Pancake mix is not something we think of first when considering survival foods.

But in reality, it is almost perfect – provided you have water to mix it with; here is how you can make a campfire cake or bread with a minimal amount of effort.

Ash Cakes on the Coals

First take one cup of complete pancake mix, and some extra water on your next primitive cookout or camping trip. Build up a medium-sized camp fire, and then let it die down into ashes and coals.

When your coals are ash covered, but still very hot – pour 1/3 cup of the pancake mix into a container (or a clean hand). Start adding water, one spoonful at a time, and stirring the mix around with a stick or your clean finger, until the mix forms a ball of dough.

You’re looking for a soft bread dough texture, a little softer than Playdough. The real test of consistency is that you can pat it into a ¼ inch thick pancake.

Next, toss the flat cake into the bed of coals and watch it closely as it starts to fluff up. You’ll cook it about one or two minutes on one side. When it becomes rigid, and the very bottom edge begins to brown – use a stick to flip the cake over and cook it for 30 to 60 more seconds.

Bread On A Stick

Remember that ashcake dough? Instead of patting it out as a cake to drop in the coals of your campfire, roll it into a long roll (like a bread-stick) on a flat surface. Once you have your dough roll, spiral wrap it around a stick that you can stab into the ground near your fire. Rotate the stick once it browns on the side, to cook your dough evenly.

In a survival situation or even after a long days hiking, hunting or fishing, this quick, easy to make bread can top off a quick meal and the energy you expend making it is so minimal, it almost does not qualify as a survival or camp chore.

So the next time you head out for a hike, fishing or hunting trip, include some pancake mix in your pack – just in case or just in case you feel like something delicious with your evening meal!

To see other ways of cooking pancake mix on an open flame, check out Outdoor Life.

Featured Image via Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life