3rd September 2025 | Words and photos by Thom Axon
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?
Thom is on a mission to bring great food to the great outdoors, no matter how simple your camp cooking setup.
Stove selection
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.
It’s one pot. That means your meals need to be layered, thoughtful and easy to stir. No separate pans for sauces or sides. Everything’s happening in the same pot and you’ve got to make it work.
Fuel matters. You don’t have the luxury of simmering something for 45 minutes (unless you enjoy carrying extra gas canisters). You’re cooking fast, so ingredients need to be either quick-cook, pre-prepped, or chosen for how well they hydrate or soften with minimal effort.
Space is tight.Jetboil-style pots are narrow and tall, not wide and roomy. That affects how you stir, how food heats and what kind of recipes are actually practical. You learn quickly to stir often. Keep portion size realistic.
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.
Simple: Porridge with Apple & Cinnamon
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.
Simmer for about 1 minute, stirring to prevent sticking.
Remove from heat, stir through cinnamon blend, and eat.
Moderate: Spicy Couscous Lunch Pot
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.
Ingredients
75g couscous
1 tsp harissa paste
4 to 5 sun-dried tomato pieces, chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp dried mint
150ml boiling water
Method
Boil 150ml water with the harissa paste.
Turn off the heat and stir in couscous.
Cover and let it steam for 5–10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and top with sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and mint.
Adventurous: Thai Coconut Noodle Soup
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.
Ingredients
75g rice noodles
1 tbsp powdered coconut milk
1 tsp green curry paste
20g dehydrated veg mix
1 tsp soy sauce
350ml water
Method
Bring 350ml water to a boil.
Stir in curry paste and powdered coconut milk until dissolved.
Add the rice noodles and dehydrated veg.
Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
Stir in soy sauce and serve hot.
Daring: Shakshuka
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.
Ingredients
200ml passata or tomato purée
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground cumin
20g dehydrated peppers/onions
1 egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Pour passata into the pot. Add garlic, paprika, cumin and the dried veg.
Bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 3–4 minutes until veg softens.
Crack egg into the sauce.
Cover loosely with lid and cook until eggs are set (~4–5 minutes).
Season with salt and pepper and eat from the pot.
NOTE: If your precious egg breaks or you’re in a rush, just stir it into the sauce.
Showstopper: Espresso Mushroom Orzo ‘Risotto’
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.
Ingredients
100g orzo pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp instant espresso powder (or a shot of real espresso)
1 vegetable stock cube
15g dried mushrooms
500ml water
20g grated parmesan (or vegan hard cheese)
Method
Boil 500ml water.
Stir in the stock cube and espresso powder until dissolved.
Add olive oil and orzo, then stir in the dried mushrooms.
Simmer for 6–8 minutes, stirring often (lots!), until the orzo is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed (add extra water if needed).
Remove from heat and stir in grated parmesan until creamy.
Trail tips
Use a long-handled utensil. It’ll save you burning your fingers and having to fish out your tiny spork with a tent peg. Again.
Keep the lid on unless you’re actively stirring the pot. This is key to keeping heat and moisture in as well as preserving fuel.
Pre-mix your meals. Prep the ingredients at home and put them in a zip-lock bag. Write what the meal is on the bag and just pour them in when you’re ready.
Clean the pot ASAP. The longer you wait, the harder you scrub. I know it’s boring but just get it done and you won’t have any surprises at breakfast. Your future self will thank you.
Avoid really sticky carbs. You can use them, sure, but limber up your stirring arm because you’ll be needing it!
Don’t have a simmer function? Don’t worry, just lift the pot and hover it over the flame, adjusting the height to suit your needs. Higher = Less heat!
Last words
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.
Thom Axon is an outdoor cook, founder of Off The Beaten Pot and author of Recipes for Rogues - A cookbook for the great outdoors. Known for bringing a dose of humour and creativity to campfire cuisine, Thom has built a reputation for cooking great food in the great outdoors.
From roasting Sunday dinner on a Trangia to crafting lasagne in a mess tin, he’s turned wild cooking into an art form – inspiring thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to swap dehydrated packets for real, flavourful meals. A brand ambassador for Vango and CampWild, Thom uses his platform to share his passion for making the outdoors better, one recipe at a time.
