Campsite cooking?

Calling all camping TE women, I need your advice :)

I've a vacation quickly approaching, and 5 of the 12 days will be spent tent camping and mountain biking/hiking. I won't be moving my campsite during that time so I don't care about things being portable. I do, however, care about taking the right food to fuel my body properly for my activity level, getting enough calories, avoiding food spoilage, and keeping things simple. I dislike eating from cans and won't do it.

This will be my longest camping experience. I've tent camped no more than 2 nights/3 days in the past and had no problem with cold food (large cooler with lots of ice/ice water) and leaving the park for the occasional hot breakfast.

I've a Coleman 2-burner cook stove and am going to see if I can find an appropriate non-Teflon pot or small skillet at Goodwill. However, before I know what cookware I need, I need to figure out what I will cook.

This may seem a silly question, but I've little experience with this. Is it safe to keep fresh/raw chicken on ice/ice water for a couple of days? I wouldn't try to take enough for the entire time, just enough for 2 days then visit the local IGA when needed for more. Is this wise or should I just forget about taking uncooked chicken? I figured I can take some boiled eggs with me, or make some egg-white salad to take.

Trader Joe's has chicken sausages that are quite good, but that's more sodium than I want to have that for dinner 4 nights in a row. I need a significant amount of protein. I can roast veggies and sweet potatoes in foil at the fire (assuming there isn't an open fire ban by then). I don't need to live on energy food and cliff bars for 5 days....though this might be fine for a weekend.

So what do YOU like to cook when camping? I can see taking some pasta, though that isn't something I normally eat. Can one use foil packages to cook on a camp stove? I figure if you can do that on an open fire, then it should be fine on a Coleman stove, unless I am missing something.

I've a tight budget so I need to put a lot of thought into this so I can enjoy my vacation instead of stressing over budget stuff.

I get a little over anxious about raw meats camping - I'd probably pregrill the chicken and cut it into strips and just reheat. But I'm paranoid :)

The foil packages may not work well and leak over the stove. I've only done foil wrapped things on a fire where leaking doesn't matter. But maybe veggies and sweet potatoes wouldn't have much of a leakage problem, so it might be worth trying.

How about freezing the chicken and packing it in the cooler frozen?

Back when we tent camped we did a two cooler system. One cooler was rarely opened so it functioned better. The second cooler was for things we used all the time or didn't have to be as cold, like pop and veggies.

If you really get into camping I can't recommend enough a Cobb Cooker. It is a small charcoal cooker that uses very little charcoal (like only 8 pieces) and can be used to cook a wide variety of things. It isn't like a traditional grill at all. Unfortunately, they are kind of pricey. http://www.cobbamerica.com/

I wouldn't bring raw chicken. I would pre-cook it, then freeze it, then bring it with you. Or buy fresh every day at the grocery store. Too many things can go wrong with fresh chicken. I wouldn't even just freeze it from fresh- cook it then freeze it (then reheat in foil or over the stove for dinner).

The longest we have camped out is for 4 days and here are some of the things we enjoyed:

1. Burritos (tortillas, beans, avocado, salsa, rice). Hubs put canned chicken in his to up the protein- I don't eat meat so I was fine with just the other ingredients.

2. Pasta (easy and cheap)

3. Burgers (beef for him, vegetarian for me). We ate those on the first night so we didn't have to worry about the meat.

4. We also shared a freeze-dried Mountain House meal one night (the night we did an all-day hike). It had too much sodium for a regular meal, but I figured we lost enough on the hike and wasn't worried about it. The meal was $8 which was a bit high, but it was a meal meant for two and we shared it so it didn't seem as bad.

For lunches we just brought Cliff-bar/granola bar type stuff (and GORP, and fruit and veggies). Breakfast was cereal and milk and some fruit.


Sounds like you're going to have a BLAST!! Will you be in the mountains? We're going back to CO late next month to hike and mtn bike and I can't WAIT!!! :D


This site has some good foil dinner camping ideas. As does this one.

Just bring your favorite skillet from home and do stir fries.

You can buy pre-cooked bacon that does not need refrigeration (though I do not know its requirements once the package is opened). If you buy ice every day you can keep meats chilled well enough.

If you are doing any communal cooking with your group you can plan more easily for no leftovers. A pasta dish made with packaged smoked salmon would be good, and use the rest of the salmon with scrambled eggs in the morning.

I have found the longer I freeze meats ahead of time, the slower they defrost. So before our trips I plan the meals, prep and cook the meats and then freeze the portion sizes at least one week before we leave. This also makes prep easier in the day/s before packing the family.

Sometimes I cook the meats (chicken and beef) in a very plain way, lightly salt and/or pepper then at camp I can season with something else. For example, the chicken is roasted (make sure not to over cook), cut up and freeze. I take seasoning like curry powder, fresh onion (does ok for a day or two) garlic sautee and with the cooked and defrosted chicken. The rice is already cooked too, add some veggies.

I like to cook beans and rice ahead of time and freeze in containers too.

A good jar of salsa comes in handy too. Once opened they easily stay fresh for a few days in the cooler. Good corn tortillas from a package with an expiration date of at least 2 weeks will also easily last a few days in the cooler with no problem. Add some pre-cooked beans and meat if you want and its a healthy hearty meal. If you happen to have fresh cilantro and limes, also prewashed wrapped in a paper towel and then kept in water tight container, makes the jar salsa and taco even tastier.

If you like cheese, quesadillas made with corn tortillas also works. Add fresh tomatoes, cilantro and little chicken for extra protein.

When working with the tortillas, heat them over the campstove flame so they get that nice char around the edges, yumm!

Frozen homemade soups are also handy and make for great ice blocks in the first days.

Have fun!

buy some dry ice from your meat department, wrap it in butcher paper - several layers. You don't need much and it should last a good five days, It works so well you run the risk of freezing stuff in your cooler. When car camping, we take uncooked, frozen meats all the time, especially when we have dry ice. Eggs also last forever as long as they are kept cool. If you have an India Food store (or a whole foods) go shopping. We buy "all in one" meals from our India Food store that are terrific. They are boil in the bag so no mess. They also have boil in the bag rice. They are extremely tastee and way less expensive than the ding dang freeze dried crap - oh I mean food :) India Food is our go to for bike touring, great energy, easy to fix, healthy ingredients.
Sounds like it will be a fun trip

I second a lot of these suggestions -- pasta, beans and rice, quesadillas, sir fries -- all are easy and good. +1 on the salsa.

As others have said, the more advance prep you can do, the better. I've occasionally taken the pre-cooked rice (from Trader Joe's). It has an odd consistency, but certainly is easy.

I've never done foil packets on a stove. If you try it, let us know how it goes.

That Cobb Cooker is intriguing. I wouldn't spend the money since I'm a solo camper and don't eat meat, but it's a great concept.

We've had raw meat in the cooler and did okay. Put it as close to your ice packs as possible, same with milk or any other super perishable items. Veggies and fruit can be a bit further away from the ice, as you probably wouldn't want them to get frost bite.

Use the raw meat earlier in the week, and then you can probably get by on beans, cheese and pre-boiled eggs (and other pre-cooked meats) for the latter half of the week.

Back when we did a lot of backpacking, our favorite first night meal was, um, it never got a name. Anyway, we'd take a pound of frozen hamburger, brown it, add a bunch of Minute Rice, water, and a packet of dried vegetable soup. One pot, and all the nutrition we felt we needed. It's a very flexible recipe. The meat can be anything you want, a can or foil packet of tuna, pre-cooked chicken, whatever. I like the starch to be quick cooking, hence the Minute Rice. Cous cous would work well, as would noodles, if you want to take the time. I got the vegie soup mix from out local health food store, but wasn't too worried about sodium. After all, we were working pretty hard and sweating.

Those small packets of muffin mix make good pancake-like things in the morning. There is just the right amount of mix for a two-person meal there.

Eggs, both raw and hard-boiled travel better than you think, and last for days if kept reasonably cool.

For longer trips it can be good to have a frozen cooler with dry ice and everything way cold and a cool cooler for veggies. Have a thermometer for each one, so you can make sure your temps are keeping the food safe.

Use couscous and cook it quickly in a hot, heating soup broth (made from a powder). Add some chopped herbs. Or pour into boiling water and let couscous cook/get fluffed up in 10 min. with lid on. Then mix in a part/small tin of salmon or tuna.

If you aren't concerned about the weight of things you are carrying (car camping vs. backpacking) you could certainly use any heat-proof pots or pans you have at home on your stove. We do, all the time. However, if you have a small backpacking stove it can be tricky to balance the pots on the small burner. But if you have a larger, Coleman-type stove, you should be fine with anything.

The suggestion for pre-cooking and then freezing your meat seems like a good one. It can act like an ice-pack in your cooler while it is frozen, then you can warm it up when you want it.

We camp a lot (with kids) all summer long, so I have experimented with lots of meals and methods of cooking.

If you want to save time and energy when cooking at the campsite, you can pre-cook a lot of stuff. I often make burritos while camping. I pre-cook the rice so I just have to throw it in some hot water for a minute or two and then drain it. I make a bean/veggie mix at home so I don't have to carry packets of spices with me. If you want to save a step and you don't mind things all mixed together, you can even re-heat the rice with the bean mixture all in one pot, just add a little liquid to keep it from drying out. Add some cheese, tortillas, and salsa - and avocado for a deluxe version! - and you're set.

You can also par-boil pasta and travel with it, just throw it in some boiling water for a minute or two before you eat it. Or if you have a sauce you are bringing, you could even finish cooking it in the sauce, all in one pot! There are some decent jarred sauces out there, and if you throw in a few fresh veggies while it heats us, it seems like a healthier, homemade sauce.

If you're going to the store here and there, I love getting a piece of fish and cooking that in a little olive oil and some white wine (the rest is for drinking...) with whatever fresh veggies are tasty looking - green beans, yellow squash -- and some garlic. You can put it over pasta or just eat it with some good bread to soak up the sauce.

Eggs do travel pretty well. I pack mine in a plastic container to protect against breaking, and then I have a container to put leftovers in. Adding a couple scrambled eggs to the leftover bean mix from burritos makes a great, filling breakfast burrito the next day.

I'm sure I've sung the praises of these before, but I really love the oatcakes from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day cookbook. They freeze well, travel well (even smashed into a camelbak) and are full of nuts and coconut oil for a great energy boost on the trail/road ride. They are pretty high-calorie/high-fat as the recipe is written, so I don't recommend snacking on them without exercise! That said, the last batch I made, I used about half the oil, half the sugar, and substituted applesauce/baking powder for the eggs, and they were still tasty and a little easier on the calories. My kids love them, too! I hate walnuts so I use toasted cashews instead.

Your trip sounds like a lot of fun! I can't wait until my kids are old enough to do longer camping trips. Enjoy!

Susan

Thank you for all of the good ideas! I will be camping solo, so that does simplify things. I will also have a few days off before heading for my camping trip so I will have time to precook a few things. I will start thinking now about what I want to take and start cooking/freezing in a week or so.

Dry ice sounds like a great idea, I will look into that. Considering how long my trip is that has got to be less expensive than having the hassle of buying ice every day! All of you have given me some good food for thought, thanks!

I will be at a state park in southern Indiana - I don't have the budget to travel further but the trails there are first class :) I love the campgrounds and have never felt unsafe camping there alone, I am SO looking forward to this and can hardly wait!

Have a great time!

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I will be at a state park in southern Indiana - I don't have the budget to travel further but the trails there are first class :) I love the campgrounds and have never felt unsafe camping there alone, I am SO looking forward to this and can hardly wait!

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Fantastic! I've never been to Indiana (except to drive through there a dozen years ago). Have a WONDERFUL trip, and enjoy some much-needed relaxation and play! :)

One of my favorite things to bring and make when camping (and we do a lot) is grilled cheese and tomato soup (trader joes roasted tom soup). Also I bake ahead of time baked potatoes which I chop up at camp and bring bell peppers and onions (pre chopped) to add to it and after they have cooked nicely I make little wells in the mix and drop eggs in. Chicken and camping (unless precooked) does not seem like a good idea. Mainly because chicken can take so long to cook. I will also make chili and freeze it then use it when it is defrosted. I freeze everything before camping even milk. Oh I have made chicken ahead with taco seasoning and froze that and we have done taco's and also used the meat on a taco salad.

More thoughts :

If you freeze your meat ahead of time be sure to double bag it !! Nothing like a leaky bag of bloody meat contaminating your cooler.

Eggs do not have to be refrigerated. When we were on the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, we kept dozens in ammo cans, unrefrigerated, for about 10 days in 100+ heat. We were amazed.

I find that cooking on camp stoves blackens pans so I keep a separate set.

I've never has problems with chicken or any other meat taking too long to cook. It's all in how big the pieces are.

Catrin--we're camping in IN over the 4th of July week. Will we be at the same place? Maybe we can meet up for a ride. I'll have some friends with me that just like riding casually (no racing), we would just be exploring and taking our time.

Food: I like to do make-ahead stuff. I make veggie burgers from either black beans or lentils. I prep all of my veggies ahead of time--wash and cut. I'll make pasta and bean salads ahead of time. The rest of the family really likes hot dogs. . . . . Eggs are a great thing to bring camping. They keep just fine in a cooler and are easy to cook in a skillet. Just throw in some diced potatoes and veggies and you've got a great meal.

I'll also like to make homemade peanut butter balls (peanut butter, rolled oats, raisins, sunflower seeds, honey, flax seeds, whatever!) and homemade Lara bars (dates and nut of choice mixed in a food processor).

Limewave, I am pretty sure we are talking about the same place :) I won't, however, be there until the following week. The rates will be lower that week and the park, and trails, will be far less crowded.

All good suggestions, I am thinking about making some pulled chicken (from the crock-pot) and use it for burritos. I don't eat beef normally. My cookware is low-temperature stainless steel and I don't want to risk using it on a camp-stove. It wasn't THAT expensive, but I do want to keep it looking nice. I will make a point to check out Good Will, etc, for something appropriate.

The homemade peanut butter balls sound good, I will have to try that. With some forethought I think this will work out just fine, and if anyone has other suggestions please share them!

The fun thing will be learning how to use the camp-stove, it is still in the box :) It is the fuel canisters that have me a little nervous but it will be fine.

Catrin, how about giving the campstove a little practice run? We just got a new Coleman for our last camp trip and it was super easy to use compared to the antique my husband was using. If you do try, make sure its a well ventilated area.

If I remember correctly, my husband was able to attach, remove and reattach the fuel canister. It didn't have to remain attached once opened. I will double check with him later on today. I'm sure the instructions will state clearly how to use it and store.

I have not had any issues with the new (or even the old) campstove leaving marks on any of my pots and pans. I use stainless steel and stainless steel with copper bottoms.

As it turns out the weight does matter - I am just so sore from my endo the other day. I really appreciate all of the helpful comments and while I might be tired of pulled chicken burritos, Power Bars, fruit, eggs, and cereal by the end of the my trip I think I've everything in order. I am just going to go with regular ice as finding dry ice right now is more than challenging with the inferno of a heat wave that is only now ending.

I've not had a chance to really try the stove, but it will be fine I am sure. I know, famous last words ;) I will take my smallest pan and skillet with me and hope for the best.

I can't help but thinking that dry is ice really overkill. I camp a lot, and even do multi day river trips in HOT (triple digit temps) river canyons. We never use dry ice. With good cooler management, you should be able to make regular ice last just fine.

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Originally Posted by Irulan

I can't help but thinking that dry is ice really overkill. I camp a lot, and even do multi day river trips in HOT (triple digit temps) river canyons. We never use dry ice. With good cooler management, you should be able to make regular ice last just fine.

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Thanks Irulan, I was thinking that perhaps it might last longer and thus be less expensive. This is camping on a considerable budget, but I leave the coolers in my car and open them as little as possible, so it will probably be fine.

Here are some cooler management tricks. Surely if we use these tricks on multiday river trips, they will work for you.

• Freeze as much ahead as you can, and double bag anything that has potential for leakage when it defrosts.
• Use block ice. Commerically made lasts longer. Ice should be 1/3 to 1/2 the total amount of stuff in your cooler.
• Keep cooler closed, as in open it minimally.Make it is latched!! We usually take two: one for drinks and lunch, and one that only gets opened once possible twice a day.
• From above, we don't let kids mess with coolers. They open them wide open, spend way too much rooting around in them, mess everything up, and don't close them tight.
• Cars can be very hot. Store cooler in deep shade, and cover with a car reflector. Or, use wet towels laid over the cooler for a swamp cooler effect.
• The drain/not to drain issue is still up for discussion
• Pre Chill everything.

I made a veggie lasagna over the fire in a cast iron skillet this week. It turned out great! I layered lasagna noodles, riccotta cheese mixed with silken tofu and thawed frozen spinach (mixed ahead of time at home), and tomato sauce. It was surprisingly easy. I cooked it over the fire for about 35 minutes.

With the heat we had last week, I think I could have just set it out on the cement and that would have baked it just as well :p

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Originally Posted by limewave

I made a veggie lasagna over the fire in a cast iron skillet this week. It turned out great! I layered lasagna noodles, riccotta cheese mixed with silken tofu and thawed frozen spinach (mixed ahead of time at home), and tomato sauce. It was surprisingly easy. I cooked it over the fire for about 35 minutes.

With the heat we had last week, I think I could have just set it out on the cement and that would have baked it just as well :p

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Sounds yummy! I agree that you didn't need the fire to cook it :)

This is the OPPOSITE of a lot of the convenience camp cooking we are talking about: I just found a recipe for a Chocolate Fudge Cake with Raspberry Ganache made in a dutch over w/coals while camping...omg...

I found an interesting range of camping recipes here. Irulan, that sounds fabulous!

Have fun this week, Catrin. I hope you feel well enough to mtb and that your adventures in campside cooking go well.

I feel a little better this morning, I think it helped to do some stretching and foam rolling at the gym. Whether I mtb this week will depend solely on how I feel - but I do think that being more active will work the soreness out further :cool:

So, off I go with my bent boob to have fun - and wishing all a good week!