It’s summer, and with August long weekend nearly upon us I thought it time to share a camping tip that’s near and dear to my heart.

Eating and drinking well is one of my primary concerns when attacking a wilderness adventure. Actually, it’s one of my primary concerns in life.

Whether I’m camping with a big group of friends in a nicely groomed federal or provincial park or trekking in the backcountry, good food and drink is right near the top of the list of priorities.

In the city, sipping a mojito on a patio is a fantastic way to enjoy sunset, and it’s no different when you’re out camping.

Mint tastes cool, so regardless of whether there’s any rum or not you get a tasty treat even if you don’t have any ice left in your cooler, or a stream/lake/glacier to cool your bevies in.

Here’s a trimmed-down trekking version of this patio-classic. It makes 4 mojiots and only adds about 750g to your pack.

Set aside 20 minutes at home to the mint syrup get the lime juice ready.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups water
• 1 Cup sugar
• ½ cup torn-up mint leaves

What to do with them:

1. Add sugar and water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until reduced by about half. I really like ginger so at this point I chop up a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger and drop it in too, but be warned, it’ll make your drinks spicy, which may not be so good on a hot evening.
2. Juice a couple of limes into a little container like this, or just pack the limes with the rest of your food – the lime juice comes in handy for cleaning greasy dishes too!
3. Remove from heat and add the chopped mint. Let it steep for a few hours or overnight in the fridge, then strain with a sieve or coffee filter into a container you can pack for your adventure.

My daughter's first caping trip - just because.

Finally, get two cans or a bottle of sparkling water or soda water, and if you’re of-age and responsible, some good rum.

I use cans because one can make two nice drinks from each can, and then use the cans for candleholders to up the romance factor after the sun sets. Rawr!

Plus, they crush down so they’re easy to pack out.

That’s it – once you’re out there it’s as simple as splitting the sparkling water between two cups or glasses, adding the juice of half a lime each, and syrup (and optional rum) to taste.

Stir with a twig, and enjoy.