We’ve all had those long, tough days on the trail. The ones that turn into a hard slog by mid-afternoon – when you’ve been hiking for hours with not quite enough water, your shoulders are screaming, and you’ve still got to reach that last summit, the one that your friend conveniently forgot to tell you about. Then you remember that you still need to pitch your tent. And cook. Which invariably tends to go something like this:
Boil water. Add to bag. Get impatient. Eat. Regret. Repeat.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, cooking on a backpacking stove – even a JetBoil-style all-in-one system – can be a hell of a lot more rewarding than you’ve been led to believe. Yes, these stoves are excellent at boiling water fast. For quick brews and ‘just add water’ dehydrated or freeze-dried meals, they’re unrivalled. But what if I told you that they are capable of so much more than sad stroganoff and vacuous mash?
The concept of the ‘all-in-one’ or integrated stove, originally known as a Personal Cooking System or PCS, was pioneered by JetBoil back in 2004. Since then, a slew of similar models has followed, with rivals emerging from most of the major outdoor and camping brands, including MSR, Primus and various others. They’re now among the most popular stoves around, especially for backpackers and wild campers.
My stove of choice in this genre is the MSR Switch. It’s lightweight, has a good form factor in your pack, heats water rapidly, has incredible simmer control and is very stable.
But what makes cooking on this style of stove different to say a more typical camp stove, like a screw-in or remote canister type?
Well, all-in-one stoves like the Jetboil Zip and the MSR Switch aren’t just about speed. They’re about efficiency, simplicity and doing more with less. But that does come with limitations that means you need to change how you think about cooking outdoors.
But here’s the good part: Once you get your head around these points, you realise they’re not limitations, they’re just part of the challenge. And if you plan ahead, a few packs of dry ingredients, a small bottle of oil and a bit of spice – you can cook real, satisfying food with flavour, texture and actual joy.
Such joy can be found in cooking the following recipes. These recipes are trail tested with a twist, specifically curated for the crew at WildBounds. I’ve incorporated different flavours from around the world, showcased at different cooking levels. Each one is calorific, delicious and attainable. So, why not give them a go to elevate your meal and turn your mind away from tomorrow’s crappy weather forecast?
Each meal gets a little more adventurous as you go, but they all follow the same rules: Minimal kit, short cook times and trail-friendly ingredients.
The reliable start. This one’s the breakfast equivalent of a cosy sleeping bag. Warm, comforting and ready in under two minutes. Just oats, milk powder and a simple cinnamon-sugar mix. Stir, eat, feel smug.
This one’s lightweight, fast and offers plenty of reward for just a little effort. Boil water with harissa paste, stir in couscous, wait. Chuck in some sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and dried mint. Boom. Instant lunch that doesn’t feel like penance. A great mid-hike meal with zero fuss.
This dish feels fancy but still respects your limited time and precious fuel. Coconut milk powder, a bit of curry paste, rice noodles and some dehydrated veg. Five minutes and you’ve got hot, spicy comfort in a pot.
Yup! Eggs. On a JetBoil. I’m not saying it’s Michelin-starred, but it’s pretty impressive for a single-pot setup. You simmer tomato sauce with spices and dehydrated veg, then crack in an egg and steam them gently under the lid. It’s a proper trail morale boost.
NOTE: If your precious egg breaks or you’re in a rush, just stir it into the sauce.
For those who want to go bold when backpacking. It’s rich, savoury, slightly ridiculous and yet somehow it works. So well, in fact, I’m putting my name against it in print. You make a broth using a stock cube and instant espresso powder (yes, really), cook orzo in it with dried mushrooms, then stir in some parmesan at the end. It’s weird. It’s inventive. It tastes like something you’d pay £18 for at a gastro pub with some daft name like The Boot & Bollock.
I’m not saying you should ditch every ‘boil in the bag’ pouch you own and turn your stove into a backcountry bistro (yet). Sometimes boiling water and crashing into your tent is all you’ve got the energy for.
But if you do fancy stepping things up, even just one meal, these recipes prove you can eat well with just one pot and a decent flame. No big faff. No Dutch ovens. No slow-roasted nonsense. No overthinking things.
Just a bit of prep, a few ingredients you actually like, and a stove that deserves more than a sad sachet of tepid slurry.
So, next time you’re out there, do me a favour: leave the pouch at home, cook something decent and then sit back and enjoy the fact that you made something real. With a view to match.
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