If you are cooking in the great outdoors, you may be doing so without electricity, in fading light, fighting off pesky insects and otherwise trying to create nutritious, satisfying meals under trying conditions. The key to successful camp cooking is preplanning that addresses menus, cooking gear, execution and cleanup. Take a tip from the Boy Scouts and be prepared for the worst to help you do your best.
Menu Planning
Before you shop for specific food items, plan menus for each day's meals. A menu will allow you to create recipes and dishes that reuse spices, mixes and cooking utensils and help you avoid having to bring many ingredients or implements you'll only use once. Menu planning will also help you see whether you are using too many fresh foods that require refrigeration you may lack or be unable to maintain at your campsite.
Food Containers
Your food may get wet from rain, dew, humidity or a tipped canoe. Transfer dry foods such as pancake mixes, potato flakes, cereals and other items to resealable plastic bags and containers. Not only will the containers keep foods dry, but they will also reduce aromas that may attract animals.
Cooking Utensils
Look at your preplanned menus to make sure you bring the right utensils to make each meal. If a certain item---such as a can opener or large pot---is critical to your weekend cooking plans, bring a second one as a backup, and keep it in a separate camper, backpack or box in case the other utensil is lost or damaged. Consider the heat source on which you will be cooking and whether your pots and pans will work on them. Skewers for kabobs may be easy to use on a grill but more difficult to make work over a wood campfire, for example.
Eating Utensils
The fewer utensils needed to eat a meal, the less likely they are to get lost and the smaller your cleanup after each meal. Disposable forks, spoons and knives don't require cleaning but may take up valuable backpack space. Roasted corn on the cob off the fire may sound delicious while you're planning your menu at home in the suburbs, but how will campers hold the hot cobs to eat them? Look at the utensils you'll need to eat each menu item to make sure you bring the right ones.
Cooking Source
Make sure your cooking source is reliable and that you have a backup plan in the event that it's unavailable during your trip. If you are using a gas grill, make sure the propane tank is full and that you have tested the burners to make sure they work. If you are using a charcoal grill, make sure all of the legs work, the cooking surface is clean and the inside of the lid is not covered with rust that will fall onto food. Divide your charcoal and keep it in two separate places. If you plan to cook over a wood fire, separate your matches, lighters and tinder, which you should bring in the event that the ground is wet during your trip.
Cleanup
You don't want to cut corners on cleanliness in the wilderness, risking food poisoning, upset stomachs or diarrhea. Make sure you have a large container in which to boil water and wash dishes and utensils. Bring water purification tablets if there is any question about water quality. Bring scrubbing pads to help scrape the bottom of pots that will likely have burned foods on them if you cook over an open flame.
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