A Guide for the Cold-Soak Curious: Should You Ditch the Stove?
In the world of ultralight hiking, there are three main things that can earn you serious street cred: using a frameless, hipbeltless pack, sleeping on a torso-length foam mat, or going stoveless.
These practices may seem unappealing at first, especially for those accustomed to traditional hiking setups. However, they can start to make sense when viewed through the lens of simplicity and/or the desire to reduce pack weight.
Today, we’ll focus on the third of these three choices. Should you ditch the stove and replace it with a peanut butter container? For most people, the answer is no. However, for those intrigued by the simplicity and minimalism of cold soaking, this guide will help you weigh the pros and cons.
What is cold-soaking?
Cold-soaking is a stoveless alternative for rehydrating food. You simply add water to a dehydrated meal in a sealed container and carry it whilst backpacking or hiking. This method eliminates the need for cooking gear, reducing the number of items you carry and saving you some pack weight. However, the weight savings from skipping a stove, fuel canisters, and a cooking pot are often relatively minor.
Benefits of cold-soaking
For us, the real appeal of cold-soaking lies in its simplicity. Without the need to cook, we have fewer items to carry and don’t have to stop to prepare meals. There’s also no need to scrub pots, monitor fuel levels and search for fuel top ups in towns.
Cold-soaking streamlines our daily routine, giving us more time to focus on the hike. We have found this especially helpful when pursuing a Fastest Known Time, like the FKTs we set on the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT), Bibbulmun Track, and Te Araroa. However, it is also something we tend to do on slower, more relaxed trips.
Drawbacks of cold-soaking
Obviously, the first significant drawback of cold-soaking is the lack of hot food. Without a stove, you don’t get the luxury of a warm and comforting meal, something that is particularly welcome during sudden temperature drops. We mitigate this by treating ourselves to good food whenever we reach a town and carrying out takeaway meals!
Another limitation of cold-soaking is you have to be careful with your food selection, as not all foods rehydrate evenly or at the same rate. As a result, many people go through a trial-and-error phase when learning to cold-soak. For example, if rice isn’t soaked long enough, you may end up with unappealing crunchy bits.
Lastly, cold soaking isn’t always practical in certain regions. For example, in many developing countries, suitable cold-soaking ingredients can be harder to find, making it less viable as a primary method of food preparation.
Our staple diet whilst cold-soaking
Over time, we’ve honed a diet that works well for cold soaking. Here are some of our go-to meals:
- Brekkie:
- Overnight cold-soaked oatmeal with milk powder and Milo
- Lunch:
- Crackers with cheese and salami (plus an avocado or tuna if we have just left town)
- Dinner:
- Cold-soaked instant rice, potatoes, noodles, or beans flavoured with some combination of spices, cheese, salami, and Doritos
- Snacks:
- Chocolate bars
- Cereal with milk powder (a true favourite)
- Muesli bars
- Sports drinks
- Chocolate milkshake (Milo with milk powder)
- Dry 2-minute noodles
- Chips
If cold-soaking isn’t for you, you could try nutrient-packed meal replacement powders like QOTA. We find that these are an incredibly simple way to maintain your energy levels on the trail if you struggle to eat enough food or get a range of nutrients.
Choosing a cold-soaking tub
We prepare and store our cold-soaked meals in a watertight tub to avoid spilling. We suggest choosing a container generally around 600mL, such as a plastic peanut butter jar, Gatorade container, or small ice cream tub, preferably with a twist-on lid. Bonus points go to containers that are easy to clean (no interior ridges that trap food).
Conclusion
Cold soaking isn’t for everyone. We only recommend it if you feel ‘called’ to it for reasons beyond weight savings. For us, it is a convenient way to simplify mealtimes whilst hiking. If you’re curious, we suggest experimenting with different recipes to see what works best for you.
