How to Prepare Foods in Advance for Camping

Bring as much frozen and ready-to-eat foods as you can when camping.

When you're out camping, the last thing you want to do is spend countless hours slaving over a hot open fire or trying to wash dishes in a makeshift sink. It is important that you plan out your camping menu ahead of time and get everything organized the day before your trip to save you time and aggravation. Freezing as much food as possible is ideal, because it stays fresh for a longer period of time and helps keep other foods cool as well.

Things You'll Need

• Meat
• Plastic food storage bags
• Potato salad
• Pasta salad
• Tuna salad
• Chicken salad
• Pita bread
• Sliced bread
• Chili
• Stews
• Soups
• Peppers
• Onions
• Carrots
• Fruits
• Granola bars
• Brownies
• Cookies
• Canned foods
• Coolers
• Empty 2 liter soda bottles
• Powdered drink mix

Instructions

1. Place your meat in separate plastic food storage bags of marinade and stash them in the freezer a few days before your trip. The meat will be extra flavorful since it will marinate while thawing.

2. Prepare plenty of easy-to-eat cold foods. Potato and pasta salads are perfect sides for camping since you don't need to heat them up. Tuna salad and chicken salad are easy to prepare. Make these salads the day before your trip to give the different flavors time to meld together.

3. Pack some pita bread along with your favorite sliced bread. Save the pita bread for the end of your trip, because it stays fresh longer than regular sliced bread.

4. Cook a few one-dish meals the day before your trip. Separate the meals into individual servings and put them in plastic food storage bags once they cool off. Chili, stews, and soups all freeze well. By putting them in individual bags, you give everyone a choice of what they want to eat, and everyone doesn't have to eat the same thing at the same time.

5. Chop vegetables such as peppers, onions and carrots, and store them in separate plastic food bags. They will be ready for you to use them without having to dirty any knives or cutting boards.

6. Pack your favorite snack foods. Healthy snack foods such as fruits and granola bars will give you energy. However, don't forget your favorite sinful snacks. Bake brownies and cookies to take with you on your trip and store them in plastic containers.

7. Bring plenty of canned food along, such as spaghetti, soup, corned beef hash and vegetables. Since these foods don't need to be cooled, you will save valuable space in your cooler. They are also good for a quick meal, since they generally don't need to be heated--although they may taste better when warm.

Tips & Warnings

• Use separate coolers for drinks and food to keep your food fresher for a longer amount of time. You will likely be opening the cooler to get drinks quite often, so if the food was in the same cooler, it would get warmer and spoil faster.

• Use empty 2-liter soda bottles to store water. Fill the bottles with water and store them in the freezer. Not only will you have cold water to drink, but the bottles will act as an ice pack until they completely thaw out. Pack powdered juice mix as well so you can add some flavor to your water.

References

• Love the Outdoors: Camp Cooking Tips