32 replies to this topic

[PackRat]

I'd be interested to hear how many of you great camp chefs actually take a night off. Obviously you can't call for a pizza delivery in most places anyway, but what is on your menu that is just about on the "Heat 'n Eat" level anyway?

 

I make a mean beef stew and I usually make about two or three gallons of the stuff at one time. We have found that reheating it is actually better than the first night as the sauce gets thicker and as long as you didn't overcook the veggies the first time you made it....they wouldn't come out like wet cardboard...tasty, but with the appearance of wet cardboard.

 

With the old Alaskan ice box and then the Lance 3-way, I could grab one of the containers I filled with Stew for the road and provide enough for a hearty meal for us both and a little for lunch the next day perhaps.

 

Aside from the stew, most of our meals on a four-night trip were BBQ. Chicken one night with corn on the cob, steaks another with more corn and maybe some shish-kebabs I prepared at home and wrapped up skewer and all in foil and a zip-lock to keep fresh in a marinade.

 

All of these keep dishwashing and water consumption down to a low level.

 

What kinds of short-cut or plan-ahead meals have you guys used?

 

Oh yeah...we have no microwave or AC power in most of the places we like to visit. Just a tad off the beaten path eliminates much of the generator crowd and huge land yachts.

[craig333]

All depends on how long I plan on spending in camp. I don't mind doing it right if I'm spending some time in camp. If its just sleeping and traveling I'll microwave a breakfast burrito, hot dog, heat up something pre planned. I try and avoid doing any frying when camping for ease of cleanup. Distance matters too. Can I get up at the Alabama Hills and have breakfast in Lone Pine or am I way out in the middle of nowhere. 

 

I leave the pig cooking for marc.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Hamburger precooked with black beans and taco seasoning. Can be used for taco salad, breakfast burrito, tortilla wrap...

Mountain House freeze dried...

[Bill D]

When we travel and camp (usually to Vancouver Island), we like to visit farmers markets and purchase food from local acreages/farms.  It's a great way to meet locals and support the local economy.  The food is organic, fresh and healthy.  Farm fresh eggs, jams, salmon, veggies etc.  Often the locals point us on adventures that we might otherwise miss out on.

 

Usually we end up making a soup/stew, which we then reheat until finished.  

 

So rather than making something at home ahead of time, the adventure is in sourcing the meal.

 

I realize this is tough to do if you are heading into the bush, desert or wherever you may go, but we do a bit of forging as well.  We are rookies, so we usually stick with berries, herbs, spices etc.

[PaulT]

For quick evening meals after we have consumed much of what we prepared before leaving home, we have a variety of Mountain House freeze dried meals, cooked rice in a pouch that needs only heating in a pan, usually with quinoa, lentil, or other legume in a can or pouch. PB&J sandwiches, fresh or dried fruits, canned green beans or kernel corn. Canned chili or barbecue beans

Lunches are commonly sandwiches with fruit, fresh or dehydrated or soup. Sometimes, we just rollup a slice of ham with a slice of cheese.

Breakfast is usually yogurt mixed with granola, or hot cereal. Eggs when we have them, or pancakes. We like Bob's Red Mill buckwheat or the Kodiak flapjacks.

Paul

[Jeromelo]

When we camp out of our ATC Bobcat We buy organic canned veggies, beans, stew tomatoes, soup, tuna fish, peanut butter and oatmeal. We bring Brown rice, organic roman noodles a couple of loaves of bread.  We load the cooler with a frozen gallon of water and  easy to fix and long lasting perishables like eggs, butter, cheese, lunch meat.  Theirs a ton of easy to make meals we can make with this combo and can go a week or so out in the bush without supplementing. 

 

When were in our big camper with a large fridge/freezer we have premade food frozen in containers like spaghetti sauce, chili, stews and soups along with all the dry goods we use when we go small.  

[JaSAn]

Since most of my trips are of long duration, pre-cooked meals aren't practical.  I have two different types of meals: traveling and sitting.

 

Traveling meals are quick and easy: instant hot cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and sandwiches or something hot made in the pressure cooker and kept cooking in an insulated bag at the end of the day.  Traveling meals are also used when outside cooking is not an option.  Ate too much Mountain House swill during my backpacking days, so freeze dried is reserved for emergencies or the infrequent overnight backpacking.

 

Meals for stationary camping are more complicated:  bacon and eggs for breakfast, grilled meats or a large salad with canned meat for my big meal and raw veggies, fresh & dried fruits, nuts for hiking or grazing the rest of the day.

 

jim

[Smokecreek1]

When I first saw this subject, I had to and think what has changed, or what things are different from when I first started camping/backpacking with my family 60 or so years ago until I evolved into that  all weather full service dinning/camping  me of today!  What JaSAn and those above  have stated is ME at one time or another over the years.  Getting that pop-up,  coincided with my retirement and a new life style.  While I still carry all my old backpacking gear and freeze dried stuff for that emergency or overnight trip in the back country and have a bunch of canned food for when-ever I may need them, having an in door frig/freezer has changed what I eat and when I eat.

 

If it is a quick over night stop, I eat what ever is the most handy and the least messy, like a can of beans/franks-something pre -made, a sandwich what ever, and a drink or two. Now if it is the first night of a place that will stay for a while and camp is set up, tradition dictates, hot dogs/polish sausage/buns cooked on my ancient hibachi and a container of macaroni/potato salad and a liberal amount of beer/vodka.  When I'm camped, I eat when I'm hungry and having that frig/freezer and what the weather is, makes all the difference   in what I eat.  I start the day with coffee, then yogurt, and some fruit and depending on what I want to do, I might have a big breakfast/brunch with eggs, bacon/pan cakes or what ever, or just more fruit as the morning goes on.

 

Lunch is usually light like some cheese/lunch meat/ritz crackers/cheese spread/nuts/fruit. If the weather is bad-nothing better than a can of soup and some cheese-like cheese.  Having that frig/freezer is the biggest difference in what I eat and means fresh/frozen meat/veggies and green salads for dinner.  I always try to have potatoes-seems like had them in those back packing days too.  Bad weather,  I heat up some water for pasta, open up a jar of Classico spaghetti sauce, use some and put the rest in the frig and make a salad.  It was snowing outside the first time I had that meal years ago and it has become a staple. Yep, camping sure ain't like in the old days, this full service camping is great, get hungry open up a can of Franco American Spaghetti cook it outside or inside.  If I feel like a steak-or my favorite-lamb chops, pop the freezer open,  on they go to my trusty hibachi along with some potatoes. Spare Ribs too,  any type of sausage, corn on the cob, as long as I have tin foil, I can cook anything- what ever! 

 

Sorry guys, I'm no longer that guy who sat by that little gas stove trying to keep it lit while it heated up that freeze dried  pasta crap or instant rice. Oh, and the fish out there a pretty safe now too, because when I do fish, I usually throw 'em back.  Time to enjoy my retirement and talk about the old days !

 

Smoke

Edited by Smokecreek1, 10 March 2018 - 08:11 PM.

[PackRat]

Quite a range of dining experiences!

So far it seems that several factors are at work here; if you are staying where local produce is available then that is an option, if not then ya gotta bring what ya need. If you have a freezer, you have other options...an ice-box has its limitations but the length of your adventure is probably one of the more important issues. For some, avoiding big, messy meals to clean up after is important, to others, frying ANYTHING inside the camper is a no-no. Carrying a stove to use outside may be duplicating the one inside, but you can cook outside carefully if the weather and bugs are not a problem.

 

It is interesting to see that most tend to lean towards eating a healthy meal!

[K6ON]

Yep, healthy..Jack Daniels and a big honkin' rib-eye.  A man dinner while out camping

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