Freeze-dried

Green Springs campground, Yolla Bolly, August 24, 2009 —

SOME OF MY HAPPIEST days have been on the trail, though I'm not exactly an outdoorsman. But camping in the United States presents two almost unsurmountable problems, involving personal cleanliness and dining. I can deal with the former for two or three days. The latter is another thing.

We'd lunched perfectly adequately, to my taste, on almonds, dried fruit, a dry salami, and bread. But what about dinner? We'd planned on backpacking, not car-camping, so chili and beans, or fried potatoes and bacon and onions, or other such traditional fare was ruled out. Instead we had one of those packages of freeze-dried noodles and chunks of chicken. Jim's admirable mother-in-law Aida had outfitted her camping van with cupboards and stocked them with such things as marjoram, bouillon powders, and salt and pepper, so Jim dressed the stuff up. It was okay.

Single-malt Scotch whisky; water