Photography by Harry Wagner and courtesy of the manufacturers
If you are looking to spend more than a few hours on the trail, you will likely need to eat. And even if you are only planning a quick day trip, those can often turn into longer than expected if someone in your group breaks or gets stuck. Any time we head out on the trail we bring plenty of water and something to eat. That varies from some granola bars and fruit to complete meals on longer trips. Keep reading for some ideas on how to eat healthy and delicious meals when you are out on the trail.
Day Trips
Even if you are just going out for the day, it is wise to have snacks with you on the trail. This prevents both kids and adults alike from having a meltdown when winching or trail repairs end up taking hours. We typically keep protein bars in our glove box, but fresh fruit or chips and salsa taste a lot better and don’t take up much room.
- Easy – Chips and salsa, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Healthy – Celery and peanut butter, fresh fruit, trail mix
- Delicious – Parmesan crisps, yogurt covered raisins, chocolate chip cookies
Breakfast Ideas
A good breakfast provides the fuel that you need in order to power through an active day on the trail. If it is warm out and you are in a hurry, single serving yogurt and a banana will get you moving so you can start your day. When it is colder out we typically heat up coffee and single serving oatmeal if we are in a hurry, or make eggs and bacon when we have a more relaxed pace.
- Easy – Individually packaged instant oatmeal
- Healthy – Individual yogurt cups, fresh fruit
- Delicious – Eggs and bacon, pancakes on the griddle
Lunch On The Trail
Lunch is often eaten on the go, so we pack similarly for day trips. If it is hot out, lunch under your Smittybilt Awning is a nice way to escape from the sun while you enjoy cold cuts or dip veggies. On colder days, we often prepare burritos or hot pockets in the engine compartment. Place them near the exhaust in their wrapper and they will be ready to eat when you stop for lunch!
- Easy – Burritos cooked on the engine
- Healthy – Baby carrots and hummus, veggie wraps
- Delicious – Hamburgers, hot dogs with all the fixings
Dinner Plans
There is nothing better than enjoying a good meal at a beautiful campsite out in nature. If there are no campfire restrictions, our preference is always to cook over the fire. Note that this requires you to make a bed of coals first, so it requires some time and patience. If you are setting up your tent in the dark and are exhausted, freeze dried meals mixed with hot water are a great way to get some calories to keep from becoming hangry.
- Easy – Freeze dried meal
- Healthy – Stir fry vegetables with fresh fish
- Delicious – Steak and baked potato over the campfire
Tips For The Trail
Regardless of what meal you are cooking or how many people you are preparing food for, there are a few tips that are universal to make camp cooking a more enjoyable experience. Just as we like to prep our vehicle at home in the garage rather than working on the side of the trail, we do as much food prep in the kitchen before we leave home. This includes chopping vegetables and mixing sauces, which get put in our freezer/fridge in sealed plastic containers.
We have seen others take food prep to the next level vacuum pack entire meals so all you have to do is boil them before enjoying your meal. Remember to bring plenty of paper plates, cutlery, and spices to share your creations with your friends on the trail. Start simple with your meals and take what you learn to make “upgrades” to your recipes just like you upgrade your vehicle.
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