Travel Hack – Chocolate when it’s hot!

In general I’m a happy person. But sometimes, it happens. I flip from chilled-out smiley nomad into rampaging Godzella beast.

Whether it’s on a challenging hike and my blood sugar has hit critical levels or whether it’s because those monthly hormones have spiked, over the years Stacker has learnt that at times like these it’s just not safe to approach me unless he has a slab of dark chocolate in hand, unwrapped and ready to feed to the beast.

You’ll understand then why he might be hesitant to, say, cycle the Dordogne or hike the Grand Canyon with me unless we’ve got a hefty stash of Valrhona Guanaja at the ready. What happens though when the temperatures are as hot as my mood? Fear not! There’s a hack for that..

It’s a simple trick but it never fails to amaze people when you pull out a pristine, unmelted bar of your favourite chocolate after a long hike under blistering heat. We’ve tested this method on treks in Oman, to the base of the Grand Canyon and in many other hot places, but it’s equally good for picnics in the park or hot car rides. We can guarantee it for temperatures of up to 37°C/99°F and I reckon we can push that limit!

What you need

• Chocolate (any kind)
• Tea towel or wad of paper towels*
• Plastic Bag

*A tea towel works better in very hot weather but paper towels also work in a pinch and are a lighter.

The basic ingredients

What to do

Dip the tea towel / paper towels in water until totally saturated. Lightly wring it out but ensure it stays soaking wet.

Wrap the chocolate in the wet towel and place in a plastic bag. Fold the bag over until you’ve got a little package. There’s no need to seal it – you don’t want to trap air in it, just keep it from leaking.

Your package of chocolately goodness is good to go! Put it in your backpack, out of direct sunlight.

Heatproof chocolate package

Tips

If you’re travelling for more than a day, refresh the towel every two days for optimum results

If you don’t like the fact your chocolate wrapper will get a bit soggy, you can wrap it in plastic film or foil first.

Yes, you too can enjoy camel-milk chocolate in the desert at midday!

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