Backcountry Thanksgiving: Four Recipes From the Field

Backcountry Thanksgiving is an old tradition among outfitters, backpackers, and campers, and it does not need to wait for November. On a month-long Boundary Waters trip we served it once a week, as a reward after the hard paddling days.

The staples

Packaged chicken or canned turkey, instant mashed potatoes, instant gravy, stovetop stuffing, dried cranberries, and dried vegetables. Cook them separately if you have the burners, or combine everything into one glorious pot.

Four versions from Wholesum users

Sierra Club Outings

The gourmet version: everything freeze-dried or dehydrated, heavy on the stuffing. The one for people who think stuffing is the point of Thanksgiving.

Mountain Trip

Built on stovetop stuffing and instant mashed potatoes, both of which hold up remarkably well in dried form. Close to our own house favorite.

Avid4Adventure

Same bones as the others, but it packs real butter. We consider that non-negotiable.

The Wholesum favorite

Ours leans on the staples above with extra gravy and a handful of dried cranberries stirred in at the end. Find all of these in the shared recipe library and scale them to your group.