Planning Meals for the Camping Trip

October 8 admin Plan Your Camping Adventure

With a Little Planning You’ll Have the Best Meals!

As we need to bring all of the food and supplies needed to prepare the camping trip

meals, here are a few tips to help you plan for and prepare easy meals at your campsite.

Keep your camping food cold at all times to avoid spoilage.

• Replenish ice often.  Freeze some of your food ahead of time at home to help keep the cooler cold.  Freeze meat.  Prepare one-dish meals like chili and stews ahead of time and freeze.
• Block ice lasts much longer than cubed ice.   Cartons of fruit juice freeze well.  Or bring cans of frozen concentrate, which will also save space assuming water is available at the campsite.  If water is not available then prepare the juice at home and freeze.  Plan your camping meals for the latter days of your trip to include items that freeze well.
• Keep the items needed frequently (drinks, snacks, etc.) in a separate cooler.  The food cooler won’t be opened as often so will stay cold much longer.

Prepare as much as you can ahead of time in your kitchen to ease the cooking chore while at camp.

• Measure the ingredients for your meals and bring only what is needed.  There will be no measuring when you are preparing the meal.  Put the ingredients in ziplock bags, keeping the ingredients for each meal together.  Pre-chop raw vegetables at home and they are ready to use at mealtime.
  

  Prepped early, now meal preparation will be easy!

• Bring condiments in squeeze bottles for ease of use at the picnic table.  While mustard and ketchup is usually already in a bottle, select or place mayonnaise, butter, and syrup in squeeze bottles as well.
• Potatoes baked in the campfire are always a favorite.  Ease the task of baking them by pre-baking them ½ done in the microwave before leaving home.  Wrap individually in foil and keep in your cooler.  They will be ready to bake in the campfire.
• Discard all cardboard packaging before packing the food.  This eliminates much of the litter accumulation.  Placing the food in plastic bags allows you to reuse the bags for other purposes (storing leftovers, stuff the kids have collected and accumulated while exploring on the trails, wet clothes when it’s time to pack for going home, etc.).

An easy way to make toast is to place it on a stick with a Y fork at the end.  Hold over the fire, toasting each side to a golden brown.  Do not place directly in flames.
Keep pots covered when cooking so to keep the heat inside and also use less fuel.

Cleanup:
Cover the bottoms of your cooking pots with soap to prevent them from getting damaged by the smoke and fire.  This also makes cleanup easier.

• When you are finished cooking, put a pan of water on the stove.  It will be hot when you finish the meal and ready for cleanup.
• A pine cone works great as a pot scrubber.
• Always have paper towels handy.  Place a rope through the roll and hang in a convenient place.

Click here to visit our page on for Campfire Recipes for some great recipe books that will give you many ideas for delicious camping meals!

A good cast iron Camp Dutch Oven is an essential part of any outdoor kitchen.  Food won’t stick, and surfaces resist rust.   Solid Cast Iron provides even heating over the

entire heat surface, cooking meals thoroughly and evenly every time.    Use this versatile product for cooking chili and stews, or for baking biscuits.  Place hot coals around the feet underneath the Dutch Oven.  Arrange more coals on the lid around the outside edge.   The heavy cast iron will keep food warmer for longer periods.

The Dutch Ovens come in many sizes.  The Camp Chef 6 qt. Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven  is a great choice for basic meals for your family or small group.   See the many styles and sizes of Dutch Ovens from Gander Mountain, and select the Dutch Oven that will best meet your camp cooking needs!

Now, after you have obtained the perfect Camp Dutch Oven and you have prepared a great meal over the campfire,  make  sure you make the most of it!   The book entitled Field Guide to Dutch Oven Cooking  is full of ideas and recipes for using your Dutch Oven.   In the rich tradition of outdoor cooking in the American West, this is a great collection of all-time Dutch oven favorite recipes, including main dishes, breads and desserts.  It includes recipes for the beginners preparing their first meal with a Dutch oven over the campfire as well as recipes for the more experienced outdoor cooks.

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