When you’re heading away on a camping trip, working out what food to take can be a difficult task.
Often there are no shops nearby to go get that ingredient you forgot. And you don’t have the luxury of 450L of fridge space to loads of food. So, it’s important to plan and be well prepared.
Having spent 7 years tour guiding and preparing a menu each week, I have prepared some tips and examples to help you on your next camping trip.
What meals do you need?
This is what a typical menu will look like for a 5-day camping trip. Who said camping was all about boring food, or BBQs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
I have included eating at a bakery on the menu. Driving to your favourite camping spot usually means driving through old country towns, which means old fashion (and delicious) country bakeries. Don’t pass up the opportunity. Stop in and enjoy pies and pasties like they use to be made.
Ingredients you will need
Some items will need to be bought, others you probably have in ample quantity in the pantry and fridge at home.
Tips for eating well when camping
- Think about meals that use the same ingredients. For example, have several meals on your menu that use, say, tomatoes or taco mince.
- How much room do you have in the fridge or icebox? Do you need lots of ingredients that must be kept cold? Remember, you’ll need space for beer, wine, and other drinks. Minimise what needs to be refrigerated and look for non-perishable alternatives. (See Barry Peters recent blog on camp cooking without fresh fruit and vegetables).
- Don’t forget some snacks and dessert options as a treat!
- Include staples in your kit such as cooking oil, butter, tomato sauce, tea and coffee, salt and pepper – put these on the list if you need!
Remember, preparing for your trip should be exciting! Not a headache. So get set up with a food list to take the stress away from packing for your trip, and to make sure you have everything you need – and everything you want, like chocolate!
This will maximise your experience away from home. Food and sleep are two of the most important things to consider when heading away on holidays. If you get enough of both, you will be in a much better mood to really appreciate the beautiful outdoors.
What are your favourite recipes to cook at the campsite?
G’day! My name is Dave and there is nothing I enjoy more than getting out in the bush and enjoying the challenge and serenity of travelling around this beautiful country of ours.
After 6 years working as an Outdoor Ed Instructor, I’ve joined the team down at Snowys to help others get geared up and head to the outback!
As an enthusiastic photographer and freelance writer for 4WD Action magazine, I love to get out and capture God’s stunning creation and share it with the world.
After getting married at the end of 2010 and having our first child January 2012, I’m looking forward to seeing more of this beautiful country with my family.
Hi Guys,
We prepare Sauces or Marinades prior going away in double zip lock bags or Cryovaced bags.
Also we have prepared chicken Ribs and satays in marinade
We have also had pasta sauces made and taken in zip lock bags prepared.
You can get hot dogs in a bottle at Aldie if you are really desperate and Tastes nice buy the way.
We also found wraps are a easy healthy feed
The world is your oyster in preparing food, write up a list and take what you want.
Enjoy Getting away all it is is Effort
Great article David,
We’ve found keeping it simple to be the best way of eating when camping. Everything seems to taste better anyway!
One thing that is worth doing is getting your meat cryovaced; it lasts much longer in your fridge! Long life milk is a must too, so you don’t have to fill your fridge up with milk!
Aaron
Good advice on the cryovaccing, Aaron. We actually carry a range of vac sealers now just for this purpose. Great way for keeping leftovers too. 🙂