“Self-reliance,” by definition, is reliance on one’s own efforts and abilities. The term is used a lot when discussing “survival.” Truth is, being self-reliant in the outdoors isn’t just about essential, life-sustaining skills or critical survival techniques; or of a vital awareness of taking care of yourself in emergency situations.

It’s also about the non-emergencies, of being able to create your own levels of self-sufficiency, adapting processes beyond traditional standards. And, in my opinion, using creative resources to provide your own level of maintaining and enjoying a relaxing camp experience.

With that in mind, here, in no particular order, are a few tips and suggestions (of gear or techniques) that may make your inner self-reliance in the backcountry “cushier” and more enjoyable.

Let’s start with some food prep tips.

If drinking powdered milk is your main option, mix it the night before; that gives the sugars a chance to break down and create a more palatable taste. Adding a little powdered dairy creamer to the mix gives the milk more body, too (not that lame, skim milk, gray water).

If you’re relying on freeze-dried, pouch meals, you sometimes sacrifice taste for convenience. The water must be boiling when you add it to the pouch, otherwise it will come out “undercooked” and lukewarm. So, why not just add the dried food mix to the boil water in the cooking pot? It will be done faster (3 to 5 minutes versus 8 to 9), and you can gauge the final texture and “doneness” with ease. You can pour the prepped meal back into its pouch to eat. This method gives you a hotter meal, in shorter time, without using any additional utensils. The only advantage I see to the pouch is that you don’t have to tend to it: Pour-seal-wait-mix and eat! I prefer a shorter prep/hotter meal.

“KP duty” is never fun, especially when burned food has been fused onto the surface of your cooking pots and pans. The trick is to first scrape off as much food residue as possible. Second, reheat the pot on the coals; remove the pan from the fire and carefully pour water onto the cooking surface. This will loosen most of the crusty crud in the pan, making it easier to do the final wipe/clean.

Alternative cleanup option: Simply toss a handful of sand into the pan (sometimes adding a bit of water, too) and scrub the sand across the bottom. It scours well and is ready to be washed and rinsed like a regular dish. Of course, if your pans are cast iron, you’ll need to monitor the re-seasoning of them throughout your camp-cooking summer.

A plant called “Indian scrub brush”—the horsetail plant—and its stems contain silica which serves as a makeshift scouring agent.

Carry a small bottle of hot sauce in your emergency survival kit to mask the strong, gamey taste of some “wild edibles.” It also works to add a little kick to your casual camp cooking, especially some instant meals that can taste rather bland, yet overly salty. A few drops of Tabasco sauce can sometimes help.

Are you familiar with the milk jug lantern? It provides a soft glow to a campsite without the glare of flashlight beams. It can augment a battery/gas camp lantern or be used in place of one very easily. Simply fill a clear gallon milk jug with water (Empty works okay, too, but I like water-filled better.), and place the high beam of a flashlight or headlamp inward against the side of the carton. Voila! You have a vision-friendly glow in a small area around the lamp—enough to see your way around camp or work at a table—that’s easy on the eyes.

Speaking of flashlights and headlamps, there’s always a new product being introduced into the marketplace. One example is Streamlite’s Sidewinder X. It’s small, fits the hand well, and comes with multiple light options with color and intensities. It has a 180-degree swivel head and a sturdy belt/strap clip that turns the hand-held into a headband lamp or hands-free flashlight when clipped to a backpack pouch or jacket. It’s easier to be self-reliant when you can see what you are doing with ease.

As long as we’re on new products: A self-indulgent luxury you might want to enjoy in camp is soothing tunes that only you can hear—and that don’t disturb others. Sitting in a blind or stand, paddling across a lake, or relaxing against a tree, a headset flowing with mood-relaxing music can often take that restful moment to higher levels. It’s critical that your headset be waterproof in such an environment.

An added bonus is positioning the earphone so you can still hear the ambient sounds around you (A snap of twig below your deer stand or a loon’s call from beyond the bow of your canoe.). May I suggest you give H2O Audio a try with its TRI 2 Multisport waterproof, bone-conduction, open-ear headphones. Quite the mouthful, eh?

It features Bluetooth 5.3 for running and cycling, MP3 mode for swimming, 8GB memory, and an 8.5-hour battery. It’s obviously great, too, for all paddle sports or simply wanting to listen to tunes while standing at your favorite fishing hole during a downpour.

The point is that keeping your mind active, even on fun tasks, means that you may be better prepared to rely on a seasoned positive mental attitude should your relaxing outdoor experience take a nosedive into self-reliant, survival mode.

For more insight and tips on how to make the most of the time you spend in the outdoors, check out the articles in every issue of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.