Paper or Plastic?

[68barracuda]

Paper or Plastic?

A lot of good discussion and suggestions for MOOP reducing and packing it in and packing it out in various threads but I have a question for the BM veterans. Paper or Plastic? What I mean is should we bring paper plates, bowls, cups, and paper napkins or would you suggest plastic utinsels, plates, cups, and bowls that can be washed and reused?

I'm putting together a traveling kitchen kit with a coleman 2 burner stove, teflon and enameled pots and pans, plastic cooking impliments, and a large set of enameled steel tablewares all in a 24" wide by 16" high by 36" long box that will have fold down legs and drop front so that there are two work areas. I also will add pullout cubbies for holding the utinsels, spices, extra 1lb propane bottles, and the enameled plates, cups, and bowls. I have been putting this together for use while truck camping where there is a source of water or facilities to clean with. Obviously, the conditions are different at BM and in both cases you have to wash the pots, pans and cooking utinsles. How about a blend of both? Maybe the traveling kitchen with paper plates, cups, bowls, and paper napkins that can be burned, in the proper way, after use. Less to wash, pack in, and dispose of along the way.

Sound good?

Mike

[BlueBirdPoof]

... teflon...

Just be careful with this stuff. Overheated it's very bad for us parakeets.

[68barracuda]

Whoops! I meant to say teflon coated non stick pans. Missed that when I put in the post.

Mike

[BlueBirdPoof]

Yes, exactly. Poisenous to birds when overheated. I dread to think what happens when you ingest little accidental scraps. And of course there is the effect of poisening the whole country and political landscape when you coat the president with such material.

btw--I found "...teflon and enamal...pans" to be perfectly sensible grammer.

[Chai Guy]

I prefer the reusable kind, less trash and what not, but I also keep a small supply of paper plates and plastic utensils for guests. The paper plates are great for gifting extra food to your neighbors when you cook a little more than you can eat, or you just feel like sharing. If you get the paper plates instead of the plastic or styrofoam you can put them in your "burnable" trash.

[68barracuda]

Chai,

Ok, that sounds like a better idea. I'll pack the portable kitchen like normal with the enameled plates but I'll add another box with paper plates and cups for gifting and guests. Do you have any suggestions for biodegradeable dishwashing soaps? I was thinking about packing a spray bottle with simple green to help get the super crud off plates and utinsels. I use it home to help get the same stuff off just about any material and it is biodegradeable and septic tank safe. Soooo it should be Playa safe!

Mike

[Dork]

I would suggest only two classes of materials - stuff that's burnable or stuff that's reusable and easily washable. Plastic utensils are ok if you plan to keep reusing them. They do wash up real easy. Bring at least one set of real ones for the more difficult foods. Personally, I just grab a few sets of everything from my kitchen and use that. Having some paper stuff on hand is a good idea.

A cheap garden mister is great for cleaning up without using too much water and doubles as a portable air conditioner. Clean things up quick so they don't dry up!

I wouldn't worry about biodegradeable soaps too much since you should be hauling the waste water back out with you anyway. Bring a shallow plastic tub with you and siphon it into your empty water bottles before you leave.

[68barracuda]

Dork,

I was thinking about setting up an evaporation pond with a pump slightly above the floor of the pond to pump the water across some kind of panel painted black so as much water will evaporate as possible so we limit how much we have to haul out. There is quite a bit of planning involved so that is one of the last projects on the list.

Thanks,

Mike

[unjonharley]

I like stainless steel on a camp. Then again I camp a lot. Use the stainless steel and wipeout right after use with a faceal tissue. The tissue can be burned or taken with. Takes up little/less space. I dry mine so the don't stink. Any way after wipeing the stainless it's easy to wash. If in hot water they dry quick. Then stack and cover with a towel to keep the dust off. On bad weather days I found myself using the playa dust to clean with. Paper or plastic would have been gone with the wind. Less camp=more fun.

[Juju]

Each year I forget, and each year I wish I'd remembered a dish sponge with a scrubby side. Makes cleanup so much easier.

Think about what your daily routine is like... are you the type of person to let your dishes sit in the sink before you wash em, or are you a cleanup as you go person? You'll find that letting things sit causes them to gather dust, which makes it a bitch to clean up later. If that's the case, opt for easy to clean or disposable items.

[Toe]

Yep nope,
Stainless steel and titanium everything has gone well for me. It's indestructible easier to clean than plastic.

Playa dust is pretty good as a cleaning agent. I use it and finish with a spray of vinegar; and wipe clean paper towel which goes in the burn barrel.