Angels sleep, demons wake up
Cooking outdoors under a starry night sky or amidst lush green mountains—such a dreamy scene is hard to come by unless you go camping. Thinking back to my student days of camping and cooking, the equipment was rudimentary, the cooking conditions were primitive, and most memories revolve around "only eating instant noodles" because it was the easiest option.
But now, camping gear has advanced significantly, and campsite planning, water, and electricity facilities have improved immensely. Cooking three meals a day in the wild isn’t as troublesome or difficult as one might imagine. With the right tools, you can eat deliciously and effortlessly at the campsite, just like our camping cooking motto—go camping, don’t lose weight, and don’t waste food.
It’s like a little kitchen in the forest where a group of adults can cook happily and eat in an eco-friendly way.
In short, it means preparing, cooking, and eating your own meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can cook according to your family’s favorite dishes, and it’s easier to gauge portion sizes. However, you’ll need to bring all the necessary cooking equipment.
If you’re going camping with three or five families, you can share meals together. Ingredients are prepared and shared among the families, making campsite cooking easier and giving everyone a chance to enjoy each other’s signature dishes. But you’ll need to be careful about over-preparing ingredients to avoid excess.
1. Breakfast: You can prepare both Chinese and Western breakfasts, but keep the portions small.
2. Lunch: Opt for easy-to-cook options, such as dumplings, sushi rolls, or pasta.
3. Dinner: Make it more elaborate—each family prepares one to two dishes to share.
First, if it’s a group dinner while camping, since each family prepares one to two dishes, there will be around 12 dishes in total. The recommended portion size for each dish is half the total number of people. For example, if there are six families (12 adults and 12 children, totaling 24 people), count two children as one adult, so prepare ingredients for (12 adults + 6 adults) / 2 = 9 people. Don’t prepare ingredients for 24 people for every dish—that will definitely lead to food waste.
Second, you can prep and process ingredients at home before bringing them to the campsite to cook. For example, you can dice or cube ingredients or pre-make meat sauces for stir-fried rice or noodles at home, freeze them, and then heat them up at the campsite for eating.
Third, if the campsite doesn’t provide a refrigerator for storing ingredients, prioritize purchasing non-frozen or non-refrigerated ingredients.
Fourth, some campsites have local ingredients you can buy nearby or restaurants where you can dine—this is also a great option.
Fifth, they say camping in winter makes you hungrier because the mountain temperatures are lower, and your body burns calories faster. Prepare some hot food between main meals to replenish your energy.
1. Don’t prepare too many ingredients—just enough to eat. You’ll only miss what you don’t have enough of.
2. You’ll never go hungry or lose weight while camping.
Double burner stove, gas canister stove, portable quick stove
The most important soul of outdoor cooking is the stove.The most common types of stoves at campsites are double burner stoves, gas canister stoves, and portable quick stoves, with gas canister stoves being the most widely used.They are also the most portable option, but if you’re cooking at high altitudes, you’ll need to choose a gas canister stove with a heat-conducting device and windproof shield to avoid insufficient firepower. Double burner stoves and quick stoves are also suitable for families who prefer cooking with high heat, but you’ll need to consider whether they can fit in your vehicle after packing.
In fact, campsite cooking is not much different from cooking at home. Frying pans and soup pots are commonly used helpers in most family kitchens. There’s no need to rush out and buy new camping-specific cookware—you can bring your home pots and pans for camping, which are sufficient for simple cooking needs. If you’re someone who feels down without camping, consider storage space and opt for stackable pot sets or frying pans with detachable handles for easy storage and space-saving.
Steamers are also versatile cookware. If you need to steam food, such as buns or steamed buns for breakfast or baby food, a steamer is a handy tool to prevent a chaotic cooking process.
Spatulas, ladles, rice paddles, food tongs, kitchen scissors, knives... these are all indispensable cooking aids. You can find them at general hardware stores, supermarkets, or even the $39 Daiso store.
Seasonings vary depending on the dishes you’re cooking. If you have the habit of collecting small bottles or containers, they’re perfect for separating and storing seasonings while camping. Find a storage bag to keep all the seasonings organized, making them easy to access when needed.
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After a general introduction to cookware, it’s time for the fun part—adults cooking happily at the campsite. Here, I’ll selflessly share a few simple home-style dishes we often cook at the campsite.
For dishes cooked by braising or stewing, you can usually prep them at home beforehand because salty and savory ingredients are less prone to spoilage. Once at the campsite, you can simply heat them up or steam them.
Fresh ingredients usually only need blanching or steaming to bring out their natural sweetness. The freshness and tenderness are all in the technique of selecting shrimp and timing when to take them off the heat. They’re quick and easy to serve, and a dip in garlic soy sauce or white pepper salt will have the kids loving them.
The most popular winter camping dish is soup. It warms you up from the inside out, and instant Campbell’s soup packets are also a must-have at home. Their compact packaging takes up little space, making them perfect for camping. No extra seasoning is needed, and there are many flavors to choose from. Just add some ingredients and cook—it’s an instant, nutritious, delicious, and hearty soup. Pair it with dry noodles or dumplings for a super filling meal.
Cold jellyfish and century egg salad is a great summer dish—refreshing and flavorful, with simple ingredients that don’t require refrigeration. Topped with cilantro and peanuts, it helps mask the unique smell of century eggs. Even those who usually avoid century eggs can’t help but have a few more bites.
This is one of the most common home-cooked meals. If you have leftover rice from the night before, using it to make fried rice the next day is the most economical and effortless way to enjoy a nutritious, filling meal. For a more elaborate fried rice, just add a variety of ingredients. For a simpler version, just scallions, eggs, and a dash of soy sauce—it’s unbeatable.
Pan-fried egg tofu and salmon are easy to prepare. Fresh ingredients only need a quick sear and a bit of seasoning to taste great, without requiring too many extra add-ins. Seafood options like pre-sliced salmon, shark, or mackerel are convenient to buy. They cook quickly and save on gas too.
For consecutive camping trips without a fridge, vacuum-packed preserved foods are the best choice. They’re also very flavorful and go well with rice. Since they’re already seasoned, cooking them is highly efficient—you can whip up a dish in no time.
Fried foods are always popular and easy to make, whether as a side dish or with drinks, they’re always satisfying. Just frying green beans alone might be a bit plain, but coating them in fish paste makes them more substantial and tastier.
Another great option to reduce fresh ingredients is frozen food, especially frozen mixed vegetables, which often appear in home-cooked meals and are a popular bento box choice. They can serve as a main dish or a side, allowing for many variations. Plus, there’s no need for washing or chopping veggies—super convenient and water-saving.
…This one is BJ4—so simple even kids can do it.
On a hot summer day, nothing beats a refreshing and appetizing cold dish.
If there’s a food that’s not only great for cold dishes, easy to carry, and doesn’t require special refrigeration, century eggs are definitely at the top of the list. They’re ready to eat and don’t need refrigeration. Just mix in some cilantro and peanuts to balance their unique flavor. If you like spicy food, add some chopped chili and drizzle with chili oil—even those who usually avoid century eggs can’t resist having a few more bites. Cold asparagus salad has a similar appeal too~
The above are all experiences shared over the years. We especially love the time everyone spends cooking together at the campsite, accompanied by green mountains, white clouds, evening sunset, and starry night skies. The food doesn’t need much seasoning to taste amazing.
Ans: Of course you can. The editor didn’t know how to cook either, but now can whip up a few simple dishes Up.
Ans: Of course not. Camping with a few friends also means you get to enjoy each other’s signature dishes. As for whether electric appliances are allowed, it depends on the campsite’s rules.
Camping isn’t always all sunshine and rainbows. You might’ve seen plenty of beautifully plated meals and cute, cozy tent setups online—but camping isn’t always about good weather. Rain is the most basic challenge. Packing up a wet tent is no big deal; just let it dry when you get home. But dealing with a muddy tent? Now that’s a real hassle.
You first have to clean off the mud, then dry the tent again. And if the campsite is muddy, you might even have to “pull” your way around. That’s when things really get “gross.” But don’t doubt it—this is when the most genuine parent-child relationships and couples’ dynamics truly begin. Everyone has to learn to face and overcome tough situations in harsh environments.
With camping’s growing popularity, good campsites are hard to come by, and bookings are often scheduled half a year in advance. But whether it’s the weather or the difficulty of securing a spot, nothing can dampen our love for camping. We’ll keep camping with our kids… just like the original inspiration that started it all: “Camping may not always be perfect, but it’s a great way to train kids to adapt to different environments.”
[Sleeping Angel, Waking Devil] Authorized repost. Original source: [What to Eat While Camping? Adult Cooking Time Means Happy Cooking & Eco-Friendly Eating]