The Wonderbag – by Dr Sarita Robinson
When you are on an expedition it is important to have good kit so I am always on the lookout for something to make my life easier.Recently I was introduced to the Wonderbag, a piece of kit designed in South Africa by Sarah Collins.
Starting eight years ago, Wonderbags are manufactured in the factory in Durban and are aimed to be as ecofriendly as possible.For example, the insulating foam in the bags comes from recycled aeroplane chairs.
The Wonderbag is like a modern version of the hay box so food is partially cooked first. Once the food is piping hot, it is placed in the insulated bag and it continues cooking.
Advantages
The Wonderbag has many advantages for those on long and short expeditions.
It can act as both a fridge and as a slow cooker, so you can put your milk, butter and meat in it at the start of your trip and then use it to slow cook your food later. Or better still get two Wonderbags, one to act as a fridge and one for cooking!
The soft, flexible sides and the fact it is made of light material means that it is easy to carry. And once you have finished using your Wonderbag it will squash up small.
Trekking with a Wonderbag
In the morning of a day trekking, for instance, you can heat your evening meal in a metal pan with a tight fitting lid. You only need to heat the pan, bringing the food to the boil and then simmer briefly. Perhaps for 20-30 minutes.
Wrap the pan in a tea towel (to keep the inside of the Wonderbag clean) and place in the Wonderbag. Then put the lid on, tighten up the drawstrings, and forget about it until it is time to eat.
Further Benefits
The food in the Wonderbag does not need any stirring and does not burn or spoil and cooks even and consistently.
Wonderbags are incredibly durable and factory testing suggests that they will last around 20 years. As well as saving time, the Wonderbag also saves money and energy as you need less fuel to make great soups and stews.
Africa’s Gift
There’s a great thing about buying a Wonderbag via the charity Africa’s Gift. When you get one for yourself you also buy one for people living in Lesotho (a small, landlocked country in the middle of South Africa).
Wonderbags in Lesotho are making a real difference to people’s lives and to the local environment.
Low Impact
Using the Wonderbags means that less wood is used. This means that less trees are being cut down and this is so important as 90% of cleared woodland is never replanted.
As tree roots are the main stabilising force for soil, when the trees are lost, the top soil is washed away by rain. This often leaves a large expanse of ground rock exposed. The use of Wonderbags therefore has a big impact on the local environment.
Smoke Inhalation
The reduced need for wood also has a beneficial effect on the health of young children.
One of the leading causes of death and illness in the under 5s is respiratory problems. The cause is the smoke, or mohsi in the Sesotho language, from cooking on the fire as the young children stay home with mum while she is cooking.
The smoke from burning wood for cooking can also lead to blindness.
The Wonderbag frees the women from the time consuming tasks of collecting wood, and watching and maintaining the cooking on the open fire. This means that women have free time to spend with their children, carry out other tasks, or take paid employment.
Wonderbag Demonstration
As part of my recent trip to Lesotho with a youth group, working with Africa’s Gift, I had the opportunity to take the Wonderbags to the remote village of Hamakoanyane.
At the invitation of the mother of the village chief, an amazing 85 year old woman, known as Mama Sotho, we did a Wonderbag demonstration.
The women of the village were invited to come and join us for a cookery demonstration in which it was explained how the Wonderbag worked. On arrival at the village, we could also see the smoke caused by the traditional cooking process as it bellowed out of one of the village houses.
The Village
The Wonderbag demonstration lasted about an hour but was almost overshadowed by Ken Dunn from Africa’s Gift.
He made the ladies laugh with his colourful trousers! At the end of the demo the women present were very keen to take a Wonderbag for their family. No one wanted the colourful trousers!
Malealea Lodge, Lesotho
As well as the environment and health benefits that the Wonderbag brings we can also personally testify that the food you make in it is delicious.
During the expedition, the group stayed at Malealea Lodge where the kitchen staff love using the Wonderbag. The meals were amazing with flavourful soups, stews and vegetables all cooked to perfection.
The best thing was that, unlike cooking in a traditional saucepan, in a Wonderbag none of the flavour or goodness of the food is lost in the steam.
About the author:
Dr Sarita Robinson aka Doctor Survival is one of the world’s leading academic researchers in the area of survival psychology.
Survival psychology focusses on how people respond in disaster situations – everything from a terrorist attack to a ship sinking. Sarita is keen not solely rely on dusty books to inform her academic research so also undertakes hands-on survival training.
She has had numerous hair-raising adventures including completing training in Helicopter Underwater Escape, Fire-Fighting and Coastal Survival.
