Welcome to Andy’s page.
I hope you enjoy your visits here. I am a middle aged father who finally realized that I have spent huge amounts of time outdoors in my life. I may not know the best ways to do things in the great outdoors, but I plan on showing how I do things and hope that you can find some helpful hints, inspiration, or wisdom in what I share here. So welcome to my page….
What is new? (October 6, 2009)
The Perfect Cup..
I do think that taking too many comfort items on the trail is a big no-no, I do look for ways to take a just a few creature comforts with me. The most important is probably my morning tea. I am not a coffee person by any stretch of the imagination and warm tea in the morning or even at lunch if it is cool is a serious moral booster for me. Being dirty, tired, sore, and miserable is all made so much easier when the perfect tea passes my lips as I admire my surroundings.
The first part is finding the perfect tea. In the mornings I like something strong and green. Gun Powder green tea mixed with mint or other herbs is great. It is bitter, but cuts through the morning fog in just the right way. While there are commercial versions available (Moroccan Mint) I prefer to mix my own to get just the right blend. Of course at bed time I do not want anything with caffeine in it, so it is herbal tea time.
There are plenty of off-the-shelf cures for getting the perfect tea in my pack, I found Mountain Rose Herbs several years ago. They offer bulk herbs and teas at reasonable prices. After over a year or more, I am still working my way through my last order of tea and mint.
They also carry a neat little item that makes blending and using my own tea so much easier. Their “Press and Brew” tea bags are the original reason that I went to their site. They come in two sizes and after you fill them with the tea or herbs of your choice, you use an iron to seal them shut. Perfect for carrying in your pack or keeping a few at home for a fast cup of tea.
This may not be the best option for everyone, but it adds that personal touch of perfection to my outdoors experiences.
Past Events:
I agree with you about tea in the morning and evening. I am an espresso drinker (straight – no milk, sugar, water, or flavorings if you please). But when camping and/or backpacking tea in the mornings and evenings is what I crave. A good cup of strong black tea (English Breakfast is my current favorite) in the morning is what I normally prefer, but I find a good green tea works for both mornings and evenings.
I have found the green tea that CostCo carries to be one of the best I have ever tasted…and its cheep! Lately it is about all I drink.
Dave