Camp kitchen items are next on the list: Kits are the way to go for starters, again, as good a kit as you can afford. Stainless steel over aluminum is good even though the weight is a bit more. REI or other online/ retail stores have these in stock or you can make your own up based on your own needs. Be sure to have one big enough to boil meals in for the number of people you will have along. A griddle for those who like pancakes can be found in aluminum, Teflon coated for ease of use.

Stoves are personal preference but propane or white gas will do the job. Two burners are heavier but offer the added benefit of being able to cook two things at once. The new butane stoves that are hitting the market look pretty nice but I have not personally tried one. If you decide they are the way to go, be sure to look locally for the matching fuel bottles. Be sure to take extra fuel and repair kits, nothing worse then having your stove break down because you didn't have a fifty-cent "O" ring or other small part. If you like to bake I have a suggestion. Get an "Outback" oven for making hot, fresh cakes, cookies, or anything else the mind can envision A simple round pan and lid system with a fire suit type material to reflect the heat makes it cook things to perfection with only a little practice. They are a bit tougher to use on a double burner stove though. The main thing to look for in regards to a stove for the Outback is that the flame will go low enough to prevent burning.

For those who prepare meals at home and repackage/ freeze a Coleman, square oven works better for re-heating things like lasagna or casseroles. Use the disposable aluminum pans that will fit into this oven and seal with a vacuum seal-a-meal.

The above mentioned vacuum seal-a-meal will soon be one of your favorite tools for packing and it will never leave your kitchen. Buy the best you can afford and be sure it has variable control, both on the sealing and vacuum side. Bags come in various sizes, both pre-made and in rolls that you cut to length as you need. This can be used to repackage anything from cans of veggies to Ice cream. The bags are great; you can boil your meals in them and eat right out of them if you like; no dishes to do! At home you can wash, reseal and reuse them several times. Simply get in the habit of making extra of your favorite dishes and freeze the surplus for taking with you on pack trips. The best thing is, since there is no air in the bag, no freezer burn.

A little tip that has helped us with clean up and critter problems is to strain our gray water from doing dishes through a small hand held strainer, line it with a used dryer sheet and you have collected all the little tidbits of food that the squirrels or worse, bears come sniffing after. These you can then put into a small zip bag and put that in turn in a larger plastic bag you tie shut, no smell escapes and no mess either.

Lexan utensils are wonderful on packing trips; think the weight of plastic but durable enough to last for years of use. Most sporting goods stores now have them in stock and they come in a variety of colors to match any person's whim. While like most plastic silverware the knife leaves a little lacking for cutting steak it will get the job done.

Don't forget matches in all of this either, (don't laugh; many people have arrived at camp to discover they did just that!) I suggest that you purchase several match safes, fill them with "strike anywhere" matches and put one in a couple different pannier sets and each person should pack one in their personal pack in case of emergencies. Lighters are handy but please be aware that a plastic butane liter can explode with the same force as a quarter stick of TNT should a spark melt through the side. (OSHA has banned them from welding shops for that reason.) The new metal "wind proof" lighters are wonderful though and will start a fire in short order even if the materials are damp. Again, don't buy the cheap models at the local flea market, go for one of the name brands that you can depend on day in and day out or if your life is on the line during an off season storm.

You will notice I have left out Dutch ovens, not because I don't like them but because I have not taken the time to master their use so don't have the knowledge to comment on what to get or how to use it, but we are learning. Just have to find an aluminum model to pack with over the cast iron version we have now.

There are several small lanterns on the market, just remember it's always best if you can get one that uses the same fuel as your stove to save packing two different systems. The mini models are light, put off an amazing amount of light and will run for several hours on one filling of fuel. Be sure when you purchase one that you get a padded bag or hard case to protect it while packing and extra mantels, packing can be tough on mantels.

Small AA flashlights made of aluminum and waterproof are mandatory in the packs of every person in my family, along with extra batteries. There have been a couple times when the trip in took just a bit more time then was planned or we stopped a few minutes too long to enjoy the view and had to unpack by flashlight until we could find the lantern. It should be one of your basic pack, survival tools, anyway.

I hope you have enjoyed this one and it has helped you with your decision to pack your llamas.

Richard W. Galloway
E-mail: rwgalloway@llamacrossing.com