Dutch ovens make the list, not just because of the yummy things that come out of them, but because of what they say about the pace of an RRCC trip.
Start with the fact that we even carry 20 pound pieces of cast iron in our canoes. That alone tells you something about our priorities when we travel.
But the main thing about the Dutch ovens is the way they slow things down in camp. Just the way our cooks like it. Even though cooking with a Dutch oven is supposed to be relatively simple, to the casual observer they appear to require constant adjustment, discussion and debate in the kitchen. And since only a sanctified RRCC chef is allowed to raise the lid with those special lid-lifters, nobody else knows whether anything is really done or not. For all we know they could be empty.
Because it's not about whether the food is ready, it's about whether the cooks are ready, which is the kind of tradition we respect no matter how hungry we are.
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Wildlife Trivia: The rearranging and "burning out" of Dutch ovens is a characteristic nesting habit of the Night Varmint. It is most often heard from your tent sometime after midnight during spring and fall migrations.
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