By: Blonde Two
I once induced a near panic in a group of Scout leaders by mistakenly buying decaffeinated tea bags for camp. Things were just as bad a couple of weekends ago, when I forgot to take any tea bags at all up to Dartmoor. Between Mr Blonde Two, Six-Foot-Blonde and I, we had a Kelly Kettle, a jet boiler, two bottles of water, some milk, a teaspoon and three cups; but even after a search of my emergency bags, we had no tea bags whatsoever.
It was Six-Foot-Blonde’s idea that we should experiment with alternative ‘survival’ teas; between us we came up with three options made from our surroundings and the contents of my rucksack.
Option One – Peppermint (toothpaste) Tea
This had potential in that peppermint tea is my tea of choice, and that it would be very good for our teeth. However, the thought of swallowing hot water mixed with toothpaste was too much even for me.
Option Two – Gorse (flower) Tea
We maybe should have checked that gorse flowers are safe to eat before we tried this and I wouldn’t recommend such experiments to anyone; but apparently you can make tea (and wine) from gorse. It is an odd brew but I quite liked it; gorse flowers smell like coconut, but taste like peas; so if you can imagine pea-tea, you would have the right idea. I drank all of this one.
Option Three – Hot (Terry’s Orange) Chocolate
If you are cold and wet, and don’t have any traditional hot
drink making ingredients then this would be a really viable option. Let’s face it, most walkers have chocolate in some form or other in their rucksacks. I am not sure what hot water poured onto a Snickers bar would taste like; but this concoction was warming and quite tasty. Of course, you could always just eat your chocolate!
Just recently you’ve shown a tendency to be solemn, weighed down by the reponsibilities of competing for the Prix Goncourt, of shaping the minds and bodies of thousands, of being a physical exemplar for the less feisty. I’m glad to see that puckishness is just around the corner, that you’re still capable of prolonged silliness.
Also, despite my anchoritic existence, that we share one important failing. By scooping up freebie toothpaste samples from the dentist we can justify this minor theft by saying that the tubes are smaller, weigh less and are thus appropriate for active out-of-doors types who must watch every gram. Of course you might – if you were cruel – say I’m not an active out-of-doors type and my sole exercise consists of pressing the shift key. I would say I write novels, my subject range is infinite and the mini-tubes provide evidence of local colour.
Or something in that price bracket.
I thrive on collecting mini toothpastes; but discovered a more wonderful world when travelling in an airline seat ‘other-than-coach’ – moisturisers! I even have my New Zealand family collecting them for me!
I too homed in on the mini toothpaste tube having searched at length prior to departure on my last trip for reasons stated by RR. I finally tracked one down at Boots in Kendal – so they are available outside dentists’ waiting rooms.
I am now in backpackers’ heaven because I used half the tube, but on my next trip the rest will suffice so think how much weight I will be saving there.
Conrad, I am going to New Zealand soon. I will see how many I can collect and maybe share my goodies!
Trying to think what else on Dartmoor might make tea – Bramble leaves (raspberry leaves by preference if you can find wild ones), YOUNG stinging nettle leaves; bilberry leaves; dried elder flowers (NOT the leaves or berries which are harmful); ground hazelnuts mixed with warm milk; dried flower heads of heather – mix this with dried bilberry and blackberry leaves too; wild strawberry leaves blended in with other leaves (not barren strawberry); ground ivy leaves (that is the plant “ground ivy” glechoma hederacea, not the leaves of ivy which are very harmful!!!!!!! ; white dead-nettle flowers; water mint or corn mint leaves (for tea use hot, not boiling, water for 5 minutes); DRIED leaves of bogbean, though never use plants from stagnant or slow-moving water (most of the Dartmoor water) because liver fluke is only one of many nasties you might acquire; (If you are desperate and must, boil the plant parts for at least 10 minutes, preferably in pre-treated water;) Dried Common (Greater) Plantain leaves (Englishman’s Foot); rose-hips if you remove ALL the hairs and strain the tea; dried common speedwell as part of a blend rather than on its own;
Of course, if you have time, you can use ground roast acorns or dried, roast dandelion leaves or roast goose-grass seeds for coffee – but that takes preparation. I’ve never tried most of these and they may taste terrible – – –
Blimey – there is enough tea there to sink a battle ship! I have eaten young nettle leaves – under duress from one of our youngsters; wasn’t all that impressed but it would do in an emergency.
Jelly babies and hot water make a very nice drink ?
Now that is a good idea; you could have different flavoured cordials to suit your mood. Some might say it was cruel to the little fellows though 😉
A favourite of my son is a ‘tea’ made with Kendal Mint Cake.
A much better idea than toothpaste – but maybe not as good for your teeth?!?
Not recommended by dentists.