Know How
THE MIDDLE-MALIST Spork or foon French coffee press Nesting cook pots Wooden spoon Granola Regular oatmeal White gas camp stove Scouring pad Cooler bag with frozen meats and sauces
Pasta Gatorade flavor crystals Ground coffee, tea bags Powdered milk One sink—an old- fashioned plastic tub
[ CAMPCRAFT ] What’s In Your Wanigan? BACKCOUNTRY PROOF THAT YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
While the traditional wanigan—that bulky wooden box, custom-built to fit snugly within a canoe’s contours—has largely been replaced by plastic tubs or barrels, its purpose has re- mained true: to cram as much kitchen stuff as possible. But one portager’s perfect stash is another’s albatross. Wanigans reveal trippers’ traits, classifying them as one of three wanigan personalities: extremist, minimalist or middle-malist. And there’s wisdom—and warning—to be dished from each camp. “Most paddlers want to eat like they do at home,” says Andrew Rafton, an extreme tripper
and waniganer who won’t compromise on meals. It’s why he invested in a food dehydrator and vacuum bag sealer, which allow him to fill his wanigan with all the fixings for everything from shepherd’s pie to pizza to cobbler. He won’t scrimp on his eco-friendly clean-up, either; he makes room for three—yes, three—folding sinks. “That’s not gonna happen on any trip I take,” says Jason Picard. “Not even a luxury one.” A
self-proclaimed minimalist tripper, Picard uses his cook pots as sinks, eschewing anything that only has one use. In Eugene Mohareb’s barrel-cum-wanigan you’ll find plenty of lightweight just-add-water
meals. Whereas Rafton needs his full assortment of spices, minimalist Mohareb is happy with his tiny vial of hot sauce. Picard does one better by loading up on individual packets of condi- ments when he’s at a deli counter. Your wanigan’s contents may also depend on your camping skills. Take Barb Russell, who
describes herself as a middle-malist and worked as a guide and chief cook for a tripping com- pany. “A percolator takes up too much room in my wanigan,” she says, before describing how to make cowboy coffee by literally swinging a pot of hot water above your head. “So my kit always includes a billycan.” — Denis Grignon
THE MINIMALIST Swiss Army Knife Butane canister stove Folding bowls One pot, its lid
doubling as a pan
Instant oatmeal Instant coffee, enjoyed black
Instant rice Mac and cheese Hot sauce No utensils— a carved stick for stirring and shovelling food
THE EXTREMIST Dehydrated veggies and meat Fresh apples Vacuum packed food Three foldable sinks—wash, sterilize, rinse Spice rack Outback oven with thermometer Double-burner stove with tins of extra fuel Dutch oven with charcoal Titanium utensils—full set Spatula, ladle and whisk Plates, bowls, cups and mugs Percolator and fresh ground gourmet coffee
Tetra-pak milk and cream Mixing bowls Flour Biodegradable dish soap
Dish towel
ILLUSTRATIONS: LORENZO DEL BIANCO
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