Chances are you’ve been camping already this summer. Am I right? We’re well into camping season, that’s for sure but this was my first camping trip in a loooong while. T’was a weekend to remember.
swimming in the falls! we didn’t see another soul for hours on end
Dan and I drove the five hours north to camp and hike on the north shore of Lake Superior, Minnesota, at Cascade River State Park. We hiked, we swam, we saw very few humans and a good deal of chipmunks, and we lay by the ocean. I mean, lake.
If you ever get the chance…just go. Pack your backpack, grab a sleeping bag and go. It’s a beauty.
As we got our maps in order and our tents and sleeping bags together, I thought more and more about food. Obviously.
What on earth would we eat?
We would be hiking and camping. Not in-the-middle-of-nowhere camping (our car was within spitting distance) but we wouldn’t have refrigeration. Or a great deal of cooking equipment. Okay, no cooking equipment. Unless you count our knife.
It got me thinking about the best affordable, easy and non-messy foods for camping.
Here are my best campfire foods, especially for those with little to no equipment on hand.
Breakfast:
> cold cereal and soy milk, with a banana chopped in – no refrigeration necessary!
> a stash of homemade granola would go down a treat.
> pre-baked breakfast spice muffins.
> baked beans and scrambled egg sandwiches, cooked over a camp stove.
> pre-baked banana bread.
On the hiking trail:
> never underestimate the power of the banana.
> granola bars are an energy-fueling must.
> trail mix!
> pb and j‘s are the ultimate lunch choice.
> canned beanie weanies are a great option if they have that nifty lid that requires no can opener.
> pita bread tends to travel well, needing little refrigeration and it’s great for dipping.
Eaten with a side of this:
Round the campfire in the evening is where you really get to go bananas. Seriously, get out of control people. If you have a car nearby and you’re not short on space, I say get ridiculous. Pack a chopping board. Pack pans and pots. And how about a selection of spices? Yeah. You get the picture.
I also recommend beer and chips. Always.
> corn on the cob.
> hot dogs.
> whole baked potatoes.
> corn tortillas with beans and guacamole.
> tin foil dinners.
> quesadillas.
> mac and cheese.
> three bean salad.
> s’mores. Always.