SUL Freezer Bag Cooking Cozy - Part 1

No, SUL does not stand for Super Ugly...this is a crazy idea I've been thinking of for a while now. I was actually laying awake about 3:00am this morning thinking about how I would construct this thing. 

For some background, I usually do freezer bag cooking, or FBC, when I backpack. This is where you store your dehydrated meal inside a quart size freezer bag, and all you have to do is add boiling water, stir, wait several minutes for it to rehydrate, then you're ready to eat. In order to keep the contents hot while it's rehydrating or "cooking", most of us have adopted some way to insulate the FBC meal. Some people use an article of clothing for this...

John's Meat Sauce Recipe

My meat sauce is a family favorite at home, but I bet you're wondering why I'm writing about it in my ultralight backpacking blog. In its dehydrated form, it turns into a wonderful home cooked meal and all you have to do is add some boiling water. Check out my article on how to Make Your Own Dehydrated Meat Sauce for more on dehydrating this recipe.

Snow in the Desert - Zion National Park West Rim Trail

Thanksgiving is a 4 day weekend for me, and a great opportunity to spend a few days in the back country before it's gets too cold. There's a trail that I hadn't done yet - the West Rim Trail at Zion National Park in Utah, which runs 15 miles end to end. The plan was to make the 3 hour drive the morning after Thanksgiving, then hike 10 miles to campsite 8 before dark. On Saturday morning I would continue to the end of the trail, then turn around and hike back to campsite 2, about 15 miles for the day. Sunday morning I would get up and hike out the last 5 miles and head back home. An easy 30 miles in two days and nights, or so I thought.

I contacted the ranger on Monday to make my reservations. In this popular park, you can only camp in designated sites in the back country, which must be reserved in advance. Little or no snow was the report I got from the nice ranger. Now to get a hall pass from my wife. I knew she wouldn't want to go...too cold for her.

Thanksgiving day