Kitchen camping larder for travelling

Perhaps the biggest consideration when doing a longer road trip, or staying in an out-of-the-way spot for a while, is the food you take that needs to be refrigerated.

At the same time, a full fridge is easier to keep cold than one that has a lot of air space inside.

So here’s a few tips before we look at the actual foods we can take.

The science behind a great camping trips is

Firstly – Always chill your fridge before you head off. This is often done using mains power (240v) (directly or using an inverter – depending on your fridge) or gas. This rule can also be applied if your about to stock up when stopping at a town by chilling your fridge a bit lower before the shop and putting cold stuff in on the road.

Secondly – Do you really need to put that in the fridge? There’s heaps of foods out there that don’t need to be refrigerated until they’ve been opened. If you’re in doubt have a look at the label. However, keep in mind that the jury may well always be out on where to keep the ol’ tomato / BBQ sauce bottles.

Thirdly – When travelling / camping look at the long-life options such as UHT milk and thickened cream etc. Even foods such a pita bread and powdered milk can be handy options to open up more room in the fridge. A good way to introduce this in the family setting is to try these foods at home in the lead up to the trip or when on the road – eg slowly substitute out the full cream milk for powered milk on the go.

Fourthly – If you have a desire to take meat, then consider freezing it and having on the second, third or fourth night. Frozen food will help the fridge cope on the road and give a longer life. Obviously, you still need to keep an eye on its temperature and shelf -life etc and I’ll let you look after that one. While we’re on this subject, give some consideration to NOT taking raw chicken due to its sensitive storage requirements (I’ve had food poisoning from chicken and its not pleasant).

Fifthly (and perhaps last for now) – Don’t hesitate to go with canned foods. Vegetables, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, asparagus, baked beans, Mexican beans, salsa, fruit, deserts etc etc are all ready available in cans. The nutritional values when compared to fresh or frozen don’t really warrant consideration when considering the time you’ll be on the road or in camp. As well as that, they don’t bruise, suffer from fridge blight or go off – they just sit in that box or drawer and roll around quite happily.

Sixthly (OK, there was one more ) – Take enough to allow you (and the crew) to change your mind on the hop – but not so much that you could feed a Scout Troop. Pulling in to camp late may be better suited to a bread and scratch-it meal rather than a three course soirée. This is where leftovers can come into play – ever had leftovers on jaffles?

Oh, there’s a Seventhly – If the Zombie Pandemic of 2020 (COVID-19) taught us anything, it’s the benefits of having pasta and rice (in all their forms) in the larder ready to go to support (almost) any meal or simply thicken a stew.

Lesley’s Suggested Trip Menu Planner (Guide Only)

Breakfast, lunch or dinner

With some staple food items in the camping cupboard there’s no end to what you can cook up with a little imagination.  Being outside seems to ignite our appetites and food becomes an important and loved part of the camping experience.

Camping Staples and then use your imagination

Anyway, give these ideas some thought and see how they’d work for you and your lot. Some may not work; you may have better ideas; you may need to introduce some slowly and over time. But one thing is for sure – it should be fun and give you something to talk about around the fire.

After all… it’s food that brings us all together.

Have fun and let me know what you think or what ideas you have.

Dayv

So, what does all that mean?

Well, these principles were driven into me when I travelled the Simpson Desert with a mate of mine (Travis) whose ‘been there and done that’ many times. Check out my chat with him at https://campandtravel.com.au/camp-kitchen/.

Menu Planning for camping trips

Take a look at the meals and snacks you’ll have on your travels / camp and see how you can build up a great menu plan (with some options if needed) that minimises the need for space in the fridge.

Lesley’s Suggested Trip Menu Planner (Guide Only)

Camping Breakfasts

I often find that this is the one meal where many have a set routine and one that perhaps shouldn’t be fiddled with. Be it cereal, toast or perhaps bacon and eggs, the discussion needs to be had. You may like to consider porridge for a change (or once in a while) and you can do this with water. Do you need butter on the toast? Do you need bacon and eggs every day??? Make a cup of tea or coffee – but boil up enough to make a thermos or two for the road and perhaps ready for the washing-up that night.

Camping Lunches

I found that having a series of small plastic containers for cheese, beetroot (from the tin), tomato (cut as you go), ham, leftovers, chutney, grated carrot, sliced capsicum etc brought out at lunchtime with some pita bread (not refrigerated) made a great meal with options a plenty. Add to that a long-life tetra pack of OJ or even a tea for extra comfort.

Simple, fresh and satisfying camping lunches

Camping Dinners

Now’s your chance to shine!! Whipping up a feast from very little is the mark of a great camper / traveller. One of my great meal-memories on the track was the nachos I had in the middle of the Simpson Desert – it hit the spot (as did the red wine). Even cooking up a big lump of silverside in a thermal pot during the day’s drive (after bringing it to the boil over breakfast) – and then having leftovers for lunch the next day – it’s a memory I’ll have for a long time to come.

Camping Menu tricks

Another trick around the dinner meal is to alternate between an entree and a main or a main and desert. There’s no arguments and no horse trading – that’s the order and stick to it (that’s part of the fun). Some nights on the road have seen us having frozen Chinese entrees and even sponge cakes or upside down cakes from the camp oven for desert.

All that brings up another memory of a birthday party on the second night in the desert, noting that there’s one rule about birthdays in the desert…

Another friend of mine (Lesley-  see menu planner), shared her family’s menu planner with me and it gives them something to look at, discuss and agree upon before they head off. It also gives them a ready made shopping list to go with it. This sort of thing may work for you too. I’ll share this with you too.

Click image for the recipe

What does your camping menu planner look like

Lesley’s Suggested Trip Menu Planner (Guide Only)