What kind of food do you like when camping

[Nomad]

So do you just go for MRE's or MTN House or do you get that big slab of stake out on the BBQ or do hotdogs do it for ya when camping?

 

[Almost There]

That depends on what type of camping I'm doing.

If I'm backpacking or canoe tripping then it's dehydrated meals all the way. No Mountain House or MREs for me though, I do all my own dehydrating and add items like instant potatoes. I also make good use of the foil packs of meat like salmon, beef crumbles, etc. The park where I do most of my interior camping has a ban on cans and bottles so the foil packs are great.

If I'm car camping or now that I'm on the road full-time I eat the same or better than I did when I was in a S&B. That's what coolers are for...

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

For backpacking/mountaineering I have hot multi-grain cereal (call it bird seed) for breakfast, some type of GORP for snacking, freeze dried swill for dinner (convenient packaging, fast, easy cleanup, minimal use of fuel), and a chocolate bar for just before bed.
For canoeing/ kayaking I have bacon and eggs for breakfast, sliced meat and cheese sandwiches for lunch, steak, hamburgers, brats, fried potatoes, dried veggies for dinner (I can keep meat for up to a week in the BWCA), smores, fruit pies, etc. for making in campfire at night and a flask of Jack Daniels for the hot chocolate before bed.  I usually bring fresh fruit along; depending on how many portages.
Car camping is normal meals, just cooked outside.

All of the above is modified depending on partner's preferences.  I find MREs to be heavy, expensive, have too much added stuff in package and taste worse than freeze dried.

-- Spiff

 

[highdesertranger]

I am an equal opportunity eater. it's an pretty open ended menu for me. I eat fresh, frozen, freeze dried, dehydrated, I even eaten a live bug or two that flew into my open mouth while riding. highdesertranger

 

[karl]

Shared or free is good...

Mostly I eat as if I were in the cabin, minus baked stuff.

If I resort to MRE's- I will likely starve instead.

Lots of beans, rice, tuna, beef, eggs, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, yogurt, honey, bread, cheese. Some canned veggies( corn, spinach, tomato,) for soups or fratatta's (sp?) onions, potato's, leeks
fresh or frozen fish, canned oysters, clams or shrimp, crackers, usually have popcorn and trail mix for snacking.

 

[jimindenver]

We pretty much eat whatever. I do prefer meals that don't require a lot of clean up such as squash stew. One pan to wash.

 

[LeeRevell]

Instant oatmeal or grits in the morning with coffee via my Melita single-cup dripper.
Lunch is a couple snack or energy bars and diet coke/pepsi.
Supper is two MRE entrees (I stock entrees only, none of the dross), or an MH packet, or a can or two of cunky soup and veggies heated in my East German aluminum mess pot or USGI steel canteen cup.  Most of my true camping is done by motorcycle.  Space is at a premium.

 

[BigT]

This is what I took on my last 3-day, 2-night kayak camping trip.  I wasn't living out of the boat, so I didn't need much.
I also had a couple of Mountain House meals I wanted to try before they reached their expiration date.  They were really just for fun as I'd never tried them before.

 

[Nomad]

thanks to everyone who responded I see people are eating way better than what I imagined they would when camping out..

 

[speedhighway46]

Happy Thanksgiving to all the CRVLers! Whether by yourself or with friends, I hope you enjoy the day and the lifestyle you have chosen.

Being on the road provides me (us) an opportunity to "eat right" almost all the time. When I am traveling by myself I REALLY am able to eat a proper diet; in fact, its a challenge to me to do so. Why? Mainly because I never learned to cook.

So its lots of salads, oatmeal, coffee, nuts, fresh fruits, some canned goods; and if I am really feeling dangerous I will try and cook an egg or grill a pork steak.

I also find I eat less when on the road than I do when home. I keep lots less food on hand; and when shopping buy stuff that is better and more healthy for me.

I am not a full-timer or boondocker, but I really enjoy being on the road. Every trip is an adventure. Preparing food and eating is just another facet of the experience of living self-contain and doing what I want most of the time.

Thanks.

 

[BobBski]

Hmmm, Mtn House and Top Ramen.  Used to love them but ate them 42 day North Face ascent and South Face descent of Denali (Mt McKinley) in 1981.

Bit of trivia, the women got involved in packing our daily food bags.  The day 21 bags had some great Playboy center folds in them, along with various other pics and bits. LOL 

 

[eDJ_]

When I go camping I prep some foods ahead of time at home.  These are go to foods for sandwich fillings
and quick noodle salads etc.  

I like to cook in cast iron dutch ovens on an open fire for main meals.  I can flip a dutch oven lid upside down on a
"spider" and use it as a griddle to cook breakfast.

Although I like camping I don't want to cook all the time I in the outdoors.  Breakfast is quick enough
and a DO-Dinner isn't as much work as time to cook and attend to it. 

This can be a stew, a casserole, a rice and smoked sausage (red beans & rice) type of fare.

 

[Sameer]

Since I am camping everyday, I have a good menu. My protein comes from Dairy. Pinto Beans, tortillas, grilled cheese, soup, rice, curry, good cheeses, roasted chilies, fresh tomatoes, variety of chilies, cilantro, onions, potatoes etc. Anything that can be folded into a tortilla with fresh pico de gallo or anything that tastes good. What is the sense of eating something that doesn't taste good and pleases the taste buds. Some people eat to live...I live to eat...I love good tasting food.

 

[accrete]

Like many above we mix it up.

On a typical 5 to 6 days between civilization on adventures we will start out with fresh for days 1 and 2. Go into the frozen-near-thawed out of the ice-cooler on days 3 and 4, go canned/bagged meat/quinoa/rice/bean type meals on days 5 and 6. Yes we also enjoy MTN House at times. Simple and tasty.

Another thing we do at home and on the road...
Our first meal of the day is ~1030ish and would be considered a brunch.
Our second and final meal is ~1530ish and we call it "Linner" : )

We eat simply and I suppose somewhere around ~1200 to 1400 calories a day and are satisfied and healthy.

PS. We will have light snacks between/after those meals like an apple or some almonds/nuts.

YMMV,
Thom

 

[Nomad]

speedhighway46:I also find I eat less when on the road than I do when home.

Same thing for me too I hardly eat when on a trip.. wish I could do the same at home!

I hit the quote thing but nothing happened?

 

[Seadog729]

I like to cut up fresh veggie sticks at night if we on the road the following day.  It keeps me from buying chocolate bars when I stop for gas.  If we have a campfire I make bannick (french/indian tradition).  It's flour, syrup and water wrapped around a hot dog stick and put over the fire.  But I like to cook all kinds of food.