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Camping Food Storage

Saptakee Sengupta
You might be carrying food with yourself while camping, but at the same time, you are unaware of how to store it for a long time. Read on for tips on camping food storage.

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Camping is all about fun, enjoyment, and excitement. A day before your journey starts, you engage yourself into packing each and every useful item.
You prioritize your belongings depending upon the duration of the camp. Bedrolls, floaters, clothes, toiletries, shoes, and sometimes handy books are a part of your packing when you decide to go camping.
The most important thing, i.e., food and drink. Food and drink are really worth considering, as camping is almost impossible without these. The next thought that strikes you is how to preserve the food and what types to carry during to the outing. Read on for some tips on what foods to carry while you go for an outing.

Food Storage While Camping

It is difficult to preserve food during summers while you go out for camping. It is a good idea to carry foods and drinks that can be stored for many days without getting spoiled. Check out these tips on food storage for campers.

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✦ Plan the food that you will be carrying with you. Storing it is easy if you have a recreational vehicle or a camper refrigerator, as it allows you to carry plenty of food, also reduce the spoilage risk.
✦ For short tours, carry canned foods and drinks that are long-lasting inside your ziploc bags. These remain fresh, and used repeatedly without spoilage.
✦ Do not retain the food inside the car if it is hot. Take it out and place it in cool shades. Store your food away from direct sunlight, and make sure it does not get wet. Wet food rots soon and emits a foul odor.

✦ Avoid carrying perishable food items. In case you do carry them, stack them along with dry ice or keep them inside the cooler.
✦ Carry 2-3 small coolers to store food items in. Separate the drinks, perishable items, and dry items from each other.
✦ Be careful with hungry animals if you have laid your camp inside a jungle. Bears, mice, squirrels, and foxes may visit your store camp. Make sure you lock the food properly at night and place the coolers inside your car.
✦ Get replacement ice, ice bags, and dry ice to store food items. Drinks last longer under this condition. Also, blocks of ice are better storage materials than crushed ice or ice cubes.
✦ Pack your food items in air-tight containers. Dry and dehydrated foods should especially be stored in air-tight containers.

Foods to Carry

For easy storage of food while camping, try to carry dry and dehydrated food items. Canning dry foods and freezing dried foods allows them to last longer without the risk of damage. You do not need coolers to store these food items.
Make sure that uncooked cereals, like oatmeal, cornflakes, wheat powder, and rice do not get wet. Carry dry fruits, dry pasta, and canned foods along with you. Cookies, snacks, and biscuits serve well during camps. Cold drinks, juices, and beverages can be carried only if you have the necessary cooling arrangements.
Bread, chocolates, and marshmallows stay for a few days. Avoid dairy products, like butter, milk, margarine, unless you have a good cooling system.
If you are carrying oil, ketchup, mustard, etc., you can preserve these food items at room temperature. Similarly, carry raw vegetables that stay at room temperature without spoiling. Last but not the least, do not forget to carry plenty of water with you.
With the ideas mentioned here, let food not mar the enjoyment and spirit of camping. It is adventurous when you have enthusiasm, and shall end with joy if the food is savory.