Story By:Steph Davis
Photos By:Nick Kelley
Location:Moab, Utah
After 30+ years of climbing, jumping, and living in the high desert, Steph Davis has learned a few things about what it takes to survive in the middle of nowhere. Here’s how she stays fueled up on (and off) the road.
Steph Davis
Specialty
Climber
Back when I began to take climbing seriously, I started to view food as directly linked to performance. If I’m not fueling to the best of my ability, my climbing will reflect that. Even when I was living out of my grandma’s Oldsmobile, cooking healthy was nonnegotiable.
Years later, when my husband and I made the switch from a Honda Element to a Sprinter 2500, we traded 25 cubic feet of capacity for over 500. We no longer lived in a constant state of tetris, didn’t have to cook outside, could travel with more supplies, and thus, were able to stay out longer. From a cooking lens, this was an absolute gamechanger.
1
DO RIGHT BY YOUR LEFTOVERS
Our first day out usually entails quite a bit of driving, so it's nice to have a meal ready to go upon arrival. This cuts down on waste and makes our first few meals really quick and easy.
2
MAKE YOUR BEANS AHEAD
Pre-making ingredients like brown rice and beans or easy-to-stow meals like soup or chili are a great way to minimize time at the stove and maximize time enjoying our destination. It’s a simple tip but it has easily become one of my favorite van “hacks.”
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3
THINK CURRY FOR BREAKFAST
I’m not suggesting you eat curry every day of your trip. What I am saying is to pick a flavorful, nutrient and ingredient-dense meal – something like curry – and use the leftovers over the next few days in other, simpler recipes – like breakfast burritos, omelets, or soup.
4
MAKE YOUR KITCHEN GO WITH THE FLOW
There are few worse things on a trip than cooking in a storm. On the other hand, no one wants to miss out on time around the fire because they’re stuck inside making dinner. We snagged ourselves a camping stove for both reasons. We can set up any meal in either space, allowing us to enjoy the views from around the fire or from within our rain, bug, and wind-protected setup inside.
5
CHOOSE VEGETABLES THAT CAN OFF-ROAD
When I’m picking out ingredients, I make a mental tally of how many ways I can use each one. Something as simple as quinoa has become a staple for us because it’s full of protein, and I can use it in a breakfast burrito, lunch wraps, or as a base for dinner. Greens like spinach or chard offer great nutrients and are good raw or cooked. And vegetables like carrots, onions, and garlic seem to handle the bumps of off-road travel the best while maintaining a long shelf life.
6
HAVE A HARD COOLER ON HAND
While we have a fridge, we always pack our Tundra® 65 in the back. We never know when electrical issues could come up, so it's a really good safety to lean on in a pinch. But we mainly use ours recreationally: it's really nice around the campfire as an extra seat, prep table, or a way to share drinks with friends.
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