Everyone loves a great camping trip and the one thing that makes or break a backpacking trip is the camping food, check out these unique ideas which require no cooler. Make your trip all that more easy and free up some space in your backpack with food that doesn’t require a cooler. It can be an annoying item to carry around, it takes up space and most people end up using it as a seat. Think outside the box and choose from a wide range of dried, smoked, pre-cooked and salted snacks that will keep your energy levels up and your hunger to one side. Even if you don’t have a stove there are simple meals which you can make with a couple of cans and some water so read on for some tasty and terrific ideas.
Breakfast Ideas
It is a lovely thing to have a cooked breakfast in the morning but eggs and bacon require refrigeration. If you are on a camping trip with children then think about small boxes of cereal and soya milk. Soya milk will keep without a cooler and is just as tasty. Store bought granola bars or even home-made ones keep really well and will provide you with an extra burst of energy in the morning. If you have a small camping stove like this one then you can even take porridge. It doesn’t take up too much room, it doesn’t matter if it gets squashed and provides you with a warm and hearty breakfast on a cold day.
Soya milk will keep without a cooler and is just as tasty.
Lunch Ideas
Lunch is the time of day when you need a little something before carrying on that long hike. You need food which will give you a little more energy and keep the hunger aside before dinner. Sandwiches are great but taking bread on a camping trip isn’t the best idea. It can go mouldy and it can get squashed. An alternative to bread are tortillas, they don’t take up much room and you can be assured they will keep well. Fill them with canned ham, another thing that doesn’t need refrigeration, with some cut up peppers and onions and some creamy mayo on top.
Prepare for your trip beforehand and fill a small tupperware box up with diced onions and peppers, salt them and store them in the coolest place you can find. Mayo can be bought in small squeezable bottles as well and generally keeps well unless you leave them under direct sunlight. Crackers also keep well but can get broken and squashed, as can rice cakes but you can add a few carrots and some a bag of dried nuts and have a tasty lunch. If you have a stove then you can pre-cook some pasta the night before, add a can of tuna and away you go! Think about things that don’t need refrigeration and that are easy to carry and pack away in your backpack.
An alternative to bread are tortillas, they don’t take up much room and you can be assured they will keep well.
Dinner Ideas
It would be really nice to have salmon and boiled potatoes with a creamy sauce by the campfire but unless you can go fishing then fish isn’t the best idea. All raw meat in fact will go off and it can be dangerous so if you have no cooler then avoid it like the plague. Canned meats are a better option to use. Add a small can of meat, a small can of peas and some salsa sauce and throw it on a tortilla. This way you will get a diet of meat, vegetables and carbohydrates. Couscous is another great idea because you don’t need to cook it, you just pour boiling water over it and will cook itself. Pasta can also be soaked in cold water overnight and is the same as cooking it in boiling water. Noodles can also be done in the same way and you can add a variation of canned meats and vegetables to give you a tasty dinner before hitting the sack. You can even buy ready-made meals for camping just add water.
Couscous is another great idea because you don’t need to cook it.
Storing Food
Storing camping food without a cooler can be done. Carrots and celery should be wrapped in tin foil with holes to let the air through. They will last up to two weeks like this, when they become dry then soak them in cool water. Cucumbers and red peppers will last a week if they don’t get bruised so put them in a padded area in your backpack. Onions and fresh garlic will keep well but make sure they aren’t in plastic bags. If you want fruit then go for the option of dried fruit because it will keep better and make for great snacks.
For other great snack while backpacking or camping then try nuts, seeds, biscuits, energy bars and even small packets of crisps. Anything chocolate isn’t advisable because it will melt but cereal bars with chocolate chips for example are a good option. Make sure you store all your food correctly and avoid getting your fresh vegetables bruised. Use small storage containers to keep everything compact. If you want to try something a little different then go for ready-made boxed survival kits which have three days worth of food in them. Probably not the tastiest thing to eat but you won’t go hungry and you can buy them online like this one. Camping and backpacking should be fun so don’t worry too much about what you are eating, if it is healthy or not. The one thing you should worry about is that you are not hungry! As long as you have enough snacks and energy bars you can keep going. When you get home then you can indulge your taste buds in a gourmet meal!