Eating on a regular camp out is not too hard to navigate. You need eating utensils and a plate of some kind. A cup or your water bottle will do for drinking. At Philmont on the trail it will be a little different. For utensils you will need something that's easy to pack, easy to clean, and durable.
Some of us have some really high-tech gear when it comes to camping tools. Others have a metal spoon from cub scouts as the only survivor of their first mess kit. Both options work but sometimes things go wrong. Even I have been known to realize too late that I forgot my mess kit and eating utensils at home when on the road to a camp out. In those cases I've been thankful for the good graces of McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A for a plastic spoon or fork. Again, that's OK for the occasional camp out but not for when we're miles from anywhere on a trail in New Mexico. Why? Because it'll break when you need it. Maybe it'll last a day, maybe two, but its meals are numbered and no one wants you eating with your hands for the majority of the trip.
Here are some options for your mess kit if you haven't taken care of that already. If you have then go ahead and look it over just to make sure it'll last the whole duration of the trek, and beyond.
Our first entry is a heavy duty plastic spoon from Academy. It's $.99, not a bad price but will it last the entire trek? Well you won't be banging it against a rock to clean it (at least I hope you won't) so it probably will but think carefully before you put all your trust in one.
The next is a spork/multi tool from Cabella's. It's $6.99 and worth it. I guarantee if you take care of this it'll be useful to you 20 years from now.
The next is the same type of spork/multi tool from REI. And get this, it costs less at $3.95! I know, I'm as surprised as you!
This next one is also from REI and the price reflects it. Its $12.95 and if you're willing to pay it, and take care of it, it's a good investment.
The last one here is also from REI. It's $10.95 and I feel the same way about it as the previous entry. Good, quality, pricey.
You may have noticed that there are no knives shown here. That's because it's suggested that you only bring one utensil on the trek. That way you save space and weight. There's also fewer things that might accidentally get lost if you only have one item. Besides, you already have a knife/multi tool on your packing list.
There are many more options than these. Just know that sometimes what is listed online is not immediately available in the store. So call and check first to see if you can pick it up or if you should order it online. Please shop around and feel free to comment below if you have a suggestion or an endorsement of something you like and use.
In later posts we'll talk about plates, cups, and water bottles.
