Hello all. A reminder that the winter sale is still on. Get your Sportback for $29.99. It's perfect for all winter sports activities!

Visit the STORE

I've been itching for a trip. It feels like its been a long time since I did any actual backpacking trip. Seems like the last few trips have been car camping or base camping trips. I'm almost looking forward to feeling the weight of an multiple over night winter excursion pack dragging me down for 3days of snowy hiking.

As always, time is tight for us so we are heading out to another close location with a good meeting point. This time to the Lehigh Gap area. I was in the area the other weekend and was pretty stoked about how exposed and rugged it looked up along the Appalachian Trail. The AT in this area sits on the top ridge of a big rolling hill, with lots of ankle busting boulders littering the ground, and spotted with a few wind-mangled pine trees. Looked awesome and made me really want to get out and hike.

1 7-ounce package baked tofu (any savory flavor)

1 4-ounce package Idahoan brand Buttery Homestyle mashed potatoes

1 packet powdered mushroom sauce (such as Simply Organic)

1/2 cup dried mushrooms

1/4 cup dried mixed vegetables

1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

At Home

Combine the vegetables, sage, thyme, and bouillon in a quart-size zip-top bag. Label “Add one cup water.” Place potatoes in a second quart-size zip-top bag; label “Add two cups water.” Transfer oil to a spillproof container.

In Camp

Bring three cups of water to a boil. Dice the tofu. Add two cups of hot water to the potato bag and one cup to the vegetable bag. Close both bags; squish the potatoes to mix. Set both bags aside (in a freezerbag cozy, if you have one) to rehydrate. Heat oil in a pot and sauté tofu for two minutes. Remove from heat and add vegetables (do not drain). Add mushroom sauce and stir until mixture thickens slightly. Top with mashed potatoes. Serves three.

Everyone knows that limber muscles help prevent strains and soreness. But if you stretch the traditional way–by elongating your muscle and holding the position for 30 seconds–you're not getting maximum benefit. "The muscles are actually at their weakest in this lengthened state," says David Stiles, a trainer at Studio 16-RFST Boston. "They can't contract to stabilize the joint or guard against strain."

Better option: resistance stretching–an increasingly popular method used by Olympic-caliber athletes, including gold-medal swimmer Dara Torres. It not only fends off new injuries, but it also helps heal old ones. With this new technique, you contract the muscle while you stretch it (i.e., you resist the stretch) instead of holding it in a relaxed, static position. "This strengthens the muscle, so it can contract through a longer range of motion," says Stiles. It also helps break down scar tissue on injured muscles, allowing the muscle to move more freely and efficiently.

Reap the benefits with these three exercises: Do them at least three times per week (and before and after your next hike) to see results and keep your legs limber, strong, and switchback-ready.

The Basics
Don't stretch cold muscles. Instead, warm up with five minutes of jogging, hiking, or jumping jacks to get blood flowing.
Prevent injury: Stop the stretch at the point where your muscles can no longer comfortably contract.
Increase the benefit by stretching with a partner. Have your buddy gently move your leg through the stretch position while you resist the motion by pushing back.


Quadriceps
Get onto all fours with your hips over your knees. Raise your right lower leg and press the top of the foot into a wall (or tree trunk). Bring your torso and left leg up until you're in a lunge, then slightly slant your torso forward. Contract your right quad by pressing into the wall with your right foot. Simultaneously, move hips backward to stretch the quad while it resists the motion.


Hamstrings and Glutes
Lie on your back and bend your right leg, bringing your right knee to your chest. Hold the right foot with both hands and pull it up toward your head, straightening the leg. While your hands pull your leg up, contract the hamstrings and spinal muscles to resist the movement, as if you were trying to kick your heel to your butt.


Iliotibial (IT) Band
Lie on your back, pull your left knee halfway to your chest, and put your right ankle over your left knee. Grasp the back of your left thigh with both hands. As you pull your left knee toward your chest (thus stretching your right IT band), resist the movement with your right leg. This will contract the muscle.

Gotta try this next trip!



3 packages ramen noodles
7-ounce chicken breast pouch
1 cup shelled peanuts
1/2 cup Asian sesame dressing (use Newman's Own Asian Sesame Natural Salad Mist, which comes in a pack-friendly, 7-ounce plastic bottle)

At Home
Crush peanuts into pieces with the bottom of a bowl or mug. Pack in a zip-top bag.

In Camp
Boil water, cook ramen noodles and drain (save the seasoning packet and add it to soup or rice). Stir the chicken and dressing into the pot and cook for one minute. Sprinkle crushed peanuts over the noodles, then serve.

Prep time
2 min

Cook time
8 min

Price $2 per serving
Weight 6 ounces per serving
Serves 3

Calories 413
Fat 19 g
Carbs 37 g
Protein 25 g

Visit the STORE