Fourth in the list of backpacking necessities is the cooking gear and food, also called the Kitchen, which includes a stove, fuel, cooking pot, drinking cup, utensils, food, spices, zip containers, water and several ditty carrying bags.

The primary kitchen utensils, the stove and cooking pot would be purchased at an o-mart where being light weight is the primary objective. However, ready access to fuel is also important so a stove that burns white gasoline was the choice.

The cooking pot that was first selected was an aluminum pot because it was the least weight, however, later, upon learning that stainless steel was much safer to use, a replacement stainless cook pot was purchased.

Through the years, a wayƒarer will learn much about food, nutrition and other concerns dealing with eating healthy.

Knowing that food is important for such a long journey, Tommy thought much about what kind of food he would carry. He reasoned that he would carry only lightweight food, as any person, he thought, planning for a long hike would want.

When he began to pack his supply boxes which would later be shipped to his mail stops, he included food in the first two. Then, he reasoned that the food, what ever food he would eat on the trail would be best if they were available right along the trail in nearby towns.

Thus, he decided to forgo adding food to the remaining boxes and planed to search for his sustenance along the Appalachian Trail in the nearby towns.

What did Tommy decide to be the right type of food to carry? And did his choice prove to be correct?

He came to find out very quickly that the food he had eaten every day while in the city did not have enough nutrition to satisfy the needs of a person carrying a loaded pack while backpacking on the mountain.

In fact, his choices were totally wrong for his life as a wayfarer and this made him wonder what would be the correct food for him.

Yes, before his first mail stop, he had already determined that the instant foods he had brought with him were totally useless, having absolutely none of the nutrition required for such a task that he only had just begun. He must needs search for answers to what would help him stay healthy while taking steps upon this new path.

By the time he arrived at his next mail stop, he sought out help from the local clinic because he had developed a persistent and serious digestive problem.

Tests were run and the results came back negative for all pathogens.

When Jenny, the doctor from the clinic talks with Tommy Michel about the results, she suggested that he not only forego entirely the use of instant foods but instead begin eating whole foods.

He took her suggestion very seriously and began searching in all the stores alongside the trail for more nutritional foods including whole grains, nuts and seeds together with a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

To read more of his story and his food recipes, click on the Cook Pot link above.