Spending time outdoor is truly a blast. Seriously, what’s not to like? You get moderate physical activity, nourishing natural surroundings to charge your batteries, and endless opportunities to have fun with your friends and family… The only thing missing from this picture is a centerpiece barbecue making sure everyone is full and happy. Yeah, there are very few people who can say no to a well-made camping barbecue.
Unfortunately, as pleasant as they are, also present considerable challenges for the campers. If not approached with careful planning and due diligence they can spoil the rest of the fun.
So, let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. Instead, we’ll go through some of the most critical tips for outdoor food enthusiasts that will allow you to marry two things you enjoy the most – good time outdoors and well-made food.
Plan Ahead and keep Everyone on Board
Kitchenware tends to eat up a lot of space. That can be a big problem taking into consideration your car and your backpacks can squeeze only a limited amount of camping gear. This is especially evident if you are going camping in cold weather. That is why, before you start preparing for your next trip, make a list of items that are essential for camping. The choice of meals and the cookware you will need will revolve around decisions made here. Also, be sure to get in touch with the rest of the crowd and consult them about the things they would like to eat and the items they can carry along.
Have your Essential Cooking Gear in Check
You really want to avoid running around making last minute purchases and buying sub-par items. So, start assembling your cooking ear early so, when the time comes for the trip, you have everything you need. Start with the quality portable grill that will have adjustable heat controls, durable build, and be easy to clean. The other thing to take care of is durable cookware like pots, dishes, and skillets. As for the plates, you should stick with the deep bowl plates since they can serve multiple purposes. Foldable handles, non-slippery surfaces, and easy-to-clean elements are always highly preferable.
Make Smart Choice of Utensils and Accessories
Once again, your goal is to do more with less. Let’s take cutting tools for example. Sure, a set of quality kitchen knives is great, but it’s expensive and eats up too much space. On the other hand, quality pocket knives can do all the things the kitchen knives can but they can also cut branches, dig holes, and tackle countless other chores. Car starters can do all the things the power banks can. But, they can also fire up your frozen four-riders and power up your outdoor grill. Water purifiers always make a more prudent choice than stacking endless bottles of fresh water. You get the point here.
Prepare your Meals in Advance
Of course, we don’t mean whole meals – that would take too much fun out of your camping trips. But, slicing and marinating your meat, preparing the seasoning and sauces, and chopping the salads can make your life once you reach the campsite much easier. First you will save yourself a lot of time that can be spent doing something less menial. Second, you will need to bring fewer items along. So, try to make most of the portable freezers and aluminum foil and heavy duty aluminum bags. Meals using raw veggies, dry fruits and other low-maintenance ingredients shouldn’t be off your menu either.
Make Sure Everyone’s Having Good Times
After all, that’s what camping trips are all about. Well, you need to ensure that while you are having good times preparing the meals, others are having fun too. Take this even more seriously if you are bringing your children. As you know they can get bored real fast. Well, if you pack some educational wooden toys from Montessori, sports items, or some inspiring books you will keep them well engaged. You will also prevent them from spending their entire time outdoors stuck behind their phones. Healthy environment and an opportunity to learn something worthwhile is a winning combo.
Position your Camp Properly
For a start, you will need to ensure you have access to some water source, so your water filtration systems have something useful to do. Also, rivers, streams, or at least a collected rainwater will take care of chores like cleaning, dish washing, and even cooling the drinks. Second, your camp needs to be sheltered and protected from elements. So, aim for areas beneath cliffs and steep hills. Finally, you need to keep in mind you are bringing food which can attract all sorts of wildlife. Choosing some remote position, enclosed from several sides will help you to limit the access to your campsite.
Try not the Leave Anything Behind
We all love spending time in the nourishing intact nature. Do your best then not to deny this joy to others. With that in mind – cooking outside is great fun. But, this pastime is also notorious for the waste it leaves behind. Don’t be one of those irresponsible people who don’t take care of their environment and try to practice the ‘Leave no trace’ principles. Following these seven guidelines will help you leave the campsite just as you found it and save the environment for the others. This is also a good opportunity to teach kids a couple of lessons about the value of life, nature and sustainability.
Wrapping-up
Well, we hope these couple of suggestions will help you make your camping trips enjoyable all while putting the best meals on the table. Cooking outdoors is not easy, and can make camping trips far more challenging than most people bargain for. But, with enough preparation any job can be made easier. Camping and outdoor cooking are really not different. So, start the preparations early, make sure you have all the items you need for an enjoyable experience, and unleash your inner Gordon Ramsey. Outdoor setting can only make your choices more inspiring.
