Camp Life & Cooking

When you arrive at camp, the first thing is to set up your tent on the flattest ground you can find. Use a tarp underneath to keep things dry and cleaner. Then unpack mesh bags with sleeping bags, pillows, towels, and blankets. Keep your shoes and headlamps by the door so you’re not fumbling at night. I set up a canopy with a tarp outside the tent where we keep shoes and suitcases.

If you’re camping where there are bears, you have to take it seriously. Any food, cooler, or scented item has to be locked away in your car or a bear box any time you’re not right there at the site. Rangers will check, and they will take your stuff if it’s left out. This is really about protecting the bears. If a bear learns to eat human food, it usually ends with the bear being euthanized. So, keep everything sealed and never leave any scraps or trash behind.

Be a good neighbor. Respect quiet hours, don’t cut through other campsites, and always leave your spot cleaner than you found it.

The setup I rely on is a two-burner propane stove, a pot, and a large cast iron skillet with a lid. A good cast iron skillet is like a portable oven. It works over a fire, heats evenly, and you can cook almost anything if you pay attention. 

Start your fire early so it has time to burn down to hot embers. Flames are too unpredictable/hot and will burn your food. Place your cast iron skillet over the embers or on the grill and then your meal. For frozen meals wrapped in foil, I’m constantly checking with a digital thermometer, sticking it into the center to track how fast it’s heating up. You need to flip or rotate your food frequently—burning the bottom is the main risk with a skillet. 

For almost anything you cook, your goal is to hit 165°F in the center. With frozen food, keep checking, flipping, and rotating until you get there. If it’s something you can’t flip, like pasta, stir it often and move the bottom to the top. Your goal is to heat the food evenly without burning the outsides.  It takes a ton of patience and takes longer than cooking at home. To minimize cleanup, line your skillet with foil when you can, or wrap foods in foil before cooking.

Garlic toast is a winner—spread some garlic butter on bread and toast it in the skillet. Hot dogs, sausages, and pre-cooked meals from a grocery store also work great.

For things like mac and cheese, I boil the noodles, then put the cheese sauce in the bowls or plates, not the pot, so the skillet or pot doesn’t get all sticky and gross.

Generally, I try to avoid making things that are messy.  I try to keep food off the actual skillet as much as possible so I don’t have to deal with messes. Aluminum foil is an amazing thing.

• Frozen breakfast sandwiches or burritos: wrap in foil, flip often, and check temps
• Mac and cheese: boil the noodles, add cheese sauce in plates, not the pot
• Garlic toast: toast in skillet with pre-made garlic butter
• Hot dogs and sausages: easy, classic, and nearly foolproof
• Pre-cooked grocery store meals: heat in the skillet or over the fire, just go slow and check temperature
• Pretty much anything you can cook at home, you can do in a skillet if you’re careful

Coffee makes or breaks the morning. I think it’s important to have the same coffee you like at home. I use a Fino coffee maker, but French press works too. Instant coffee is an option if you’re truly okay with that. Bring insulated mugs so you can fill up and take coffee on the road or just enjoy it at camp. We don’t make fires in the morning and tend to just eat pastries (or whatever is quick and easy) for breakfast.

Managing Trash and Minimizing Impact

Put all your cooking waste in your heavy-duty trash bag, including liquids. Don’t dump anything on the ground and never burn trash. Burning is gross, bad for the environment, and attracts animals. A waterproof trash bag lets you put everything in one place. Always double check for scraps or spilled food before you leave, and pack out every bit of trash you make. Heavy-duty bags make a huge difference here.

If you keep your camp clean, stay organized, and follow good routines, camp life becomes easy.