Choose Camping Foods That Work

The Less Refrigeration The Better

When it comes to food and camping simplicity is a good philosophy to live by.  The less you have to worry about refrigeration the better.  So take some time planning your food choices and keep it simple.  Choose good camping foods means your cooler won't have to be as big.  Most tenting campsites don't have power so you'll be dependant on ice for you cooler.  Ice chests work well to keep your camp food cold.

When it comes to food and camping simplicity is a good philosophy to live by.  The less you have to worry about refrigeration the better.  So take some time planning your food choices and keep it simple.  Choose good camping foods!

First you need to know how long you are going camping for.  Packing for a weekend is much different than packing for a two week vacation.  On longer vacations you will most likely have to make a grocery store stop to replenish fresh produce.

You’ll also need to consider how much storage you have.  How big is your cooler?  How much will it hold?  Foods that don’t need to be refrigerated are easy to pack up.
Here are some ideas of foods that travel well.

• Buy frozen meats then place them in your cooler.  This will help them last longer.  It’s very difficult to buy meats in advance for a couple of weeks unless you’ve got freezer capabilities.  But some meats will last much longer on ice than others.  Avoid chicken and fish they turn bad quickly.
  
• Hotdogs are compact and require only to be kept cool
  
  
• Frozen burgers
  
• Canned foods - fruits, meats, vegetables, and don’t forget pork and beans.  Canned foods require no storage considerations other than space.
  
• Prepackaged foods like potato chips, tacos, cookies, granola bars, noodles, and any other prepackaged food you like.  Again no special storage considerations other than space.
  
• Potatos - bring lots, they store forever and are a great addition to a meal
  
• Fresh vegetables.  Some are better choices than others because they last a long time.  Radishes, cucumbers, carrots all have a fairly long life. 
  
• Pancake mix
  
• Pack dried cereals and oatmeal if you like it.  You can start with fresh milk but also bring along the shelf milk you can now buy that doesn’t require refrigeration until it’s been opened.  Very handy.

The most important thing is to buy foods you’ll eat.  There’s no point in buying a bunch of foods that you hate. 

Don’t forget there are many prepackaged foods available that just require you add boiling water and you’ve got a full meal.  How easy is that?

Remember to pack nutritious foods.  You are going to be burning allot of energy with all your outdoor activities and you don’t want to be exhausted. 

You also don’t want to get run down and become sick.  

If you are going to be camping for some time, mix it up a bit.  Don’t pack two weeks of hot dogs

because you are going to be sick of them long before then!  Add variety by using spices, onions, and peppers which all have a long shelf life.  Don’t forget to bring along foil so you can make a meal in a bag.  Delicious!

Of course don’t forget all your condiments.  Sugar, salt, pepper, spices, juice, ketchup, mustard, relish, jam, syrup, coffee, tea, and margarine to name just a few.

Get out and enjoy the great outdoors.  Whether you’re camping at a campsite, at your favorite fishing hole, or hiking into the woods you need to make sure you pack the right food to keep you energetic and healthy!