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?