Camping can be a great way to experience the outdoors, and the whole adventure of sitting around a campfire and chatting for hours is delightful. The camping life, however, can become a little disappointing after two days and it is largely down to the lack of good food. It is challenging to retain food cold if the camping trip is over three days. The presence of many modern technologies gives you the possibility to enjoy camping trips to the maximum. The biggest difficulty is how to keep food cold while camping.
Here are 8 essential tips to keep the food fresh.
PICKING THE RIGHT ICE
The party ice that is often sold in the supermarkets or service stations is not the best pick. Even though it may be a very easy option, the product tends to be very uneconomical, and it melts quickly. This ice should be used as a top-up over the existing ice if the shelf life of food has to be extended by a couple of days at the most. In the end, this is only an emergency solution.
ADVANCE WATER FREEZING
We recommend using plastic containers, which can hold more than 2 L, to freeze water at least seven days prior to the camping trip. This makes the water icy cold and solid. You can add these iced containers to coolers at least a day before the trip. It is common to witness ice melting within only 24 hours. Meanwhile, it takes a few days for the large bottles to defrost. Thus, they will offer cold and clean drinking water whenever required after they defrost. It is possible to put the defrosted water in a communal fridge so that it is available for reuse on the trip.
AVOID PERISHABLE FOOD
The lack of fresh food to eat when camping can be a difficult entity on a camping trip, but it is important to sacrifice these products to enjoy the outdoors. The likes of dairy and fresh meat will spoil immediately after they are taken out of the fridge. There could be alternative foods for the protein fix. We recommend opting for a beef jerky or summer sausages when it comes to an alternate for meat. Soft cheeses like brie or mozzarella are to be avoided. However, aged cheese like Gouda or cheddar can be a perfect choice. It is always important to remember what food to take camping.
PICKING HIGH-END COOLER
It may seem illogical to go for a high-end cooler that is going to be used only for a couple of days per year. However, it is a great investment that can keep the food safe to consume over a couple of days. It takes away a huge problem – how to store food when camping in bear country – out of the equation. These products tend to have better insulation due to thicker walls. This prevents the ice from melting. Even if you open it every few hours, the ice inside remains solid for at least four days.
PREPARE YOUR COOLER
Many make the mistake of putting the food inside a cooler that has not been pre-conditioned. To overcome this situation, use the loose ice thrown into the cooler a couple of hours before it is ready for packing. The cooler begins operation as soon as contents are added. Since it will not be starting at room temperature, this will have a direct impact on the chillness of the food.
TAKING ADDITIONAL COOLER
An additional cooler can make your trip a lot more comfortable. So, if your budget and space allow, go for it.
It is possible to use the two coolers for different purposes – food or drinks. We recommend storing drinks in the cooler that will experience maximum traffic. If you open and close it frequently, warm air replaces the cold one. Any person will be surprised to know that the availability of two coolers can have a direct impact on their opinion about what is good camping food.
FROZEN WATER BOTTLES
The spare spaces in a cooler can be handled by frozen bottles with water. This is a better idea than using ice cubes since the water bottles can remain frozen for much longer. Thus, they will keep the food in a cold state for longer. There is also the added advantage of being able to drink the water once the cooler is empty, and there is little power within the water bottles to cool other products. It may initially seem that the water bottles are taking up too much space, but they can end up increasing the shelf life of the food by at least a day or two.
PACKING IN AN EFFICIENT WAY
People often do not wonder about how to pack food for camping, but this can have a crucial influence. A big layer of ice should go to the bottom, and it should be followed by meat. Next put in another layer of ice to seal the chillness. Now, the packaged and sealed items are ready to go on top.
Do you know more tips on how to keep food cold while camping? Share them below!