Traditional Menu
The old-school camping menu is simple to both describe and prepare. Breakfast includes fruit juices along with a few strips of bacon or links of sausage. Powdered pancakes are tasty and easy to make. For an short trip, pack a cooler with ice so that you can bring along some simple sandwiches that will keep overnight. For dinner, the traditional menu often goes all-out, with steaks or pork chops, a package of frozen veggies that has been allowed to thaw and a packet of instant potatoes for much-needed starch.
Superlight Menu
To avoid the trouble of cooking and go as light as possible, structure your menu around items that can slip easily into your backpack. This means packages of crackers, peanuts, and granola bars for snacks. Toss in a baggie filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. Packed cheese slices or cubes can quickly relieve hunger. For dinner, consider things like canned chicken or tuna and some bread.
Prepared Camp Food
Save time by preparing food in advance. Cook a whole fryer and then wrap the individual chicken parts in aluminum foil. Fill a big plastic bowl with salad that includes your favorite vegetables. You can even bring a packet of salad dressing to enhance the flavor.
Snack Mix
Many hikers take a snack mix with them on the trail, and what you place in that mix will depend entirely upon your own specific taste. Some people like peanuts, while others prefer cashews. Some like spicy mixes, and others prefer milder flavors. Some ingredients to consider in a trail mix include roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, chopped apricots and dried cherries.
Article Written By Timothy Sexton
Timothy Sexton is an award-winning author who started writing in 1994. He has written on topics ranging from politics and golf to nutrition and travel, and his work appears online for Zappos.com, Disaboom and MOJO, among others. He has also done work for "Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of West Florida.
