Dining and Snacking Tips for the Gourmet Camper
Literary Adventurer — Traci Macnamara
With advances in trail food technology, there’s no excuse for eating lumpy instant oatmeal or mushy Ramen noodles when you’re out there on a camping trip. Prepackaged gourmet camping meals, such as those from Packit Gourmet, are always a great last-minute option when you don’t have the time to plan ahead. But if you’re feeling inspired to take your camping snacks and meals from blah…to brilliant, then explore this advice:
SNACKING: GO BEYOND GORP
Enjoying good food on a camping trip should begin as soon as you set off for your destination. If you want to improve the wow factor of your snacks, then think beyond GORP (Good Old-Fashioned Raisins and Peanuts). While GORP is an easy-to-carry snack food that also contains a balance of protein and carbohydrates, it’s simply boring.
Consider taking snacks that have some GORP-like qualities (compact, tasty, balanced nutritional content), but explore this series of recipe ideas on Learnist, “Beyond GORP:Alternative Trail Snack Recipes,” to add some excitement to your routine. On this learning board, you’ll find a collection of eight snack recipes that range from savory to sweet and include options such as cranberry wasabi trail mix and mini trail mix energy bites. If you take these snacks with you on your next trip, you’ll find yourself digging into your backpack for them even before you’ve reached the trailhead.
PLAN A SPECIAL MEAL
When you begin planning camping meals, consider the size and scope of the meal as well as available cooking options. If you’re car camping with a large group, for example, then you can pretty much fill up the trunk of your car with coolers stocked full of gourmet ingredients, but if you’re backpacking, you’ll have to consider the other things such as weight, fuel, and cookware.
In the Learnist board “Recipes for the Gourmet Camper,” you’ll find a variety of recipes that will inspire amazing outdoor cooking, whether you’re at a campsite with a compact stove or in the backcountry with only minimal cooking supplies. This board includes a slew of gourmet options for backpackers, a camping cookbook suggestion, and advice about how to find creative ways to make cocktails in the outdoors.
CARRY AT LEAST ONE LITTLE LUXURY
Finally, carry something special with you in your backpack to share with others—or leave a little treat in your car that you can enjoy when you return. Maybe you’d like to explore how to enjoy good coffee in the outdoors to make a camping breakfast more inspired. Pulling out a surprise bar of gourmet dark chocolate out in a low-morale moment can boost the spirits of an entire group, one shared square at a time. And returning to your car to find a bag of sweet potato chips or something else that you haven’t eaten in days will make even the worst trip seem a little bit lighter.
