There's nothing quite like sleeping under the stars next to a few of your friends on a cool summer night. Camping is a popular year-round activity, but it serves as an especially nice getaway during the spring or summer when the trails are clear, the sun is shining, the animals are out, and the plants are in bloom. Some skeptics complain that camping can be tiring and complicated, and most importantly they worry about the food situation. No need to fret—whether you're a camping novice or a camping pro, here are some clever and easy camping food hacks to make you look like an expert backcountry cook in no time.
Disclaimer: I was not able to actually go camping to test these hacks. These have all been tested over a grill, but you can easily recreate these hacks over an actual fire in the actual wilderness.
1. Eggs in a Bottle
It might sound gross, but this is one of the easiest and most practical camping food hacks. If you want scrambled eggs, simply crack a few into a bowl pre-camping, mix them up with a fork, and pour the mixture into a sealed container, like a water bottle or a Mason jar. Seal with a cap, toss it in your food bag, and you're ready to hit the woods. Once you're camping, pour the eggs into your cooking pan over a fire, scramble them as normal, and enjoy!
2. Pancakes To-Go
Instant oatmeal is great, but campfire pancakes are a far more impressive dish to serve. Make your pancake batter (it can be as simple or fancy as you would like), pour it into a Ziploc bag, and seal it. If you're able to, store it in a cooler (or bring along a lunchbox with an ice pack in it). When it's pancake time, cut of on of the bottom corners of the bag and squeeze out the batter onto the heated pan for each pancake. Bonus points if you can flip the pancake without messing it up!
3. Coffee Bags
If you need a cup of morning joe to get your gears turning, this hack is for you. This is basically a DIY coffee and tea hybrid. Before leaving camp (or at camp), pour one serving of instant coffee into a coffee filter and secure with a string to create a little coffee pouch. Just like you would with tea, pop this bag into a mug. After boiling water over a fire, pour hot water into the mug and you're set.
4. One-pot Breakfast
I make a variation this breakfast all the time when I'm home, and I'm happy to say I can also make this while camping! Over a fire, toss in veggies of your choice and some sausage. Sauté them for a few minutes until they're mostly cooked, and then pour in you eggs (from the bottle hack)! You can scramble the eggs or cook it omelette style.
#SpoonTip: I like to add spinach, peppers, and spicy Italian sausage to my breakfast bowl.
5. Muffins in Orange Peels
Yes, you read it right. There aren't any ovens in the wilderness, so the traditional way of baking muffins or cupcakes isn't feasible. If you're determined to bake muffins while camping, you have to be a little creative and resourceful. Slice an orange in half, scoop out the fruit, and pour in some pre-made muffin batter. Place the makeshift muffin cups on top of a grill over the fire, and watch your camp muffins bake. I was pretty impressed with how well this hack turned out; the muffins were fully baked, with a hint of orange zest of course.
#SpoonTip: You can also make campfire brownies using this method.
6. Crescent Rolls on a Stick
It seems like most foods can be cooked over a campfire if you have them on a stick, and crescent rolls are no exception. Simply wrap the roll around the stick, like it's a pig in a blanket, and hold it over the fire until it's light brown in color.
7. Cinnamon Rolls on a Stick
Similar to crescent rolls on a stick, you can enjoy a sweet, gooey cinnamon roll while camping if you poke a stick through the roll and hold it over a fire. If you're feeling creative, you can unroll the roll and wrap it around the stick in a cool knot (reference my attempt above). Easy and fancy backcountry dessert.
8. Camp Quesadillas
This hack is a personal favorite of mine because of its versatility. All you need to do is take a tortilla, add in your stuffing, place in tinfoil over a grill, and cook it. If you're in the mood for tacos, stuff your quesadilla with cheese, veggies, and maybe some pre-prepared meat that has been stored in a cooler. Or, if you're in the mood for a classic, spread some peanut butter and jelly on each half and warm it over the fire.
#SpoonTip: Add some paprika to your quesadilla or cinnamon to your PB&J. These embellishments are made possible by the next hack.
9. Seasoning To-Go
Camping food doesn't have to be bland! Take some of your preferred spices along to add extra flavor to your meals. Pour your spice into an empty Tic Tac box for easy transport. You can also use a straw by sealing both ends with a lighter. When you're ready to use the spice, snip off one of the ends of the straw with a knife or scissors, or simply pour out the spice from the Tic Tac box.
#SpoonTip: Old Bay seasoning goes with almost everything.
10. Camp Spinach Dip
If you want to impress your camping party, check out this spinach dip recipe. Before you go camping, mix all of the ingredients together and store in the fridge for 4-6 hours. When you go camping, scoop the dip into a tinfoil packet (made by layering two pieces of foil, folding the sides together in the middle, and rolling the ends to seal). When you're ready to eat the dip, unfold the packet and refold the ends to create a makeshift bowl, place over a grill or hot coals, and bake until warm and bubbly. Take along some crackers, bread, or veggies to dip into it.
11. Banana Boats
I'm sure you've noticed that s'mores are not included in this article, and that is because a) most everyone knows how to make s'mores, and b) these banana boats take s'mores to the next level. Place a peeled banana in some tinfoil and split it in half. Crumble graham crackers, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips on the banana. Place it on a grill over the fire and cook until the chocolate and marshmallows are gooey, and then go bananas over how amazing it tastes.
Camping food doesn't have to always be packaged, and it doesn't have to be complicated either. These hacks prove that people of all camping expertise levels can enjoy a good meal over a fire. Add some pals, good stories, and maybe a hike or two and you've got yourself a solid camping trip.