|
|
|
|
|
| | Camping tips and recipesPage 1 of 2 (1, 2) | | I'd like to see if anyone here has any camping tips and recipes that wouldn't normally be found by doing a search on the Internet. Let's face it, how to waterproof matches just isn't a really good tip. It takes more time and effort than it's worth. If you can't throw a box of matches in your car or under your canoe you're probably backpacking anyway. I'm looking for practicle tips and recipes. An example would be the collapsible water jug tip I picked up. If you've done any camping you've likely seen those 5 gallon jugs that a lot of folks take camping. If you put them on the bench of the picnic table they just roll off. Plus, you have to turn them completely upside down to get any water out of them. If you get one of those plastic milk crates and cut a notch out of one side you can put the entire thing upside down with the spigot sticking through the notch. Now it won't roll off the bench and you don't have to turn it upside down to get water out of the spigot. If you have any tips or recipes to share I hope you will do so. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/26/2009 7:45:49 PM | | When I camp I like to "rough" it. So if It can't be carried in on my back I don't take it. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/26/2009 8:06:22 PM | | Ever watched survivorman Les Stroud...I know a little extreme but he has a website.I watch him but there's gotta be stuff on his website too.Maybe even Bear Grils of Man vs wild.Happy camping. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/26/2009 8:17:07 PM | while camping in the wild outdoors i bring my ding dong with me. when i get really thirsty and there is no water to be found i just drain my pee pee and boil it for about 15 minutes. toss in a few pine needles for a nice refreshing tea like taste. hope this helps. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/26/2009 8:21:56 PM | | im sorry for my stupid response about just pine needles. you can also use berries, assorted nuts, and numerous other plant life. also if you were lucky to stumble across a patch of mint, that would be swell. sorry i forgot to mention this the first time. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/26/2009 8:37:49 PM | Guess I think it depends on what kind of camping your doing. Tents? Pop-up? Full blown RV'ing it?
I've always been a tent camper.
As far as waterproofing matches...here is a really simple idea I was taught when I was young...take an empty 12 ga. and 16 ga. shotgun shell (plastic ones). Put your matches in the 16 ga. shell and slide the 12 ga. shell over it. The interference fit is perfect where water and moisture can't get in or penetrate. Trust me, this works.
The #1 tip I've always followed (being a tent camper), is to NOT have ANY food in your tents. Bears, coons, ants, etc. WILL find it.
Have good coolers with hinged lids. Even then, coons will figure out how to open the latches. I always put the cooler under the bench of the picnic table when away from the site or while sleeping in case they do get it unlatched, they can't open the lid far enough to get in.
As far as recipes, I guess I don't have any. I just cook...I have two Coleman stoves, so I can be percolating coffee, cooking bacon/sausage, french toast, potatoes and eggs all at the same time. There's always the tinfoil packet meal. Dice onions, carrots, potatoes and meat cubes/chunks. Put in tinfoil with spices of your choice and some butter. Fold over and roll/seal the edges to form a packet. Just toss on the campfire coals and let her rip. Mmmm. Substitute the meat with fresh caught rainbow trout or pike or walleye...even better!
I usually wrap up my grill grate off my grill at home and bring it along. Nothing worse than planning on cooking burgers or steaks over the campfire and it's just one of those fire rings...or, nothing at all.
That's one of the things I really enjoy about camping...you're out there and no matter what, something comes up where you think, "hmm, I wish I had..." And then thinking about it and figuring it out. Necessity being the mother of invention kinda thing. Anyone can just run to the store and buy 'it'.
Have fun OP.
~ds~ | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/26/2009 8:51:15 PM | This may seem simplistic, but i usually camp near water, spending a lot of time hiking and in/on the water. put your changes of socks in a ziploc bag in your backpack (good for everything really. If your socks get wet, it's havok on your feet to hike all day. Spare shoes and socks that are dry.
Recipes: cook just as you wood on a grill at home. keep it simple and make anything from burgers to rosemary chicken or rosemary/garlic steak, etc.
Cook away and eat away from your campsite. Dispose of trash as far away as possible or you're inviting trouble.
Also fairly well known, but if you canoe/kayak: put sleeping bags, etc. in well-tied trash bags--tie all of them together, cooler etc. If it overturns, everything floats together and stays dry. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 12:22:32 AM | Best tip I have is to put your coffee grounds in a filter and twist the top, tie it off w/ a twist tie and Voila! Filtered coffee in the morning w/ no grounds in it. If you store them in a plastic ziploc you can also water proof them a bit, and have a pot a day or more. No carrying measureing spoons, fancy coffee makers, or grounds in the mug. I am not a morning person until a cuppa, so....
Other than that, travel size deodorant, toothpaste, etc. Dry shampoo bars and lotion bars, and toilet paper in a ziploc. Yea there is roughing it, but there is rough on it too. I forgo matches, I prefer a handy zippo or pocket lighter. Bics dry out and can be used after getting wet.
This is going to gross out the men but... Long heavy duty maxi pads are great for a first aid kit. They work as both a bandage and gauze to stop any bleeding injury and keep pressure on. Like I said, men may not like it but it works, and cuts down on first aid bulk.
Benydryll is good to carry in case of bee stings/etc. since it helps reduce allergic reaction. I was given this tip by a nurse.
A good knife. It's a multi-function tool that has more uses than you might imagine. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 4:53:49 AM | I have a question on this subject: If you are hiking and can't bring a latching barrel for your food, will putting it in a bag and hanging it in a tree keep the raccoons out of it?
I'm with the previous poster on the coffee. I always premeasure. I have a bodum style cup, made in plastic so it won't shatter. Most important piece of equipment I've got.
Don't have any recipes but saw a book on that topic once. Funny story on food: once I took my kids and dog canoe camping but left my food in a knapsack far from the tent. To no one here's surprise I'm sure the knapsack had been carried off in the woods that night by racoons. They ate everything, including the dog's food, but left the dehydrated food I'd bought from one of those trendy outfitter shops. So that's what we had for dinner that night, which is when I realized why the racoons hadn't touched the stuff. Tasted like pure starch.
In regard to food, I heard once that you can make homemade spaghetti sauce, spread it out on a cookie sheet, dry it in the oven, and roll it up like a fruit rollup. Never tried it, but apparently it works well | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 5:04:27 AM | Recipe: Pita Pizzas
Ingredients:
Pita bread (preferably NOT the pocket kind, nor pre-cut ones)
Pizza sauce (it's way easier if you get the squeeze bottle, plus plastic is admissible to more backcountry areas than cans)
Pepperoni
Green pepper
Black olives
Shredded cheese
Onion
Whatever else you'd put on a pizza
Olive oil (we carry it in one of the really tiny Nalgenes - just a couple ounces)
Materials:
A fairly adjustable camp stove (it's a little tricky to get the temperature right)
Frying pan WITH LID (should be a bit larger around than the pita, preferably non-stick)
Flipper
Spoon
Open cup or wide-mouth water bottle (the little plastic cups that come in most mess kits are perfect)
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Cut up pepperoni and vegetables ahead of time, unless you're an experience chef (fast) or like a challenge. You can start pre-heating the frying pan during this time if you're using cast-iron, but lightweight aluminum or titanium pans you won't want to leave on the flame empty and don't take long to warm up. Put some (potable) water in the cup and have handy near the stove. Once ready and the pan is hot (you want it a bit cooler than for pancakes), splash a small amount of oil in the pan and spread it around with the flipper, then toss a pita on. Once the first side is browned to your liking, flip it over. Now, you need to move fast to prevent this side from burning. Squirt some sauce on and spread evenly with the backside of the spoon. If cooking for a group, pre-determine who will be eating this one and take their order for toppings. Arrange meat and vegetables in the sauce (leave a little room at the edge though). Sprinkly fairly generous amounts of cheese to cover. Now, put your hand in the cup of water and scoop a little out and splash around the perimeter of the pan, between the edge of the pita and the edge of the pan. You want enough to generate plenty of steam, but not so much that you actually get your pita soggy. Immediately cover. Cooking time varies by stove and pan and is a little bit of an art to perfect, but you'll get it after a few tries. To check on it, crack the lid open as little as possible - it's ready when the cheese is well-melted. If it's not done yet, add just a few drops of water to replace the steam you let escape and recover. They should come out with the cheese all melty and the pita a nice golden brown (although minimal charring on some contact points is fine - just don't make charcoal). Remove with the flipper and serve directly onto the plate of the eater. Warning: they come off VERY hot, and are best eaten with knife and fork - you can do it with your hands, but a) it takes a while to cool off sufficiently, and b) until you get your topping technique down can be a bit messy.
For most people, each pita serves one. Some especially hungry teenage boys may take two. Works equally well for car-camping and backpacking, provided you have a frying pan that works for the latter.
Idea originally from a book entitled "Camping's Top Secrets", by Cliff Jacobson | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 5:16:35 AM | Other things:
Forget the plastic / "footprints" *under* the tent. It's usually not necessary, and if done improperly more of a nuisance than protection. (Maybe still for base-camping or something.) Instead, get a roll of 4 mil plastic sheet, cut in a shape approximately 6-12" larger than the tent floor all the way around, and insert into the tent with the edges going up the walls in a "bathtub" configuration. If you choose your tent site properly and are vigilant about never wearing shoes inside the tent the floor should hold up to years of wear still and this is by far the most waterproof configuration.
People talk a lot about hanging food in trees to keep it away from bears. While that may be a nice idea, in most of the places I frequent the trees available simply don't make it practical, so we just don't bother. Seal everything well in Ziploc or similar plastic bags and just leave the food sack on the ground, but well away from the tent area. If possible, cook a ways away from the tents as well, and make sure to clean up thoroughly after each meal. If in an area where you're really worried about bears, stop for dinner an hour before your final campsite rather than cooking after setting up for the night.
Cut weight on things like tents and sleeping bags, not first aid kits and other necessary equipment. (I don't know why, but some people purporting to be "minimalist" end up just being flat-out stupid instead.)
If bring a cooler along car-camping, get one of those plastic-coated-fabric buckets and place the ice in that. No more puddles all around your food.
(For the record, I have no idea what jugs you're talking about - our family's car-camping ones are round, but with a flat spot on the bottom for setting on the bench and a screw-on spigot placed at what becomes the bottom, like a medieval keg. Also, I've never really liked "waterproofing" matches - it's way more effective to put them in a waterproof container like a camera film canister or shotgun shells like mentioned above than waxing and such.) | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 5:20:09 AM | | Oh, one last thing. If you want to take spaghetti backpacking, having it loose will result in it just cracking into tiny bits on the trail. Instead, take it out of the box, tie into tight bundles with string, and then vacuum-seal it if possible. The result is a club that could give you a serious head injury before breaking your precious pasta. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 7:15:58 AM | Those collapsible water jugs are nice,but don't leave it in direct sunlight. The water will start to taste just like the plastic.
Pick up a good cast-iron dutch oven. You can make just about anything in them on an open fire,from roasts to baked beans to pies and cakes if you have the know-how.
One thing I like to do is wrap potatoes in tinfoil and when you have a fire at night place them around the edge of the fire. Maybe rake a few coals over them when you're off to bed. Next morning you can dice up the now baked potatoes for hashbrowns.
We tend to camp in out of the way places where there's actually no campground. We've never had a problem with bears(even in one place last summer where there were bear droppings and tracks all over the area)because we find that bears prefer to check out developed campsites where there are more people and thus more chances of food. We do put the cooler in the truck box though.
A handy way to keep your food cold in your cooler is to freeze ice in containers like 2 liter milk cartons,etc. We find square containers work better. We like to use 1 gallon pancake syrup jugs(yeah,we use a lot of pancake syrup). Then you also fresh cold water as the ice melts. Keep your cooler as full as possible even if it means putting empty containers back in it,because a full cooler will keep ice better than an empty on. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 8:22:06 AM | My collapsable water jug stays under a dining canopy with a towel over it so not only is it in the shade but it's also covered. That is a great tip though. I've seen so many of them sitting in the sun and I can't imagine anyone wanting to drink water out of them.
I like to marinated my meats by vaccum sealing them and freezing them. I tend to carry more frozen food than anything else in my cooler. I also rarely put loose ice in my cooler. I have a bunch of those water bottles that I use instead. I freeze them and reuse them over and over as it's not adviseable to drink water out of cheap plastic once it's been frozen.
The potato tip is a good one. Never thought of that.
I see a lot of mention about the cast-iron dutch ovens but I would never carry one. It's just to big and heavy for me. I don't really care for most of the recipes that call for them anyway. I carry a cast iron pan though. I do quite a bit of cooking on it. I also have some cast iron pie irons. Those come in handy for a lot of things. One of my favorites is making apple pies with 2 slices of bread, some apple pie filling and a little cinnamon.
I use a percolator and filter for my coffee so I don't really get grounds in my cup. When I'm backpacking I will take my Jet Boil with the coffee press. That works pretty good.
Alot of the places I camp have a fire ring with a grate at one end. Unfortunately the grate is generally so warped that it sags really bad in the middle. My cast iron pan gives me a level cooking surface. I like to put some wood under the grate and then charcoal over the top of the wood. This get's the charcoal as high as possible so I can get the pan very close to the heat source heating it up quicker. When I'm done cooking I will put a stock pot over the rest of the charcoal/wood so I can heat water to wash dishes. I have two dishpans and I use those spnonges with the scrubby green part on one side that have the dish detergent already in them. | |
|
yna6
| | Joined: 1/21/2007
Msg: 15 | |
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:04:03 AM | As far as matches are concerned...a simple pill bottle usually keeps them dry.
I like to take "dryer lint"...you know the crap you empty off the filter in your clothes dryer. Makes a great "tinder" for lighting stubborn fires! A small baggie of that lasts awhile.
The collaspible water jug with the spigot on it is a good thing. If kept in the shaed with a damp towel over it, it will keep water cool.
You can also "paint" one of them and attach a rubberhose with a shower head on it. Sit it in the sun, then hang it when ready for use. Instant "shower". With hot (ok...maybe warm...) water.
Any kind of "wind-up" flashlight, lantern or radio is far superior for use when in the boonies. No worries about running down the batteries or carrying in extras, etc. They may not throw as much light as some, but they will give you enough. They pay for themselves simply by NOT using batteries!
Carry a couple of "all purpose' camp knives. I had one that I thought was good...and dang, the blade snapped! Well duh! Cheap made or a defect...dunno...but glad I had the extra.
A simple set of "collapsible" pots and cooking utensils does the job, unless you have a gang to feed! Even then, use of a grill can make a large cooking area for you. In the "rough", just a grill...no coleman stove. If you do carry in the coleman, enjoy! Depends on how "rough" you want to go!
A 5 inch B+W tv....if you're going to "rough it" do it right!
 | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:09:33 AM | TooShadows,
I was just wondering about your potatos. Do you poke holes in them before wrapping them in the aluminum foil? I would think you might but if they're cooking over night I can see where you might not have to.
I saw a website where the guy said he cut them in half so they would cook faster. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:09:39 AM |
This is going to gross out the men but... Long heavy duty maxi pads are great for a first aid kit. They work as both a bandage and gauze to stop any bleeding injury and keep pressure on. Like I said, men may not like it but it works, and cuts down on first aid bulk.
As a seasoned woodsman, who carries a decent first aid kit , I would have never thought of this. Excellent idea and no it didn't gross me out 
A good knife. It's a multi-function tool that has more uses than you might imagine.
I carry a good hunting knife plus a small multi tool knife as well. For me the most important features of the multi tool knife is a good saw blade. The one on mine will go through a hardwood broom handle in about a dozen strokes. Trail Blazer make an excellent stand alone six inch fold down saw that comes will its own belt pouch.
One thing that has always been a rule with me is take half what you plan to wear and twice what you plan to eat. After two or more days in the bush no one will care what you look or smell like because you will all be in the same boat. You can get micro filters for the top of drinking bottles that will eliminate your need to carry water for the duration of the trip with you. Sardines, kippered snacks, pancake mix, powdered eggs, and beans will keep you going for quite a while. Dried fruit and nut mixes are also easy to pack and provide a big bang for the buck as a high energy food source.
Two small aluminum high sided frying pans and a small kettle are all you need for cooking. A small single burner stove and the gas canister with base will probably take the most room in your pack but are easy to light and cook food quickly. There are also very small lanterns that will attach to the same canister.
I could go on and on but I leave you with two very important things to remember.
1) If you pack it in, pack it out. Litter spoils the outdoor experience for everyone.
2) Those that fail to prepare are preparing to fail.
Enjoy the outdoors, it's probably one the cheapest most beneficial things one can do for the soul. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:12:13 AM | yna6,
They sell 5 gallon "solar" showers. They're palstic "bags" if you will that are black on one side and have a hose. You place it in the sun then hang it when the water get's hot. It's supposed to get to something like 100 to 130 degrees. I have one but I don't use it. I thought it would be good for hot water for washing faces, dishes, etc. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:17:29 AM | mavcomart,
Thanks for the tips. Sounds like you're more backpacking than camping. I do a little of each myself and my approach is quite different for each.
I have a folding saw that works pretty good. I also picked up a chain saw this year (not a gas powered deal but something that comes in a tin with two handles). I haven't tried it yet.
I have a microfilter for backpacking that can either attach to water bottles or bladders/resevoirs used in hydration and other packs. I generally pack in a bunch of water anyway. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:19:07 AM | No specific tips here other than plan on if it could happen, it will!
If there are bears, predatory birds, other wildlife, they will come.
The wind will blow, so tie it down, stow it or whatever.
Same thing for the rain.
If you take a canoe, or other carry in watercraft make sure you can handle an emergency repair or carry a device for bailing!
If you forget your eating utensils, make chop sticks out of twigs!
Less is more, if you are hiking.
Check what others are taking especially if you are backpacking. Sometimes people don't realize they really don't need to pack non-essential items that really weigh you down.
Happy camping! | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:24:33 AM | In the canoe country wilderness they advise campers to keep food in a sturdy container then hang that from trees by ropes at a height higher than a bear can jump and farther out from the tree than a bear can reach. This makes sense to people but what bears do is stop by your tent to ask why you hid the food, and you had better have an answer ready. I found it easier to just hang the bear from the tree, then cut him loose after dinner. He won't be happy but he'll get over it.
After a good rain in some parts of the world you can count on a big hatch of flies and mosquitoes. These bugs can be an awful nuisance. After trying many kinds of insect repellents and protective clothing with little success I finally found a surprisingly effective product that can be got free, is small and easy to carry, and works without fail. It's a small rectangle of thin plastic that has on one side a special stripe of some high-tech substance, that when you slide it across the desk at any hotel will result in a comfortable room with windows that bugs can't get past. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 9:56:03 AM | I don't poke holes in the potatoes,but you could cut them in half. It depends how fast you want them to cook. I find they cook fine overnight with coals over them. Really,you don't want them too well done as they are easier to slice and dice. Fry them in your cast-iron pan with onions and they can't be beat.
Mosquito coils work great for clearing bugs out of your tent,but you don't want them going all night. Get a coil burner,which have two mesh screens to hold the coil in place. Break off 2 pieces about 2 inches long,light both ends and put the burner in your tent about an hour before bedtime. When you hit the sack the tent will be bug free,the coils are burnt out and the air is clear. If you have a smaller tent use a smaller piece of coil.
If you need a good grate for cooking over an open fire you can save money by getting them from the ovens of old stoves or old propane barbecues. There's a lot of different sizes and designs that can be used. | |
|
yna6
| | Joined: 1/21/2007
Msg: 23 | |
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 1:39:13 PM | weave together small twigs of willow or some such to make a screen. Make two of them. Place fish fillets (fresh from the stream!) between them and cook them over the hot coals that way. About 5 minutes, then turn for 2-3 minutes. don't forget to use a heavier stick as a "handle" to keep it up off the coals!
Very nice eating, if you get stuck without cooking utensils or just as something to try.
Rubbing mint leaves or salt or wild raspberries on the fillets prior to cooking gives them a more flavourful aspect.
Wild onion, berries, or herbs can be used, BUT, I suggest you make darned sure you know your plants before using them. Saw one tool trying to use poison ivy leaves as salad greens.
If you know your mushrooms you can make some of those up, skewered on a stick.
Bullrushes....the large potatoe-like root is a good food source. Wash and prepare as you would a regualar potatoe. They look a bit rough but remember...they are a wild plant.
some people like to "premix" things, like a coating for fish or some mix to make bisuits or some such. Great idea...as long as they are water tight containers, like ziplocks or some such. Add water, and into the pan. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 2:16:03 PM |
I'd like to see if anyone here has any camping tips and recipes that wouldn't normally be found by doing a search on the Internet.
Saw the title of your post and it caught my attention, but after reading your question had literally no idea how to respond, simply because many people have a different idea of what constitutes camping.... I can only surmise since you talk about fire rings , 5 gallon jugs of water, cast iron fry pans ( but a dutch oven is to heavy?, a book I might suggest is "dutch ovens chronicled" read it and you might not bring anything but one...), and frozen food, that your talking about campground camping. Personally...never been in a campground. But I do have some advice for those who might enjoy braving things a little past the campground habitat, and which is similar to my idea of a true camping experience. It is all outlined in a book entitled 'woodcraft' published in 1891 written by a fellow with the psuedonym "Nessmuk". This guy had it all figured out...this book has it all, highly entertaining reading! Even if your only destined to venture no further than a campground, I would suggest you get a copy of this book to bring along and read on your next camping "adventure". I should mention that the area he liked to explore was the Adirondacks. | |
|
| Camping tips and recipes
Posted: 6/27/2009 6:58:01 PM | | i love chicken kabobs with peppers and onions soaked in italian dressing,,,, put those suckers in a pan cover it with foil, let it simmer over the coals and cook and walla, the best ever, even when its raining lol. | |
|
|
|
Home
login 
