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Dinner Ideas While Camping

Parashar Joshi
Cooking a meal at an outdoor camp can be a different experience altogether. It involves preparation of a different kind. On that note, let us have a look at a few dinner ideas you can use when you go camping.

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Camping is something that a lot of people enjoy, and for a variety of reasons. Some enjoy the feeling of getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, others like camping because it makes them connect with nature.
There are also those people who like the idea of camping simply because of the novelty of staying in a tent and cooking over a campfire! Cooking while camping in the woods or in the mountains can be a very different experience than usual, both in a good way or otherwise.
Preparation is the most important thing that you need to keep in mind when it comes to camping food provisions and camping cookware. It is very important that you have a clear-cut idea of where you will be camping, the availability of basic food provisions in that area, the power supply, the weather conditions, the duration of stay, and many other things.

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This is applicable to camp cooking in its entirety, and not to any particular meal such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In the following sections, we will have a look at some easy camping dinner options.

Dinner Ideas for Camping

In most cases, electricity is something that you will have to do without, especially if you plan to head deep into a forest where you will be living in a tent. So with no electricity, there will be no refrigeration either. Therefore, in such circumstances, you mostly need to carry a large stock of food that does not require refrigeration for preservation.
Alternatively, you may need to hunt around for food in the forest itself and in the process, try to get hold of some meat, fish, or fruits. Let us consider a few possible options for camp dinners.

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Barbecue

This is the most common option when it comes to camping food. Foldable barbecue grills are portable and easy-to-carry and are popular with campers. Here are some things that you can cook using a barbecue:
  • Barbecued potatoes
  • Grilled hotdogs and sausages
  • Grilled steak
  • Roasted bananas in honey
  • Grilled corn on the cob
  • Barbecued mushrooms
  • Grilled fish

Boiled Foods

This is another rather simple option, wherein, you can carry a few ready-to-cook foods which can be easily prepared by simply adding boiling water to the packet contents. Soups, noodles, pasta, and spaghetti are the best examples of such foods.
They are easy to carry, require no refrigeration and can be cooked within a matter of minutes. If you happen to be carrying some basic camping cookware, then you could consider making some rice to go along with the mentioned foods.
Add a couple of boiled eggs and a few slices of bread to the list and you could find yourself with a complete meal out in the woods!

Canned Foods

Canned foods are very popular with campers and are a regular item on most campers' food lists. Canned versions of baked beans, vegetables, soups, chicken cubes, ham, salami, tuna, stew, fruit, and chili are some of the most sought-after camping foods simply because they are suitable for any meal―be it lunch, dinner, or breakfast.

Fresh Foods

Although options or varieties in terms of fresh foods can be limited when camping in the wild, you can nevertheless consider it as a dinner idea for camping, especially if you are able to combine it with some of the food ideas mentioned earlier.
Fresh fruits, tomatoes, roots, vegetables, berries, etc., are some options that you could consider, depending on the type of vegetation that is in the vicinity of your campsite. Scouting around for fresh food near a campsite is an activity that is usually very enjoyable as far as kids are concerned.
This was a short overview on various ideas for dinner at the time of camping. As mentioned right at the beginning, proper preparation is extremely essential in ensuring that your camping experience is a good one. So get all your camping gear in order and have a good time in the wilderness!