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Top 5 Ready-Made Meals for Campers
Cooking is always a question when you are sitting down to plan a camping trip. Where will you be camping, and what are the cooking facilities like? How much food do you want to carry with you? Will you have a cooler and some ice? All these questions have to be answered before you can begin thinking about the menu.
There are times when cooking from scratch is completely appropriate. There are other times when using a small camping stove to reheat ready-made meals is a better option. The beauty of cooking as a camper is that there is no right or wrong. Every camper or camping family gets to decide what is best for that particular trip.
If you are looking for ready-made meals you can heat up using a camping stove, five great choices are listed below. And if you need an example of a good camping stove to get you started planning your next trip, you might want to check out Emberlit.com. They are a Utah-based company specializing in lightweight, portable camping stoves.
1. Crockpot Pulled Pork
Pull out the crock pot and slow cook a pork loin while you are at work. That evening, pull the pork apart and mix it with some barbecue sauce. Then throw it in the fridge until your departure day. At the campsite, you can reheat the pork in a small pot over your camping stove. Spoon it onto a roll with a little bit of coleslaw, and you have a dynamite pulled pork sandwich.
2. Frozen Breakfast Burritos
If you are a fan of the breakfast burrito, you can cook up a batch at home and then put them in the freezer. They keep surprisingly well. Just make sure to wrap them in plastic wrap first. They can be easily thawed and heated with your camping stove on the morning you want to enjoy them.
3. Meat and Cheese Foil Sandwiches
Assemble a few sandwiches with meat and cheese in then wrap them in aluminum foil. When you are ready to eat, put the foil packages on your camping stove or over the coals on the outer edges of your fire. The bread will toast, the cheese will melt, and you can apply condiments and veggies once hot.
4. Hot Dog Croissants
Hot dog croissants are a fantastic idea. Get some crescent roll dough and a package of hot dogs. Wrap each dog with flattened out crescent roll dough and cheddar cheese. Then wrap in tinfoil. Throw the foil packs on your camping stove and watch what happens. The heat both cooks the dough and heats the hot dog at the same time.
The idea works well with sausage, too. The only thing to be concerned about is making sure the sausage is thoroughly cooked. It may be a good idea to precook the sausage at home so you are only heating it out in the field.
5. Chili
Chili is one of the best camping meals ever because it is so easy to make. Just prepare it in your crockpot ahead of time. Divide it into individual containers for easier serving, then pack them away in your cooler. You can reheat each container on your camping stove or over the fire.
There is nothing wrong with designing your camping menu around ready-made meals you prepare at home before your departure. Ready-made meals make it possible for you to enjoy the tastes of home without having to carry your entire kitchen with you. All you need to enjoy great food is a high-quality camping stove and the ability to start a fire.
Backpack Camping- Plan Ahead with the Right Gear
Many people have gone camping before. It is one of America’s oldest pastimes. Camping is a way for you to get away from civilization and become one with nature. Unfortunately we haven’t all had the chance to experience it growing up. Today we have put together a guide for someone who is looking to go backpacking for the first time. Backpack camping is a style of camping where one goes into the wilderness and travels a trail with only what they have in their pack.
Planning
The first step you should take when you decide that you want to go backpacking is to research where you want to go. There are many different places to go backpacking around the world. The most enjoyable places are those that you can venture without running into any towns or cities so that you are truly at one with nature. Whenever you go backpack camping it is best to bring a buddy, that way you are never alone if something were to happen.
After you know where you are going to go it is important to pick a trail and map it out. This way you will know where you are going and it will be harder to get lost. Now that you have your trip planned out you need to make a copy of your trip plans so that someone knows where you are going. This is critical in case you were to get lost or injured search and rescue would know where to start looking for you. Most places that you go backpacking you will not get cell reception.
Equipment
Equipment is a necessary part to going backpacking. There are a lot of things that you are going to need to think about since you will be carrying everything you will need for your trip. While some trips may only be a few days some people take backpacking trips that take multiple weeks so it is important to also plan your equipment. Let’s take a look at some of the most important equipment that you will need.
Photo by mocoloco.com
Sleeping Gear
When you are backpack camping you will always want to have some sort of gear for sleeping. Even if the forecast for your trip says it will be ninety degrees everyday all day the weather can change and if it rains at night you are going to want something to cover yourself. You have three main options: a tent, a hammock, or an emergency shelter. A tent will provide you complete coverage but takes a while to setup and can take up a decent amount of room. A hammock hangs from two trees and gets you off the ground so that water won’t flood you at night. An emergency shelter is a simple tent or bivouac that you setup only when you need it. Each different sleeping arrangement has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Food and Water
You are going to need sufficient food and water for your trip. There are many different options you can bring that will keep you nourished during the trip. You simply need to look up recipes and recommendations from regular backpackers. For water you should carry as much water as you can comfortably carry in with you. In addition to that water you should have some way to purify water such as a water pump. Water purification tablets that use iodine can have health complications if you take them continuously (more than a week or two). Water and food are both important so make sure that you plan to bring plenty of it. When you stop for the night it is important to store your food somewhere that the wildlife cannot access it. Putting it in a tree or putting it in a seal tight container and at the bottom of the water are two popular options.
Emergency Gear
When you are out in the wilderness it is important that you carry a minimum amount of emergency gear to be able to provide help to yourself should you get lost, injured, or stranded. These items are just a few of the things that you should carry with you at all times when out in the wilderness. Emergency food supplies should be kept in the form of either an MRE or pre-packed emergency stuffs, both of these options are small and light weight. A first aid kit should be with you too and if you are serious about backpacking you should consider taking a wilderness first aid course. There are several options out there. A knife should be kept with your emergency supplies so that you can cut anything that you might need to. Duct tape can also be extremely helpful should you get a wound or need to repair something.
Now that you know some of the basics of backpacking you have an idea of where to start. When you are looking for equipment there is a simple option, you can find plenty of camping gear online. If you purchase any equipment before you go on a trip you should familiarize yourself with it in your backyard or home so that you are not trying to figure out how it works while out on a trip.