How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

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How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by veep » 19 Dec 2016, 10:16 am

Just wondering how much other people do.

Do you guys take the time to cook every meal?

I've been pretty lazy normally and just take stuff you can eat straight out of the packet but it's gotten old.

Any tips for smarting camping cooking tricks welcome :thumbsup:
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by bigfellascott » 19 Dec 2016, 10:46 am

I normally cook each meal myself or have some pre made that just need heating up, I don't generally eat a lot of processed foods so this suits my needs.

My meals usually consist of meat of some sort (pork, lamb, beef, chicken, fish, prawns etc) and either some veg or salads (usually salads as they are quick to prepare) eggs and bacon or sausages for breakfast and the others for dinner seems to keep me happy for the most part and I also like making brevelles and pizza's when out camping.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Bent Arrow » 19 Dec 2016, 12:26 pm

I go pretty heavy on the pre cooked at home, easy heat up of a good tasting nutritional meal option. Think curries, stews, spaghetti sauces..... Really cuts down what you need to take, and how much stuffing about you need to do in camp. Of course there are those that enjoy the camp cooking thing........me too if it's a camping trip, not for a hunting trip though
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by AusTac » 19 Dec 2016, 12:35 pm

Mainly cold rations but if theres an option, eaither noodles, or stuff like bread and fruit for fresh rations if theres a population near ish
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Supaduke » 19 Dec 2016, 2:01 pm

Baked beans
Beer
Bacon with Baked beans
Beer
Baked beans
Sausages with baked beans
Baked beans
Baked beans
Beer
Eggs and sausages with baked beans
And to mix it up
Can of spaghetti
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by bladeracer » 19 Dec 2016, 4:42 pm

veep wrote:Just wondering how much other people do.

Do you guys take the time to cook every meal?

I've been pretty lazy normally and just take stuff you can eat straight out of the packet but it's gotten old.

Any tips for smarting camping cooking tricks welcome :thumbsup:



None generally.
Cans of tuna and salmon, various oat bars, and butterscotch lollies to keep the sugar up.
I don't drink hot drinks so I don't even need to boil water.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by juststarting » 19 Dec 2016, 5:48 pm

Supaduke wrote:Baked beans
Beer
Bacon with Baked beans
Beer
Baked beans
Sausages with baked beans
Baked beans
Baked beans
Beer
Eggs and sausages with baked beans
And to mix it up
Can of spaghetti


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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Oldbloke » 19 Dec 2016, 5:55 pm

Supaduke wrote:Baked beans
Beer
Bacon with Baked beans
Beer
Baked beans
Sausages with baked beans
Baked beans
Baked beans
Beer
Eggs and sausages with baked beans
And to mix it up
Can of spaghetti


Just reading that made wonder where the nearest loo is.
I'm with BFS on this one.
Last edited by Oldbloke on 19 Dec 2016, 9:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by bladeracer » 19 Dec 2016, 6:02 pm

Supaduke wrote:Baked beans
Beer
Bacon with Baked beans
Beer
Baked beans
Sausages with baked beans
Baked beans
Baked beans
Beer
Eggs and sausages with baked beans
And to mix it up
Can of spaghetti



I'd need an extra pack just for the food if I were lugging that lot about :-)
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Supaduke » 19 Dec 2016, 6:21 pm

Well that's about 4 days worth. Which is about my limit for camping. I tend to go fairly rough.

Fill an esky with food , beer and ice. The ice usually lasts about 4 days, depending on the weather. Got a big cast iron frypan. All meals are prepared within said pan. Might change once the boys are older.

All meals consist of meat, beans and maybe some onions and taters. After 4 days my back is sore, I'm dirty, I stink and usually slightly hung over.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by EV85 » 19 Dec 2016, 7:57 pm

I'll do a mix usually, cooking when I can and "happy camper" meals or something similar when time is sparse those dehydrated meals are dreadful. Marinated steaks swimming around slipped on the hot plate with some mash, keeping meal prep simple is the key I reckon, you'll have real food more often.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by scotty87 » 19 Dec 2016, 8:25 pm

Seen some videos on YouTube of people dehydrating their own pre cooked meals,. You can get pretty creative with it, mostly yanks and kiwis that do it though it seems.

I just cook basic meals meat and salad type meals, toast, tinned spaghetti etc.

Look up thermos oats and get some decent rolled oats or steel cut oats, add some honey makes a good breakfast with little fuss.

Most Kiwi Hunters I've watched on YouTube seem to survive on muesli bars, cheese, crackers, salami and jerky untill they shoot a deer, then it's deer heart, back strap and speights until the chopper comes to pick them up, sounds like the life to me.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by on_one_wheel » 20 Dec 2016, 9:13 am

Bacon / eggs / tomatoes every few days for breakfast.
Toast and cerial every other morning.

Ploughman lunches

And hot meals every night, roast, bbq, pasta or fish if I've done well ...
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Pythonkeeper » 20 Dec 2016, 8:16 pm

I like cooking while out camping and I'll usually cook the same sort of meals that I cook at home, like roast meat and veg of some description, lasagna or spaghetti bol, pie and veg with gravy, steak/chook and veg/salad, sausage sizzle for something easy etc....
I like to bake the odd desert in the camp oven too, like apple crumble or syrup dumplings, rice or bread pudding, packet mix self saucing pudding of your flavour preference, frozen apple pie or similar aren't bad either.
I still don't mind a bit of trad camp food like tins of beans or stew, 2 minute noodles etc....breaky is usually cereal or pancakes in the form of homemade batter or ready made pancake shake, sometimes bacon and eggs on toast.
Fresh damper is always welcome on the plate too.....yum.
Precooking meals at home and freezing then reheating as needed is handy if you want to save time.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Gwion » 21 Dec 2016, 11:10 am

Car based camping I take all sorts of cooking gear and yummy treats. Hiking, I have started pre-cooking meals and vac-pac them so I just heat them in hot water and make a cup of tea at the end. Most people think it's too heavy but I prefer a tasty meal to less weight. Find my trip more enjoyable with good food, especially when weather goes crap; decent food makes it far easier to deal with.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by wrenchman » 21 Dec 2016, 12:49 pm

depends on what i am doing if its just camping i like to do some camp cooking dutch ovens and bbq.
when hunting lots of premade meals but most days after the morning hunts we will have large breakfasts its a great time to hear about what was seen or hang deer that was shot on the morning hunt
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Flash » 17 Jan 2017, 9:37 am

Always cook. I take a small steel plate as a bbq over a fire that's perfect for 2 people, but we can cook for 4 people on it or rotate.
The only time I hit the canned stuff is if the weather has been really bad.

Late Brekky is normally bacon & eggs, pancakes or a bit of cereal. Maybe some toasted sangs in the jaffle iron.
No lunch or just a snack.

Normally fry some steak or sausages or other meat and have some salad or coleslaw with it for dinner.
If we go into cold environments, might have some pre made stews.

I always take some canned things as backup, but prefer fresh foods.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by creet » 17 Jan 2017, 2:35 pm

I like the MRE options, just for ease.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by bigfellascott » 17 Jan 2017, 2:43 pm

I like cooking my chilli and garlic prawns when out camping, quick and easy to do and tastes fantastic, don't mind roasts in the cast iron pot and we really enjoy the Pizza's - we usually get stuck into those whilst out bush too and they are a hit with everyone, so too are the scones - they go real fast too.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Dingo » 19 Jan 2017, 8:02 pm

I eat better when out hunting than @home . But in saying that I normally set up camp . And work from there . Not to many cold meals don't hunt much in summer as it's to freaking hot ...
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Oldbloke » 19 Jan 2017, 8:20 pm

Pythonkeeper wrote:I like cooking while out camping and I'll usually cook the same sort of meals that I cook at home, like roast meat and veg of some description, lasagna or spaghetti bol, pie and veg with gravy, steak/chook and veg/salad, sausage sizzle for something easy etc....
I like to bake the odd desert in the camp oven too, like apple crumble or syrup dumplings, rice or bread pudding, packet mix self saucing pudding of your flavour preference, frozen apple pie or similar aren't bad either.
I still don't mind a bit of trad camp food like tins of beans or stew, 2 minute noodles etc....breaky is usually cereal or pancakes in the form of homemade batter or ready made pancake shake, sometimes bacon and eggs on toast.
Fresh damper is always welcome on the plate too.....yum.
Precooking meals at home and freezing then reheating as needed is handy if you want to save time.


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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Nick-J » 19 Jan 2017, 8:27 pm

I use a vacuum sealer for most of our precooked food. Curries, stews etc. on mash potato.

The sealed bags are square so stack really well in the Engel when travelling (still room for beer). I make them up months in advance and just leave them in the freezer until needed.
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by Nick-J » 19 Jan 2017, 8:30 pm

Forgot to mention that breakfast and lunch are usually cold; cereal, yoghurt, sandwiches, cheese & crackers, fruit etc.

This saves heaps of washing up ! More time for relaxing !
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Re: How much cooking vs cold food do you do when camping?

Post by bigfellascott » 19 Jan 2017, 10:06 pm

Nick-J wrote:I use a vacuum sealer for most of our precooked food. Curries, stews etc. on mash potato.

The sealed bags are square so stack really well in the Engel when travelling (still room for beer). I make them up months in advance and just leave them in the freezer until needed.


I use a vacuum sealer for all my meat and sausages, bacon etc and all my meats and chopped veg for my Pizza's, keeps everything fresh, I generally just portion everything up so there's no bags left open with half used food waiting to get destroyed. It's a great way to do meals too like you do. :thumbsup:
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