Nothing tops a day of hiking, hunting or camping in the fall chill like a well-constructed campfire meal.

Some meals can be simple, others more complex.

Hobart Manns’ philosophy is rather simple:

“My priorities are ‘Does it taste good?’ and ‘Do you want seconds?’” The Portland resident has been a fixture at the Western Washington Sportsman’s Show camp cooking tent for 15 years.

“I don’t fancy myself as chef or cook. I’m an old guy who enjoys food, and I want to make it as quick and as easy as possible,” he said in describing a philosophy that extends to many.

Curt White is a Boy Scout leader in Forks and worked his way through college as a sous chef. He urges his Scouts, and other outdoors chefs, to experiment and to convene with like-minded food lovers for inspiration.

White has a half-dozen recipes in the recently released “The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook” by Christine Conners and Tim Conners (Falcon Guides). One of his favorites is the Ding Dong Cobbler.

“That came about from my philosophy and the troop’s philosophy of trying different things. I told them we’re going to make a dessert for a canoe trip. I told them they had to come up with the idea. They said they wanted to make a cobbler like a Ding Dong. We just sat and brainstormed.”

The recipe layers Ding Dong snack cakes with yellow cake batter and cherry pie filling.

“They won a district (Scouting) contest with it.” White said. “It’s rich, ridiculously rich. They came up with the ideas, I just helped them with how to cook it. They still talk about it today.”

We asked White, Manns and several other outdoors types to share their tips – as well as a couple of my own – for making a better meal.

Read on.

Make ahead: Prepare things like soups, stews or chili ahead of time. Then freeze the item and keep it in your cooler. All you have to do is reheat it for a quick meal. We did this with spaghetti sauce for our trip to Vancouver Island last summer. I made the meat sauce before we left home, and we used the frozen sauce to help keep items in our cooler chilled for several days.

Go freeze-dried: Christine Conners is a fan of freeze-dried food. “Nowadays, there is a lot more to be had at stores to make meals instantaneously,” she said.

Preserve your veggies: For Manns, fresh veggies are a must. Thanks to a salt wash or some lemon juice, those veggies keep well two to three days into a trip. He uses “a quarter handful of a salt in two to three quarts of water.” He then uses that to wash potatoes to keep them from oxidizing. He also will precut vegetables, sprinkle them with lemon juice and then put them in a plastic bag. They stay fresh enough for stews, said Manns.

Foil pouch tuna: Tuna fish sold in a foil bag is great for camping, White said. “Foil pouch tuna is one of the greatest inventions they came up with. It’s so lightweight for all the protein you get out of it.”

Dutch oven must: Buy yourself a Dutch oven. Conners is a recent convert. She admits that before working on the Scout’s cookbook, she and her husband were long-distance hikers who needed to worry about weight.

The couple has previously written “Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’: Lightweight Trail-tested Recipes for Backcountry Trips” and “Lipsmackin’ Vegetarian Backpackin’.” But in preparing the Scout’s book, the couple tested all the recipes.

“So we’re now experts at Dutch oven cooking,” Conners said. “It was a huge mental shift for us. The Dutch oven is awesome for providing delicious food for large groups. After doing all the testing, all our cookware is now cast iron, we just fell in love with it. The Dutch oven is very versatile. While there is some weight to it, it makes up for it with its versatility.”

Unusual tastes: Don’t be afraid to try something different. Conners said one of the most interesting Scout recipes, “the one that people laugh about the most,” is the Flaming Gorge Hot Dog.

You take a hot dog, and put it in a bun. Wrap it in aluminum foil, then newspaper and then put it in a half-gallon milk carton. You set the top on fire, “but, because of the wax paper carton, it burns slowly and it cooks the hot dog really well.” Someone had to give it a try once to see that it works.

Spice it up: Andrea Wagner, manager of Backpackers Supply in Tacoma, always brings a multispice shaker. “I put it on anything that needs spicing up, mostly freeze-dried stuff. It gives it a twist,” she said.

White also packs spices. In fact, it one of the two most important things people need for cooking outdoors (the other is heat control). “They’re very lightweight, and having a variety is good.” Not only does White use spices in recipes, he also uses them as rubs for meat.

Bleed fish first: For anglers, Manns recommended they bleed their fish as soon as possible. “They are the only people who will eat something they’ve killed and not bleed it. They catch the fish, they bonk it on the head, then toss it in the cooler to take it home and eat it,” he said. “When you bonk it in the head, the blood settles in the flesh and you can’t get it out. That’s what gives the fish a gamey, rank flavor. If they bled that fish, it wouldn’t taste bad.”

Soup mixes: Manns said he is all about ease of preparation and taste. That’s why he uses Lipton soup mixes and other dry commercially prepared spice mixes as an alternative to spices. ”It’s not going to spoil, it’s in a waterproof container and ready to use when you need it,” he said.

As an example, he’ll take chunks of venison and chop them up. Once he browns the meat, he pours in McCormick’s Tex-Mex chili mix. He’ll make a gravy, add some vegetables and serve it over rice.

Lipton’s dry mushroom soup mix is another favorite. “It’s got the salt, it’s got the paper, everything is all in the bag together,” he said. “It will give any dish a flavor without offending anything else in the dish.”

Can’t go wrong with popcorn: Having worked in Mount Rainier National Park’s climbing ranger program for 19 years, Mike Gauthier knows the value of a good meal or snack. That’s why he always takes along some popcorn, whether he’s hiking or climbing.

“It’s light, it’s dirt cheap and it’s easy to make,” said Gauthier, who supervises the program. “Every time I pull that popcorn out and make it in the backcountry, people love it.”

Gauthier uses regular popcorn, and cooks it in an oiled pan.

“(The climbing rangers) take a bunch of popcorn up to Camps Muir and Schurman, and it’s one of the things we always share. Climbers show up, and you ask if they want some popcorn, all of sudden people have their hands in it and you’re talking about climbing and conditions.”

To add a little taste, Gauthier will sprinkle on some salt and then a dash of brewer’s yeast, balsamic vinegar or garlic powder.

“After you’ve been hiking all day, that carbo load and salt really satisfies you. It’s great comfort food,” he said.

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640

blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure

Ding Dong Cobbler

Yield: Serves 12

2 (18 1/4-ounce) boxes yellow cake mix

6 eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups water

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

12 Ding Dongs

1 single serving packet instant hot chocolate mix

20 large marshmallows

2 tablespoons butter

Equipment:

12-inch Dutch oven

Large mixing bowl

Pour both packages of cake mix into a large bowl. Combine with eggs, vegetable oil and water.

Open can of cherry pie filling, and unwrap Ding Dongs to save time later. Pour can of cherry filling into bottom of Dutch oven. Pour half the cake batter over cherries.

Place 6 Ding Dongs on cake batter, spacing them evenly. Sprinkle half of the hot chocolate mix over the Ding Dongs.

Pour other half of cake batter into oven. Place remaining 6 Ding Dongs on cake batter.

Set marshmallows on top of batter and Ding Dongs. Sprinkle remaining hot chocolate mix over Ding Dongs.

Cover all with small pieces of butter to aid in browning.

Bake using 8 coals arranged in a ring under the oven and 17 briquettes on the lid. Cake will be ready to serve when browned on top and a toothpick or fork comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Source: Curt White in “The Scout’s Outdoor Cookboook”

Eggs on a Stick

Yield: Serves 1.

1 egg

Salt and ground black pepper

Green stick, 2-3 feet long and no more than 1/4-inch diameter at the end

Using the tip of a knife, bore a small hole through the shell in one end of the egg.

Insert stick through the hole and into the egg, being careful not to crack the shell. Do not drive the stick all the way through the egg.

Carefully bore a second very small hole through the shell on the other end of the egg.

This will prevent the egg from exploding by allowing steam to escape while cooking.

Using the stick, suspend the egg above the flame of a campfire for about 6 minutes. Note that the shell will char and egg white might protrude from the holes.

Remove eggs shell, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Tina Welch in “The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook”

Campfire Beef Stew

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed

1/8 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans new potatoes, drained and cubed

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 medium carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 beef bouillon cubes

3 cups water

Ground black pepper to taste

Equipment:

Large frying pan or Dutch oven

In large frying pan, brown beef in olive oil

Sprinkle meat with garlic salt, add flour, then toss beef to coat Add vegetables, crumbled bouillon cubes, water and black pepper to taste. Stir to mix.

Continue to cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender.

Source: Robert Ward in “The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook”

Pine Cones

1 large marshmallow

1 teaspoon chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon shredded coconut, Rice Krispies cereal, chopped nuts or cookie sprinkles

Equipment:

Bowls for holding dipping ingredients

Roasting stick

To prevent flaming, quickly dip marshmallow in water.

Place marshmallows on a stick, and toast over fire until golden brown.

Immediately roll hot marshmallow in chocolate syrup and then in coconut, cereal, nuts or sprinkles.

Source: By Millie Hutchison in “The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook”

If you think the weather may be, shall we say damp, during your car camping trip, take a good supply of dry kindling and newspaper from home. I’ve always found that I could dry larger pieces of wood once I have a good fire started. For me, there is nothing more frustrating than having to struggle to light wet tinder and kindling.

I have found the tepee method of constructing a fire the best. I just keep adding larger and larger pieces to the fire. That builds a nice pile of coals in the center that I spread out when it is time to cook.

If you’re in a primitive campsite, meaning one without a fire ring, build your own. I like to use larger rocks. The rocks also can serve as a handy place to set your utensils, spices or cup of hot chocolate/coffee while cooking.

If you use branches to create a cooking surface, use an ax to trim them down. My best friend and I still talk about the camping trip to the Grand Tetons, when we had to use some long branches to support a skillet of baked beans. Despite repeated warnings to each other, I still managed to walk into one end of a branch and spilled most of the beans. That squishy feeling on the bottom of my hiking boot is something I’ll never forget.

Jeffrey P. Mayor, The News Tribune

By Christine and Tim Conners

Falcon, 408 pages, $19.95