Cold Food to Take Camping

When you go camping, you don't have to live on canned and dehydrated foods alone. As long as you transport and store them correctly, it's fine to take cold foods to prepare on camping trips. Fully cooked items are easier to transport safely, but with a bit of extra care you can also bring along highly perishable raw items.

Storage Basics

The basics of taking cold food camping are the same, regardless of the type of food. The Michigan Department of Agriculture recommends packing all cold foods directly from the refrigerator right before you leave. Use one large block of ice in the cooler instead of small cubes because the block will melt much more slowly. Pack all perishable food items in a cooler that's separate from drinks so the lid won't be opened and closed as frequently. Insulate the cooler at the campground by wrapping a thick blanket around it when it's not in use.

Safest Options

The Michigan Department of Agriculture says the safest cold-food options to take camping are those that are fully cooked and those that do not spoil easily. Items such as baby carrots, fresh fruit, hard cheeses and hot dogs are usually fine in a properly maintained cooler for several days. The USDA also recommends you can pack hearty sandwiches of meat and cheese on thick bread, then freeze them in individual baggies. The frozen sandwiches will thaw in the cooler and be fine to eat by the next day. Using a coarse-textured bread such as multi-grain means the sandwich won't get soggy.

Highly Perishable

Highly perishable foods include raw meat, eggs and sandwich spreads such as mayonnaise. It is especially important that you keep these items below 40 degrees F at all times or they could be at serious risk of becoming contaminated. Leftovers, even if they're fully cooked, also fall into this category. According to the USDA, all leftovers should follow the two-hour rule: No food should be left to sit an environment that's above 40 degrees F for more than two hours.

Extra Steps

The website Love the Outdoors lists extra steps you can take to ensure your cold food is safe while camping. Freeze all items possible, particularly raw meat, to keep them below 40 degrees F. Pack each food product in its own plastic bag to keep moisture out and make it easy to snag it from the cooler. Additionally, the USDA recommends monitoring your cooler at all times. Restock the ice (if possible) once a day. If all of the ice melts in the cooler, discard the food. It is not safe to eat.

Warning

The USDA warns against eating undercooked meat, particularly when it's being stored in a cooler. Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your meat before consuming it. Beef, veal and lamb steaks should be cooked to 145 degrees F. All cuts of pork, along with ground beef, lamb and veal, should reach 160 degrees F. Poultry must hit an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.