Your Guide to Making Awesome Autumn Alfresco Meals

More and more people have been opting for active, outdoor staycations and with the peak holiday season expected to extend into November this year, the British countryside seems to be the place to be this autumn. Plus, what could be better than a warming meal while you take in the scenery? To help you make the most of your adventures, we’ve teamed up with Lake District based outdoor cook and hiker, Fell Foodie, for his top tips to make your autumn alfresco meal a success.

Fell Foodie is known for preparing restaurant style dishes in remote locations, using minimal equipment and he’s slotted the LifeSaver® Liberty™ straight into his kit bag.  Perfect when you want to keep weight low, the Liberty is the worlds’ first and only portable water purifier which is a bottle with an inline pump combined. It allows you to safely access a continuous water supply in remote locations, ideal when you want to raise the bar on your alfresco dining experience.

Here are some of Fell Foodie’s tips on how to make your next meal in the great outdoors more accessible:

1. Plan the meal appropriately

When the weather is colder, the last thing you want is to sit stationary next to your camping stove, cooking a recipe that tastes better after slow cooking for hours. Don’t lose valuable warmth, plan a meal that suits being cooked quickly.

2. Prepare your ingredients

It’s great to relax and take your time in summer prepping vegetables for the pot but in cooler conditions, speed is definitely preferable. It’s entirely optional how far you take it, there’s no judgement, but the more you prep ahead of time, the quicker you’ll be able to enjoy a tasty, warming meal while you admire the view in your epic outdoor location. Also, you just can’t beat how really well earned it feels when you have!

3. Only take what you need

Fresh food often weighs more than the dehydrated adventure packs, so you don’t want to be carrying up a full larder. Decant things into smaller containers and portion out your ingredients to save on weight and space in your pack, without compromising on flavour. Old hair wax pots, toiletry bottles, yoghurt pots and old camera film canisters all make great containers for spices, garnishes, prepped ingredients and sauces. Plus, they typically have a strong seal to avoid spillages.

4. Save water weight

By integrating a water purifying device, like the LifeSaver Liberty, into your outdoor cooking kit you are able to ensure that you will have a supply of fresh, safe, purified water for your excursion. Locate a natural water source on the map and plan it into your walk. You can then either filter water straight into a pan using the Liberty if you decide to cook by the waterside or you can carry on along your route until you find that perfect view as the water stored in the bottle can be purified on demand.

5. Consider what you are bringing back

Always consider the weight of your equipment. Using heavy containers means you not only have to carry them with you to your chosen cooking spot, you also have to carry them back down again on tired legs. Pots and tubs that fit inside each other when empty will save a lot of space in your rucksack and by pre-prepping ingredients there shouldn’t be much (if any) rubbish to bring down with you. Always leave no trace when exploring the great outdoors.

6. Take a sealable bag

Recycle your old plastic shopping bags or something that can be washed, such as a Ziploc sandwich bag or an old drybag. These will save your rucksack getting soiled as you can transport anything which could potentially leak on the way up or on the return journey.

Feel inspired to head out into nature and find an epic picnic spot? Make sure to take along your LifeSaver® Liberty™ for complete peace of mind that your water will be safe to drink and for use when cooking.