The bushwalking experience – changes over the last 50 years

[mikethepike]

I thought I'd ask about another aspect of possible changes in the bushwalking scene - common meals - that is people taking turns to cook meals for everyone. I did a few trips like this in the late 60s/early 70s - including two snow trips with hut accommodation with 5 of us on one trip and 2 on another. If I take overseas visitors bushwalking even now, we always do common meals. But I've been in situations where bushwalkers staying in shearer accommodation for a week on a conservation program all cook separately and that seems a little odd to me. There's the fridge stuffed with all our myriad bags of food and all of us with stoves going at the same time on the table and benches. When I asked peoples' thoughts on this, some said they preferred their own food and would do it no other way. Yet Conservation Volunteers Australia with their often multinational group of travelers do common meals with people working in teams taking turns doing the cooking. It means that everyone gets more time to socialize and relax and they don't need to bring personal stoves. Bigger group sizes on a bushwalk may mean talking bigger pot sizes and that may be awkward. And then some people have bigger appetites than others and that may cause some angst. What do you think?

[icefest]

Up to groups of three works for shared meals, in my experience. I find it helps result in less packaging and then you get some time off when the other is cooking.

For weekenders everyone for themselves is the norm for me.

[wayno]

even if you're going to cook your own, you can still look at sharing cookers to a certain extent. cook the slow cooking food first and the faster cooking food last, it's workable