Breakfast Help

[trailbiscuit]

Since the members of this forum are obsessed with food, let's talk about breakfast.
What does everyone out there like to chow down on when they're backpacking? Here's why I ask: I am not a morning person, in fact, I'm downright ornery in the morning. So, any suggestions for breakfasts that are quick, easy and will slide right down my gullet while I'm still mostly asleep?

 

[Rob S]

I like a quick, simple breakfast. I usually take packets of instant oatmeal (maple & brown sugar ...... yum!). If I'm only out for an overnighter, then I may bring an apple to slice up in the oatmeal or add some raisins or even trailmix. I'm not a fancy cook in the woods. I save that for home. On the other side of the spectrum, I have a friend who brings a cast iron skillet and sausage links. The forest smells like a "Denny's" or "IHOP" when he starts cooking.

 

[Oldsmores]

Instant oatmeal and freeze-dried coffee - quick, hot and easy with plenty of complex carbs and more importantly - caffeine! Minimal cleanup also.

 

[ripple]

Pop tarts, and coffee that comes in tea bags. No mess and quick. For slow morning- pancakes, or Mountainhouse pre-cooked eggs and bacon on tortias w/ taco bell hot sauce. Uuuummmm Taco bell

 

[Sara]

Apple & Cinnamon oatmeal with added raisins. Also, I pre-mix honey with peanut butter in a small container and put it on whole wheat pita. This is especially yummy warmed over a fire and/or flame of a stove. The peanut butter honey concoction gets gooey and warm. A mandarin orange fruit cup on occasion makes a nice treat and any dehydrated fruit! Coffee is a must!

 

[Rick]

I am a morning person, so I like it quick and simple and to get on the trail ASAP.
Therefore, I like to hold breakfast in one hand, with a big steaming mug of coffee in the crook of the same arm and take down my tent with the other hand.

No oatmeal for me (unless it's winter and then I'll eat out of a ziplock) and I hate doing dishes, so I don't bring anything other than a small teakettle for boiling

Narrows it down to nutrigrain's, granola bars or a higher fiber energy bar - Yeah, it's boring, but simple.

 

[Nadine]

English muffins and pb.
Hot cocoa or coffee bag coffee.

I'm sick of oatmeal. There's a Canadian hot cereal called Red River that's pretty good though.

Sometimes I eat ramen for breakfast.

 

[Artex]

I'm not really big on cooking in the morning, especially if a big hike is in store for that day. Plus, I grew a bit sick of oatmeal about a year ago, so a change was in order. I've resorted to bagels and peanut butter.

 

[Periwinkle]

Here's why I ask: I am not a morning person, in fact, I'm downright ornery in the morning. So, any suggestions for breakfasts that are quick, easy and will slide right down my gullet while I'm still mostly asleep?

Oh, I hear ya! I'm not a pleasant person in the a.m. before my morning java. So, right off it's a cup of coffee (made with a little gadget called Cup-Porri) washed down with half of a PB&J bagel (the other half is a snack for later in the day). Then, I mix my oatmeal in the same mug. Once that's done, the water is boiled for my second cup of coffee, poured into the same mug once I've scrapped out the last of the oatmeal. Sounds disgusting, but it reduces clean up, saves on dishwashing, and adds a little thickener to that nasty ol' Coffe Mate. Oh, and less work for the not so quite morning glories.

 

[MichaelJ]

Mountain House has a freeze-dried granola, blueberries and milk cereal. Just add cold water. It's fantastic and is my 3-season favorite. You could do the same yourself with granola, powdered milk, and fruit.

I'm always thirsty when I hike, so a cereal with a lot of liquid is my favorite. I'm just too dry for a bagel or even a muffin.

 

[jbrown]

I fall uner the "leave-me-alone-until-I-decide-to-get-out-of-bed-or-I'll-decapitate-you-and-use-your-body-for-a-matress" category.
I've never trusted morning people...
Breakfast is always, always, always instant oatmeal and a cup of cocoa or mocha (I like the instant cappuccino mixes too... ) Sometimes I add crunchy granola to the hot oatmeal to spruce it up a little, but i like it well enough and don't eat it that often in the real world to be sick of it already.
Once, however, we brought pancake mix and had the good fortune to be camping near a patch of wild blueberries. Best blueberry pancakes ever...

 

[SherpaKroto]

If I was any slower in the morning, you'd find me a 1/2 mile back from where I stopped the night before. I need to be the first one up if I want to see anyone on the trail. Did I mention I'm slow in the morning? If I'm backpacking, granola bars. If I'm basecamping, it may get a bit more elaborate, starting with a bagel, and going from there. Breakfast for me is mostly hydration.

 

[Dugan]

I usually bring a cereal, but with my own flavorings, nuts, fruits added in at home. Such as a seven grain meusli, steel cut oats, or kasha, then add spices, dried fruit bits, nuts, or sometimes a sweetener like honey or molasses, or even some dried milk. These take about 5 minutes at a low simmer. Dry cereal (homemade or store bought) pre mixed with dry milk is good too, just add water.

A favorite fancy breakfast is gingerbread. Premix at home, combine the wet and dries, pour into a thick plastic bag, simmer in the bag. I tried doing it pancake style once but ended up with a yummy scrambled mess.

 

[sp1936]

Lots of hot tea. Twining's English Breakfast if you're buying, Tetley if I'm buying . Anything else is optional.

Steve

 

[trailbiscuit]

Great suggestions, everyone. THANKS!
Right now, my typical breakfast is a tortilla with peanut butter and some fig newtons. Throw in some dehydrated banana chips if we have 'em. YUM! The other factor is that I'm a slow eater, which is exacerbated by the fact that I hate being awake...so breakfast has to go down fast and easy.
I like all the cooking options, but it takes us so long to break camp that we might not get rolling until noon! Of course, that could be remedied, if I get up earlier, but let's be realistic here.

 

[KayakDan]

Uncle Ben's Rice Pudding. Cooks fast,it's hot and makes a nice change from oatmeal. Discovered this after "I thought you packed the oatmeal.." It's all we had,and it turned out great! I don't do well on just power bars. I need a hot breakfast or I crash on the trail.
More than one occasion where we broke camp at noon!

 

[TomEske]

I'm pretty much a morning guy. I'm always the first one up because by 6 am I am tired of waiting for someone else to start the stove and I do it.
I have recently realized that you need neither a cup or a zip loc to make your oatmeal, I now do it right in the paper pouch it comes in. Although this can be tough on your fingers for the first 20 seconds, I do find it stimulating. As an additional bonus, if I pour too fast and am not fully awake, the initial shock serves as an alarm clock for my companions. When done I can burn the paper sack, or if no fire is available, squeeze it flat for the trash package.
Then I have a little gorp, and chocolate. Finally (and somtimes firstly), I have at least two cups of brewed coffee. I'm sorry, but I cannot start the day without it. and I WILL not drink coffe that is freezedried or comes in a little sack. (My Dad had a saying about people who drink instant coffe, but I won't repeat it here. Besides, I have met some folks who like instant coffee, and they are otherwise very nice people.) I just fill up a filter and soak it in the pot after I've poured the boiling water over it.
I like to be off on the trail quickly, and this system usuually cosumes 10 minutes, except for the last cup of coffee, which I savor.
Happy Hiking,
Tom

 

[insight]

Wow, so many slaves to coffee!

I haven't yet fallen into an addiction/reliance on coffee, so that's not yet part of my morning breakfast, on the trail or otherwise.

In the past, I've usually been fine with just a soup, a breakfast cereal bar or two, and/or hot chocolate (when it's a bit frigid). I'm not a breakfast person at all, so sometimes it's much less.

I'm going to use that oatmeal and raisins suggestion for my next trip.. sounds good.

 

[Dugan]

cooking

Most processed breakfast grains (instant/rolled oats, steel cut/cracked grains, etc.) don't HAVE to be cooked. If you have a container large enough, soak them overnight in the liquid you would have otherwise cooked them with. Dried fruits premixed with the grains are okay, but nuts are better if they don't sit through the soak. The grain texture is aldente rather than mushy. This method doesn't use as much liquid, you could play with grain to liquid ratios at home until you find what suits your taste.

 

[MrOysterhead]

Pop-tarts. Usually frosted. Nothing beats them - quick, easy, tasty, and no cleanup.
peace

Oysterhead