More Than a Meal: What Backcountry Cooking Teaches Us About Connection

Last week, my Grade 8 students prepared their first big backcountry meal together. It was a simple morning, one camp stove, a few ingredients, a shared tarp to sit on, but the impact was anything but simple. This will be the first meal of many on their journey towards a 12-day trip on the West Coast of Canada!

In the rhythm of outdoor education, it’s easy to focus on the big moments: the summit, the hike, the gear, the challenge. But sometimes, the most powerful learning happens around something as ordinary as a meal.

Sharing food in the backcountry is different. There’s no cafeteria rush, no screens, no distractions. There’s just a circle of tired hikers, headlamps casting soft glows, and the smell of something warm simmering after a long day outside. It’s not just about feeding the body. It’s about feeding the group.

I watched students take turns stirring, tasting, laughing, and offering help. But more importantly, I watched them check in. They asked each other how they were doing. They reflected on the day’s challenges. They told stories—some silly, some meaningful. They carved out a pause before another epic day of adventure, and in doing so, built something even more important than tents or fires: trust.

In outdoor education, we talk a lot about resilience, responsibility, and leadership. But connection? That’s the real trail marker. And there’s something beautifully grounding about a shared meal that invites it in. It’s a place for students to see each other as people, not just peers in Gore-Tex and hiking boots.

These meals become rituals. They create space for gratitude and growth. They offer a moment to slow down, reflect, and remind each other: we’re in this together.

Whether it’s your first freeze-dried dinner or a pot of homemade chili, the magic isn’t in the recipe. It’s in the pause. The togetherness. The memory made around a camp stove.

And for my students, I think this was the first of many meals that will nourish far more than just their hunger.

Take it with you:

When was the last time you truly paused and shared a meal with intention? What stories, laughter, or quiet moments surfaced when you made space to connect over food?

Pizza turned Calzone! I can smell the awesomeness from here!