Top 7 Must-Have Foods for Camping Trips

Posted on April 28, 2010  •  6 minutes  • 1086 words

Bush Pie

Bush Pie may not sound like the most delicious type of food you would want to be scarfing on in front of a fire, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Hands down, Bush Pie is one of the most crucial pieces of food to make any camping trip a success. With its crisp outside and the insane amount of things you can put in them, they’re like the gift that keeps on giving. What is a bush pie? It’s basically bread, and filling of your choice, stuffed inside a cast-iron bush pie maker, and cooked over the fire until delicification has reached maximum. Allow me to elaborate:

What you’ll need

• A Cast iron bush pie maker - Found at any Canadian Tire or Outdoor and Camping Supply Store
• A loaf of bread (because 2 slices will barely cut it for one person)
• Butter or Margarine
• Bush Pie Filling - This can include Cinnamon Spread, Nutella, Pie Filling, Chocolate, Marshmallows, Nuts, Meat, Chili, Cheese, Vegetables, the choices are endless

How to make bush pie

• Spread a good amount of butter or margarine on 2 slices of bread
• Place the bread in bush pie maker, buttered side down (think grilled cheese effect)
• Place a couple tablespoons of filling on top of one side of the bread
• Close bush pie maker which should push 2 slices of bread together with the filling on the inside
• Place over fire or in the coals until finished
• Open Cast-iron bush pie maker and devour

Note: Keep a close eye on it while it cooks, doesn’t take long to burn

Marshmallows

Marshmallows have become part of a staple diet of campers for decades, so it should only make sense that this fun and fluffy food should be included in this list. Roasting Marshmallows has become an art form over the years. Some choosing to abandon all rules and burn their white fluffs of magic into a charred piece of ash, others choose the gentle but affective roasting technique which results in crispy caramelized marshmallows. Quick fact - North Americans eat about 90,000,000 pounds of marshmallows per year. Marshmallows basically consist of Sugar, Water, Corn Syrup, and Gelatin. Just a heads up for all you vegetable-liking vegetarians, most brands will be off-limits for you, on account of the Gelatin, which as you may or may not know is made of animal hides and bones. I’ll be the last to judge you if you do decide to cheat though. Who can blame you. Marshmallows fricken’ rock!

Wieners

One of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language is also one of the most popular foods to bring on a camping trip. The science behind a good wiener is pretty sound.

• Jam wiener onto a sharp pointy stick.
• Ensure it’s on there good, the last thing you want to do is drop your wiener in the fire.
• Keep a good distance between the flame and your wiener, the last thing you want to do is burn that sucker.
• Slowly rotate your wiener to ensure an evenly cooked piece of meat.
• Place wiener in a bun or in your mouth.
• If you’re feeling extra crazy, use ketchup, mustard, and relish to make your boring wiener into a gourmet wiener.
• Enjoy.

Beans

Cheap, flavourful, and extremely easy to cook over the fire, a can of beans can go a long way when your camping. Tasty any time of day, and with several flavours to choose from, you shouldn’t get bored of them all that quick. I personally suggest having at least two different types of beans. A morning can of beans, and an evening can of beans. The most logical type of morning beans you can eat, would be the famous Quebecois Beans, which are essentially a normal can of beans, however instead of the regular tomato sauce, you’re treated with delicious maple syrup! Then come evening time, when you’re gut is telling you “It’s bean time!”, you open up that other can of beans, which will be the classic, yet tasty, Beans in Tomatoe Sauce. Remember to bring a utensil though. Do NOT drink the can of beans if the can just came out of the fire. You will burn your lips. Trust me.

S’Mores

S’mores take some serious work, so be prepared. However the hard work, sticky fingers and sticky clothes will all be worth it for the 2 minutes of enjoying one of the best campfire foods out there. These take a few more ingredients, so be sure to hit up the grocery store on your way out of town.

What you’ll need:

• 1 box of Graham Crackers
• A bag of marshmallows
• Some chocolate (The flat, hershey type of chocolate works best)

Directions:

• Roast marshmallow to perfection
• Place piece of chocolate on top of one Graham Crack
• Place gooey marshmallow on top of chocolate-cracker-combo
• Sandwich the other Graham cracker on top
• Enjoy

Shish kebabs

Shish Kebabs aren’t on everybodies list of camping foods, but if you’ve got the time, money, and patience, you can whip up an unforgettable meal that your friends or family will talk about for weeks to come.

What you’ll need:

• Skewers
• Cuts of meat - Steak, Chicken, Pork, Lamb
• Semi-crisp vegetables - Peppers (ie Capsicum), Onions, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Cucumbers
• Some salad dressing

Directions

• Soak skewers overnight in water with a dash of salt
• Soak vegetables in a bowl of salad dressing
• Stab meat and vegetables onto skewers
• Separate some hot coals from the fire into a corner of the fire pit
• Place two large sturdy stones close together
• Place shish kebabs over the gap created by the stones
• Spin occasional to ensure even cooking

Note: Ensure you’re meat is fully cooked before serving

Beers

Chances are you’re going to get the thirst by the time your tent is set up. It’s futile to fight this sensation. I’m not sure exactly why the smell of the outdoors and campfires makes people crave booze. It just does. Fighting this feeling will only result in overindulging in food, which in turn could lead to the same bodily function caused by alcohol, vomiting. So grab a case or two for the weekend, find a cooler, cold lake, river, or stream (to keep your beer cold), and kick back - relax. Enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes. Note: Be careful when it comes to drinking around campfires. They have a horrible tendency to burn whatever they touch. And as tempting as it is, avoid performing the ‘Superman’ over the bonfire if possible. \[/caption]