Andrew Skurka: Ultralight Hiking Expert on Trail Cooking
photo credit: Andrew Skurka
Who is Andrew Skurka?
Andrew Skurka is one of the most well-known figures in ultralight long-distance hiking today. Since completing his first thru-hike of the 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail in just 95 days, he has embarked on numerous solo backpacking adventures. Some of his most notable expeditions include:
- Alaska-Yukon Expedition – 4,700 miles in 6 months
- Great Western Loop – 6,875 miles in 7 months
- Sea-to-Sea Route – 7,775 miles in 11 months
In total, Skurka has covered more than 30,000 miles through some of the world’s most remote and breathtaking wilderness areas.
Mastering Light-and-Fast Travel
To cover such extreme distances in short periods while still enjoying the journey, Skurka has developed his own light-and-fast backpacking system. Trail Recipes had the opportunity to interview him about his approach to trail cooking, food planning, and camp cooking gear.
Q: What role does food play in your outdoor adventures?
A: Food = calories = energy. It’s a functional thing, not something from which I find inherent pleasure.
Q: What does good trail food mean to you?
A: I look for snacks and meals that are hearty, flavorful, satisfying, and convenient. Variety is also important—I don’t want to get bored with my food.
Q: What are your must-have cooking gear items? Any gear you’ve found unnecessary?
A: I use an alcohol stove that, most importantly, can boil water. I don’t “cook” on backpacking trips—I simply reconstitute meals. My breakfast and daytime foods are cold and require little to no preparation, so I can stay on the move.
“The Dirtbag” system, photo credit: Andrew Skurka
Q: What food do you dream about while thru-hiking?
A: Burgers, burritos, and beer.
Q: What’s the best meal you’ve cooked on the trail? Could you share a recipe?
A: I have a handful of breakfast and dinner recipes that have been vetted by hundreds of clients on my guided trips. You can find them here
Rolled oats with craisins, coconut flakes, turbinado sugar, butter, and a touch of cinnamon.
Photo credit: Andrew Skurka
Q: What’s the worst food-related incident you’ve experienced while hiking?
A: I got food poisoning while hiking the North Country Trail through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in February. I threw up just outside my shelter, and within minutes, my vomit was completely frozen. The next day, I was weak but managed to hike out to a road and find a motel that wasn’t packed with snowmobilers.
Q: Proper food planning is crucial for any backpacking trip. How do you approach it? Do you use any special tools?
A: My food planning happens in two stages:
- I calculate my needs in a spreadsheet.
- I shop and prepare all meals and snacks. Before packing, I lay out each day’s food to ensure I’m bringing the right amount—not too little, not too much.
We’d like to thank Andrew Skurka for taking the time for this interview for Trail Recipes.Links:
Andrew’s website: http://andrewskurka.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewskurka?_rdr=p
Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewskurka
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/askurka