Raw advice for camping

[isabelephant]

I'm going to be camping in the very dry desert for a week and I need some ideas. There will not be running water of any kind (won't be able to really wash dishes, etc). There will also be very little ice and around 100 degree heat-and lots of dust.
I have several ideas for things to bring-dehydrated fruit, nuts, oranges, apples, etc. But I'm looking for more suggestions-especially regarding getting my greens and staying hydrated and healthy.
Thank you!

[alicemagooey]

WELL, I am a member of a foraging for wild foods group at Yahoo groups.

There are many many members who live in the desert of the USA there.
They have all kinds of ideas as to how to get liquids from cacti and things.
I do not know ANYTHING about the desert, but i am learning more and more about wild edibles.. which i think is really important to know about.

if you want to go to the group...i cannot remember the URL right off the bat because i always go there from my bookmarks..

But if you go to Yahoo Groups..the name of the group is FORAGE AHEAD !
( You will need to do a groups search for the name )
It is a member only group, so you will need to sign up. but this is a good thing as it is very secure and no spammers allowed.
The people are very very very helpful and know a great deal about the edible wild.
Once again, some of the most knowledgeable members come from the desert areas of the country.. I have been reading posts and they contain fascinating and wonderfrul information.. You may even be going near to where one of these wonderful wild food teachers lives and gives workshops.

At the very least, you could post the same question there as you posted here.
I have not the slightest doubt that you will find a whole lot of valuable informaion.

best wishes
alice

[isabelephant]

Thank you Alice.
Just to clarify, it's actually an ancient lake bed, not the desert. There is absolutely no plant life there. You are lucky to see a bird or an insect. I won't be foraging. I have to bring everything with me.

[moncha moncha]

Bananas should be good for that. And dates.

For greens you could put one or two of those big solid blocks of ice in a cooler. That should last for a couple of days at a least.

Celery may do just fine if you keep it's base in water. It may even keep growing.

Going to burning man?

[isabelephant]

yes! I've never had much luck with greens staying fresh...Do you go? If so, what do you eat?

[manbags325]

did you make it to burning man & back? i'm going to Echo Project next week end, but that's Georgia in the fall! still curious about what you ate, as I am pressed for ideas for the festival atmosphere.

[veganbear]

Sprouted chickpeas will last in a cooler for about 6 days and can be used to make hummus.

Putting a black plastick sheet up in the day and have it so it has a ridge down the middle, funneling into a bucket and water will form... it will not give you much water but it may be enough to use to was up a bit... (this is a tip I saw on t.v so you may have to play around with it...

I live in england so we don't get any hot weather here so thats the best I can do...

Bear. x

[DavidZaneMason]

Plenty of apples, oranges, lemons & nuts will keep you hydrated and stocked up on protein. That along with drinking water...and eating lightly for a few days will be great! You should have no problems. You can bring some fast-sprouting seed mix and a sprout jar to have yourself a nice sprout salad (as long as you have enough extra water to sprout). Even if you deliberately place yourself in a harsh environment......with NO food.........staying well-hydrated is a much larger issue. A few days on light food....along with a couple of days of NO food.....are not that big a deal....in my opinion.....and may actually be healthier in the long run.

-David Z. Mason

[noodle-o]

Go easy on the fat while you are there (or at least increase your water intake to compensate). Fat digestion is very hydroscopic. From what I have read, in a normal, day to day environment, a person needs at least 1 gallon of water per day. In a desert environment, that would be considerably higher - a minimum of 2-3 gallons per day per person. Eating dehydrated foods you will need to make sure that you take in enough water to keep you cooled, to replace what you sweat, and to replace what the dehydrated foods would take. Take a really good cooler - like Marine-grade. They have a thicker lid with more insulation. Look for a lighter color lid - white - because a darker colored lid will absorb that much more heat. Take care to create as much shade as possible so that you can reduce your water output through sweat.

My husband, who is pretty informed about outdoor survival, tells me that what is on the internet in the way of "desert survival" information is pretty much crap. Most sites advise people to build solar stills, etc., which is not a good investment of time or energy. In the environment you are describing (the lake bed), if you don't take it with you, you probably won't have it. Make sure that your vehicle is in excellent condition and that you have spare tires. I don't know what, if any, facilities will be there - is this area populated? Whatever the status, it wouldn't hurt to plan for any eventuality - first aid, water purification, fire steel and tinder, blankets, etc.

[River Mom]

How about dehydration??? Like make the green smoothies and dehydrate them into rollups. I've been doing that with leftover everything and we really enjoy it.

Tomato sauce, apple sauce, almost anything we make we make into a roll up!!

Green Smoothie rollups for breakfast.... Sounds so good I think I'll make some for us...

River Mom

[moncha moncha]

I went camping a few weeks ago. We hiked in 3 miles to our campsite. We brought bananas, oranges, almonds, romaine lettuce and some leftovers from a raw cafe. The romaine lasted for days with no refrigeration. I was amazed. The bananas lasted fine but were too easily squished. The oranges were great.

[rawnpawgirl]

My advice would be to get a really good high quality green powder (like the one Alissa sells is awesome!) and do that while your away.

Also, young coconuts are great for hydration and restoring electrolytes. You can mix the green powder with the coconut water!! Just bring a good cleaver! Perfect for opening coconuts-- oh, and protecting yourself if Jason drops by your campsite!! (just joshin')

Hope this helps! Have fun!

[Gittel]

Do rollups need to be refrigerated? If not, how long will they last outside of the fridge? How do you store them? Do you freeze them if not using them right away? Thanks!

Gittel