How do I keep my family fed and myself sane over 10 days of car camping?
July 20, 2017 11:25 AM Subscribe
How do I feed a family of four, including little picky eaters, over the course of a 10 day car camping trip -- without spending hours upon hours cooking and cleaning every day?
My family of four, with a 9 and 6 year old, is going car camping in Yellowstone/Grand Teton later this summer for 9 nights. We've done lots of weekend trips before, but never one this long.
Even on our short trips food is a real pain in the ass. Cooking takes time, and cleanup just sucks. I can get up at 7 before the rest of the family is awake and not be done with breakfast / lunch prep cleanup until 10. I hate it. Combine that with the duration of the trip, not knowing where to buy food, picky eaters, food spoilage, bear safety (!) and I'm starting to wonder how we do this. Tuna fish and PBJ's will only get us so far.
We'll be staying at Canyon Campground for five nights (though we may try to get a Norris Campground walk-in for part of it if we can) and at Headwaters Campground for four, in case that's helpful somehow.
So... how do you do it? What are your secrets?
My family of four, with a 9 and 6 year old, is going car camping in Yellowstone/Grand Teton later this summer for 9 nights. We've done lots of weekend trips before, but never one this long.
Even on our short trips food is a real pain in the ass. Cooking takes time, and cleanup just sucks. I can get up at 7 before the rest of the family is awake and not be done with breakfast / lunch prep cleanup until 10. I hate it. Combine that with the duration of the trip, not knowing where to buy food, picky eaters, food spoilage, bear safety (!) and I'm starting to wonder how we do this. Tuna fish and PBJ's will only get us so far.
We'll be staying at Canyon Campground for five nights (though we may try to get a Norris Campground walk-in for part of it if we can) and at Headwaters Campground for four, in case that's helpful somehow.
So... how do you do it? What are your secrets?
Best answer: Make sure you have a good cooler and enough ice. You're also car camping, not backpacking, so you can replenish as needed. Cereal and milk requires next to no cleanup. Same with bagels and cream cheese. Don't feel like every meal requires a stove etc.
If it doesn't hurt your conscious too much, and if you hate cleanup so much, consider paper plates.
Also, allow yourself to go to town to a restaurant for dinner now and again, particularly with such a long trip and in light of how much you hate the cleanup. Also consider whether convenience foods or takeout will make your life easier. Day-old chinese food heats up perfectly well on a campstove.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:35 AM on July 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
If it doesn't hurt your conscious too much, and if you hate cleanup so much, consider paper plates.
Also, allow yourself to go to town to a restaurant for dinner now and again, particularly with such a long trip and in light of how much you hate the cleanup. Also consider whether convenience foods or takeout will make your life easier. Day-old chinese food heats up perfectly well on a campstove.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:35 AM on July 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
Tuna fish and PBJ's will only get us so far
They'll get you through a 10-day camping trip.
Go as basic as humanly possible. Breakfast bars or cereal, sandwiches (or tortilla wraps, since flatbread travels less squishily than bread and you have bears to plan for) for lunch, picky eaters can eat sandwiches or cereal again for dinner while the rest *maybe* eat heated canned food (or reconstituted dehydrated backpacking food).
Bear coolers are expensive, so you're going to need to shop and consume pretty much daily unless you plan to go that route. It looks like Canyon has shared food lockers, but you're still going to need to stay compact. I can't tell about Headwater from a quick check but Norris has shared ones as well. (Basic Yellowstone backcountry food storage requirements vs Frontcountry/campground.)
This is not the time or area for elaborate campfire cooking, especially when you run the risk of it not getting eaten and having to properly dispose of it.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:42 AM on July 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
They'll get you through a 10-day camping trip.
Go as basic as humanly possible. Breakfast bars or cereal, sandwiches (or tortilla wraps, since flatbread travels less squishily than bread and you have bears to plan for) for lunch, picky eaters can eat sandwiches or cereal again for dinner while the rest *maybe* eat heated canned food (or reconstituted dehydrated backpacking food).
Bear coolers are expensive, so you're going to need to shop and consume pretty much daily unless you plan to go that route. It looks like Canyon has shared food lockers, but you're still going to need to stay compact. I can't tell about Headwater from a quick check but Norris has shared ones as well. (Basic Yellowstone backcountry food storage requirements vs Frontcountry/campground.)
This is not the time or area for elaborate campfire cooking, especially when you run the risk of it not getting eaten and having to properly dispose of it.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:42 AM on July 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
I mean, I once ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day for about three months, and that was living in an apartment withing walking distance of many grocery stores and restaurants. So I would submit that PB&J can actually get you very far!
Other suggestions: canned foods, e.g. chili or hearty soups. Instant noodles. Spaghetti with jarred sauce. Apples, oranges, and carrots will all keep very nicely in a cool place (doesn't even need to be like a really cold cooler) for a week-plus, and they require hardly any prep.
Are the kids helping cook/clean? Most nine-year-olds can handle making sandwiches.
I actually love camp cooking and will make pancakes and hash browns and eggs for breakfast, and rehydrate beans and corn to make quesadillas for lunch, but if you don't want to do it, you can pretty much just... not do it.
If you don't want milk for cereal to spoil, bring powdered milk and mix some up every couple of days (or every day even).
posted by mskyle at 11:42 AM on July 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Other suggestions: canned foods, e.g. chili or hearty soups. Instant noodles. Spaghetti with jarred sauce. Apples, oranges, and carrots will all keep very nicely in a cool place (doesn't even need to be like a really cold cooler) for a week-plus, and they require hardly any prep.
Are the kids helping cook/clean? Most nine-year-olds can handle making sandwiches.
I actually love camp cooking and will make pancakes and hash browns and eggs for breakfast, and rehydrate beans and corn to make quesadillas for lunch, but if you don't want to do it, you can pretty much just... not do it.
If you don't want milk for cereal to spoil, bring powdered milk and mix some up every couple of days (or every day even).
posted by mskyle at 11:42 AM on July 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm shocked at the 3 hour total meal time for breakfast. Cereal + milk works great on hot mornings. Instant oatmeal with dried fruit is easy and awesome on chilly mornings. Lunch can be sandwiches and chips and fruit. I usually make a production out of dinner when camping, but most of the time is slowly cooking things over the fire. Sausages, corn, sweet potatoes are one of my favorite campfire dinners. A close second is (premade) chili with shredded cheddar over chips. Both are fairly easy in the prep and cleanup aspect.
And why does this fall solely on you? What is your partner doing? Why aren't the kiddos helping? That's half the fun of camping.
posted by Cranialtorque at 11:44 AM on July 20, 2017 [31 favorites]
And why does this fall solely on you? What is your partner doing? Why aren't the kiddos helping? That's half the fun of camping.
posted by Cranialtorque at 11:44 AM on July 20, 2017 [31 favorites]
When I was about the age your kids our, my parents relied a ton on bagels + some kind of topping - cream cheese, salami+cheddar, that kind of thing. You can also find single-serving cereal packages that make their own bowls. Instant oatmeal is also a good breakfast, since it only requires boiling water and you can add dried berries and things like that to it.
For dinners, I remember a lot of one-pot meals like jambalaya that also allow for a lot of flexibility in what ingredients you're using, in addition to the classic hot dogs/smokies.
There were certainly other things - french toast, for example, was the "fancy" breakfast sometimes - but I would honestly say that most of what I had was variations on "bagel".
On preview, it looks like you're fine to keep your food in your car as long as you're in a front-country campground and don't have a convertible.
posted by sagc at 11:45 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
For dinners, I remember a lot of one-pot meals like jambalaya that also allow for a lot of flexibility in what ingredients you're using, in addition to the classic hot dogs/smokies.
There were certainly other things - french toast, for example, was the "fancy" breakfast sometimes - but I would honestly say that most of what I had was variations on "bagel".
On preview, it looks like you're fine to keep your food in your car as long as you're in a front-country campground and don't have a convertible.
posted by sagc at 11:45 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
When our family went car camping, there were only two very-easy-to-make meals, and we alternated them. Let the family help decide the choices (ours were spaghetti and hot dogs ... can't imagine that now, but it worked then). Forget nutrition, forget variety; that's part of the fun of camping. It's NOT like home!
Everybody has one plate and set of silverware, and they keep that clean themselves. Everybody participates in campsite clean-up after each meal; even little kids can swab out pans with paper towels, or take the paper towels to the trash, or put everything back in the cooking box. If you're in bear country, make sure every single thing that's edible is always in a tight box or in the car; again, even little kids can help by spotting food left out. If something spoils, throw it away. Great suggestions up thread; the point is, DO NOT try to replicate home meals. You want to remember this trip, not only the hikes and the vistas, but the different food and wearing the same underwear three days in a row.
posted by kestralwing at 11:46 AM on July 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
Everybody has one plate and set of silverware, and they keep that clean themselves. Everybody participates in campsite clean-up after each meal; even little kids can swab out pans with paper towels, or take the paper towels to the trash, or put everything back in the cooking box. If you're in bear country, make sure every single thing that's edible is always in a tight box or in the car; again, even little kids can help by spotting food left out. If something spoils, throw it away. Great suggestions up thread; the point is, DO NOT try to replicate home meals. You want to remember this trip, not only the hikes and the vistas, but the different food and wearing the same underwear three days in a row.
posted by kestralwing at 11:46 AM on July 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
Best answer: I think the key here is to start now convincing the kids this is going to be an adventure and that we are going to try adventure foods. Then get some freeze dried foods, some eggs, some pbj and whatever is easy to prepare. Tell them the adventure meal today is...and if they don't like it, there is always the pb&j substitute. Then stop worrying about it and let the kids decide if they want to try "adventure" food or eat a lot of pb&j.
posted by AugustWest at 11:52 AM on July 20, 2017 [12 favorites]
posted by AugustWest at 11:52 AM on July 20, 2017 [12 favorites]
I would add what we told our kids was that this is the food that the astronauts ate in the early missions so it is good and the way it is (aka not gross).
posted by AugustWest at 11:54 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by AugustWest at 11:54 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I think the suggestions here are excellent. Just want to make a note: Don't leave food in the car in bear country.
posted by cnc at 12:06 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by cnc at 12:06 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Some things we did on two-week car camping trips:
- Used ziptop bags of frozen soup, chilis and stews to keep coolers cool. Make sure to freeze them in shapes that will fit in your camping cookware. You can also do this with hot cereals prepped with all the fixings (nuts, fruit, sweeteners, etc).
- Brought plenty of fresh fruit that could last for a bit. Canned fruit (which we almost never ate at home) was a sub once the fresh ran out.
- Allowed foods/treats that I never had available at home: sugaryish cereals, corned beef hash, vienna sausages, beef jerky, oatmeal packets, craft mac & cheese, freeze-dried meals, etc.
- Canned Boston Brown Bread, deviled ham, liver pate, crackers, nut butters, jams, artichoke hearts, olives, cured meats and cheeses could all be combined in different ways to make snacks and small meals.
- Everyone was responsible for cleaning their own dishes and kids were definitely a part of prep and clean up. Whoever was point on cooking got to enjoy some time by the fire while the other adult(s) managed clean up.
- We would make at least a couple exciting trips to a restaurant or convenience store to enjoy ice cream and stock up on fresh things.
posted by annaramma at 12:10 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
- Used ziptop bags of frozen soup, chilis and stews to keep coolers cool. Make sure to freeze them in shapes that will fit in your camping cookware. You can also do this with hot cereals prepped with all the fixings (nuts, fruit, sweeteners, etc).
- Brought plenty of fresh fruit that could last for a bit. Canned fruit (which we almost never ate at home) was a sub once the fresh ran out.
- Allowed foods/treats that I never had available at home: sugaryish cereals, corned beef hash, vienna sausages, beef jerky, oatmeal packets, craft mac & cheese, freeze-dried meals, etc.
- Canned Boston Brown Bread, deviled ham, liver pate, crackers, nut butters, jams, artichoke hearts, olives, cured meats and cheeses could all be combined in different ways to make snacks and small meals.
- Everyone was responsible for cleaning their own dishes and kids were definitely a part of prep and clean up. Whoever was point on cooking got to enjoy some time by the fire while the other adult(s) managed clean up.
- We would make at least a couple exciting trips to a restaurant or convenience store to enjoy ice cream and stock up on fresh things.
posted by annaramma at 12:10 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Other people have covered breakfast and lunch pretty well. Here are some quick dinner ideas:
One-pot mac and cheese: boil noodles, cut up cheese into small chunks. Strain out the water and put the noodles back in the pot. Add the cheese and a tiny bit of milk. Stir well and cover for a moment to let the cheese melt.
Quesadillas with black beans and salsa. Hot dogs. Canned chili, bread and butter, and a quick salad (bagged lettuce plus a tomato plus dressing). Spaghetti with pre-made frozen meatballs. Baked potatoes with toppings on a night you have a campfire.
If you have a cooler, frozen meat will stay cool for at least a day and since it's frozen, it will keep a little bit better than fresh meat.
posted by colfax at 12:12 PM on July 20, 2017
One-pot mac and cheese: boil noodles, cut up cheese into small chunks. Strain out the water and put the noodles back in the pot. Add the cheese and a tiny bit of milk. Stir well and cover for a moment to let the cheese melt.
Quesadillas with black beans and salsa. Hot dogs. Canned chili, bread and butter, and a quick salad (bagged lettuce plus a tomato plus dressing). Spaghetti with pre-made frozen meatballs. Baked potatoes with toppings on a night you have a campfire.
If you have a cooler, frozen meat will stay cool for at least a day and since it's frozen, it will keep a little bit better than fresh meat.
posted by colfax at 12:12 PM on July 20, 2017
We just finished an 8-day car camping trip with two kids (8 and 10). For breakfasts, we had stuff like cereal, instant oatmeal, eggs, bread, muffins, bananas, coffee (usually we do instant, this trip we got all fancy and used the peculator). Lunch was make-your-own sandwiches, cheese, fruit, granola bars, and chips. Supper was stuff like tomato sauce and spaghetti, hot dogs, canned beans, canned chili, tacos, Kraft Dinner, boil-in-the-bag curry, cut veggies, corn-on-the-cob.
Our secret to pain-free camping meals is to not be afraid of canned and prepared foods and everyone pitching in. Our kids are in charge of washing the dishes (which they have done since they were 5, with parental quality-checks) and getting water, because everyone helps out with meals on camping trips.
posted by fimbulvetr at 12:20 PM on July 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Our secret to pain-free camping meals is to not be afraid of canned and prepared foods and everyone pitching in. Our kids are in charge of washing the dishes (which they have done since they were 5, with parental quality-checks) and getting water, because everyone helps out with meals on camping trips.
posted by fimbulvetr at 12:20 PM on July 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Protein for breakfast seems to be a necessity for my kids. Hardboiled eggs and pre-cooked (at home) bacon made breakfast easier when we were car-camping. Maybe you could cook up a batch of each every few days, rather than cooking every morning.
posted by vignettist at 1:01 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by vignettist at 1:01 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Get everyone their own mess kit. Everyone takes care of their own mess kit; they can have names on or other decoration to make them fun. When I was a kid about that age we had to have one with us for Girl Scout camp, so it's not outrageously age-inappropriate to make children responsible for their own. Plus they're fun to pack up again once they're clean, and they last forever.
posted by asperity at 1:02 PM on July 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by asperity at 1:02 PM on July 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
Seconding the mess kit! I think I was six when I got mine for the first time, and they're really brilliant design that encourages keeping things clean and tidy.
I'm sorry I can't help with food -- when I go camping I live on chocolate, cheese, and protein bars which works for me but probably not many other humans -- but I think getting everyone to help with prep and cleaning will go a long way to easing the amount of time it's going to take you. Everyone cleans their own dishes, and possibly even a kaper chart, so someone different takes the communal dishes every meal? (The kiddos may want to team up for this one, or have a kid-parent team per kaper?)
posted by kalimac at 1:13 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm sorry I can't help with food -- when I go camping I live on chocolate, cheese, and protein bars which works for me but probably not many other humans -- but I think getting everyone to help with prep and cleaning will go a long way to easing the amount of time it's going to take you. Everyone cleans their own dishes, and possibly even a kaper chart, so someone different takes the communal dishes every meal? (The kiddos may want to team up for this one, or have a kid-parent team per kaper?)
posted by kalimac at 1:13 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Picky eaters or not, kids should be able to understand that camp food is different from home food. Soften the regimen with some treats that are off the menu at home.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:14 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 1:14 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
My sister & I went camping with my parents frequently as a kid. I do not remember what we ate, only the wonderful times. And my mom would sometimes be drinking a beer & laughing & having a good time with my dad or other folks in the camp & totally not stressing. (This was the 60's when kids ran free & ate what was there.) Spaghetti? Mac & cheese? I don't know & of course Yellowstone has different parameters. I just got caught up remembering these vacations. Memories before calories, I guess!
posted by Wylie Kyoto at 1:20 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Wylie Kyoto at 1:20 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
We usually do donuts or pop-tarts for breakfast, or maybe instant oatmeal if its cool. Lunch is always PB&J and chips / fruit. I usually splurge at dinner and do something that requires effort, steaks, or whatever. The key, I think, is one meal per day that requires more than 5 minutes of prep time.
posted by COD at 1:24 PM on July 20, 2017
posted by COD at 1:24 PM on July 20, 2017
We we car camped a lot we kept a "road-kill" box, which meant stuff that we picked up while driving around. It was mostly crackers, salami, peanut butter, jam. That with string cheese from the cooler made lunch every day.
Have cereal and milk for breakfast.
Then you only have to worry about dinner.
Oh, 9 and 6 are plenty old enough to be doing their own dishes and making their own sandwiches. Make sure you are teaching them good camp hygiene by helping them learn to take care of these things themselves.
posted by SLC Mom at 1:37 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Have cereal and milk for breakfast.
Then you only have to worry about dinner.
Oh, 9 and 6 are plenty old enough to be doing their own dishes and making their own sandwiches. Make sure you are teaching them good camp hygiene by helping them learn to take care of these things themselves.
posted by SLC Mom at 1:37 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I HATE camp cooking, mostly because of the cleanup. I love camp eating though. Here's what I like to to:
Get some quart size freezer bags. Crack an egg or two into one. Seal it, and mush it up until it's scrambled. Give everyone their own and let them put whatever omelet-y things they like. Drop in a pot of boiling water until cooked. (We usually hold them so they're not touching the sides or bottom of the pot -- you could probably rig up some kind of clothesline deal). Eat out of them, throw them away -- voila, no mess!
You can also pour boiling water into freezer bags -- get some instant rice, ramen or pasta that takes around 5 minutes to cook, instant mashed potatoes, etc. Portion the dry stuff into the bags, and rehydrate/cook inside them. Googling "FBC" or "freezer bag cooking" will get you a ton of recipes, mostly geared at backpackers. This is good, because stuff will be compact and not need to be kept in a cooler.
We have a Dutch oven (the black heavy kind, not the enameled kind). Lodge makes parchment paper liners, which makes cleanup pretty easy (not as easy as throwing away a freezer bag, but still...). Shepherd's pie with frozen veggies and instant mashed potatoes is simple and delicious. I've also see someone heat up some canned chili and pour cornbread batter from a mix over the top, and that was damn tasty too.
The last day is EMG -- everything must go. Everyone just eats a weird hodgepodge of whatever leftovers are still viable.
Also, don't underestimate how much better everything tastes outside. A meal that seems simple or boring at home can be amazing after a day outside!
posted by natabat at 1:43 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Get some quart size freezer bags. Crack an egg or two into one. Seal it, and mush it up until it's scrambled. Give everyone their own and let them put whatever omelet-y things they like. Drop in a pot of boiling water until cooked. (We usually hold them so they're not touching the sides or bottom of the pot -- you could probably rig up some kind of clothesline deal). Eat out of them, throw them away -- voila, no mess!
You can also pour boiling water into freezer bags -- get some instant rice, ramen or pasta that takes around 5 minutes to cook, instant mashed potatoes, etc. Portion the dry stuff into the bags, and rehydrate/cook inside them. Googling "FBC" or "freezer bag cooking" will get you a ton of recipes, mostly geared at backpackers. This is good, because stuff will be compact and not need to be kept in a cooler.
We have a Dutch oven (the black heavy kind, not the enameled kind). Lodge makes parchment paper liners, which makes cleanup pretty easy (not as easy as throwing away a freezer bag, but still...). Shepherd's pie with frozen veggies and instant mashed potatoes is simple and delicious. I've also see someone heat up some canned chili and pour cornbread batter from a mix over the top, and that was damn tasty too.
The last day is EMG -- everything must go. Everyone just eats a weird hodgepodge of whatever leftovers are still viable.
Also, don't underestimate how much better everything tastes outside. A meal that seems simple or boring at home can be amazing after a day outside!
posted by natabat at 1:43 PM on July 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Pie irons are your friend. You can make grilled cheese, grilled peanut butter, pies, cinnamon rolls in a tube from Trader Joe's, hash browns...
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:13 PM on July 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:13 PM on July 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Part of your breakfast/lunch 3 hours is probably about coffee. I have found that it's fun to play with various methods of getting good coffee while camping, but only for about 1-2 days. Seriously evaluate how much good coffee is worth to you, and weigh the tradeoff between drinking Starbucks Via and cleaning out a french press or other coffeemaking method. (hint, everything is more delicious outdoors, drink the instant!!)
posted by aimedwander at 2:20 PM on July 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by aimedwander at 2:20 PM on July 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
3 hours to make breakfast?! I think you need to go waaaaaaaaaay more simple, and also make meals more of a family affair. When we did car camping as a kid, I believe the main breakfast we had was those mini boxes of sugar cereal (a rare treat, so no one was going to turn that down!). Now they even make a version where the cereal is in its own bowl, so even less cleanup! If your kids will want protein, pack some cheesesticks too. Other good options would be granola, cereal/granola bars, yogurt, etc. -- but there really does not need to be cooking. Lunch ideally does not need cooking either -- sandwiches + fruit + chips will be fine. If anything, picky kids may enjoy having the same thing every day. You'll probably want a hot dinner, but again it does not have to be fancy! I have awesome memories of eating spaghetti with jarred sauce when camping as a kid -- everything tastes soooo much better when camping/after being outside all day! Other good options are baked potatoes/yams cooked over the coals, hotdogs, and of course s'mores.
Also -- it appears there is one other adult in this scenario, who at a minimum should be helping with food prep and cleanup. And I would think most 9-year-olds and 6-year-olds can help with at least some basic tasks.
posted by rainbowbrite at 2:32 PM on July 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
Also -- it appears there is one other adult in this scenario, who at a minimum should be helping with food prep and cleanup. And I would think most 9-year-olds and 6-year-olds can help with at least some basic tasks.
posted by rainbowbrite at 2:32 PM on July 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
Best answer: For a trip like this I'd probably go with:
1) everyone cleans their own plate/utensils/bowl/cups OR paper plates and bowls and cups (you can burn them in a campfire at night!)
2) Alternate or have people pick daily between cereal + milk, bagel + spread (cream cheese/peanut butter) with hand fruit (grapes/bananas/apples/berries or melons you chop before you leave home and keep in a cooler) for breakfast. You can also keep individual yogurts in the cooler and pre hard-boiled eggs. Everyone is in charge of foraging for their own breakfast, with assist for 6 yo as needed (the adult who is not in charge of meals should be doing any assists, here).
3) coffee/tea- lower your standards if you can. Although normally we'd be picky about coffee, we bring Via packets and combine them with a half packet of hot cocoa for "mochas" when we backpack. If you heat hot water for this or tea it also gives folks the option of single-serve oatmeal containers if they want a warm breakfast.
4) lunches= sandwiches or wraps, period. Lots of deli meat, pre-sliced cheese pb, lettuce + sliced tomato, cream cheese, an avocado per day, bam. Throw out some potato chips, string cheese and pre-cut veggies or snap peas for sides. Everybody makes their own except maybe the six yo. Maybe bring some Hawaiian rolls or something to mix the carbs up and make mini-sandwiches.
5) snacks- hand fruit, hand vegetables, granola or nut bars, chips, dried fruit, jerky, cookies, potato chips, fruit roll-ups, cut up cheese from home with crackers and anything else that is zero work. These can be served alongside any meal.
6) dinners- this will be the most complicated but still doable. Come up five dinners and use them each twice, with the option that people who don't like what you're having can do breakfast or lunch again? Lots of good ideas above. I'd suggest hot dogs, spaghetti, hamburgers, mac and cheese, ramen or other simple things along those lines. Add sides and snacks.
My favorite backpacking mess-free dinner idea: Tasty Bites (or Trader Joe's/whatever) boil-in-bag Indian food + instant rice. Measure the amount of water you need for the rice, boil, remove bags, remove pot from heat, insert rice and wait 5 minutes. The pot just has rice bits that easily swish out, so you only have to clean plates/utensils.
posted by charmedimsure at 2:47 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
1) everyone cleans their own plate/utensils/bowl/cups OR paper plates and bowls and cups (you can burn them in a campfire at night!)
2) Alternate or have people pick daily between cereal + milk, bagel + spread (cream cheese/peanut butter) with hand fruit (grapes/bananas/apples/berries or melons you chop before you leave home and keep in a cooler) for breakfast. You can also keep individual yogurts in the cooler and pre hard-boiled eggs. Everyone is in charge of foraging for their own breakfast, with assist for 6 yo as needed (the adult who is not in charge of meals should be doing any assists, here).
3) coffee/tea- lower your standards if you can. Although normally we'd be picky about coffee, we bring Via packets and combine them with a half packet of hot cocoa for "mochas" when we backpack. If you heat hot water for this or tea it also gives folks the option of single-serve oatmeal containers if they want a warm breakfast.
4) lunches= sandwiches or wraps, period. Lots of deli meat, pre-sliced cheese pb, lettuce + sliced tomato, cream cheese, an avocado per day, bam. Throw out some potato chips, string cheese and pre-cut veggies or snap peas for sides. Everybody makes their own except maybe the six yo. Maybe bring some Hawaiian rolls or something to mix the carbs up and make mini-sandwiches.
5) snacks- hand fruit, hand vegetables, granola or nut bars, chips, dried fruit, jerky, cookies, potato chips, fruit roll-ups, cut up cheese from home with crackers and anything else that is zero work. These can be served alongside any meal.
6) dinners- this will be the most complicated but still doable. Come up five dinners and use them each twice, with the option that people who don't like what you're having can do breakfast or lunch again? Lots of good ideas above. I'd suggest hot dogs, spaghetti, hamburgers, mac and cheese, ramen or other simple things along those lines. Add sides and snacks.
My favorite backpacking mess-free dinner idea: Tasty Bites (or Trader Joe's/whatever) boil-in-bag Indian food + instant rice. Measure the amount of water you need for the rice, boil, remove bags, remove pot from heat, insert rice and wait 5 minutes. The pot just has rice bits that easily swish out, so you only have to clean plates/utensils.
posted by charmedimsure at 2:47 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Unless you really like camp cooking, a good rule of thumb is one hot meal a day.
Even though it's unnecessary because you're car camping: my kids love Mountain House spaghetti with meat sauce.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:55 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Even though it's unnecessary because you're car camping: my kids love Mountain House spaghetti with meat sauce.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:55 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I like to prep a big ziplock bag of chopped onions and bell peppers before a camping weekend, so I don't have to bother with that in the field. Super handy for stir-frys, sauces, tacos, jambalayas, salads, etc.
Also, hard boil dozens of eggs (though actually, steam them instead). Great for snacks, and good in salads if you score some mixed greens from a nearby grocery.
I favor english muffins for my PB&Js over loaf bread, as they withstand the insults of travel much better.
Fresh tortellini are pretty great for car camp dinners, and available in most stores' refrigerated sections. Keep 'em in the cooler, then just boil 'em for about 5 minutes and serve with a sauce (which you can either make yourself or simply heat from a jar, as your whimsy takes you).
There's not a much easier dinner entrée than taking a frozen salmon fillet, wrapping it in heavy-duty foil and sticking it over your campfire for 35 minutes or so. A fresh fillet will cook much faster. Leftovers are great in the next morning's breakfast tacos.
On the flip side, I find cooking pancakes to be a miserable use of one's morning and can't possibly recommend it (unless you really need to score points with the kids). You burn way too much fuel in the tedious process of churning them out.
posted by mumkin at 4:11 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also, hard boil dozens of eggs (though actually, steam them instead). Great for snacks, and good in salads if you score some mixed greens from a nearby grocery.
I favor english muffins for my PB&Js over loaf bread, as they withstand the insults of travel much better.
Fresh tortellini are pretty great for car camp dinners, and available in most stores' refrigerated sections. Keep 'em in the cooler, then just boil 'em for about 5 minutes and serve with a sauce (which you can either make yourself or simply heat from a jar, as your whimsy takes you).
There's not a much easier dinner entrée than taking a frozen salmon fillet, wrapping it in heavy-duty foil and sticking it over your campfire for 35 minutes or so. A fresh fillet will cook much faster. Leftovers are great in the next morning's breakfast tacos.
On the flip side, I find cooking pancakes to be a miserable use of one's morning and can't possibly recommend it (unless you really need to score points with the kids). You burn way too much fuel in the tedious process of churning them out.
posted by mumkin at 4:11 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Ultra pasteurized milk , those soups in a box , single servings of jello with fruit require no refrigeration or heating .
posted by hortense at 4:58 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by hortense at 4:58 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Echoing everything above, and adding hobo stew for dinner. Tin foil pockets with everyone making their own meal-great way to use leftovers. So, I took about twenty frozen brats last weekend. Had them for dinner one night, lunch the next, and then made hobo stew with anything else around for dinner second night (onion, a zucchini, etc). Repeat the next two days. And no clean up with these.
posted by purenitrous at 6:52 PM on July 20, 2017
posted by purenitrous at 6:52 PM on July 20, 2017
I can get up at 7 before the rest of the family is awake and not be done with breakfast / lunch prep cleanup until 10. I hate it.
What?? This is so painful to read, why????
My family went car camping for 6 week stretches every summer from about the time I was 7 until 16. Here is what we ate/how we ate it:
-breakfast was toast and cereal. The toast was fun because we had some toaster from the 1940s that needed to be watched and the toast manually flipped
-lunch was a rest stop at the side of the road, it was cheese, summer sausage, zweibach (a Russian kind of dried rusk my mother made enough of beforehand to last the entire trip) and black tea from a thermos (nothing to clean up)
-dinner might be a bit more fancy. The fanciest was a beef stew my mother made in a pressure cooker on a camp stove. It took max 45 minutes to make. My dad always did clean up for all meals.
- everyone ate the same thing, picky eaters ate what they got or not at all
posted by nanook at 6:57 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
What?? This is so painful to read, why????
My family went car camping for 6 week stretches every summer from about the time I was 7 until 16. Here is what we ate/how we ate it:
-breakfast was toast and cereal. The toast was fun because we had some toaster from the 1940s that needed to be watched and the toast manually flipped
-lunch was a rest stop at the side of the road, it was cheese, summer sausage, zweibach (a Russian kind of dried rusk my mother made enough of beforehand to last the entire trip) and black tea from a thermos (nothing to clean up)
-dinner might be a bit more fancy. The fanciest was a beef stew my mother made in a pressure cooker on a camp stove. It took max 45 minutes to make. My dad always did clean up for all meals.
- everyone ate the same thing, picky eaters ate what they got or not at all
posted by nanook at 6:57 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The bad thing about camp cooking is definitely the washing up under cold water part. So you need to minimize the number of items that need washing (including giving each child responsibility for their own) and also make sure the pots and utensils you use don't get too greasy.
Hotdogs, food grilled on skewers, food baked in foil are all good. Bring skewers and foil from home.
One pot food is good, but not if there is a lot of dairy and/or egg in the recipe, they stick to the pot. One pot pasta, chili, a stew made with chunks of meat and a mix of chunky vegs in a pot, flavored with thyme, laurel and peppercorns is somehow just amazing when you are camping (the meat can be anything, I often make it with chicken, or duck or some wild fowl if I can get it). Use canned tomato, canned beans including baked beans to go with those sausages, canned potatoes.
Bring a lot of different cup noodles, there are so many variations and kids enjoy picking them individually.
Involve the kids in cooking, these breadsticks are a fun project for kids and dad. I'd probably bring those sticks from home as well because pine isn't ideal for the purpose. Maybe practice at home as well, if you can?
Discuss with everyone before you leave how to make this fun for you, kids and partner need to be responsible.
posted by mumimor at 2:44 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
Hotdogs, food grilled on skewers, food baked in foil are all good. Bring skewers and foil from home.
One pot food is good, but not if there is a lot of dairy and/or egg in the recipe, they stick to the pot. One pot pasta, chili, a stew made with chunks of meat and a mix of chunky vegs in a pot, flavored with thyme, laurel and peppercorns is somehow just amazing when you are camping (the meat can be anything, I often make it with chicken, or duck or some wild fowl if I can get it). Use canned tomato, canned beans including baked beans to go with those sausages, canned potatoes.
Bring a lot of different cup noodles, there are so many variations and kids enjoy picking them individually.
Involve the kids in cooking, these breadsticks are a fun project for kids and dad. I'd probably bring those sticks from home as well because pine isn't ideal for the purpose. Maybe practice at home as well, if you can?
Discuss with everyone before you leave how to make this fun for you, kids and partner need to be responsible.
posted by mumimor at 2:44 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
We just came back from 4 nights of camping. One suggestion we thought worked really well was canned chicken curry and microwave-ready rice. Just warm the curry and cook the rice with a bit of water for a couple of minutes - dinner in 10 minutes and minimal mess.
posted by sagwalla at 2:41 AM on July 25, 2017
posted by sagwalla at 2:41 AM on July 25, 2017
I favor english muffins for my PB&Js over loaf bread, as they withstand the insults of travel much better.
Holy carp, that is brilliant. All those smushed, distorted PB&J's on the trail will now be a thing of the past.
posted by COD at 6:34 AM on July 25, 2017
Holy carp, that is brilliant. All those smushed, distorted PB&J's on the trail will now be a thing of the past.
posted by COD at 6:34 AM on July 25, 2017
Best answer: As a kid, our first night's dinners were always boil-in-bag frozen meals. Boil-in-bag means not having to clean cooking pots or utensils. You could use them anytime you make a grocery run.
posted by metasarah at 9:51 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by metasarah at 9:51 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: A huge thank you to everybody on this thread. We just got back and it was food-wise the least stressful and fastest experience ever. Based on your suggestions, I realized that a lot of my issues had to do with:
* Resolved not to dirty a single pot. I would boil water or use a campfire. That's it.
* Prepared, in advance, the following: Hard boiled eggs (way more than we actually ate), turkey bacon (vacuum sealed)
* Bought a bunch of things that were either boil-in-bag or just-add-water. Spent the weekend before our trip serving these to the family to determine what would work.
* Came up with four distinct dinners and planned to repeat each one once: Weenie roast, Mac & Cheese (individual Annie's microwave servings work fine when you add boiling water!), Ramen with instant veggie soup mix & canned chicken, boil-in-bag curries with single serve boil-in-container parboiled brown rice. Ended up having hot dogs three times because we had plenty.
* We eat lots of fruit & vegetables. Resolved not to cut a single one. Brought only things that could be eaten as-is: bags of baby cucumbers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and mini peppers; grapes, berries. Bought a shit-ton of dried & freeze-dried fruits as well from Trader Joe's to supplement.
* Single serve yogurts and cottage cheeses worked pretty well, but had to throw out several due to the pressure differential from purchase point (sea level) to camping point (8000 feet) causing the seals to rupture.
* Made PBJ's for the kids for lunch until they got sick of them (which took three days). Everyone ate jerky & veggies for lunch.
* Brought a ton of single-serve snacks as well: small bags of trail mix, mixed nuts, fruit gummies, popcorn, granola bars, shelf-stable milk & chocolate milk.
* As aimedwander pointed out, coffee was indeed time consuming. I can't have instant coffee (medical reasons believe it or not) so I bought a french press mug. Much less cleanup.
* Disposable plates as needed. Had a few reusable bowls as some things wouldn't work with paper.
* Kids ate cereal or granola bars for breakfast, or a hard boiled egg if we weren't in a hurry.
Ultimately, the bulk of meal time was spent on boiling water. Cleanup never took more than 2-3 minutes tops. Everyone was fed. I was very pleased.
Thank you!
posted by rouftop at 2:43 PM on August 7, 2017 [9 favorites]
- Trying to make interesting things
- Using too many dishes
* Resolved not to dirty a single pot. I would boil water or use a campfire. That's it.
* Prepared, in advance, the following: Hard boiled eggs (way more than we actually ate), turkey bacon (vacuum sealed)
* Bought a bunch of things that were either boil-in-bag or just-add-water. Spent the weekend before our trip serving these to the family to determine what would work.
* Came up with four distinct dinners and planned to repeat each one once: Weenie roast, Mac & Cheese (individual Annie's microwave servings work fine when you add boiling water!), Ramen with instant veggie soup mix & canned chicken, boil-in-bag curries with single serve boil-in-container parboiled brown rice. Ended up having hot dogs three times because we had plenty.
* We eat lots of fruit & vegetables. Resolved not to cut a single one. Brought only things that could be eaten as-is: bags of baby cucumbers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and mini peppers; grapes, berries. Bought a shit-ton of dried & freeze-dried fruits as well from Trader Joe's to supplement.
* Single serve yogurts and cottage cheeses worked pretty well, but had to throw out several due to the pressure differential from purchase point (sea level) to camping point (8000 feet) causing the seals to rupture.
* Made PBJ's for the kids for lunch until they got sick of them (which took three days). Everyone ate jerky & veggies for lunch.
* Brought a ton of single-serve snacks as well: small bags of trail mix, mixed nuts, fruit gummies, popcorn, granola bars, shelf-stable milk & chocolate milk.
* As aimedwander pointed out, coffee was indeed time consuming. I can't have instant coffee (medical reasons believe it or not) so I bought a french press mug. Much less cleanup.
* Disposable plates as needed. Had a few reusable bowls as some things wouldn't work with paper.
* Kids ate cereal or granola bars for breakfast, or a hard boiled egg if we weren't in a hurry.
Ultimately, the bulk of meal time was spent on boiling water. Cleanup never took more than 2-3 minutes tops. Everyone was fed. I was very pleased.
Thank you!
posted by rouftop at 2:43 PM on August 7, 2017 [9 favorites]
Is cold-brew coffee too instanty for you? I brought a bottle of Trader Joe's concentrated coffee on a camping trip recently (I usually drink instant but my traveling companion rebelled) and it was fine. Less cleanup than a French press, and you can make it with hot or cold water.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:58 AM on August 12, 2017
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:58 AM on August 12, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by praemunire at 11:30 AM on July 20, 2017 [20 favorites]