camping food

[tflash]

Need some ideas for food to bring on camping trips. Have a cooler to keep stuff cold for a few days.
so far on the list is hot dogs, eggs, beacon, canned chilli, pop, beer, chips, sun flower seeds, peanuts, condiments,
looking for other stuff that doesn't have to be kept cool to avoid spoiling it

[Ottawaman]

use frozen bottles of water instead of crushed ice in our coolers...as the bottles thaw we have good drinking water....the bigger the container...the longer it takes to thaw.....so a frozen gallon jug of water will act like a block of ice....and blocks stay frozen much longer than the crushed ice in bags.
We store our food such as potato salad, macaroni salad ect. in gallon ziplock bags. No containers. You can fit more in the cooler, plus you throw it away when empty. No bringing back a bunch of empty containers. We also bake potatoes at home and leave skins on until ready to eat. I usually cube them up for breakfast. Since they are already baked, they cook up fast
Also, Omlettes in a baggie makes a nice meal

[Lesley]

I used to make eggs Benedict when we went camping, just make the sauce at home, do the rest at the campsite.

I would freeze everything that could be frozen and then pack the cooler with the stuff to be used last on the bottom. The less you disturb it the longer it will last.

If you use ice cubes a cooler with a drain at the bottom is helpful so your food isn't sitting in cold water.

Hamburger helper is great when you're camping, save a step, cook the ground beef at home, drain well, put it in a freezer bag and freeze it solid. It makes for a quick and substantial meal.

You can get a lot of different "camp" foods at places like Mountain Equipment Coop and other outdoor stores, that require no special handling and are easy and quick to prepare.

[Mouse]

You used to be able to buy little cooked chickens in a tin.

But be careful of dents in the tin.

A friend of mine got deathly ill from a questionable can.

I passed on the offer, thank God.

[tflash]

using the large ice packs for the cooler
just thought of Kraft Dinner
like the idea of hamburger helper, and checking out the food at Mountain Equipment Coop, thanks

[Mouse]

Just remember, almost everything tastes great when you are camping. Strange, that.

And I always went for Heineken. Just seemed correct to do so.

[tflash]

there is Mountain Euipment Coop store between my place and where the gf works.
was looking at the site and there food reminds me of the ration packs I ate while in the field with the military, just nicer packaging. At least this time I get to pick out ones that I like instead of being forced to eat something disgusting.
Heineken is nice but more exspensive then the domestic beer like Canadian or Kokanee.

[Mouse]

I know it is, but you are camping, so what the hell.

And dry rations, etc., need only be a concern if you are back-packing into somewhere.

[tflash]

the dry rations can be a back up meal if the regular stuff is eaten to fast or goes bad
planning on a trek through the mountains by car/bicycle so will last at least three days before seeing civilation again

[Mouse]

WTH, everyone needs to loose a little weight anyway.

You could always eat each other, in a pinch.

LOL

[Aristera]

Depends on where you are going and for how long. If your camping in the middle of the bush then you want to be efficient as possible. If your going for a week or so and you have means to get into town, pack only a few days food and make a town run half way through the trip.

I find the last few days we do nothing but cook and eat everything that is thawed out because it is either eat it or toss it.

[tflash]

My big trip for this summer is to bike from Jasper to Banff along the Icefields pkwy. The most beautiful road I have ever come across, nestled right in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Should take me three days. Not expecting any chance to buy aditional supplies once on the way. So its do or die. Will have a support vehical to carry all the gear for this duration. Hopefully a new cooler and the large ice packs work that long.
Have camped out for a weekend already and doing another in a few weeks to work out the bugs in advance. Sleeping in a tent at night, cooking on a propane stove.

[Mouse]

If you have not been there before, just wait 'till you get to Lake Louise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Louise,_Alberta).

And a hike into the valley of the 10 peaks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_the_Ten_Peaks) is a must, too.

[lordgrey]

We used to make spaghetti sauce at home and freeze it in freezer bags.This keeps for quite a while and is great in a cooler, it keeps everything else cold.Just made pasta when we needed it.

[tflash]

If you have not been there before, just wait 'till you get to Lake Louise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Louise,_Alberta).

And a hike into the valley of the 10 peaks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_the_Ten_Peaks) is a must, too.

I've vacationed in the Rockies already, and man Lake Louise ski hill is to die for!

[tflash]

We used to make spaghetti sauce at home and freeze it in freezer bags.This keeps for quite a while and is great in a cooler, it keeps everything else cold.Just made pasta when we needed it.


Alright, hamburger helper and spaghitti, but can't the sauce be kept warm like it is on the store shelves and just heated up when needed along with the noodles?.

[rob]

Planning on fishing? Trout is my favorite camping food.

Hot dogs are a staple.

Small eggs don't break as easily as large eggs.

A pack of bagels does double duty for breakfast and mini-pizzas that taste great done on the fire.

Bone-in Chicken (thighs, drumsticks, etc) work well - I freeze them in zip lock bags full of salad dressing marinade. I string them up on wire hangers over the fire and rotate them every 2 minutes. Near the end I'll brush some bbq sauce on. It works quite well.

[Mouse]

Stop that!!!

Damn, I'm getting hungry.

[Ottawaman]

oatmeal (instant)
raisins
brown sugar
powdered milk
cinnamon
mixed nuts, seeds, and dried fruit mix
museli bars
bananas (get squashed easily)

pasta
minute rice
herbs
instant refried beans
tortillas
boullion cubes
salt and pepper
dehydrated vegetable flakes
dehydrated soup mix
green pepper
zuchini
tomato
onions
1 carrot

tea
coffee
powdered juice

loaf of bread or
buns or bagels
pita bread
cheese (hard)
tomatoes
peanut butter
apples
(note: jam gets everything sticky; butter always melts and
oozes..)
Snacks
potato chips
chocolate chips
granola bars
crackers
peanuts
dried fruit
GORP (good old raisins and peanuts)
apples (very heavy...)

[Lesley]

there is Mountain Euipment Coop store between my place and where the gf works.
was looking at the site and there food reminds me of the ration packs I ate while in the field with the military, just nicer packaging. At least this time I get to pick out ones that I like instead of being forced to eat something disgusting.
Heineken is nice but more exspensive then the domestic beer like Canadian or Kokanee.

My son loves MREs. When he gets back from an exercise he usually has a whole bunch of stuff the other kids rejected.

The pancake mix that you make with water is always a good breakfast - measure out the powder before you go on the trip so that you don't have to mess around with measuring anything but the water on site. You can buy precooked bacon and sausages as well. I think the sausages have to be kept cold but the bacon (as long as it's unopened) will keep at room temperature.

[Aristera]

Only thing I would add is Beef Jerky!

[A.O.F.]

Suggestion
1. Make a list of everything you take. Leave it at home. When you get back, cross off all the useless stuff. The next time, you won't have to wonder "Do we have everything".
2. Take a pencil and paper to write down all the "We shoulda broughts" and "We forgots". Add them to the list.

Gawd this sounds terribly anal retentive.

[Hertz_Donut]

... another idea - or should I say place to check out - would be the bulk barn. Great place to buy dry goods - in the amounts that you want.

(I like the dry apple slices - light/small to carry when hiking)

[Lesley]

Suggestion
1. Make a list of everything you take. Leave it at home. When you get back, cross off all the useless stuff. The next time, you won't have to wonder "Do we have everything".
2. Take a pencil and paper to write down all the "We shoulda broughts" and "We forgots". Add them to the list.

Gawd this sounds terribly anal retentive.

That's a great idea, a reverse list of sorts for useless stuff. Thanks

[SPARKY]

If you freeze bottled water it doubles as an ice pack in your cooler.
more beer and still more beer.
Hoist your cooler over a high branch with rope, bears like a free meal, just ask Yogi.

[Just Doug1]

This is so lame, but here goes:

Go to Guelph Conservation area and camp. If your BBQ/cooker/etc. acts up, there are places that deliver great chicken and pizza right to your campsite. :)

[Lesley]

Now that's the way to have a camping holiday. No cooking, no dishes.

[jayheels]

spam spam and more spam...slice it and fry it up...mmmmm

[Mouse]

That's a given, for breakfast.

Everyone should cook, at least breakfast.

;)