Field Journal

In Conversation with Sam Rice and Bec Norman

When Sam and Bec embarked on their first bikepacking journey together, they had no idea it would lead to a shared passion for cooking, let alone the creation of The Bikepacking Cookbook. What began as a way to fuel their bodies during long days on the road quickly evolved into something much more: an exploration into the flavours and culinary traditions of the places they visited. We catch up with Sam and Bec to chat about the stories, experiences, and inspirations that shaped their unique approach to bikepacking cuisine.

It’s not every day you meet a couple who, just weeks into dating, decided to cycle around the world. But for Sam and Bec, that impulsive leap not only led to unforgettable adventures but also to the creation of The Bikepacking Cookbook. Reflecting on their journey, Sam says, ‘Crazy? Spontaneous? Romantic? We’ll let you decide.’

Their story began in 2019 as they rode across South East Asia, fuelled initially by the thrill of their first bike tour. But soon, the allure of real, nourishing food became undeniable. ‘We quickly learnt the importance of real food on a bikepacking trip. Our bodies craved real nutrition after countless meals of packet ramen and sugary gummy worms,’ Sam says.

Sam, already a keen cook, was anything but shy. He began engaging with friendly roadside cooks, turning casual conversations into impromptu cooking classes. ‘New tastes, techniques, and ingredients were unlocked,’ Sam explains. This culinary curiosity transformed their world tour, with food becoming their north star, guiding them through diverse landscapes and cultures. As they adapted local recipes to suit the constraints of travelling by bike, their journals filled with new flavours and techniques.

The idea of creating a cookbook, though, was never really on their minds. It was only when they started cooking on bikepacking trips in Sardinia, New Zealand, and Spain that they realised just how little information existed about bikepacking food online.

‘One evening, we perched up in a small hut on top of the Old Ghost Road in New Zealand,’ Sam says. ‘It was cold and wet and miserable. Amidst the hikers and mountain bikers, the two-minute noodle ninjas, and the squashed sandwich snackers, we whipped out the fresh ingredients for our Red Thai Curry. As soon as the spice paste hit the pan, the tang of tamarind, kick of ginger, and bite of chilli flooded the hut. One curious look led to another, and suddenly strangers became new friends. Food was the catalyst for new connections. It was the springboard for conversation and the vehicle for friendship. We ate together, laughed together, and in that moment The Bikepacking Cookbook was born.’

Cooking while bikepacking, they explain, shares similarities with thru-hiking or backpacking, but with a key difference: the ability to carry more weight on a bike. ‘You can embrace real ingredients and flavour,’ Sam says, highlighting the flexibility that a bikepacking setup allows. This was particularly evident during a memorable meal in Laos, where after a gruelling day of climbing, Sam prepared a Vietnamese dish, Bún Thịt Nướng Chay, on the roof of a local store.

‘With panoramic views of the Laotian hills, it was the perfect birthday meal,’ Bec says. ‘But one course wasn’t enough for Sam, and from deep within his rear pannier he pulled out a bunch of bananas, sliced them up, and began frying. Within minutes, he’d created a caramel sauce to bathe the roast bananas in and fired up his smartphone jukebox. So there we sat, Stevie Wonder blasting from an iPhone, the sun setting behind the mountains, and warm, sticky caramel bananas filling our bellies. A perfect birthday for me.’

‘Weight is still a constant consideration on a bikepacking trip’, Sam says. ‘And unlike hiking you have the extra weight of the bike, plus tools and so on to think about. However, with multiple bag configurations, and a tonne of clever ways to distribute the weight evenly across the bike, I think a bikepacking rig might just be the best way to cook outdoors.’

The couple’s culinary adventures have been deeply influenced by the regions they’ve travelled through. ‘In South East Asia, we learnt to roast whole fish in banana leaves and cook curries in bamboo trunks,’ Sam says. But it’s the universal use of spice pastes that has left a lasting impression. ‘In almost every culture with curry, there’s a fabulous pre-made spice paste. Embrace the paste!’

Nutrition is also a key focus, thanks to Bec’s training as a Naturopath (doctor of natural medicine). ‘We focus on whole food, real ingredients, and nutritional variety,’ she says. However, they balance health with indulgence, understanding the importance of comfort food on the road. ‘We’ve purposefully not gone down the rabbit hole of macronutrients, and we don’t give readers a gram value of protein per serve, but all the recipes inside the book are nutritionally dense and – most importantly – delicious. While nutrition is important, it’s just as important to have food that feeds the soul, regardless of the ingredients. That’s why you’ll see recipes that slant more nutritionally dense, for instance our Red Thai Curry (packed with a variety of root veggies), but also one of Bec’s personal favourites like our Udon Cacio e Pepe – which really has more parmesan cheese than sense, but is something we look forward to after every ride. From our experience, it’s all about balance.’

Cooking outdoors is not without its challenges. ‘Wind, rain, insects, bad moods – but the most challenging thing can be ourselves,’ Sam says. ‘Imagine that you’ve just climbed 2,000m in the rain, chucked up your tent in a wet cow field, and you’re completely exhausted. The last thing you want to do is cook. You’d rather curl up into a little ball and sleep, even if it is only 6.00pm. But it’s in these mentally challenging moments that cooking a great meal outdoors makes the most sense.

‘Sure, you’d rather eat some Oreos and scoff down your last pack of chips and be done for the night. But if you invest the time and energy into nourishing your body with a hot meal at the end of a hard day, you’ll sleep better, recover better, and ride better the next day.’

Ultimately, Sam and Bec’s mission with The Bikepacking Cookbook is simple: to help people eat better food on their bikepacking trips. ‘We’ve been there – resorting to junk food and minute noodles – and we wanted to create something more,’ they say. Their cookbook is designed to inspire and equip others to embrace the joy of cooking on the road, whether on a weekend escape or epic multi-year adventure.

Sample Recipe: One-Pot Paella

‘This one-pot paella recipe (pictured above) was brought to life on the Montañas Vacías bikepacking route, this recipe celebrates everything we love about cooking real food. It’s simple, delicious, and super filling. Just chuck your ingredients into the pot, sprinkle in some magic flavour dust, and devour it with friends.’

Ingredients
150g (314 cup) paella rice (or more if you’re hungry), 500ml (around 16fl oz) water, 1 white onion, 2 garlic cloves, chorizo (as much as you want, or none at all), 1 packet of paella seasoning (the best is by paellero), 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 a lemon
Plant powered? Add in some extra red pepper, green peas or dried mushrooms.

Method
Chop the garlic and onion as finely as possible. Slice your chorizo into chunks (if you’re using it) and add some oil to your pot and heat. Add the sliced chorizo and fry until it’s crispy and delicious.
Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside. Leave the beautiful, red oil in the pot. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper. Fry for a few minutes in the chorizo oil. Then add the rice, smoked paprika and the paella seasoning. Cover with water and stir. We work to 1:3 rice to water ratio so about 450-500ml water. Leave the pot uncovered and cook until the rice is tender and all the stock has absorbed into the rice. Add more water if it’s looking a bit dry. Squeeze the lemon juice over the rice, add the crispy chorizo or your choice of veggies and eat until you explode.