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Submit Up to date: June 11, 2022
Are you heading out for a fast weekend tenting journey and need to minimize down in your packing checklist? Questioning if you happen to can simplify your tenting journey by leaving your cooler at dwelling?
Or perhaps you’re heading out for per week, and also you need to use all of the house in your cooler for beer!
All of those are nice causes to stay with shelf secure, no cook dinner tenting meals that requires no cooler and no cooking!
On this article I’ll educate you every little thing you have to know to begin tenting and not using a cooler or kitchen, together with meals to convey tenting and not using a fridge and meal plans!
Why would I need to camp and not using a cooler, and with out cooking?
Tom and I camp a LOT. We definitely like to RV, however we do loads of tent tenting as properly. Considered one of our high objectives when tent tenting is to cut back the quantity of substances we convey alongside.
Much less gear means much less time packing, much less time establishing camp, and extra time to really get pleasure from nature.
One of many best methods to cut back your tenting gear is to skip the camp kitchen!
So far as the cooler, it takes up a ton of house within the automotive, so chances are you’ll need to skip all of it collectively. OR, chances are you’ll like to drink loads of chilly drinks when you camp, so chances are you’ll need to use all your cooler house for drinks!
In both case, you’ll need to pack meals that doesn’t require refrigeration. Fortunately, there are tons of scrumptious meals you can also make from meals that don’t require a cooler!
Additionally, if you happen to like to RV boondock (camp in wilderness areas with out hookups) like we do, then no cooler no cook dinner meals may help you lengthen your boondocking time by a number of days!
Does this imply I’ve to eat nothing however canned meals whereas I camp?
It’s possible you’ll be imagining a whole weekend of consuming nothing however path combine and peanut butter, however don’t fear! You’ll be amazed at what number of meals will preserve for a number of days with none refrigeration. There are many vegatables and fruits that don’t require a cooler.
With that stated, in order for you selection, and if you wish to make precise meals in your tenting journey you’re going to eat a mixture of hearty produce, and shelf secure, non perishable canned meals.
Fortunate for you, I’ve examined tons of shelf secure meals through the years on my tenting journeys, and I’ve found out the perfect no cook dinner, no refrigeration meals for tenting!
Tenting Meals No Cooking Meal Plan
First, decide how lengthy you’ll be tenting for. Sure meals preserve longer than others with out refrigeration, so a week-long tenting journey would require totally different meals than a two evening getaway.
When you’ve determined how lengthy you’ll camp for it’s best to decide what the climate will possible be like in your journey (everyone knows that climate might be unpredictable). It will decide how lengthy your unrefrigerated produce will final.
For instance, if you happen to’re going tenting someplace with cool days and chilly nights you’re produce will preserve quite a bit longer than if you happen to’re tenting in a scorching, humid space.
For longer journeys I wish to make a spreadsheet of meals. The rows are breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the columns are the times of the journey. This ensures that I pack sufficient meals with out overpacking.
For those who don’t like spreadsheets you possibly can simply do that on a chunk of paper.
When you’ve deliberate out your meals, make a grocery checklist of the components you’ll want. Don’t neglect so as to add some snacks to the checklist too!
My favourite snacks for tenting are:
- M&Ms (even in scorching climate they received’t soften!)
- Pringles (as a result of they’re in a can in order that they received’t get smashed up!)
The Finest Non Perishable Meals for Tenting
I’m going to divide this into sections- fruits, greens, meat, grains, dairy, and pre-mixed meals (like canned soup, for instance).
Fruits
Bananas– these are particularly nice if you happen to plan to hike in your tenting journey. Bananas are loaded with potassium, which your muscle tissue will love.
Oranges
Apples
Fruit Leather-based– These make an incredible snack, and are positively a should if you happen to’re tenting with children
Dried Fruit– An incredible snack, and likewise superior on high of granola or cereal!
Greens
Avocados– These are the kings of no cook dinner tenting greens! You should purchase a bag of arduous, unripe avocados, and they’re going to preserve for days as they ripen.
If you wish to eat one with dinner stick it in a paper bag with a banana within the morning, and also you’ll have a ripe avocado by time for supper!
Cabbage– A head of cabbage will simply preserve for per week unrefrigerated. I like to make use of the leaves as wraps, or add them to sandwiches so as to add a crunchy texture!
Tomatoes– You should definitely seize tomatoes which can be nonetheless a bit agency, and they’re going to preserve for 4-7 days with out refrigeration!
Meat
Canned Tuna/Salmon– I’m really allergic to tuna so I spring for the canned salmon when tenting, however canned tuna is a basic shelf secure meals that could be very versatile.
Canned Hen– A much less pungent different to canned fish, and might be eaten many various methods.
Canned Ham– We use this for sandwiches, and it’s an incredible sandwich meat different. Simply be sure you drain it very well!
SPAM– I’m not an enormous fan of SPAM, however some individuals actually adore it. I’ll admit that it may be made into an honest no-cook sandwich fairly simply, and I normally convey one can on tenting journeys.
Shelf-Steady Pre-Cooked Bacon– That is the BEST of the shelf secure tenting meats. You don’t must refrigerate it till it’s opened, and two individuals can simply eat the entire bundle in a single meal.
Beef Jerky– It is a basic tenting meals, and we advocate you make your personal for the perfect worth AND the perfect taste! We use this beef jerky recipe once we make it ourselves.
Grains
Granola– this makes for an superior no-cook breakfast, particularly if you happen to combine it with dried fruit and powdered milk.
Cereal– Any cereal you want is a superb tenting breakfast, particularly when mixed with powdered or shelf-stable milk!
White Bread– I favor complete wheat bread to white, however in my expertise white bread appears to maintain longer and simpler in scorching climates. My favourite is Texas toast model white bread as a result of it’s thick and nice for sandwiches.
Peanut Butter
Dairy
Powdered Milk– when added to water this makes an superior base for granola or cereal.
Shelf-Steady Milk Bins– You’ll normally discover these within the kids’s juice field part of the grocery retailer. That is milk that’s shelf secure till opened that is available in small particular person packing containers or cartons. It’s not as moveable as powdered milk, however tastes extra just like the common milk you’re used to!
Cheddar Cheese Block– Sure, within the grocery retailer these are refrigerated, however a block of arduous cheddar cheese retains very properly with out refrigeration for as much as per week! If cheddar isn’t your factor, some other arduous cheese will work the identical approach.
Mayonnaise/Mustard/Relish Packets– The little particular person condiment packets are PERFECT for tenting, and mean you can make way more attention-grabbing no-cook meals! You should purchase packing containers of those on-line, and at native restaurant provide shops like Store n Save.
Pre-Blended Meals
Pre-mixed, pre-cooked meals aren’t our favourite, however they do make no-cooler tenting quite simple, and now we have tried lots of them to seek out the manufacturers which can be really respectable!
Professional tip: If you wish to warmth up certainly one of these meals, simply level your automobile on the solar, and put the meal bundle on the dashboard of your automotive. The solar will shine via the windshield and warmth your meal!
Tasty Bites Indian Meals Pouches– Dealer Joe’s carries these, and they’re superior shelf-stable meals that style nice even at room temperature, so no cooking obligatory.
Hormel Compleats– These are very hit and miss relying on taste, however the pasta flavors are all good. We particularly just like the mac n cheese, and the alfredo!
My Favourite No Cooler Tenting Meals
BATS (Bacon, avocado, tomato sandwiches)
These are SO good, and an superior different to the basic BLT. Lettuce doesn’t preserve very properly exterior of a cooler, and avocado provides extra taste anyway.
For those who nonetheless need the crunch of lettuce in your sandwich simply add some cabbage! I additionally like so as to add mayo from the shelf secure packets to those sandwiches.
Beef, Cheese, and Cabbage Wraps
Wrap up a strip of beef jerky and a slice of cheddar cheese in a cabbage leaf. These make an incredible snack, or a couple of of them make an incredible meal.
These are additionally superior if you happen to add in avocado!
Tuna/Salmon Salad Sandwich
This meal is the place the shelf secure condiment packets actually shine. I like to combine mayo, mustard and relish with my salmon to make a flavorful salmon salad sandwich.
I additionally add a cabbage leaf or potato chips to my sandwich for some crunch.
Avocado Hen Boat
Lower a ripe avocado in half, and put hen, tomato, and a few cheese on the half avocado.
That is eaten like a baked potato, and it’s an superior dinner!
By skipping the cooler and camp kitchen you possibly can head out on a final minute tenting journey extra simply than ever earlier than!
Do you could have any favourite no-cooler/no-cook tenting meals? I’d love to listen to about them within the feedback part under.
Wish to make your campsite further snug? Take a look at our information to campsite decor right here.
Wish to study extra about full time camper life? Take a look at our articles on dwelling full time in a mini motorhome!
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