14 Super Smart Camping Food Tips

By Nick Fauchald

, Bon Appetit

We'll admit it: We'd pretty much stopped camping because we couldn't stand another handful of trail mix or envelope of freeze-dried "Beef Burgundy." Then we discovered the genius of Cooler Corn, and figured that maybe, just maybe, there was a way to eat and drink well in the woods. Turns out, there is. Here are 10 tricks to stay well-fed (and even a teeny bit tipsy) on the trail, courtesy of BA Special Camping Correspondent Nick Fauchald.

1. ICE IT
For car-camping and one-night backpacking trips, freeze small containers of chili, soup, pesto or pasta sauce and pack them in a cooler or insulated bag. They'll keep other fresh ingredients and drinks cool (no need for ice), and you can thaw them out in your camp stove when needed.

2. SKIP THE SPAGHETTI
Pasta can take forever to cook in a camp stove and wastes the water you've packed in. Instead, use quick-cooking alternatives like couscous, orzo or quinoa. Polenta is especially versatile: Leftover cooked polenta can be made into patties, pan-fried, and served with honey or maple syrup for breakfast.

Read More: The Best Store-Bought Ice Cream

3. GLOVE STORY
Instead of fumbling with those pliers-like pot lifters, pack a pair of insulated leather work gloves, which can be used to handle hot cookware and move burning logs.

4. PORK-POWER
Add bacon power to your condiment kit: Before your trip, cook strips of high-quality bacon over low heat until very crisp, drain on paper towels and pulse into a coarse powder in a food processor. This stuff can be sprinkled on anything you cook up in the camp stove, or mix it into trail mix or granola for a sweet-savory snack.

5. CHEESE, PLEASE
Never leave home without hard cheese. Pack some aged cheddar, Parmigiano and/or Gruyere (it keeps for at lease a week) and you'll come up for new uses for it every day. Use the serrated blade on your multi-tool to grate some over your one-pot dinner, sandwich between English muffins or pita bread for grilled cheese, and, on your last night of camping, melt any remaining cheese for fondue.

6. MORE S'MORES
Use leftover/broken graham crackers and chocolate to make inside-out s'mores: Melt chocolate in a cup, warm a marshmallow over the fire, then dip it in chocolate and roll it in crushed graham crackers. Eat it right off the stick.

7. BOX IT UP
Buy the best boxed wine you can find and throw away the box. If you must drink white wine, submerge the bladder in a cold stream or lake to chill it down. When the bladder is empty, it can be refilled with water and hung in the sun to make a solar shower.

8. GOOD SOAK
While you hike, soak lentils in an extra water bottle (2 cups water to 1 cup lentils). At the end of the day, simmer until tender (it only takes a few minutes), then use in soups, salads, wraps, etc.

9. THE CURE
Instead of that old standby beef jerky, pack country ham, salami, or other dried charcuterie. You can snack on it during the day, use it in sandwiches or wraps, and heat some up to render the fat for cooking.

10. GET FRESH
If you're only camping for a couple of days, skip the dehydrated fruit and vegetables and pack fresh, sturdy produce--such as carrots, cauliflower and apples--instead. They're cheaper, more nutritious, and you can cook them or eat them raw as a snack. One exception: dried mushrooms. These are practically weightless and add a ton of flavor to soups, stews, and grains.

11. COFFEE TALK
Throwing used coffee grounds into the fire is an environmental no-no. Portable espresso machines and French presses are for "glampers," and "cowboy coffee" is for cowboys. The best coffee for camping is Starbucks Via packets, which produce café-quality caffeine with no waste and no bulky beans or equipment.

Read More: 10 Kitchen Upgrades for Under $50

12. HIT THE OLIVE BAR
Olives, pickled vegetables, oil-marinated tomatoes, peppers and onions, and bocconcini all make great mix-ins for cooked grains and pasta--and are great for snacking on their own.

13. GHEE WHIZ
Ghee is a camp-cook's best friend. It will keep for up to a week in your pack and can be used for cooking (who wants to make pancakes in oil?) or combined with instant oatmeal for a fruit cobbler topping.

14. BATCH IT
If a flask of great whiskey isn't fancy enough for cocktail hour, many spirit-based cocktails (such as Manhattans, Negronis, or Old Fashioned) can be mixed ahead of time and thinned to taste with cold water.


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