Is undoubtedly the most compact energy dense and sustaining breakfast to eat on the trail. Unfortunately the ‘instant’ versions of this staple have been so adulterated and laden with diabetes promoting nasties as to be almost downright dangerous. Here is Della’s ‘traditional’ porridge recipe. It is astonishing that it needs only one level teaspoon of brown sugar (equivalent to ½ teaspoon of white sugar) to make it quite sweet enough. The ‘serving size here (quite enough for us though less than 2/3 of the recommended ‘serving size) weighs 43 grams (and would require approx 12 grams of metho to cook. Rinse it down with a cup of hot coffee and you are quite ready for the trail.
Della’s Porridge:
¼ cup of Uncle Toby’s ‘Traditional’ Oats (26 grams = 640kj)
½ cup of full cream milk = 1/6 cup of milk powder (17 grams = 307kj)
½ cup of water
Bring to the boil then simmer stirring frequently.
Add one pinch of salt half way through cooking (<.5 gram). This is important. The oats will be ‘tough’ if you add it too soon, the sugar will not be ‘sweet’ enough if you add it too late.
When cooked stir in one level teaspoon of loose brown sugar. (4 grams= 41kj) And this really is enough!
Total 47 grams = 988kj = 236 calories.
An important advantage of porridge is how compact it is. When you are contemplating a long journey (say 10+ days on the Dusky Track Fiordland NZ (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-adventures-1/) for example all that food has to fit into your pack somewhere – so compactness is an important ultralight feature.
Tip: You need to work out a system of measures using the things which are in your cookset. You will no doubt have a small marked container for measuring metho, a spoon, a cup and a pot. If these don’t already have measures on them you should mark them on in some way (eg with an engraver) or mark them on a light strip of plastic you can insert into them showing eg how far up the pot one cup of water comes. You should remember how many spoons full make up a cup & etc so that you know how many to add when making up your porridge for example.
