There are many different ways to cook when on camping trips. There is also a lot of different things to consider.
-How much kitchen gear do you can or want to bring?
-How much time do you want to spend making food?
-What equipment do you have? You can't make a dutch oven meal without a dutch oven!
And many other factors can impact the type of meals you can cook.
I really love warm food. I am not a huge fan of sandwiches and wraps (although I will eat anything backpacking.) But with warmth comes a few hurdles. What are you going to cook your food on? Abe has a little two burner propane Coleman Stove and I have a one burner butane Coleman Stove. I also have a little backpacking stove and a JetBoil. I always have to make sure that I have enough fuel to cook with before I leave. And make sure I have extras in my truck. Along with having enough fuel you might want to consider what stove you need to cook the things you want. Do you just need to boil water? Then a JetBoil might be the best for you. Do you want to just cook a one pot meal? Then maybe a one burner stove might be better. Are you backpacking? Then a stove that compacts down and is very light would be the best option for you. It might seem trivial to consider these but it will really make a difference in the long run.
A trick I have learned over my camping trips has been to prepare as much of the food you are going to cook before you even leave your driveway. If you are making scrambled eggs for breakfast, crack them into a container instead of trying to transport eggshells to your site. Cut veggies before you leave so you have less to cut when you are cooking. If you are cooking meat like chicken and just need it for a dish it might be beneficial to try and prepare it beforehand. You will use less fuel when trying to heat it back up then you will to cook it.
Along with saving time, having the right kitchen equipment is imperative. The absolute basics to a camp kitchen include some kind of utensil to stir and or flip food with, a pot or pan, a stove. That's really it as far as basics go, but if you want to cook more than just pasta or rice you might need a few other things. In my personal camp kitchen I have
-A lighter
-A backpacking pot and pan set
-A little wooden spoon
-Various stirring utensils
-A water filter (you never know)
-Cooking oil
-Seasonings
-Dried Milk
-Stove (Backpacking one with fuel and my Colman with fuel)
-A bandana
-A scraper
-Biodegradable soap
There might be a few things I am missing off of that list. That is what works for me, and by no means will it be 100% perfect for you. But those are what I have. I also try and keep some easy foods that are shelf stable and are easy to cook in my car at all times. I have Top Ramen, instant mashed potatoes, rice and pasta sides, that sort of thing. Utilize the cheap quick and easy foods they are awesome for camping.
If you have space and the weight capacity, GET A CAST IRON PAN! I love my cast iron. You can get them in a bunch of different sizes and you can cook so many amazing things in just one pan! I will have to make a totally separate post just raving about cast iron pans. They don't need soap to clean them and they are easy to keep clean.
Two words for you, dried milk. It is one of those things I would never use on a daily basis, but man do I love it camping. It is so much better than trying to pack milk for recipes every time I need to use it. A lot of the pasta sides call for milk in their directions and this is the perfect time to use dried milk. Want to make boxed mac'n'cheese camping but don't want to bring a little tiny bit of milk? Then just bring dried milk. It is shelf stable and can be used in a pinch for almost any recipe. It is a great substitute for milk when you are camping. You can also use it if you want cereal in the mornings, it is super easy and light to pack.
These are just a few of the things that I use and do to make my camp cooking experience a more pleasant one. Keep camping!
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