Eating at Camp: What to Know
When thinking of camping, some people jump to the conclusion that either you’re eating bland meals, or you eat the same things over and over again. Wrong! Camp food doesn’t have to be either. Depending on the type of camping trip you’re on, you can have access to a bunch of meal prep materials and storage methods (i.e. trailer camping), or you can kick it old school with a grill or campfire meal. No matter what type of cooking I do though, I always come prepared with salt, pepper, and hot sauce! If that trio can’t fix a bad camp meal, it’s time to cook something else. Keep in mind that camp cooking can be a trial-and-error situation—when you do it for the first time, it’s possible to run into a problem here or there. Don’t sweat it! Just have a backup plan in place for if something goes wrong, even if that backup plan is a pack of ramen or a run to the camp store for hotdogs and s’mores ingredients.
No matter how you cook, never cook inside your tent or underneath a closed, covered area! It is a serious fire hazard, as well as a risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Smells also linger and can attract wildlife.
Freeze-Dried Meals
When I’m solo camping, I like to use my camp stove to boil water and prepare freeze-dried camp meals; I’m serious when I say that I like a lot of the freeze-dried meals. In today’s camping industry, there are many brands, meals, and flavors to choose from for any diet, and it’s easier to pack those dried meals than if it is fresh food. It also tends to be cheaper than buying fresh groceries, especially if you’re solo camping, and there’s no risk of them spoiling because you don’t have a fridge. If you’re backcountry camping, it’s also much less weight to carry around. On the “Freeze-Dried Meal Reviews” page is a list of the camp meals I’ve tried thus far, plus my opinions on them— no one’s paying me for my thoughts, and I’m not endorsing any of them; it’s just what I personally think of them. When you try any freeze-dried meals, I recommend keeping a journal with the notes on what you think of them; you might like or dislike different ones than I do. Keep in mind, however, that if you’re cooking freeze dried meals at high altitudes, you may have to adjust cooking time. If so, this will be listed on the meal packaging.
Canned & nonperishable foods
When I don’t want to eat freeze-dried meals, I try to pack canned goods. Tinned fish, beans, and meat are all great sources of protein that don’t require refrigeration and are prepacked for single-sized meals. Canned vegetables are just as easy. Nuts and dried fruit are simple snacks that don’t spoil in the sun and are full of healthy fats and sugars needed for replenishing energy.
As for breakfast, I usually stick to cereal or protein bars and instant coffee— I’m not much of a breakfast person. I try to stick to the international brands for instant coffee because they taste better to me. I usually drink my coffee black or with a touch of sugar, so I don’t have to worry about keeping creamer cold. If you need creamer though, bring individual sized packets of International Delight or Coffee Mate; those tiny cups are highly pasteurized and won’t go bad outside of a fridge, and they come in multiple flavors.
Cooking fresh meals
When I want to be more like an actual chef, I get simple ingredients from a nearby store and break out my camp grill or cast iron & cook on the campfire coals. If I have a specific meal in mind before I leave my house, I’ll pre-cut the fruits and vegetables I need ahead of time if I plan to eat them before they spoil, or I’ll fill a cooler with ice and use my perishables within a couple days of arriving at camp. You’ll find some of my favorite meals on the “recipes” page.