Car camping is an exciting way to see the great outdoors. Since the goods that you pack won't be carried in a backpack, you don't have to worry about keeping them to a minimum. Car camping is an ideal getaway for parents who want to go camping but have children who can't handle a backpacking trip or setting up camp. The food that you are able to pack is a big perk of car camping as well. Since the goods won’t be carried, you can pack a cooler with fresh foods without worrying about them going bad. Using ice to keep the food under 40 degrees F will prevent anything you pack from spoiling, according to the Food Safety Information Council.
Fruits
Fresh fruits are ideal for a car camping trip. Some of the best fruits to pack include grapes, peaches, watermelon, oranges, honeydew melon, apples, pears, cherries and mangoes. All of these fruits fit nicely in a cooler, although the watermelon and honeydew will need to be sliced first. Since the fruits will be kept in the cooler, you don't have to worry about them deteriorating in the hot weather. If you are packing your cooler with ice, be sure to either place the fruits in plastic bags or use plastic wrap to wrap them individually. Peaches, oranges and apples will remain good for up to four days at room temperature, so they are perfect for longer car camping trips.
Vegetables
Vegetables are a good choice for snacking on the go. Some options for the trip include baby carrots, green beans, celery, zucchini, cucumbers, green peppers and broccoli. To help avoid the spoiling of the vegetables, when shopping try to select those that have just ripened. The vegetable are tasty straight out of the bag, or you can enjoy them with ranch dressing or a French onion vegetable dip. Make sure to rinse the vegetables in cold water before packing them, and slice up the cucumber, peppers and broccoli for easier snacking. Place the vegetables right next to the fruit in the cooler so they don't go bad.
Cheese
Cheese is another one of those foods popular with the children. If you are packing hard cheeses such as aged cheddar, aged Gouda or Parmigianino, you won't have to worry about keeping them cool. If you pack softer cheeses, however, keeping them in the cooler will be a necessity. Some examples of soft cheeses include Brie and mozzarella. Sticks of mozzarella are sure to be a hit with the kids. The cheeses can be eaten by themselves, with crackers or on bread with lunch meat as a sandwich. Cheese is filling and a great source of protein.
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