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Camping trips are more than sitting by the fire and roasting marshmallows; it calls for survival to enjoy yourself in the wild. You need all the items you can get to prevent any hitch on your trip. When it comes to food, some people grab a few things, and up they go until they get stranded and go hungry. Planning for meals when you go camping should not be a spontaneous activity less you go hungry. So, it is vital to plan the feeding aspect of your trip thoroughly, examining crucial factors that will determine how you pack your foods, the gears to get, and the number of meals you will need.
In this article, we would map out a camping food list for 3 days. It could be a weekend getaway or just free days in the summer. Whatever it is, we are sure this list would help you with curating whatever you want, while also matching with the food items for your needs. But first, it helps to:
1. Know where you are going.
Are you planning for a time at your backyard or going to another town. Backpacking or driving through the wild in your RV? Consider all these facts to know what to pack. For example, if you plan on going a long-distance with limited luggage space, it might not be wise to take heavy meals like canned foods. If you would be in your RV, you might indulge in them while staying in a campground might mean a little more comfortability since most have stores on sites. Will there be a trash disposal system? If not, you want to avoid food in small bags. Since it isn’t likely to find a refrigerator on-site, take juices in small jars if you have the space it helps to bring a cooler along too.
READ: How to Choose a Campsite – 10 Important Tips
2. What will get you there?
A Hatchback doesn’t have as much space as an RV. Neither does a sedan have more space than a truck. It is vital to match your needs with the space you can manage. It is only a three-day trip, figure out if you can survive without a camp gas cylinder if your car has no space for it.
So it is necessary to note the cooking gears available to match your meal choice. If you would leave with a grill, it is okay to take food like bread, eggs, and meat which you can grill over the fire. If your space would allow a camping stove, baked beans, bacon, tea, and eggs can be an option. You wouldn’t want to pack meals you won’t be able to cook because you didn’t bring the needed gear.
3. How many people are coming?
Is it a single drive, or will you have a friend or partner with you? Figure out your needs and draw up a list. Are you going with the family or a large group? Consider all you need according to the age and needs of your companions the need to take meals they enjoy would avoid having to deal with leftovers. Delegate duties if it is a large group, let people be responsible for themselves then it will leave you to supervise. If you are planning for a group of 3, multiply the portions by three.
4. What are your food needs?
Are you and the gang a healthy bunch? Going on a camping trip doesn’t mean you have to indulge in junks. If you are the grilled food type, look towards grill meals like bacon and bread. Are you with a toddler or pre-teen child? Cereals with milk might be a necessity. If you are going with young kids, it is wise to go with only what they enjoy to avoid a great mass of leftovers. Tailor your food according to your needs; you will need energy meals if you are going backpacking.
Now that we have tackled the factors to consider for packing, let us move on to the list of gears to bring.
Things to Bring on a 3-days Camping Trip
- A Grill: If you plan to roast meals by the fire or warm-up meal packs, a grill might be a great option. There are a lot of portable options at stores that you can get either the type that uses charcoal (if your campsite provides charcoal) or gas. The choice is yours depending on accessibility, never forget.
- A Fire Grate: Another Substitute for a charcoal grill is to get a fire grate, be sure to ask if your camp provides one before leaving, if you are going on a trip all by yourself you can get a portable and sturdy one to put just over the fire to roast whatever you need.
- A Pie Roast: You can have waffles in camp with this equipment, you seal the top with your waffle paste in them and hold it across the fire Viola! Here goes a waffle or two. They are most times long and with a carrier. It isn’t advisable to go along with this if you would be backpacking.
- A Camping Stove: If you have room for this, it is always a great addition, especially if you are with your family. You can always warm meals on it, make less-duty meals instead of powering on a grill. You can use it indoor, so cooking doesn’t have to stop when it’s cold and rainy outside.
- A cooler: Fill a cooler with ice and arrange your supplies in them. It could be canned drinks, foil-pack food, or meat you plan to cook the next day as the ice melts the next day completely. If you can replace ice in camp, you can always take enough food for cooling then, if not be sure to keep the drinks and foods close to each other and separate the items in layers, so you do not open the less-needed ones too often. You can put the drinks at the top then pre-packed meals at the lower end of the cooler.
- Thick Grilling Gloves: Safety is key in every activity, you want to make sure that you don’t get burned or scalded by hot coals from the grill or open fire.
READ: Best Packing List for Camping in a Tent
You might need handy tools like:
- Salt Shakers.
- Matches or a lighter.
- Silverware like plates, mugs, forks, and spoons
Let’s get right on to the food list.
Camping Food list Ideas.
- Appetizers or Fruits: Pineapples; Strawberries; Bananas; Apples.
- Breakfast: Campfire Hash Cereals; Cinnamon rolls; Bacon, egg, and bread; Campfire hash; Scrambled
- Lunch: Tortila Sandwiches; Tacos (packaged); Pan Burritos; Grilled Pizza
- Snacks: Pretzels; Cookies; Granola Bars Cheerios; Chips.
- Dinners: Fajitas; Roasted Corn with Fish; Hot Dogs; Burger; Roasted Potatoes
- Desserts or Beverage: Almond bars; Smores; Cherry pie
Camping Food List for 3 Days
Day of Arrival- Day 1
You must have had breakfast at home before leaving, Pack some snacks like chips to eat while you travel in the car. According to Gus, he opts for foil-pack meals that are easy to warm up in the campfire or a fire grate whichever is handy for you. You could also make sandwiches.
For dinner, you can always make some mac and cheese or ready-made pasta mixed with some sauce.
At night over the fire, you can have some almond bars.
Day 2.
Appetizers: Pineapples. Strawberries
Breakfast: Campfire Hash Cereals. Cinnamon rolls.
Lunch: Tortila Sandwiches. Tacos (packaged).
Snacks: Granola Bars Cheerios. Chips.
Dinner: Fajitas. Roasted Corn with Fish.
Desserts: Smores.
Day 3.
Appetizers: Bananas, Apples.
Breakfast: Bacon, egg, and bread. Campfire hash. Scrambled
Lunch: Pan Burritos. Grilled Pizza.
Snack: Pretzels. Cookies.
Dinner: Hot Dogs. Burger. Roasted Potatoes
Dessert: Cherry pie
For healthy fam, you can always include some fruits and vegetables, so they match your needs. Backpackers and children need more proteinous meals. Also, it won’t be advisable to go with plenty of canned goods because of their weight which might cause some restrictions. According to beyondthetent swipe less heavy food for heavy ones, so you do not have to drag extra load with whatever you need to pack.
Final Words
Now you know how to pack meals for your camping trip. With this Illustrated camping food list for 3 days, you don’t have any confusion about what to pack for the stipulated time you intend to spend. Ensure that your luggage matches your needs, and the vehicle you intend to go with. Bring the proper gears along with you, if you plan to make more grilled meals than pre-packed meals grills would be the best shot than a burner stove.
If you are going with more than three people, it is easier to calculate your portion and then multiply it by the number of others. Pack light and convenient meals for breakfasts, if you are traveling with kids cereals are your best option, bringing along a cereal dispenser might be easier if you have enough space. Fruits, chips, and cheerios are suitable for midday snacks. Packed burgers and sandwiches are better for lunch while you can sit around the campfire to roast meat and corn when it is time for dinner. One of the funs in camping is roasting marshmallow and smores by the fire, a mom from tasteofhome recommended peanut jelly in between your s’mores to make them yummier.
I am sure by now; you know what foods to take to your next camping trip, follow the tips and examples, see how easy and stress-free it would go.