Top 10 Foods to Bring Tent Camping

One challenge that tent campers face, as opposed to those who own RVs, is that all food that is packed must both fit and survive in a cooler throughout the duration of your trip. Sometimes it can be a struggle when planning out meals and deciding what types of food to bring and not to bring.

I would like to say that I have menu planning for tent camping all figured out, after some trials and tribulations. Which is why I decided to share my list of the 10 best foods to bring along on your trip. These foods are all about keeping meals and snacks simple, yet tasty, and utilizing cooler space properly with foods that don't spoil easily.

The list of foods is in no particular order, as no food really ranks any better than another. With that being said, all I have left to say is....Happy trails...to you...until we meet again...!

Image Appears Courtesy of...Myself! (Taken at Spearhead Point Campground near Westboro, WI)

Eggs are a must have on your grocery list when you go tenting. The great thing about eggs is that they are a versatile food and easy to make!

Nothing makes a tastier or easier hot breakfast than throwing some eggs, veggies, and any kind of meat, in a skillet over the fire. Meat and veggies to go in the skillet can be chopped up before you leave home and kept in sandwich baggies in your cooler, which makes for a simple, yet tasty breakfast!

Fried eggs and toast are also an easy and yummy option, just cook the toast on a grate over the fire or put the bread on a hot dog roasting stick.

Image Appears Courtesy of Creative Commons: Eggs for Breakfast

Some of you may be wondering, "what exactly is a Pudgie Pie?" Others may be wondering, "what exactly would constitute a 'Pudgie Pie ingredient'?" If you would like to familiarize yourself with the great world of Pudgie Pies, see my lens below on How to Make Pudgie Pies. (As a side note, Pudgie Pies also go by the names: Pudgy Pies, Jaffles, or Honkers.)

For those of you who are familiar with Pudgie Pies, packing these ingredients are a camping essential. Ingredients to make sure you bring along are: bread, butter or margerine, and your Pudgie Pie fillings. I know Pudgie Pie fillings is a pretty broad term, but it all depends on what you like!

Personally, my Pudgie Pie fillings consist of eggs, cheese, and ham, but there are many, many different options for fillings. Again, I will direct you to my How to Make Pudgie Pies lens below, if you are looking for some yummy new recipes to try.

Image: Pie Iron from Amazon

Hamburger patties or ground turkey patties make for a simple meal, cooked over the fire. You can purchase pre-made hamburger or turkey burger patties, which is what I do, to make your meal even simpler!

There is the obvious option of throwing some burgers on a grate over the fire but I found another great option for burger patties as well! I have featured a lens below that gives a great recipe for Hobo Packets. A Hobo Packet consists of meat, usually potatoes, and veggies, all packaged in tin foil, and put over the fire or in the coals, to cook.

The reason I think Hobo Packets are so great is because each person can customize their packet with their favorite ingredients! Not only are these packets easy to throw together, they make for super easy clean up.

Image: Hobo Meal from Photo Bucket

Whether you prefer hot dogs, beef franks, turkey dogs, or veggie dogs, add them to your grocery list! Hot dogs make a simple lunch or supper over the fire or on the grill. All you need are the hot dogs themselves, buns, and condiments. It doesn't get much simpler than that.

Not only do hot dogs make an easy meal, there is also something about that smoky campfire taste that just makes my mouth water. For kids, they may find it fun to roast their own meal before eating, so mealtime becomes fun and interactive.

Image Appears Courtesy of Creative Commons: Wiener Roast

Fruit salad is so refreshing and tasty after a hot day in the sun. It also makes for an easy side dish or snack!

Choose fruits that you can chop up at home, ahead of time, that won't turn brown after spending a few days in a plastic container in your cooler. Some great fruits to use in your fruit salad are: watermelon, honeydew, blueberries, and pineapple, just to name a few.

The beauty of fruit salad is that you can pull it out of the cooler and place it on the table to accompany any meal. I bring a container full every time we camp.

Image Courtesy of Creative Commons: Fruit Salad.

Sandwiches are a great "go to" meal for a quick lunch. Lets face it, nobody wants to stop their fun to cook an elaborate meal!

The other great thing about bringing ingredients for sandwiches is that you and your posse can have lunch together, if you choose. Or if everyone is on the go and enjoying the great outdoors, everyone can make their own sandwich at the time of their choosing.

I recommend keeping the sandwiches as simple as possible, otherwise, the reason sandwiches make such a great camping meal goes out the window. Bring pre-packaged lunch meat in a ziplock bag, bread, cheese, and any condiments of your choice.

Tip: If you eat out every now and then, instead of throwing away the individual ketchup, mustard, and mayo packets, save them for your camping trips. This saves room in the cooler!

Image: Sandwich from Photo Bucket.

A can of baked beans makes a yummy and easy side dish for supper while on your camping trip.

If you have outdoor cookware, you can pour them into a pot and put over the fire to cook. If you don't have specialty outdoor cookware, just open the can of beans and place the whole can on a grate above the fire to cook. Either way you choose, EASY is the operative word here!

Beans are a great source of protein and a great way to sneak an extra vegetable into your family! I usually buy Texas Ranchero flavored Bush's Grillin' Beans not only because they taste amazing, but also to avoid the higher sugar content that a lot of the other flavors have.

Image: Bush's Best Texas Ranchero Grillin' Beans from Amazon

Lets face it, it just wouldn't be a proper campfire WITHOUT S'mores! There's nothing like ending a fun day by sitting around the fire, roasting marshmallows, and making S'mores. All you need are marshmallows, graham crackers, and a Hershey's bar!

One of my favorite movie quotes of all time explains exactly how to make a S'more and I couldn't describe it any better myself. So, courtesy of The Sandlot, here is the quote!

Ham Porter: Hey, Smalls, you wanna s'more?

Smalls: Some more of what?

Ham Porter: No, do you wanna s'more?

Smalls: I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?

Ham Porter: You're killing me Smalls! These are s'more's stuff! Ok, pay attention. First you take the graham, you stick the chocolate on the graham. Then you roast the 'mallow. When the 'mallows flaming... you stick it on the chocolate. Then cover with the other end. Then you scarf. Kind of messy, but good! Try some!

Image Appears Courtesy of Creative Commons: S'more

Trail Mix is a great food to bring along on your camping trip for an easy snack. Before you leave home, you can mix up a big bag or bowl of this yummy treat or even create individual bags for an easy snack to grab while on the go.

Trail Mix is great on so many levels. Depending on what foods are in your Trail Mix, it can be healthy, and also can give you that extra boost of energy during your day time activities.

Usually Trail Mix consists of a variety of nuts and dried fruit, however, you can add just about anything you want to this lovely mixture!

Granola Bars are a great addition to your menu because they're small, don't need to be refrigerated, and they're easy! A granola bar can serve as breakfast or even as a snack. Another perk is that these bars are portable! You can pack them for a day trip or send them along with your kids as they go explore.

I personally prefer to buy my granola bars because I'm better at cooking than I am at making sweet treats, but there are a number of great recipes out there on how to make your own granola bars.

I have featured a lens below with a recipe for Healthy Granola Bars for all of you ambitious folks out there who want to give it a try!

Image Appears Courtesy of Creative Commons: Apple Granola Bars