In the last post we took a quick look at the science of camping - today we're going to discuss the
science of camp cooking.
As we pointed out, it's vital that any food preparation you do while you're on a camping vacation is safe, especially if you're in the middle of nowhere. Trying to hike ten miles out of a campsite with an upset stomach is not fun. The other important requirement, especially if your vacation involves a lot of strenuous activity, is that you cater adequately for your dietary and energy needs. Simply being in the outdoors and doing the kind of activities associated with a camping vacation will use more than your usual daily energy requirements, so you need to factor in some extra rations!
Although it's a good idea to take comfort snacks like chocolate, 'slow burn' food like oatmeal and pasta is great for camping - it's easy to cook and gives you a ton of energy. Just be aware that pasta goes stone cold in about two minutes in the open air, so you need to eat it quickly! It can be tough to take bread on camp, so look for alternatives to ordinary bread, like pittas and naans.
Remember that meat and milk go off very easily, and it's not really practical to take a fridge with you. If you're camping in winter it's quite possible to keep stuff cold outside your tent, but having lots of fresh meat hanging about is a good way of attractiving unwelcome guests in the form of hungry bears and wildcats. A lot of people don't advocate taking canned food on camp, but despite its weight it's safe to keep and it's secure. Just remember to wash the tins after you've used their contents, flatten them and take them home with you.
Tinned food is also useful because it's generally easy and quick to cook. Another alternative is dried food - which, frankly, isn't that nice - or, these days, boil-in-the-bag. You can buy whole menus in boil-in-the-bag form from camping stores, but they tend to be expensive. For a cheaper deal, check out army surplus stores for NATO-standard ration packs. Each of these contains boil-in-the-bag food for twenty-four hours (which you can eat out of the packet to save on washing up) along with treats like cookies and chocolate bars. Although it's still a little pricier than making up your own rations, military ratpacks are compact, light, and will give you everything you need - you can even get vegetarian and kosher versions!