Countdown Commencing

In 5 days, Cole and I begin our drive to Canada.
Packing began months ago. The spare bedroom was the staging area.

Cole seems unsure that it will all fit in the car.

Since I'll be spending 6 days in Algonquin Provincial Park, all my food has to be prepared and packed in advance.  "Failing to plan is planning to fail".  A quote I adore.

Grinding and individually packaging my favorite coffees in tiny pill pouches.  

Four of those days, my friend and I will be canoeing and portaging.  I will have the canoe to carry, plus my backpack and Cole's too.  Anne-Marie said she was willing to tackle carrying her pack and the food barrel.

This is a file photo from The Portage Store to give you an idea of what a barrel looks like.
This is the reason foods must be light weight!
But, I refuse to subsist on MRE's or the overpriced and oversalted prepackaged camping foods.
I spent the weekend cooking our own organic, low sodium grub.  The last bit of Thai lentil pilaf is finishing up in the dehydrator right now.  

Mashed sweet potatoes drying for the topping of the shepherd pies.  
Homemade beef jerky, refried beans, sausage and kale risotto and scrambled eggs from my hens.  You can take the girl off the farm, but she'll find a way to take her produce with her!

I packed enough entrees and healthy snacks to add up to 3500 calories per day for the 4 day canoe trip.  Not only will it be below freezing at night, requiring extra calories, but full days of paddling will burn tons of energy.

All the food for the entire road trip has been vacuum packed.  Frugal travel for when you're on a strict budget AND you'd rather go hungry than eat anything processed, with GMO's, or anything from a fast food joint, convenience store, restaurant...  I think my parents would simply call this being fussy.  I prefer the term ethical eater.  I made it up, it sounds so much better!

T minus 5 and counting, Canada brace yourself for the Redneck invasion!