Camping is one of life's great outdoor pleasures. Amidst verdant and arid landscapes alike, campers enjoy both the sounds and silence of nature as well as recreation and interaction with fellow campers. Some forethought and essential planning ensures that you can enjoy plenty of tasty meals throughout the trip.
Menu Planning
Plan each day's meals in a spiral notebook that will double as shopping list and fire starter. Alternatively, fill in meals using a meal template. Detail ingredient quantities and versions by meal. Check with the campground regarding kitchens, on-site stores and local supermarkets. Raw finger foods such as sandwiches minimize chores and free up time for day trips. Simplify shopping lists by using the same ingredients in multiple meals. For example, dry salami can serve as an ingredient in sandwiches, pizzas or omelets. Steer away from easily wilted and crushed foods, like lettuce; instead, use hardier substitutes, such as cabbage.
Storage
Take full advantage of coolers by freezing perishables for the first few meals, such as yogurt, meat and cheese. Remember to pack cleaning supplies and handle, store and clean up foods according to their safety guidelines, especially for raw meats. Storing food in vehicles each night prevents small animals from meddling with them. As Better Homes and Gardens writer Dana Joseph explains, a car can act as "a huge backpack on wheels." Make use of any provided food storage lockers, known as bear boxes, to prevent wildlife from meddling with camp food.
Cooking
Wood fires, charcoal fires, portable grills and propane stoves are all camp friendly options. Sierra Club Magazine's Mr. Green discourages gathered wood fires because "Deadwood plays an important role in an ecosystem's life cycle, providing nutrients to the land as well as habitats for small animals, insects, and microorganisms." Lightweight folding propane stoves and charcoal grills save space when backpacking. Flat iron skillets and metal Dutch ovens may be used with either burners or charcoal briquettes. Find meals which can be cooked on skewers or in tinfoil. Many of these heat sources are also useful during home power outages. Foldable charcoal grills can be carried on day trips, while full-size grills transported to your campsite are ideal for cooking for large numbers. Cut down on preparation time with freeze-dried meals, which require only hot water to prepare.
Reminders and Supplies
Assign campers a portion of the shopping list and encourage campers with dietary restrictions to preview the list and bring individual portions of their favorite substitutes. For cooking, gather matches, a flat iron grill or frying pan, a pot, a metal spatula, cutting boards, knives and a long handled spoon at a minimum. Remember basics like cleaning supplies, a first aid kit, cooking fats, cups, napkins, light sources and fire starters. Confirm that any burn bans in effect allow an exception for cooking fires. Before packing charcoal grills, find out whether they are provided at the campsite.
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