יום רביעי, פברואר 15, 2006

Kosher Traveling

It's a challenge. You do save money but after week 2,3,4,.. on the road it gets to be a bit much. If you are up to the effort (or have no better choice 'cause you don't want to plan your trip around Chabad houses and Kosher supermarkets) then here is the way I pulled it off. If anyone else has done this I'd love to hear how you planned it and how it actually worked.

  1. Cook set: Mini-Trangia. This thing is amazing. Possibly the best bit of equipment I've ever bought. Most wow. I like. It's a pot, a frying pan and a burner in a tiny little package. You'll be the envy of all the other backpackers. Fuel is a bit tricky but I think it may be easier than finding gas canisters. The best is to find a chemical supply shop. In Thailand I found 2, one in Bangkok and one in Chang Mai. I think any major city will have such a shop but you'll have to break out of the tourist-only area. Which is a good thing. Methyl Alcohol is the best. The next best thing is to buy 70% Isopropenol from a pharmacy. This was what I had in Lao. You get less burn for your buck but it works. Some pharmacies will have 90% and that is just as good as the Methyl Alcohol. Always ask if they have the stronger stuff.


  2. Utensils: Med size plastic cutting board, bowl, 2 cups (you might have a guest), knife, fork, spoon, a non-metal spoon(wood, melmac, plastic) for the frying pan so you don't kill the Teflon. That's it.


  3. Condiments: Salt, Pepper, powdered soup mix. That's all you need for spices. Other flavors can come from the local market in the form of fresh anything. I usually had a head of garlic, some small onions and a hot pepper. Coffee & tea can be bought along the way, you might want to take powdered creamer. Sugar can also be bought along the way if you want. I had little use for it so I just had 1/2 a dozen little packets.


  4. Food Stuff: The following are emergency rations. These are not your mainstay foods - you can't carry enough to use them that way. Main foods are things you can buy in markets. These are for when you: have no market, have no time, are too tired, whatever... Use wisely.

    • 1 (400g) pkg of pasta

    • 3-5 cans (or packets) of tuna

    • 400-500g chopped dried fruit. Good for quick energy or to mix with rice.

    • 10-15 packets of instant oatmeal.



Se Tu. That's it. Along the way I met people with kilos of prepared food! They couldn't move with all the weight they were carrying. One person would stay with the bags and the other partner would go look for a guesthouse. Not my style.

Eat local stuff. Have fun trying new things from the markets. Be surprised that the thing you thought was a turnip is not a turnip.

posted by YS @ 2:31 AM