DofE Gold – Food and Cooking >

“A substantial meal should be cooked and eaten by participants every day.”

Aim To identify what food, including water, you should take on an Expedition and the various methods that you can use to cook it in order that you can fulfil one of the ’20 Conditions’.

Method General Safety Rules Safety Routine for Gas Stoves Safety Routine for Spirit Stoves; Food; Water;

General Stove Safety At least 2 metres from any tents; Make it clear to all that cooking is taking place in that location; Organise the cooking area before cooking starts; Understand how a particular cooker works; NEVER leave a lit stove unattended.

Safety Routine for Gas Stoves – Only use self-sealing cylinders; – Always remove cylinders from the stove before packing in a rucksack; – Position where it is low, stable and sheltered; – Consider using / constructing a wind-shield.

Safety Routine for Spirit Stoves The stove must be: – placed on a firm level surface; – at least one metre away from the tent; I – in a place where it cannot be knocked over. Stoves must not be filled from a bulk The spirit must be carried in bottles specifically designed for the purpose. Trangia fuel bottles with safety valves should be used as these will prevent a full bottle fire. One person should carry the stove or the spirit cup downwind, away from the tents and it should be fuelled, or refuelled, in a place where there are no naked flames in the vicinity. Do not refill a stove until you are sure that the flame is completely extinguished and the stove has cooled. If the stove is too hot to handle, then it is too hot to be refuelled. Remove the pan and carefully place a hand over the spirit cup or hold a sheet of paper just above the burner. This will indicate if the burner is still lit. The burner should be taken to the fuel, not the fuel to the burner (if the burner is cool enough to pick up it won’t still be alight). If it is necessary to refill a burner, assume it is still burning. Go through the normal procedure of putting the burner.

Food - Principles – As the length of the Expedition increases so does the need for a balanced diet; – The key is get the maximum energy for the least weight and volume; – Take food that you LIKE and is QUICK and EASY to cook; – To reduce weight and litter, remove all unnecessary packaging; – Make sure all food is packed securely and waterproofed; – Try to pack each meal separately.

Food - General Boil-in-the-bag is heavier than dehydrated; Boil-in-the-bag is quicker that dehydrated; Take food that is high in carbo-hydrates / calories – you will burn between 3000 – 5000 calories per day; Take ‘quick-cook’ pasta or rice;

Food - Meals Three (3) Meals per Day Breakfast – A MUST Porridge, Muesli, Full English; Lunch – taken at a ‘Stop’ or snack on the move Nut bars, sandwiches, fruit, nuts, flapjacks; Dinner – A Full, cooked meal Soup, Cook-in-the-bag, dehydrated, hot drink;

Water Carry at least 2 litres of water in a robust container; DO NOT run out of water! If not absolutely sure of the source – boil water for at least two (2) minutes; Drink sips often rather than large quantities far apart;

Cooking - “Do’s and Don’ts” Cook only enough to feed everyone; Do NOT throw food away unless in a proper bin; Noodles do NOT constitute a Main Meal; Take small sachets of sauces and spices – Salt, pepper, mayonnaise, chilli, garlic. Throughout the day eat little and often.

Hygiene – Wash hands before any food preparation; – Wash all pots, pans, cutlery and plates after every use; – Dispose of all waste responsibly.