Catering - help a novice not starve!!

[JulieM]

Hi all,
In just over 3 weeks, our big adventure begins!  Hubby and I are doing a 4+ month trip through southern and eastern Africa.  We are easing into it gently by having a driver-guide take us through Tanzania. We will be camping and self-catering for 9 nights, departing and returning to Arusha and going to Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. I am a novice camper, and would appreciate your assistance in working out the best way to self-cater for this trip. I'm assuming we will have to buy everything in Arusha or will there be places to top up along the way? Anyone care to share a shopping list, or meal plan that they have used in the past?
Cheers,
Julie

[Game Warden]

@JulieM Firstly do you have any dietary restrictions? (e.g., lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant.) Are you vegetarian, vegan? Teetotal?

 

Matt

[JulieM]

Good question!  No - no dietary restrictions and not teetotal!  Happy to braai, but equally happy to do vegetarian.

Cheers.

[optig]

@JulieM I'm amazed at the length of your trip!! The longest safari I ever took lasted two months and then I stayed in Nairobi for two weeks at the Fairview Hotel because I had to decide if I could move to Nairobi or not. I'm sure that both you and your husband will have a great trip. 

[Game Warden]

First thing, don't forget the corkscrew...

 

Quote

Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.

 

W. C. Fields

[Peter Connan]

Where there are people, there must be food. I think the best is to just be as flexible as possible, and probably not be too squeemish either, unless you are visiting larger towns or cities often enough to re-supply.

 

If one has a fridge with a seperate freezer, it is pretty easy to keep meat for longish times as one can keep it frozen, but if you only has a fridge, you have to decide whether you want to use it as a freezer or a fridge.

 

Veggies are generally fairly easy to travel with, and especially things like potato, sweet potato, gem squashes and butternut are also easy to prepare: just wrap them in tin foil and place them against the coals at the edge of the fire, turning them regularly.

 

The difficult things to travel with are fruit and salad-stuff (toamto, cucumber and so forth. They need to live in a fridge, and there they get pounded to a pulp in short order. Stick them in a tupperware or lunch tin.

 

Bread is also tricky, as it gets mildew quite quickly in a hot car. For that reason, if you can't re-supply every three or four days, try to bake your own. There are many recipesfor pot-bread and breads that can be made on a fire. I have a fairly easy yet tasty recipefor one, but you will need more than one recipe for a four-month trip. With many such breads you can mix a batch of dough, and use just some of it, freezing the rest (if you have a freezer of course). But space in the freezer is generally at a premium.

 

Lastly, always make sure you have tinned food for a few days as emergency rations in case you get lost and stuck or the vehicle breaks. And enough drinking water for at least a week.

 

Hope that helps?

 

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

I have never been on a self catering trip , how would things go taking a small saucepan go ?

[Peter Connan]

In terms of cooking utensils, as a minimum, I think one needs a gas stove, a frying pan and a pot, as well as a braai-grid and something to put it on.

 

I use this: http://www.loot.co.za/product/cadac-safari-chef/hkcc-3093-g920, which packs up handily into a canvas carry bag. It comes complete with most accessories one needs, but I carry a smallish non-stick pan and an aluminium pot with lid as well. This is handy to keep food warmish in. I couple it to a larger gas bottle using a hose with a quick-connect fitting. The bottle typically stays mounted to the roof rack. I don't like having very flammeable stuff in the car.

 

For the braai grid, I use this: https://www.google.co.za/search?q=braai+stands&rlz=1C1CHZL_enZA689ZA689&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwieyLL2r5DZAhXLthQKHbCNBQYQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=662#imgrc=2gdMBbESXzZ5JM:

 

Obviously, one also needs tongs, a spatula and a larger spoon. If baking pot-bread, a cast-iron pot is a good idea.

[Elsa Hoffmann]

I have found one is inclined to take too much food - it becomes a catch 22 if you cant replenish - but I try pack as little as possible. Even the smallest shop in the country usually carried tinned food. 

 

And @Peter Connan is right - dont be squeamish

[KaingU Lodge]

The cast iron pot is a must.  Julia (my better half) makes sour dough bread, pizza, apple struddle as well as the more regular stews, soupls etc in ours.  Google dutch oven recipes.  

 

A fridge is the most important 4x4 accessory ever invented.  Beer and cheese are vital!  Fortunately corks are less and less seen (at least in my price bracket) but we do have a couple of swiss army knives in the car in case of emergency! 

 

There is actually a book called the "4x4 safari cookbook" that might be worth checking out.  

[Ben mosquito]

On 25/01/2018 at 8:39 PM, JulieM said:

We will be camping and self-catering for 9 nights, departing and returning to Arusha and going to Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. I am a novice camper, and would appreciate your assistance in working out the best way to self-cater for this trip.
Julie

 

We used to do self catering in Kenya (from small tents to guest house or tented camp ) and for a minimum extra cost, ask for a cook for 9 days. You don't have to bother to go shopping, peel potatoes, look after monkeys or porcupine (don't forget slingshot ) or buy kitchen ustensils only for 9 days. . Buy a minimum in supermarket and fresh fruits and vegetables along the road.

My opinion will be different for a 4 months self-catering  trip.

 

[JulieM]

On 2/6/2018 at 11:43 PM, KaingU Lodge said:

The cast iron pot is a must.  Julia (my better half) makes sour dough bread, pizza, apple struddle as well as the more regular stews, soupls etc in ours.  Google dutch oven recipes.  

 

A fridge is the most important 4x4 accessory ever invented.  Beer and cheese are vital!  Fortunately corks are less and less seen (at least in my price bracket) but we do have a couple of swiss army knives in the car in case of emergency! 

 

There is actually a book called the "4x4 safari cookbook" that might be worth checking out.  

 

Just downloaded it now....hopefully there aren't too many tricky recipes!

 

 

[JulieM]

14 hours ago, Ben mosquito said:

 

We used to do self catering in Kenya (from small tents to guest house or tented camp ) and for a minimum extra cost, ask for a cook for 9 days. You don't have to bother to go shopping, peel potatoes, look after monkeys or porcupine (don't forget slingshot ) or buy kitchen ustensils only for 9 days. . Buy a minimum in supermarket and fresh fruits and vegetables along the road.

My opinion will be different for a 4 months self-catering  trip.

 

 

Interesting idea - hiring a cook. We have a driver/guide but hadn't considered a cook.  Might check it out.  And then learn from them for the rest of the trip.

[Ben mosquito]

3 hours ago, JulieM said:

 

Interesting idea - hiring a cook. We have a driver/guide but hadn't considered a cook.  Might check it out.  And then learn from them for the rest of the trip.

 

A cook and a Driver/guide, that's the real luxury. No headache for planning menus.

 

-Wake up at 6, tea and biscuit, on the tracks for sunrise, while some are still in lodges waiting  for breakfast.

after 2,3 or even 4 hours game drive,  back to camp for breakfast (pancakes on demand, bacon,tomatoes,  eggs...)

- A  little pause for watching morning pics, reading or photos around the camp.

-Lunch before rest or various activities. The cook can pickup your car for last minute shopping.

- when the cook begins to prepare afternoon tea, it's time to go on  game drive.

- after sunset , shower and dinner.

[LarsS]

Reading along for advice as well. Will be camping for 6/7 nights in Botswana. First time camping, so reading a lot about what to take and more important, what to eat. Especially what to prepare and eat at night in the dark is something we're still thinking about. Is it smart to prepare something in midday to eat at night (for example pasta salad) or isn't it that big a hassle to cook a meal at night? Meals also depend on what kind of meat we can get in Maun.

Our 'menu' so far contains:

6AM starts
- muffins for the first early mornings (as long as they stay fresh(ish) )

- cookies

- tea

 

Breakfasts

- omelets/fried egg

- french toast (bread, eggs and long life milk)

- pancakes (here you can buy pancake mix where you only have to add milk/water)

 

Lunch / Dinner

- pasta with some kind of sauce

- pasta salad (cold, also easy to make midday and save for eating at night)

- potato's with...?

- ....?

 

Further we will take with us crackers, peanut butter (always peanut butter ),bacon, lots of cheese (for pancakes, pasta, crackers, omelet, snack, etc), all kinds of vegetables. Am thinking about red wine instead of beers to save space in the fridge, but we'll see about that when we've actually seen the size of the fridge.

[LarsS]

Just noticed this is thread is a bit overdue and you've already left for your journey. Have a fantastic time @JulieM ! (if you'll read this on your trip)

[Game Warden]

Red wine doesn't need chilling, and if you buy boxed wine, (oh the horror), you can always fill the bladder with water after...

 

Baked beans round the campfire?

 

 

[LarsS]

lol, I think I'm gonna skip the beans

[Peter Connan]

@LarsS , evenings is about the best/easiest time to make food. There is little else to do in the bush after the sun has set.

 

Boyswana is prime cattle country. Use the opportunity, and eat steak for dinner. Every night.

 

For early starts, I find energy shakes (often found in diets) a good compromise. Reasonably tasty, reasonably filling and super quick and easy to prepare, and it lasts well untill mixed.

 

Strangely, milk (including long-life) has been the one thing that I have proven the most difficult food item to travel with. Every type of container I have tried either breaks, leaks or rots...

Edited April 10, 2018 by Peter Connan

[LarsS]

Thanks for the warning about the milk @Peter Connan, thinking about saving empty water bottles and fill them with milk, to avoid leaking.

 

Main concern about cooking at night is that its dark, which make things a bit harder. But will do my best to eat steak every night

[Game Warden]

Yours truly

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, you could always take me along to cook for you

 

All of these images were taken from a combined trip report from myself, @Bugs,  @Soukous @Peter Connan, (here), with thanks to the relevant photographers: as an aside, despite the harsh conditions of the primitive trail, (trial?), it's a safari I'd welcome doing again, should anyone fancy it

 

[xelas]

On 10/04/2018 at 5:49 PM, Peter Connan said:

Boyswana is prime cattle country. Use the opportunity, and eat steak for dinner. Every night.

 

Heck, Peter, you should tell this one to JJ !

[xelas]

On 10/04/2018 at 11:09 PM, Game Warden said:

as an aside, despite the harsh conditions of the primitive trail, (trial?), it's a safari I'd welcome doing again, should anyone fancy it

 

After the last trip, I might be ready and tested enough to join you  ??

[LarsS]

Awesome pics! That really looks like the real deal!

On that 3rd pic, are all the others on the lookout while you're cooking?