Our top tips for planning your camping trip and menu in complete simplicity.

Everyone loves camping for all the great moments spent around the fire, roasting marshmallows and hot-dogs. It’s a laidback time, so you want to keep things simple when it comes to your menu. Here are our top tips for creating a camping menu that’s hassle and stress free!

Pack the right amount of food

To avoid any waste, don’t bring an entire package of any given food if you don’t plan on eating it all. This will also help save space in your cooler! The trick is to bring only the quantity of food you plan on eating.

Store fresh ingredients in air-tight containers or bags

To prevent your food from swimming in water at the bottom of your cooler and contaminating all your other food, it’s best to use air-tight containers or bags. And remember to bring extra containers and bags in case you have any leftovers!

Opt for “pantry” food

The less perishable food, the less waste. Opt for foods that can be stored at room temperature, like canned tuna, single-serving soya beverages, canned spaghetti sauce, dry pancake mix, etc. We recommend making a batch of our no-fridge couscous recipe—it’s delicious and practical! And you’ll find all the ingredients you need to make it at Rachelle Béry.

No-fridge cranberry couscous

Dry mixture ingredients

• 400 g (2 cups) organic couscous
• 35 g (1 cup) dried organic cranberries
• 70 g (1/2 cup) sliced almonds
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp.) cinnamon
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp.) ground cumin
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp.) ground coriander
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp.) ground ginger
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp.) ground cloves

Room-temperature ingredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) water
• 30 ml (2 tbsp.) olive or canola oil

Before your hike

Place all the dry ingredients in an air-tight container or bag. Keep at room temperature.

When you’re ready to eat

In a pot, bring 500 ml (2 cups) of water to a boil. Pour the dry ingredients into the water. Close the lid and let the couscous steam for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff it up and break up any clumps. Add the oil.

Freeze foods before your trip

To keep the food in your cooler colder longer, you can freeze certain items (such as meat) before your trip. You can also cook certain elements of a recipe ahead of time and freeze them in bags, which can then be used as ice packs. Frozen water bottles also make great ice packs! Not only can you drink the water once it’s melted, but the frozen bottles will prevent you from having an ocean of water in the bottom of your cooler.

Use a quality hermetic cooler

Use a cooler that keeps food cold and is air and watertight. Ideally, choose one that even comes with a thermometer, to ensure the internal temperature always remains below 4°C. When it comes to ice, we recommend opting for a block of ice, rather than crushed ice, as it’ll last longer. If possible, use a second cooler for beverages only, as it’ll be opened and closed more frequently.

Keep your cooler in a safe place

During the day, avoid placing your cooler in the sun. At night, store it in the car or under a bench . . . otherwise wild animals might treat themselves to your food!