Christine and Tim Conners have been hiking together since they began dating. Marriage and four children later, they're still chasing each other down the trail. Chris, a graduate of Outward Bound, is a children's mental health therapist and psychology instructor. She is currently working on an advanced degree in illustration. Tim is a propulsion engineer specializing in advanced aircraft design. They live in Savannah, Georgia.

Kalalau Quinoa Cereal

Total weight: 1 pound 8 ounces
Weight per serving: about 5 ounces
Total servings: 5

Jason Rumohr on innovative survival techniques: "On one of my first backpacking trips, a friend and I didn't realize how much work hiking in the heat would be. We hadn't packed any snacks or lunch. About 8 miles in, we crashed on a shady bridge over a roaring creek, where we fell asleep. When we woke up, we saw an elderly man sitting at the other end eating a sandwich. We were delirious and later wondered if we had just imagined him. Then the hard part came: climbing up a high ridge in 90-degree heat without any water. We became tired and weak. Soon I was so thirsty that I drank my friend's contact lens saline solution. It was salty, but it quenched my thirst for a bit."

12 ounces quinoa (2 cups)
4 cups water
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins (or your favorite dried fruit)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt to taste (optional)
¾ cup water per serving, added on the trail

At home:
Add the quinoa to the 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Continue to cook until all the water is absorbed, usually an additional 10 to 15 minutes. When finished, dry the cereal on parchment-lined dehydrator trays. Once dried, combine and mix with the remainder of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Divide evenly among five individual quart-size ziplock freezer bags (about 1 cup each).

Optional:
You can forgo the raisins if you'll be hiking in blueberry country while they are ripe. This cereal is very tasty as is, but fresh wild blueberries make it heavenly.

On the trail:
To make 1 serving, bring ¾ cup water to a boil and add it to the bag of cereal mix. Allow the contents to rehydrate for several minutes before serving.

Caution: See the How to Use This Book section regarding the use of ziplock bags with hot water.

Jason Rumohr
Seattle, Washington



Nutritional information per serving

Calories: 552
Protein: 14 g
Carbohydrates: 87 g
Sodium: 12 mg
Fiber: 9 g
Fat: 18 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg