Camping is great. You’re out in the clean, fresh air, traveling through glorious unspoiled wilderness, free and self-reliant, sucking out the marrow of life, etc. etc.Thisis why people forsake the comforts of warm beds and indoor plumbing to sleep on the ground and poop in the woods.
And then, sometimes, things get rough. The temperature drops to 20 below, and the stars are gorgeous, but you have nowhere to sleep but out on a frozen lake, and, finally, after you’ve put on every item of clothing you have brought with you and nestled deep down inside your two sleeping bags so you’re all mummied up like King Tut, you’re warm—but oh shit you have to pee, and holding it requires more warmth than actually getting up andgoing，但是然后您必须再次回去，其中一个睡袋拉链被脱落，另一个被卡住了，在拉链上呼吸温暖的空气只会使情况变得更糟，因为您的呼吸凝结和冻结，大前灯到底在哪里go, and your glasses have slipped out of their pocket and please, please, don’t roll over and break them because then you’ll be even more screwed, and it’s probablyhoursbefore the sun comes up and you’re going to freeze and only after half an hour of wrestling with those damned zippers do you dare wake someone up to help you because you are a helpless baby even though it’s four in the morning or something like that, and oh god, oh god, you will die out here on the ice, and this is what real panic feels like.
You waste several minutes arguing with yourself that your expedition leaders would rather be woken up than have to deal with you frostbitten, and then you finally go for help and get zipped back in, and somehow you sleep for a couple of hours, because the next thing you know, there is light and someone is yelling that the temperature has risen to a whopping 19 below. You drag yourself out of your sleeping bag and into your boots and start moving around, doing campsite chores—getting water from the ice hole, cracking sticks into twigs for kindling, stuffing your damned sleeping bags back into your backpack—because moving is better than standing by the fire, even though that’s all you really want to do. The temperature creeps up to 10 below, but in a few minutes, the sun will peep up over the hills and shine its glory down on everybody and it will be a steamy 20! Just have some faith!
But even more restorative than sunlight and a quick jog are coffee and doughnuts. This claim might not be backed up by science, but there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence, both from city peopleand经验丰富的露营者。(They serve them after religious ceremonies, don’t they?) Coffee is an essential camping staple, but if you are truly blessed, you will be traveling with someone who had the foresight to bring along the ingredients for campfire doughnuts and the dexterity to prepare them.
To be clear, you would probably not want to eat campfire doughnuts back home in civilization, especially if you happen to live near a really good doughnut shop or if you have conquered yourfear of deep-frying. But if you’re in the middle of nowhere, cold and frightened (or suffering the humiliating aftermath of being cold and frightened), a campfire doughnut, like a lot of food cooked over campfires, is magical and restorative. It must be the carcinogens. And full sunlight at last.
篝火甜甜圈
Courtesy of Peter Gmitro, Nora DuBois, and the Voyageur Outward Bound School, Ely, Minnesota
- 百吉饼（不要花哨；贷方很好）
- Jam or jelly, any flavor
- Oil (Again, no need for fanciness; plain old vegetable or canola will do)
- Cinnamon sugar
Build a campfire and boil enough water for coffee. A French press would come in handy right about now, but if you’re desperate enough, instant coffee will also do. If using a French press, pour the boiling water over the grounds and wait approximately 4 minutes.
将百吉饼分成两半，将果酱或果冻铺在切割的侧面，然后将整个东西夹在一起。重复任意数量的百吉饼。
Cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet with about half an inch of oil and then set it over the campfire to heat. You will probably have to hold onto the skillet handle to maintain its balance, so be careful and always wear gloves. When the oil is hot enough that a drop of water bounces, put the bagels in the pan and fry them until they’re crispy on the outside. Then flip and fry on the other side. You might burn them a little. That’s okay. The magic of campfire cuisine repairs a lot of damage.
Pour the cinnamon sugar into a separate pot or bowl. Use a fork or a spoon to transfer each doughnut into the cinnamon sugar and dredge thoroughly. By now your coffee should be ready. Hunker down around the campfire, give thanks, and enjoy.