The Inexorable Mouths of Snails

..for marymont and guyelfkin, because you asked :)

Well, first there's the box. It's sort of like this one, but modified (I don't think the woodowrker who made it is online). Big differences are that it has no legs (we put it on a pegged-together bookshelf without shelves in camp), it's about 16" square at the ends, and has a vertical divider slightly to one side of the middle. On one side of the divider is a high shelf, like the one in the plans, and the other has a low shelf, under which is a very civilized divided cutlery/tool drawer. All quite handy to have.

Appearance wise, it looks somewhat like the small chest here, without legs, and not paneled on the ends (where the weight-bearing ropes go). I surmise that the paneled sides are helpful in reducing the weight. The panels and shelves are made of 3/8" veneer-finished plywood, the sides are set flush and and smoothed on the inside, and the shelves slide out for cleaning. One side comes down on two chains to open, and makes a handy worktop as it's been finished smoothly. The hinge is made of dowels, somehow. I can't figure it out, since it was pretty clearly installed before the box was built. It's pretty swanky, though. I've had this thing for going on 8 years now.

I try to keep the basics of life within the box, in case things get left behind. I've always ended up using some of them, and one weekend I ended up feeding four adults and a child out of it because I was more experienced and better prepared for Super Primitive Camping :)

There's a LOT in here. Because the list will be long I'm going to cut it.

Utensils and cutlery:

1. 9 wooden spoons of various sizes and shapes


2. a modern plastic/nonstick metal spatula/whisk combo thingy (bought for me when my lovely old wooden spatula died)


3. a cheese slicer (good for quick in-camp slicing of cheese, but rarely used)


4. a can opener, large and ergonomic, mostly in here because we were given two for the house (also rarely used)


5. a wood-handled sushi-chef's knife with 6" blade and wooden sheath (actually my all-purpose field prep knife)


6. a small VERY sharp Mundial paring knife


7. a wooden salad serving set (actually have used this on occasion, and I have two, so the smaller one goes in the field box)


8. small bamboo rice paddle (doubles as a spatula and serving utensil)


9. rubber spatula (i actually bake sometimes)


10. pastry cutter (see above)


11. plastic liquid measuring cup, set of metal dry measure scoops and metal measuring spoons (plastic cup because I had a glass cup break, and metal scoops and spoons becasue these are actually VERY much more compact than the plastic variety)


12. wooden basting brush (yes, it's been used!)


13. 2 small wood-handled metal pickle forks (these used to be accompanied by 2 small spreader knives, but they were stolen by kids from a neighboring camp who thought they were both "cute" and disposable... GRAH. I have to find replacements when we have the money)


14. a couple of sets of cheap wooden chopsticks


15. a couple of sets of cheap bamboo picnic cutlery from Cost Plus (the spoons are good kid cutlery, and the forks too, if blunted slightly, while the knives are decent stand-ins for the missing butter spreaders)


16. "bone" handled silverware, from the discount bin at Cost Plus, consisting of 4 large forks, 2 large spoons, 1 small fork and spoon.

Pots, pans, and other tools:

1. Vegetable brush


2. dishwashing stuff: wooden scrubber brush, 2 sponges, 1 plastic scrubby pad, bottle of soap


3. small brass and copper colander


4. 8" cast iron frying pan


5. 6" tin frying pan


6. small aluminum camp coffee percolator (you didn't expect me to go without coffee, did you? silly!)


7. butane camp stove lighter wand (need to refill)


8. 3 short cheap candlesticks adn a tea-light lantern with a string to hold it by, plus candles and spare tealights


9. manual for the campstove


10. 2 wooden goblets, in case we forget our cups


11. 4 tiny wooden bowls for salt or butter


12. small 6"x8" wood cutting board


13. large 9"x11" wood cutting board


14. utensil basket for my wooden folding dishdrainer (used to store utensils in transit)


15. 4 dishtowels

food and drink

1. tea, four kinds: Earl Grey (for Chris), Chai flavored in bags, chamomile mint, and regular Pekoe


2. tin of sugarcubes


3. glass jar of sugar


4. plastic-lidded can of artifical creamer


5. glass bottle of powdered milk (enough to make a half gallon, but mostly for cooking with)


6. large plastic-lined tin of flour


7. baby food jar of baking powder


8. small tin of spices for making chai from scratch


9. jar of garlic powder


10. spices: tiny jars of paprika and "poultry seasoning", ziploc bag of diced chives, ziploc bag with a mixture of my favorite cooking herbs


11. broth packets from ramen noodles: 1 chicken, 1 beef (these keep better than bullion cubes since they are sealed and are good for starting soups in camp)


12. small pressure-sealed crock of coffee (see percolator, above)


13. Plastic-lidded can of sweet, premixed cocoa (I make this at home from good cocoa powder, fine powdered dry milk, and sugar)


14. small plastic tub of dried tomatoes


15. gallon ziploc 1/3 full of oatmeal


16. quart ziploc 1/3 full of red lentils


17. quart ziploc 1/3 full of couscous


18. quart ziploc 1/4 full of instant taboulli mix (just add hot water)


19. quart ziploc 1/3 full of dried chickpeas


20. bottle of herbed vinegar


21. bottle of cooking oil

to be replaced

1. quart ziploc half-full of homemade beef soup mix (barley, rice or small noodles; freeze-dried vegetables; chopped jerky; beef bullion; spices; dried chopped garlic and onion) - used up a few events back and never replaced


2. tin of egg powder - also used


3. small stock pot - lost in divorce from ex and not replaced yet


4. small saucepan - as above


5. cooking spice blend - used up. I could replace this now if I hadn't been an idiot and pitched all my tiny plastic spice jars. All the spices I want to use in it are on hand :P


6. those little butter spreaders mentioned above


7. wire scrubber for pots

things that go with, but not in...and can be done without, mostly
much of this fits into 2 large plastic tubs and our feast basket.

1. peg-together shelf to serve as stand for box/washstand (we close up the box, move it and set up the washpans in the same place


2. tin dishpans and wooden dish drainer


3. folding water jugs


4. other feast gear - 3 wooden plates, 3 wooden bowls, 2 ceramic mugs, napkins and table cover, knife, paring knife


5. set of 4 horn cups


6. linens: more dishtowels, 2 table drapes, fitted table cover for ugly coleman folding table


7. 6 wooden bowls of various sizes for food prep and serving


8. 3 small metal trays for serving food


9. cast iron dutch oven with lid


10. cooler


11. coleman stove and 2 cans of fuel


12. canned goods (tomato soup and flavored tomato sauce mixed together makes a lovely gazpacho! I try to keep 1 big can of tomato soup and one small can of garlic/herb flavored tomato sauce for camp, and also, canned juices are good to have.)

Things i'd like to get for our kitchen
Of course, as we are Spectaculary Poor, we're not getting anything right now. I can dream, though.

1. a nice portable firepit (really a large brazier, but that's what the stores call them). The one I want is the copper bowl and folding iron stand that they have at Garden Ridge. Purty!


2. Some good open-fire cooking equipment, like a tripod and pot hooks and...


3. I'd like to build a folding stand for the box that fits it, so the washstand doesn't have to serve double duty anymore


4. A nice table for eating at - I actually have parts for this, as my mom gave me the remains of a once-nice Edwardian trestle table - no top, but nice legs that need to be repaired, and the crossbar. All we need is some woodglue and materials to make a nice folding top.


5. a sisal doormat or folding wooden mat (like the ones you can get for camp showers) for in front of the washstand


6. Some kind of suspended period lightsource, like a chandelier, and a way to suspend it.


7. A sunshade for the kitchen.