Camping food
Photo: Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
For a casual picnic in the city park, you can bring more or less any food. However, when outdoor life takes you far from restaurants, supermarkets, kitchens and refrigeration, you need camping food that is easy to carry and either ready to eat or readily cooked in the outdoors.
UnderstandWithout your fully-equipped kitchen, you need to adjust your mindset. You don't want to carry excess food or equipment, which means you need to plan your meals and what snacks you want, and how much of them.
PreparePlanning is critical for keeping happy campers and avoiding hangry hikers. When space is limited and running to the store is not an option, you need to be smart in what you take with you.
BuyOutdoor shops offer food prepared and packaged for use on hikes and expeditions, at high markups. While food in supermarkets is usually cheaper, the preparation and packaging is rarely good for outdoor expeditions.
EatFresh food such as fruits and vegetables provide the best taste and nutrition but are bulky, heavy, and perishable. There are various ways of processing these foods to make them lighter and more durable:
DrinkWater is needed for drinking, as well as for making beverages such as coffee and tea. On foot, you can only carry a limited amount of water.
Stay healthyShelf life varies greatly between different foodstuffs.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Camping food" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons