I thought I had tried all the brands of dried milk, all of which taste really yucky unless liberally laced with cocoa. But last week I found a package of "Organic Valley" dried nonfat milk at Wild Oats and decided to try it. It is a powder, not crystals, and even though the package says "not instant" it dissolves easier than other brands I've tried with (drum roll!) no lumping. I used it for my cereal on my Indian Heaven trip and, since it passed that test, in my coffee at home this morning. I could not detect any of the usual dried milk "off" taste with either cereal or coffee. Of course those who can't stand skim milk will probably not like it, although that shouldn't matter in cereal or strong coffee.
Now that I have gotten used to not having a hot beverage at breakfast, thus saving time and fuel, it turns out I can have my morning cafe au lait, although I will probably do so only on short days when I'm not in a hurry to get on the trail. Maybe this weekend, when I'll be backpacking with my 6-year-old grandson, who likes his hot cereal and cocoa.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey