Overview
Food to Take Camping: The foremost aspect, an individual should keep in mind while making arrangements for a trip is the preparation regarding the food items to carry along. If a person is going for a two-day camping trip or, say, a six or seven-day trip, such meals are required which are easy to prepare, are quite filling, and do not need any preservation through a cooler. This article aims to assist you in choosing the right food to take when camping.
A few more factors that will be highlighted include food suitable for camping without a refrigerator, food that can be used for camping that does not involve cooking, and tips according to the duration of the camping you are planning. If you are a family that is getting ready for a trip and want to know the different camping meals or a single person who is out on a camping trip and is looking for easy camping meals then this article is meant for you.
Table of Contents
- What Food to Take Camping Without a Fridge
- What Food to Take Camping Without Cooking
- Camping Food List for 3 Days
- Camping Food List for 2 Days
- Camping Food List for 7 Days
- Lazy Camping Food
- Ready-to-eat Food for Camping
- Easy Camping Meals for Family
- Easy Food to Take Camping
- What Food to Take Camping Without a Fridge
Packing food for a camping trip without a refrigerator available with you is troublesome but not impossible. The following are various types of food items which are ideal for outdoors and do not require any refrigeration:
- Canned Foods: Beans, tuna, and soups which can be turned into meals and are good as they do not need a fridge or any nourishment for a certain period:
- Dry Foods: Oatmeal, pasta, rice, and instant noodles which can be carried along as they are lightweight and easy to carry.
- Peanut Butter and Bread. Peanut butter is an all-purpose protein that is less likely to go bad, however, it is quite thick and needs bread to thin it down.
- Dried Fruits and Nuts: These healthy snacks do not have to be refrigerated and are relatively lightweight. The shelf life can last for positive days or even weeks.
- Hard cheeses: There is no need to worry about cheddar, jack, or Swiss cheese as they are susceptible to long expiration dates without refrigeration.
Tip: Use a mini fridge or cooler with ice towels so that perishables do not go bad in the initial one or two days.
- What Food To Take While Camping And Not Cook
If cooking seems like an insurmountable task even on a camping trip, below are the foods that you can take camping without any cooking process:
- Ready-to-Eat Meals: As the name suggests, these are packed meals that have been previously boiled and can be taken camping.
- Granola Bars and Protein Bars: Both food items are nutritional as well and are rich in carbohydrates great for energy and muscle growth.
- Cured Meats are a better option and come in the form of salami, jerky pepperoni which all are rich protein sources and most importantly don’t need to be cooked.
- Crackers and Cheese: Another great and ideal food that can be consumed on the go.
- Instant Noodles Only: This at least requires hot water to be poured in which quite easily can be done using a kettle or by starting a mini campfire.
Pro Tip: It becomes even easier to not cook anything on the trip if you make sandwiches or wraps before leaving!
- Camping Food Should Have for 3 Days To make the best camping food list, it can be best to plan for the time that you are going to spend on the trip, in this case for a three-day camping trip it can be categorically divided into, 3 meals per day.
These should be as follows in the order:
Day 1:
Bullets Breakfast: can either be oatmeal or granola bars
Luncheon: people can take already-made sandwiches
Dinner: items like canned chili or soup socialized with bread can be taken
Day 2:
Breakfast: Pancakes made with just-add-water mix
Lunch: Crackers, cheese, and salami
Dinner: Pasta with canned tomato sauce
Day 3:
Breakfast: Cereal with powdered milk
Lunch: Tuna wraps
Dinner: Pre-cooked rice with canned vegetables
Tip: Pack extra snacks like dried fruit and nuts to keep your energy up during hikes.
- Camping Food for 2 Days
It’s a little easier to go on a short camping trip and Moers recommended a detailed camping food list for 2 days:
For Day 1, one can have Breakfast burritos, wrap with turkey and cheese, and instant noodles with boiled vegetables.
For Day 2, breakfast can consist of granola with dried fruit, lunch would be crackers and hummus, and dinner would be a pre-cooked camping meal.
Considering the short duration one can carry additional nutritious items in a small cooler, for Day 1.
- Camping Food for 7 Days
When it comes to longer period camping trips, for 7 days as well, requirements are different and the food needs to be stocked differently. Meals that require no refrigeration are a necessary component that should be stocked up.
Day 1-2 (With cooler)
- Breakfast: Prepared cheese and bacon omelet
- Lunch: Munch on the sandwich with fresh veggies.
- Dinner: Pan-grilled chicken cooked beforehand and served alongside biryani rice.
Day 3-4
- Breakfast: Porridge with noodles and slices of dry beef.
- Lunch: From the can to the cracker, it’s canned tuna.
- Dinner: Cornbread with a side of chili from the can.
Day 5-7
- Breakfast: Porridge with infused honey, along with warm pancakes.
- Lunch: An on-the-go peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- Dinner: Pasta with a can of sauce.
Make sure to bring some trail mix, granola bars, and jerky with you as they can be of assistance for munching up in between meals.
- Lazy camping cuisine
If you are hunting for an easy and relaxed way to cook, bringing lazy camping food will prove to be efficient. It includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cereal with powdered milk: On the plus side it fills your tummy with barely any effort needed.
- Instant noodles: Simply boiling water will suffice for this meal.
- Premade Sandwiches: Fill them to your wish beforehand and consume them whenever you wish to.
- Canned Soups and stews: Either warm them over a campfire for meals or have them cold in case of emergencies.
In case of wanting a lazy camping experience, grab a multitude of premade meals that do not require any cooking.
- Dehydrated Meals for Camping
Camp Ready To Eat is a good option to spend quality time outdoors instead of filling the hours by cooking on packs of fire. Some of the camps pack the best food which includes:
- MREs (Meals Ready to Eat): Many hikers and military people use them.
- Jerky: These help to change the taste and are high in protein.
- Dried Fruit and Nuts: These do not require any preparation and make a good healthy snack.
- Granola Bars: For appetizers, grab these.
- Pre-cooked Meals: Buy such meals that will suffice being heated on the fire only.
- Suitable Camping Meals for Children
A camping trip’s helpful essential is a decent camping meal which includes a fast and filling touch for people of all ages. Suggested suitable meals include:
- Breakfast Burritos: Just warm it on the campfire to heat it.
- Pasta Salad: It can be an easy lunch as it can be prepared and put in a cooler before.
- Hot Dogs or Sausages: They can be roasted over the campfire which sounds very fun or can be roasted on the stove.
- Sova sima with Cornbread: This can be the option for dinner and last for several meals.
- S’mores: A well-known delicacy that can be made using a campfire.
Tip: Remember to always take granola bars and fruits with you to give your kids sustenance between meals.
- Convenient Food Items To Carry While Camping
There are certain meals which do not require a lot of cooking and preparation which means you only have to pack them for camping. These are helpful if you are running short of time and do not wish to spend hours cooking:
- Instant Rice: It cooks quickly and goes perfectly with canned vegetables or even tuna.
- Couscous: A grain that campers love! This is because it cooks in a very short time.
- Dehydrated Meals: These meals are sold at the camper’s store and are very easy to maintain. All one has to do is add water to them and they are ready to eat.
- Wraps: Tortillas can be used in place of bread to get stronger sandwiches.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: Easy protein and healthy as well that you can make beforehand.