Going camping - strategies?

Have a camping trip planned for this weekend, which is usually an excuse for junk food and extra "beverages". I associate our camping trips to this so I feel like it won't be as much fun without the junk, etc. Any suggestions on things I could bring that wouldn't be too sabotaging? Thx!

Mon. May 8, 11:11pm

it all depends on how much you hike, canoe etc. My experience is that I am so active when I go camping that I burn much more than I consume.

Monday, May 08, 2006, 11:21 PM

this might be weird but i love to bring a fresh pinapple camping, then open that baby up at pig out! it's sweet, delicious, sticky, and still good for you. i also make burritos with beans & veggies- just heat, chop, and you've got a healthy meal. maybe that's more work than you want to do, but that's my suggestion.

Monday, May 08, 2006, 11:31 PM

I like Clif bars, like lemon poppyseed. Portable, good, but not something you'll go crazy eating tons of. And easy on your stomach.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 12:00 AM

I just came from a 3 day backpacking trip. My big achievement this time was that I didn't overpack food - no food came back - yaay! We ran a bit low on food the 3rd day, but we were coming on time for dinner on Sunday, so I wasn't worried much. Even you sound like you're going car camping and won't be constrained with weight etc., I suggest you plan all your meals breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snack to the T and aim to not bring any food back. If you have food just laying around you'll just eat it. Do not bring too many power bars - just enough for when you go hiking etc. Those things are too convenient and you almost feel entitled to eat them and the calories can creep on you. The best thing about car camping is that you can bring fruits and vegetables, and fresh protein in a cooler. Sardines are a good snack - low cal; high protein. When I go hiking/camping/backpacking the outmost thing I really crave is bread - so go easy on bringing too much starch. Have fun!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 11:20 AM

i don't go on lots of long ones, but I try to pack well and bring 1 'treat' - a small bag of reese's pieces is usually my poison ;-) Especially watch those liquid calories. They REALLY add up. I pack diluted gatorade (especially when it's going to be blazing hot and I'm gaining serious elevation), but nothing more than that. If you must drink alcohol try to alternate your drinks with water and really nurse them along. Believe me no one else will notice and if they do simply tell them you're taking it slow.

Definitely plan your meals (heck I have to do this everyday) and don't just throw goodies in the cooler - tis the way to certain ruin ;-) I think you may find it's the good comany and great times that you remember fondly and that you will soon have great memories of camping trips where you prepared nutricious and healthy food and felt like a million bucks when you got home!

Have fun camping!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 12:48 PM

If car camping-- pack lots of fresh fruit & Veggies! Apples, Bananas, grapes, carrots & celery, etc. They will give you something to chew on, but not be as bad for you as other stuff.

Look carefully at labels when you do buy granola bars or protein bars-- stick with ones that are not overly sweetened with corn syrup.

Kashi has some protein/energy bars that are supposed to be "low Glycemic index" and don't give you the sugar high right away. Plus, you really work out your jaws when eating them, so you won't eat as many... ;-D

For hot meals-- I like to do the kind that you boil water and rehydrate.
Try getting Instant Rice Vermicelli noodles at your local Asian grocery store. The kind that are made with the really thin, angel-hair-llike noodles. All you do is to add boiling water--you don't even need to "cook" them and clean-up is a cinch if you eat out of ziploc baggies!

Throw in some freeze-dried "Just veggies" and a foil packet of tuna or shrimp, and Voila! an instant meal, quick and nowhere near as bad as ramen noodles.
I usually throw away the seasoning packet and add my own spices, since the seasonings are loaded with MSG. :-) that will cut down on sodium as well.

Of course, the "Ziploc baggie" method is usually what I do for backpacking vs. car-camping trips... :-)

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 1:22 PM

For me, camping is always the best way to avoid temptation- after all, if you don't bring it with you, you can't eat it.

This probably sounds obvious, but maybe try not bringing any junk food with you.

Bring a book, bring a frisbee, bring a chess set, bring your game-boy, bring something fun along to do to replace the junk.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 1:44 PM

Make a big fruit salad before you go, in a big bowl, and keep it in the cooler while you're gone. Then it's already sliced, clean, and easy, and so refreshing when it's hot outside.

If you need junk, instead of packing several bags of chips, cookies, etc., put the junk into individual serving-sized ziplock baggies, and then only bring the right number of portions to keep everyone happy. You'll find that you bring 1/4 the amount of junk that you would've eaten otherwise. Also, change the junk. Instead of doritos and chips and chocolate chip cookies, bring cheese popcorn, baked lays (or doritos or cheetos) and fruit salad. If you need chocolate, throw in some mini tootsie rolls - they won't melt and they take awhile to chew.

Try and get active as much as possible, and drink a ton of water.

Good luck!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 2:43 PM

Are you just going for the weekend? What are you planning to do other than camp (hiking? fishing?)? Are you bringing a cooler? Will you have a propane stove, a fire pit, a barbecue... ??? It's hard to give you much advice without more info.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 3:02 PM

Jiffy pop!!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 3:43 PM

Thx so much for all your comments - there is some really good ideas out there! We are going camping in our trailer and planning a relaxing weekend with some fishing. Thx again for the useful info.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 9:37 PM

bump.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006, 10:11 AM

Thank you all for sharing your experience! I'm newbie to this topic and this thread has proven to be very helpful to me!

Thursday, October 22, 2020, 3:28 PM

So here is one strategy for you. You need to try out winter camping. It such a great experience, but only when you have camp stoves for tents. It will help you to improve your experience. We've been doing it for a while with my wife and have no complaints about it so far. Hope that you would like it too.

Saturday, October 24, 2020, 6:59 PM

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