🌿 Lunch Among the Palmettos
I woke up one Saturday morning and saw how cool the weather was going to be. Where I live, I can escape into the woods within a fifteen to thirty minute drive, so I grabbed a few things, said goodbye to my wife and son, and was walking a few minutes after the park opened. I went out just to go out. We do not need a reason to enjoy nature. It is a gift, and we should visit as often as we can.
It was a cool, overcast day, and when I was ready for lunch I found a durable patch of ground several feet away from the walking trail that also offered a little shade. I put down my pack and brought out the stove and small table. Everything I needed fit in my daybag, and before long I was settled among the palmettos, waiting for the water to heat.
I had brought Hikari Menraku Japanese Ramen in spicy sesame flavor and a bottle of Kimura Original Mt. Fuji Soda, also known as Fujisan Cider. I found both at Gundam from Japan in Tampa, owned by Musashi Yamasaki. His store is on Instagram at @mechafromjapan. The soda had a refreshing citrus flavor with a vanilla aftertaste, and together with the spicy sesame ramen it was a good match for a calm day of walking in the woods.
🔥 More Than Something to Eat
Thinking back to that lunch, I remember not having a thought in my head while I waited to eat. I was comfortable using familiar gear, with nothing I needed to do beyond preparing my meal. There was relief in being away from obligations and having the freedom to sit on my own schedule. The water would boil on it’s schedule, and I relaxed as the stove did the work.
Food has always occupied more space in my outdoor life than its weight would suggest. Whether I am cooking for my family around a campfire or making lunch for myself beside a trail, good flavors matter to me. So does enjoying the time spent preparing and eating the meal. On this day, a bowl of ramen and a citrus soda gave me what I wanted, using simple gear without any fanfare.
🥢 Bring Your Appetite
This little lunch was worth stopping for because the time was mine. I could enjoy familiar gear, good food, and a quiet seat in the woods without watching the clock. I had left home that morning simply because it was a good day to be outside, and stopping for lunch was part of enjoying it.
If you have a place nearby where you can spend a few hours outdoors, bring something you enjoy eating and give yourself time to stop. You do not have to save that pleasure for a long expedition. Choose a place where cooking is permitted, use a firm, level stove site clear of dry vegetation, and pack out everything you bring. A simple meal can be enough, especially when you have given yourself the afternoon to enjoy it.
About the cooking setup: For a closer look at the equipment, read Trailside Zen: A Snow Peak Gear Review from the Palmettos on Liquid Rhythm Kayaking.
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