4 day camping trip... food?

Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
edited November 19 in Food and Nutrition
Need ideas. I doubt anything will last longer than a couple days in the cooler...

Replies

  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Dehydrated backpacking meals, but they are kind of pricey.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Smores!
  • pennygm72
    pennygm72 Posts: 179 Member
    Flavoured cous cous and pasta, just need boiling water, eggs don't need to be kept cool, soy based long life desserts, fruit and vegetables, other tinned fish or meat. Buy fresh stuff daily if possible.
  • kclewis416
    kclewis416 Posts: 79 Member
    Bring Frozen Meat already marinated and they will take longer to defrost in the cooler.

  • kclewis416
    kclewis416 Posts: 79 Member
    really? geez ive been doing it for 20 plus years lol oops.. tons of ice.. frozen meat.. take the frozen meat out the day i'm ready to cook it!

    I'm no chef or public health expert but its worked for me! how did I ever survive!?!
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    Lots of beans and hot dogs! Jerky, nuts, marshmallows, fresh fruit, corn, potatoes.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    Are you going to be in the middle of nowhere? Usually camp stores have ice that you can replenish your cooler with. I usually pack sandwich stuff, meat for the first two days, and then go to the local grocery for meat after that. When i could eat it already made fried chicken is a great lunch/1st night dinner. Veg, fruit, crackers and DRINKS!
  • caitlinj406
    caitlinj406 Posts: 35 Member
    We usually take sandwich fixings, hearty chilled salads like quinoa black bean salad, oatmeal, trail mix, granola, fresh fruit, dehydrated soups that just need boiling water, tortillas for either quesadillas or peanut butter roll ups. A giant bag of Doritos and jalapeño pretzels. None of this is too healthy but if I'm camping, I'm hiking and there's nothing better than getting done with a long day and eating something deliciously salty.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    We usually take sandwich fixings, hearty chilled salads like quinoa black bean salad, oatmeal, trail mix, granola, fresh fruit, dehydrated soups that just need boiling water, tortillas for either quesadillas or peanut butter roll ups. A giant bag of Doritos and jalapeño pretzels. None of this is too healthy but if I'm camping, I'm hiking and there's nothing better than getting done with a long day and eating something deliciously salty.

    I'm afraid there won't be much hiking. Going with kids who don't like hiking, lol. And we're probably going to have thunderstorms.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,262 Member
    If you have good coolers and access to ice, you can take pretty much anything, and it will keep keep like it does in the frig at home - just keep the ice topped up, and put coolers in the shadiest, coolest spot you have, to preserve it.

    Ice blocks hold up better than cubes. I suggest freezing tea (regular or herb) or something like that in plastic jugs - clean plastic milk bottles are fine - as your starter ice. Drink it as it melts. Eat your most spoilable foods earlier in the trip.
  • gjcoleman1
    gjcoleman1 Posts: 2 Member
    Hobo dinners are good. Wrap ground beef or smoked sausage, chopped potatoes, carrots, celery, etc into a foil packet. Place on fire or grill until meat is done. We also do baked potatoes, corn on the cob, or veggies (zucchini, squash, mushrooms, onion, green pepper) wrapped in foil then placed on the fire or grill.

    If you need non-refrigerated meals search backpacking meals on Pinterest. I found many ideas recently that I would have never thought about trying.

    As for camping with kids in the rain/storms, my suggestion would be to take lots of board games, puzzles, playing cards. For days when it is not storming, bring rain boots and lots of extra clothes so they can play in the rain and puddles.
  • dillydaisys
    dillydaisys Posts: 132 Member
    shish kebab with capsicum, onion, mushroom and lean meat
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
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    [img]https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/78015560-fb2a-4d60-8afd-c3fe9fe182fa_1.22684a5453d72bbdcfea4b37c980ce15.jpeg? odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF[/img]
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    My dad loves to take these to lunch with him. He's also taken them on camping trips with his buddies and said that they travel well and are filling. They about the most healthy thing that I can get into him. :'(

    Also, apples, tangerines, and baby carrots are really hardy travelers. Frozen peas can be packed into coolers to do double-duty as ice packs and eventual edibles. Protein bars can be brought along as snacks. Those little travel cups of instant oats (Quaker, Bob''s Red Mill, and Umpqua all make them) are great for quick breakfasts, provided that you're going to have hot water available.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Pasta with roasted veggies in a vinaigrette will hold up well. Mayo won't, but a balsamic vinaigrette will. Milk substitutes (soy, nut, etc) require no refrigeration until opened. If you get tetrapacks, they're single-serve.
  • kavahni
    kavahni Posts: 313 Member
    Just came back from 4 days camping.
    Breakfast:
    Espresso or cocoa with milk
    bacon hash browns eggs
    Pancakes chicken breakfast sausage eggs
    Shakshouka, eggs, bread
    Lunch:
    Cheese sandwiches every day with mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle. Small bags of chips, soda or Lacroix
    Dinner:
    Taco/burrito bar
    Burgers, chips
    Brats, BBQ beans
    Fish and chips
    S'mores
    General:
    Carrot celery red pepper sticks prepped and Zipped
    Freeze all the meats in meal portions in Ziplock bags. Same with beans and shakshouka. Freeze the milk in meal-sized portions in Kerr jars. Throw the canned drinks in the deep freeze early the morning you leave to get them icy icy cold. Between those preparations, and frozen gallons of water, we did fine in 90+ degree weather. Nothing that was frozen thawed out entirely, and anything that was still frozen when we wanted to cook it thawed out in the pan.
    Eggs don't need to be refrigerated, so don't waste your precious cooler space on them.
    If you put a measured amount of pancake mix in a gallon Ziploc bag, you can add the eggs oil milk to the bag, smash it all around until it is mixed, cut a hole in one corner, and squirted out onto the pan without a whole lot of mess, Or a bowl that you have to clean up.
    We used to pack like this for four day rafting trips down the Rogue River in Oregon. We used to freeze solid our sodas and beer, but I find these days that the cans tend to burst more easily than they used to. I think the aluminum is thinner.
  • kellyjellybellyjelly
    kellyjellybellyjelly Posts: 9,480 Member
    Not sure if you already went camping, but they sell these

    th?id=OIP.uGY6QgggrICSIzTdpXbnXgEcEs&pid=15.1&rs=1&c=1&qlt=95&w=106&h=112

    Most people call them mountain pie makers & when I was younger we would make pizza sandwiches (bread, pasta sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, or whatever else you would like to put on). People have also made desserts.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    edited July 2017
    kclewis416 wrote: »
    Bring Frozen Meat already marinated and they will take longer to defrost in the cooler.

    Not a good idea.... Meat lingering too long in the danger zone while defrosting is a recipe for food bourne illness.

    barbell, I think most just assumed the meat would be cooked before eating.

    To the OP, think bacon and eggs. Eggs do not need a cooler for this time frame.
    Any yes freezing your bacon will have it double as ice. Just remember to cook it before eating. It doesn't even need to be thawed before cooking.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Theo166 wrote: »
    kclewis416 wrote: »
    Bring Frozen Meat already marinated and they will take longer to defrost in the cooler.

    Not a good idea.... Meat lingering too long in the danger zone while defrosting is a recipe for food bourne illness.

    barbell, I think most just assumed the meat would be cooked before eating.

    To the OP, think bacon and eggs. Eggs do not need a cooler for this time frame.
    Any yes freezing your bacon will have it double as ice. Just remember to cook it before eating. It doesn't even need to be thawed before cooking.

    That's not what I said. I said raw meat defrosting in summer heat will linger too long in the danger zone thus making food borne illness a possibility. Obviously people cook their food before eating but that does not always kill everything.
  • czmiles926
    czmiles926 Posts: 130 Member
    I'm going to a four day long music festival next week and I'm bringing a carrier bag of food. It's mostly pot noodles and pot noodle type things where you just add boiling water and wait. But I've also got a tin of baked beans, some cereal bars, nuts, fruit pots, apples and some dairylee dunkers.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited July 2017
    I'm a minimalist.. I pack the dehydrated packs. Baby carrots, pre boiled eggs, protein bars, nuts, a few pieces of fruit, canned tuna or the single serve bagged one, tea, Oatmeal packets.

    Last time I went I got crazy and brought turkey burgers and sausage.

    The mountain home dehydrated packs are pretty good.

    Eta. And BEER lol
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