groups is generally less work per unit.

Examples...
Pot of stew for 12 vs 12 pots of stew: 1 burner, one large pot, 1 set of leftovers.
1 large pack of hot-dogs & one grill. Not a bunch of half eaten packets, on a dozen burners ,grills, fires, etc...
Breakfast: 1 case of eggs to transport carefully, and a couple of loaves of bread; not a couple of dozen individual solutions (problems).

Cooking individually means everyone needs to bring their own resources, make their own plans, and if you want to eat together, figure out their own timing.


If we go for something catered; we still have to figure out the menu, and they will simply be doing the group cooking for us at the cheaper rate and charging us the individual rates without the flexibility of just bringing our own stuff.


#3 does require a little planning from the group first, and figuring out a person/people to do the shopping. But it's easier to find 1 person to bring a large cooler than it is to find a small cooler for everyone.

- Mikko

This is great stuff :) We're getting some momentum on the camping thread again - YAY!:awesome:

Ok, any preferences from anyone else? Aketuan, Raiden, Sarah, MOMs, Apache, James...anyone else whom I haven't thought of? (What about those who are coming but not on ToS? Any ideas, Mikko?)

Below is a copy of the options we seem to have (just copied from last page, so they are not lost):

1. Everyone fends for them self - not really the cheapest way or practical for those flying in. Probably a dead end really apart form maybe those on the backpacking trip.
2. Go with the Sol Duc facilities and just deal with breakfast - most convenient, but perhaps not the cheapest. Regarding the waste, we could always take our own re-useable food containers to eliminate the waste and maybe reduce the cost. win-win?
3. Go with clan meals - Potentially the cheapest way forward, but more hassle in getting and storing the food especially any chilled stuff, then cooking and cleaning.
4. Go with Sol Duc for hiking food and then clan breakfast and evening meal - Not as much hassle and means we can get away early without having to prep lunch before we go.

Once we have a concensus on what we want to do then we can start talking what food we would like and from there cost it out and plan how we get it to the camp.

Alan

My preferences in order are 3, 1, 4, & 2.

Just buy 20 pounds of oranges and be done with it. If you're not hungry enough to eat oranges, then you're not hungry. No scurvy for us. Joking of course, though if #1 wins this will probably be my meal plan, along with multivitamins and water.

I literally was asking you about how you meant "cooking". I by no means doubted that cooking for many is more efficient than cooking for one, but rather that cooking at all is not something I'd have thought of. See Sarah's post.

yeah, Alan, I am, too, glad to see that this 'patient' (the thread, and the topic) now seems more alive than dead. For months, it didn't have pulse, neither breath, only the pupils reacted to light... a tiny bit... But now it seems it can still be saved! :P

As for trash, no option is trash-free. With DIY cooking, we'll deal with cans, tetrabricks, plastic wraps, & with individual / box meals we'll still deal with plastic, paper etc. It's only up to us how to dispose of the waste.

I am staying in a cabin anyways. So my vote / opinion here is ONLY a suggestion: to keep Different options.

Since it seems shopping must be done in any case, I would say:
1. Option 3 as a main one - must be paid in advance.
2. Options 1, 2 & 4 as a backup (in case someone doesn't manage to pay in advance, changes their mind, prefers their food or simply doesn't like cooking (like me). People must know that there are different options for food.

I don't think we can ask for prepared meals (option 2) to be put in our own containers :hmm: I am not sure All the campers will bring their own containters either... The idea was to order the food beforehand & simply to pick it up thus saving a lot of time & hassle; if they only start making sandwiches when we appear with the reusable containers - I doubt we'll save time :(

Mikko, if you can find a big enough burner + a big enough pot to cook for all the campers (12 now?) & bring the gear to the campsite & be in charge of them whatever that implies I'll take my hat off & bow. How long will it take to prepare & cook a meal in this huge pot you reckon?

Maybe a half-way option? not one huge burner neither many small ones but rather 1 burner + pot for, say, a group of 4-5 campers (a car-pooling / tent-sharing group).

Maybe I am taking it too far but the food purchase & storage & handing it out & all it implies can be also managed by these groups once a menu is suggested. Those of the group who arrive early do the shopping for their group (or bring it in the car from wherever they come), & long-distance travellers, like HNM, can join a group & chip in.

As for the menu, we can work on it once the purchase / hauling / storing issue is decided but I generally like Alan's menu - only that I would replace the stuff that needs cooking, like potatoes etc. with something that just needs heating (not cooking). But we'll talk later on that, & I would like the experienced hikers input on What To Eat (+ the gear) issue. Maybe I am making a huge deal of not wanting to cook; maybe it's not that scary.

So yes, it would be nice to hear from people who do a lot of hiking on what's the best option for many people.

Ok, sorry for my absence here recently. Let me chime in from the perspective of someone who camps very often.

The keyword here is "Simple".

For the backpacking

Only one night, and 10 people. This should be as simple as everyone agreeing on one simple meal and making it. All we need is one meal. We meet up with the campers the next day. I will bring both of my iso-butane backpacking stoves and pans. Done. What does everyone think of noodles for dinner? Its simple, cheap, and easy to clean up.

Things to figure out:
-Where we meet and what time
I suggest Sol Duc campground on Sunday at noon. (right where we start and end, and a reasonable time to get where we need to go)
-Meals
see above info
-Making the reservation and figuring out where we are going
I think making it shorter than originally planned is good. Makes it more open to everyone. In this case we need to make the reservation 15 days out.

For the camping

(most like Alan's idea #3) We need to keep the same mentality here. For meals it should be as simple as we can make it. For example:

-One Big Cooler for everyone (pick one up for $30 somewhere or have someone bring it)
-One Stove (2 burner) and 2 pans. (I can bring these!! most likely)
-Utensils, plates...ect (paper plates are cheap and environmental friendly. and no washing tons of dishes.)

Everyone should try to bring their own snacks. Even if you can just pick some up at the airport. For meals again, simple.

We need 3 Dinners, 2 Lunches, and 3 Breakfasts for 15 people.

Breakfasts:
-Make these no hassel, no cleanup and no time involved.

I suggest that we do cereal one day, bagels and cream-cheese one day (Mikko's idea) and oatmeal and granola bars the last day. All of these are self serve, require almost no time and are simple.

Lunches:
-Also make these no hassel and simple but more involved.

I suggest we bring along tons of bread and meats and cheese so people can make their own sandwiches for the day. These can be made in the mornings to take along with us wherever we go. With different types of meat and cheese, people can make different combinations for different days. Also we can have chips and fruit for sides.

Dinners:
-These can be a bit more complicated, and time consuming, but still simple!

I suggest one meal be hot dogs and brats and such (cooked over fire), one meal be some sort of soup or noodles, and one be burgers or something similar? These will be the only meals of the entire trip to require much use of the stoves.



Have someone (who's not backpacking and has a car/shuttle) pick up those items and put them in the cooler if they need to be, then have everyone pay them back for their share back at camp.


Things to figure out:
-What we are doing each day
I think we talked about a day hike one day, and a trip to the beach the other day using the cars we have on site.
-Meals
see above




What do people think?

Well there it is. And as for containers, if people want to bring their own re-usable stuff great, but I think using paper plates and plastic forks and such is much simpler for most people. As for gear, as I mentioned, I'll bring ALL the backpacking meal gear and I can bring the camping 2 burner stove. And the cool thing is...that's all we need with this simple plan! :) (besides the cooler, actual food and paper plates/utensils/bags...ect)

That sounds great Aketuan.

And really, reusable plates & sporks aren't expensive, and are quickly easier to carry than disposable ones.

Paper plates aren't so bad, but the plastic cutlery is pretty wasteful.

ThinkGeek :: Titanium Spork - Spork = $8.50

- Mikko

Sounds great, would be ideal for me and others arriving on the day from the airport. Would it use the current donations or a separate one at the time? I'll contribute a bit extra for it if the latter.

The donations on AvatarMeet.com aren't related to camping. They are for the big clan meal and the main meetup.

- Mikko

good to See you back Aketuan - I am glad you've survived the viperwolves of the exams! :D Are you alright?

this is what I was hoping to See/Hear: a good (and Simple) Sample from someone who knows what s/he is doing, and has the practical & proven experience in the matter!

Hey, do you think of *literally* writing a book on... Camping? ;) one day maybe...

Hello all, been awhile, been busy at work and just bought a house today......wow did not think there was that much work involed. Well looking forward to the trip and it is approching very fast!!!!!

Hi,

maybe this question has been answered before :

How do you guys get to Sol Duc from Seattle TAC Airport ?

I arrive at 14th at 20:25 o'clock via plane and stay in a hotel ~1mile away from the airport ( they have a shuttle back to the airport ). But I can't find a proper transportation to Sol Duc / Port Angeles. The earliest one arrives at 16:20 o'clock at Port Angeles. Since you said you would start with the hike at noon that would be way too late.

Maybe I can group up with one or more of you at the Airport ( or somewhere else ) and then travel with you.

Kaltxi TimonC,

Yeah there is public transport round the peninsula, but it is sporadic, especially on a Sunday. On the Monday we are having a private shuttle from the airport to the camp and then taking us over to Seattle on the Thursday.

If all else fails, there will be plenty of room on the shuttle, but you might spend a day or so exploring Seattle. (only $2.75 on the lightrail/tram from the airport)

But with you going for the backpacking overnight hike, I'm sure someone will be passing through and be able to pick you up.

Hope it works out for you and see you at the Camp :hi:

Alan

if anybody is still thinking about food, I guess deciding on quantities is also important. How many burgers per camper x 12 (?) etc. - so that the shopping person knows what's what.


I have no idea what bagels & brats are so I won't make any suggestions. I always thought that 'brats' were spoiled children and it was Them who ate your brain for jujubees (?).

brat = US slang for Bratvurst = Hot Dogs

Bagles:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...bagels.480.jpg
Add cream cheese and you're set. :)


TimonC: I think some of us are driving out to Sol Duc already on the 14th during the day. But I think the plan is to actually meet for the hike at noon on the 15th.

- Mikko

I can change my flight so I arrive on Friday 18:29 o'clock.
I would stay in the same hotel, would you be able to pick me up on saturday ?

Let me check. I don't know my vehicle situation for a few days still.

Who else is driving out to the backpacking?


- Mikko

I think everyone is apart from the four of us arriving on the Shuttle in the Monday. There must be someone passing through on their way.

Alan