| Hiking, camping, and boating are good activities for | | | | matter how |
| active | | | | clean it appears.4. If you're backpacking for more |
| people and families. However, if the food isn't | | | | than a day, the food |
| handled | | | | situation gets a little more complicated. You can |
| correctly, food-borne illness can be an | | | | still |
| unwelcome souvenir.1. Choose foods that are light | | | | bring cold foods for the first day, but you'll have |
| enough to carry in a backpack | | | | to pack |
| and that can be transported safely. Keep foods | | | | shelf-stable items for the next day. Canned |
| either hot or | | | | goods are safe, |
| cold. Since it's difficult to keep foods hot without | | | | but heavy, so plan your menu carefully. |
| a heat | | | | Advances in food |
| source, it's best to transport chilled foods. | | | | technology have produced relatively lightweight |
| Refrigerate or | | | | staples that |
| freeze the food overnight. What foods to bring? | | | | don't need refrigeration or careful packaging. For |
| For a day | | | | example: |
| hike, just about anything will do as long as you | | | | peanut butter in plastic jars |
| can fit it | | | | concentrated juice boxes |
| in your backpack and keep it cold -- sandwiches, | | | | canned tuna, ham, chicken, and beef |
| fried | | | | dried noodles and soups |
| chicken, bread and cheese, and even salads -- or | | | | beef jerky and other dried meats |
| choose non- | | | | dehydrated foods |
| perishable foods.2. Keep everything clean. | | | | dried fruits and nuts |
| Remember to bring disposable wipes | | | | powdered milk and fruit drinks |
| if you're taking a day trip. (Water is too heavy | | | | 5. If you're cooking meat or poultry on a |
| to bring | | | | portable stove or |
| enough for cleaning dishes!)3. It's not a good idea | | | | over a fire, you'll need a way to determine when |
| to depend on fresh water from a | | | | it's done |
| lake or stream for drinking, no matter how clean | | | | and safe to eat. Color is not a reliable indicator of |
| it appears. | | | | doneness, and it can be especially tricky to tell |
| Some pathogens thrive in remote mountain lakes | | | | the color |
| or streams | | | | of a food if you're cooking in a wooded area in |
| and there's no way to know what might have | | | | the evening. |
| fallen into the | | | | It's critical to use a food thermometer when |
| water upstream. Bring bottled or tap water for | | | | cooking |
| drinking. | | | | hamburgers. Ground beef may be contaminated |
| Always start out with a full water bottle and | | | | with E. coli, a |
| replenish your | | | | particularly dangerous strain of bacteria. Illnesses |
| supply from tested public systems when possible. | | | | have |
| On long | | | | occurred even when ground beef patties were |
| trips you can find water in streams, lakes, and | | | | cooked until |
| springs, but | | | | there was no visible pink. |
| be sure to purify any water from the wild, no | | | | |