Otter Trail South Africa: Food

The idea with food is to get maximum calories with minimum weight. This doesn't mean packing chocolate brownies but something you'll want to eat but also be nutritious. Meals for multi-day hiking isn't as difficult as it was once, and there's a large variety of ready to eat meals available. In fact you could probably get a way without having to cook at all. I don't recommend taking anything you haven't previously tried, the last thing you want is having to force down something after a days worth of walking.

Meals

I've separated out the meals in terms of breakfast lunch and supper, and then snacks at the end. There is also a day by day meal plan, and this is something you should draw up - if possible as a group. I've also included a cooking section to give some general guidelines on the implements you will need, how to get a fire started, and the necessity of carrying a gas stove.

Highlights: Breakfast is instant cereal. Lunch is a light snack. Supper is all out. Don't forget tea/coffee and associated goodies. Hydrate throughout the trail and while at the huts. Remember food is the most flexible item you can use to manage your weight. Pack only what you need, but don't go hungry.

Breakfast

For breakfast you'll want something quick and easy. Instant cereal is probably your best bet, although on our trip, we had guys cooking eggs and sausages. Instant oats is great since you can get a variety of flavors in serving size sachets.

You'll also want a hot drink to go with your cereal. Coffee or tea. Take enough tea bags for 2 cups per person per day. Don't forget sugar and milk (if you can't do without it) as well. With milk you have two options, you can either each carry a 500 ml long life carton per person per day or alternatively if you're not a large bunch, take single serving mini cartons. I found that its more practical to split the milk per day since the overall weight is reduced.

Lunch

Lunch should be a light meal and should be quick to prepare. You'll be having lunch on the trail.

If you do have a braai for supper the first (and maybe second) night, then maybe carry enough so that you have left overs for lunch. This is what we ended up with even if it wasn't planned.

Besides leftovers, tuna sachets + crackers, chicken mayo + crackers, . If you're willing to take out your stove then 2-minute noodles or soup is also a quick fulfilling meal - especially if you're hiking during the colder months.

Supper

In general you will have a lot of time at each hut after the hike - so be prepared. You'll be hungry and too tired to entertain yourself by exploring around the huts. So carry your fair amount of pre and post supper snacks.

For your main course I suggest you have a braai (barbecue) for the first two nights. If you vacuum pack frozen meat, freeze it solid and carry it wrapped in newspaper it should still be cold by supper day 2. In this plan, you will only then need to think about days 3 and 4. In any case supper affords the most choice, since you're settled at the huts, and you have loads of time. I suggest easy cooked meals, such as noodles, instant rice sachets, chicken mayo sachets, pa

Snacks

Variety should be your key philosophy here. When you're tired and possibly miserable you might sometimes not want to eat. The worst thing you could do is pack only a few kinds/flavours/types of snacks.Chocolate bars - Variety!
Energy bars
Trail Mix
Sweets and Chews
Biltong (Beef Jerky?)

For tea snacks (around the fire), I suggest get individually packaged biscuits such as Oreos.

Hydration

Hydrate. Water is available at the huts and is piped from rain water tanks. This water is safe to drink. There are also many streams along the trail, however this water will need to be purified as a precautionary measure. This is because the trail (being at the ocean) is downstream from human habitation and therefore comes with the possibility of water born baddies.

Purification drops as opposed to effervescent tablets are the better way to go. Purification drops alter the taste of the water to a lesser extent than tablets with one caveat, you're usually instructed to wait about 20 minutes before drinking the water. The water is not totally contaminated so don't become paranoid about it - in fact (and I don't advise this) quite a few of the group often forgot to purify their water.

Also keep in mind that the water you carry adds a significant amount of weight to your pack, so try and keep just the amount you will need to get you to the next stream on the map, or to the hut.

Most people underestimate how much they need to drink. You will need to remind yourself to have a drink often. Its easy to get dehydrated without being aware of it untill its too late - and you have a headache or worse. Its a good idea to add some energy mix to your water (such as Game sachets) this will provide you with an immediate energy source as well as replace lost electrolytes.

A hydration pack is useful but not necessary and comes with its own disadvantages. Bottles are more versatile and don't just provide a drinking mechanism.

Cooking

Each of the huts have fireplaces and are usually well stocked with firewood. However it is strongly advised that you take a hiking stove with. Its great to get a quick cup of water going and will come in handy if you want to have a hot meal for lunch. More importantly the availability of firewood at the overnight huts are not guaranteed especially if it rains. The firewood however is stored under the huts to keep it away from the rain, but there are naturally no guarantees.

You should each carry a block of firelighters (blitz) as a fool proof method of getting the fire going - unless you're adamant on starting a fire with matches and twigs or if you're a survivalist type and plan to use a flint. I don't advise this.

You should carry a a good pot set. The more expensive ones are lighter weight. We had an el-cheapo set that was relatively large. However it came with a pot, two cups (with handles), and a pot lid that served as a frying pan as well. All these fit into each other. Each person should ideally have a cup, but a nice sized hiking pot will serve 4-6 people per round, so definitely only carry one or two per group.

A spork (spoon-fork) is all the cutlery you'll need. Its basically a lightweight heat resistant peice of plastic with a fork with one serrated edge on one side, and a spoon on the other side. You can use this for all your cooking needs - each person should get their own (R15).

Lastly a dish washing sponge/scourer plus a small bottle (like hotel shampoo bottle small) of dish-washing liquid will make the clean up effort easier.

Meal Plan

Day 1

Lunch: Buy a sandwich at the airport or pick up a takeaway on your way to the trail.
Supper: Braai! (barbecue). Sausages, steak, beans.

Day 2

Lunch: Left-over braai meat
Supper: Braai! Steak, sausages, smash. I wouldn't recommend carrying fresh meat past Day 2. So enjoy the last meat day.

Day 3
Lunch: Tuna sachets + crackers (Provita)
Supper: Chicken mayo + instant rice

Day 4
Lunch: Chicken mayo + Noodles (Depending on how early your river crossing is, you'll probably be at the hut before lunch.
Supper: Chicken mayo + instant rice

Day 5
Lunch: Tuna sachets + crackers
Supper: Hopefully you're back at your post-Otter accommodation. Braai! if you've organised for the place you're staying at to keep your braai meat, this is the time to enjoy and reminisce.

Meal Ideas

Try and get serving size portions that have light weight packaging. Avoid cans and rather go for sachets. Here are some options. You should try these in the weeks leading up to the Otter - work lunches.