Staying at a hostel

[madprof]

I'm coming up over the new year period (assuming no lockdown!) and staying at the hostel in Portree (it's the only one near hills anyone can book as an individual) and of course all the communal areas are closed and the hostel isn't doing meals. So I'm wondering, with just a kettle in my room, what I should do? We all know hill walking, especially in winter, can mean you want some serious calories at the end of the day. Rehydrated packet meals are woefully low in calories. I suppose I could eat out a lot but that is going to get expensive and I couldn't rely on that being possible.

Add to this the lack of a drying room and it is going to be a weird trip both logistically and for the lack of human contact. I do thse trips on my own and normally there are plenty of people to meet at a hostel and I've met some nice individuals and gone walking with a few. Not this year!

[Sgurr]

Smash (dehydrated potatoes) lines your stomach better than many of the dehydrated ready meals. Grate some cheese and mix some tuna in. Readibrek porridge isn't bad, you need more than just those pots. Include raisins. Take a smart phone and zoom someone in the evenings. I know it isn't like meeting them in the flesh, but you might even be able to zoom a fellow hosteller from your separate bed rooms.

[jmarkb]

Fresh pasta should work OK, and will keep for a few days (leave it in the boot of the car if you have one) - just needs to soak in hot water for a few minutes. Add e.g. a stir-in sauce from a jar and some cheese.

[CharlesT]

Buy, beg or borrow an inexpensive Microwave oven, ideally one with a grill facility. You can then take as many high carb ready meals as you wish. Good for soup and heating milk too. I'm assuming there will be a 13amp electrical supply in the room. A sandwich toaster is another option.

[Giant Stoneater]

Have a good look on supermarket shelves,Mister Bens rice,couscous etc add water leave for a few minutes,sauces,tins of fish,Mathiesons sausage,such a good range of foodstuffs for something like this.Porridge you could add some meusli to it or dried fruit.

[Booga]

Have a good look on supermarket shelves,Mister Bens rice,couscous etc add water leave for a few minutes,sauces,tins of fish,Mathiesons sausage,such a good range of foodstuffs for something like this.Porridge you could add some meusli to it or dried fruit.

Agreed, there's quite a lot out there. All my hiking food is of the "add hot water" variety. Porridge pots with added dried fruit. Couscous, pasta, noodles etc of various flavours which I add dried veg to and sometimes a bit of vegetable stock cube. Rice noodles + a cup-a-soup works quite well and again add bits and bobs to taste. I'll sometimes have 2 servings of something if I think one isn't enough.

I've done weekend events in hotels where I've taken powdered complete food such as Huel, I can make as much or as little as I like with cold water and shake it up like a protein shake.

[bootsandpaddles]

Will the hostel allow people to take electrical equipment into their rooms if it has not been PAT tested?

[Caberfeidh]

I agree with Sgurr that Smash dehydrated potato is a quick, filling and tasty way to make a bulky meal with only some hot water. I like to stir in some dehydrtated browned onions and some mustard. This looks weird but tastes great. A tin of corned beef helps too. Could you take a campoing stove and nip outside to cook? I guess in the horrible weather of Skye in midwinter this may not be an option. You could maybe get a big meal through the day then over the evening simply have my old favourite; port with cheese, crackers, cold meats, etc. I too miss the meeting people in communal hostels, it was good to chat with folk from all over. Have you considered cannibalism?

[madprof]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I am going to try some of these things out at home before I go.




Apart from cannibalism.

[midge airsupport]

Buy, beg or borrow an inexpensive Microwave oven,

if theirs power forget the micro and take a baby belling,or just plug a nice steak straight into the power. Also dont forget the condom to put over the smoke detector.

[rgf101]

If you google "kettle meals" or similar there's a whole subculture of people cooking in hotel rooms. You'll get plenty of ideas.

I feel for you - getting out into the hills again is fantastic, but the casual chats you get with folk you run into in hostels and pubs along the way are still missing.

[madprof]

Update is I just had my booking cancelled, so I get all my money back and I don't need to do it myself.

Sadly the Porteee hostel is likely to be closed until April.

I am definitely going to try and take some days up in the hills this winter and I am hoping that restrictions will ease to let me do that before the snow goes away.

And if not then there will be other times to look forward to. The hills are likely to remain in place throughout 2021, I am unaware of plans to bulldoze them.