Lazarus Cooke wrote:
> Although I live in London, I don't go walking much in Britain because
> food, accomodation and transport are so expensive (and not very good).
> But I hope to go walking on Exmoor in Sept and I shall be away from
> shops for a while (5 days?).
> I have no problem with this in most of Europe. Am just back from the
> Cevennes in France, where was walking away from any shops or villages
> for over a week. There I'd carry sourdough bread, salame/saucisson,
> hard goat's cheese, carrots, apples, dried apricots.
> Was very interested in the discussion about pack weight. I'm afraid I
> was carrying 16 or 17 kilos, inc water/food. But very difficult to
> avoid. Temp down to freezing with immense winds at times.
> What would the panel suggest to carry on Exmoor as food for five days?
> Bought locally.
> pip pip
> Lazarus
Much the same as you carried in France, if you are OK with the pack weight.
At this time of year fruit (especially the early apple varieties) and
vegetables are fresh and good: carry enough of the softer stuff (like
plums - the real soft fruit season is at it's height now and will be
over by then) for the first two days, and apples and carrots for the
remainder. You should be able to top up the frsh fruit and veg along
the way from farm shops and the like, depending on your route.
England offers some of the best apples in the world, and has still a
huge variety to choose from: far more than France! Start here and
explore 1882 varieties!
> http://www.brogdale.org/nfc_plants1.php?plantid=7
(OK, I'm biased - I live very close to the National Fruit Collection at
Brogdale!)
Sourdough bread and saucisson are readily available in the larger
supermarkets and could be purchased before you go. England doesn't go
in for that style of saussage or bread, and we don't have a bread that
is firm enough to withstand packing like this, so a decent supermarket
version of a continental style bread may be your best bet.
For hard cheese you could try the goat again, or try some of our English
hard cheeses that keep well, such as a good farmhouse cheddar (cut from
a proper cheese, with rind on, not a supermarket brick!). There are
some extremely good hard cheeses made here in the UK. Keep in mind that
while sheep and goat cheeses are not unknown here, and the country
produces some superb examples of hard cheese of both sorts, cows milk
cheese is much more common. Here are just a few English cheeses to
explore: > http://www.teddingtoncheese.co.uk/acatalog/index.html
You have time between now and your trip to explore them and discover
something you like that will travel well in your pack.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
