Food and Camping

[Catrin]

I've think I've fallen in love with camping at a certain park for the mountain biking. I can take my time, no rush, totally relaxing. Also great hiking if my legs need a break

I seem to have developed this....eating problem. No cooking supplies this year, I will do that NEXT season. So I've been taking things like fruit, PB and bread, cliff bars, shot blocks, chocolate milk in the cooler. Town is quite close if I decide to go into town for coffee or a hot meal.

So what is the problem? Actually DOING that - apparently I would rather play on the trails than eat This wouldn't be a problem if my body didn't actually need fuel! Breakfast is fine, it is later in the day that there is a problem.

Obviously I am taking the wrong stuff to eat - so am looking for other ideas for non-perishable food items that are appropriate/healthy food for mountain biking. So what would YOU take to eat that doesn't require cooking?

[surgtech1956]

Jerky, yogurt, pudding cups, cheese, cereal, lunch meat, salad(vinegar & oil dressing), tuna in those little packets. How long did your ice last? Sometimes we would freeze water either in a 2 liter bottle or gallon milk jug and put in a cooler, this would last longer. You don't want to cook anything? If you have a campfire, you can bring those 'pie irons' and make things like grilled cheese, grilled pb&j, cinnamon rolls, pizza pockets. You could still cook over a campfire and still keep it to a minimum.

[PamNY]

+1 on freezing a jug of water for the cooler. Lasts longer and is less messy.

If you have a cooler, cheese and boiled eggs come to mind. Tuna or other fish canned or in packets would work. Smoked fish is a possibility, too.

How long are your trips? For short trips, you could make pasta or grain-based salads before you leave home (again, if you take a cooler).

You might take a small, disposable charcoal grill if you don't want to invest in a camp stove or build a campfire. It's fun to have at least one nice dinner. You could also make a grill out of an aluminum pan if you have a safe place to put it at your campsite.

When you get ready assemble camp cookware, check thrift shops and yard sales. I got a Coleman stove and all kinds of pans for little money. Sierra Trading post also has good deals at times.

You really are making me want to go camping.

[Catrin]

Good ideas, thanks. I just drew a blank when packing for the weekend. I do have a nice cooler, and of course there is ice at the camp store. That isn't a problem I wasn't sure how often I would be free to refresh the ice since I was volunteering at a MTB race event this weekend, so was leery about taking perishable food such as home-made chicken salad.

Trying to get healthy food to go along with my evening beer by the fire

[Trek-chick]

I like to pre-cook some things before we go camping or RVing. Especially that first night when we roll into the campground late and the last thing I want to do is cook.

I like to make up some tuna macarroni salad, potato salad, sandwiches and put in Tupperware in the cooler.

[Catrin]

I like to pre-cook some things before we go camping or RVing. Especially that first night when we roll into the campground late and the last thing I want to do is cook.

I like to make up some tuna macarroni salad, potato salad, sandwiches and put in Tupperware in the cooler.

This is a great idea, I just need to get another cooler - one for food, another for beer and water. Water and beer? BEER!!! (sorry, couldn't resist it)

Hopefully if I go to all of this effort to pre-cook food it will encourage me to stop and eat I just get so caught up in what I am doing, whether it is hiking or riding, that I just don't feel hungry until I reach the starving-could-eat-a-tree-with-bark stage Cliff bars are great, but can't live all weekend on them!

Thankfully my new Soul is very well suited to hauling stuff like coolers. I can leave the food cooler in the car and I can just return to my car when it is time to eat. Also keeps the food safe from those pesky raccoons.