Cooler-less camping?

Mark and Cyn Robarge

Mark and Cyn Robarge

Newbie
Wondering if anyone has any suggestions/tips & tricks to camping without the use of ice or electric for food storage. Shelf stable food, fav. types of food that are your go-to for camping. Cheeses, dried sausages, yogurts, etc... (not MRE type food). Even condiments that you don't worry about moving to the chill chest!

Guess I am still a back packer at heart and am carrying that "art" over into our Camp-Inn now!
 
I like your question very much. I have very little to offer except the MRE diet or freeze dried offering. This is from some wilderness hunts where weight was of concern. I do know that in the winter it is easier because the diet of warm stews and soups is more palatable in the colder weather. Thanks, Steve
 
MarknCyn,
While I take my cooler with me camping, I do have long distance sailing experience (Hawaii to CA) without much ice. I have learned that many products will keep longer than we think -the issue is contamination. Thus mayo and other condiments in squeeze bottles are perfect as they do not involve a knife going into them. I come from from a family with major food safety issues, so for me to feel comfortable with this is big deal. I also collect single serving packets of mayo/mustard/relish at fast food places. I am allergic to dairy, so shelf stable soy milk is our product of choice. In the warmer seasons I look for single serving size boxes. Also -eggs from a farmers market that have NOT been refrigerated will keep for weeks at room temp - but you must keep an eye on them. We are lucky to have citrus trees, so i always have lemons and other citrus, that keeps well to add to dishes.

None of this is risk free - there is a theory that eating is the most dangerous thing we can do, but i digress ...

There are sailing provisioning articles and books for sailing i have used. Lin Pardey comes to mind as a practitioner of the keep it simple philosophy. i can get more specific references if you wish.
Eileen
 
Thanks Eileen, never thought of looking into the sailing world for tips... but my seach will continue! Those saliors do love sauerkraut for a reason! ((Which my homemade supply will always be with us when in the teardrop.))

I am a clean freak when it comes to making sure cross contamination NEVER happens. Now I will keep every squeeze bottle and refuse those for such purposes. Just have to make sure guests don't "dip the tip" onto the food!

As for milk and all things lactose... I carry Milk Kefir grains. Very easy process where you can simply add the grains to your milk (soy and coconut works as well for this) and it turns it into a type of yogurt. So whenever I am at a gas station I can simply feed the grains and take it with me for later use. Very "living food" here...

Cheeses are usually anything old and aged, and HARD. Wrapped in a cheese cloth soaked in vinegar, bagged and stored near a water bottle out from light and heat. I had luck with that lasting for 10 days and never got sick. Figure if that is why cheese was made, thousdands of years of our ancestors eating this stuff can't be wrong! ;)

Eating can be dangerous, I agree...

I am off to look up Lin Pardey now. ANY OTHER REFERENCES, please post. GREATLY APPRECIATED.

And Steve, if you have any freeze dried offerings that you love... please post as well. One thing I hope to find is more products that are made the "old school" way. Hard dried salamis/summer sausages that need no ice and contain no nasty ingredients. A bit European, sure... but these are the foods I am always searching out. Good dried veggies as well.
 
Dave P is also a sailor with lots of nmiles under his keel - I'm hoping he will add his thoughts and experiences.
I always take couscous with me - an easy grain to prepare, faster than rice. Left over couscous becomes salads with anything I have around with oil and vinegar as a dressing. I always have sundried tomatoes, capers, olives, raisins, dried fruits for flavoring. Canned beans and meats to add protein. Cooking on a boat, under sail, is a bit more of challenge than camping -no DO and coals! If seas are rough, we want it warm, filling and fast!
The European tradition of dried/smoked meats are good. My concern would be high humidity (I'm in dry arid soCal, so its not a worry here!). I dry my own tomatoes and green chillis, and always take them along.
Good fresh spices add a lot of zip, taking little room. I order mine from Penzey's in Wisc. I always take dried mint and basil. I admit I am a spice snob. I have lived overseas and value fresh pungent spices.
I'll look through the cruising forums for some links that may give give more info.
I'm starting to pack for a 3 week camping trip -our first major trip in our camper, so my thoughts are rambling this way. I am hoping to use my DO on this trip, but on travel days, to fall back on sailing type cooking. We shall see how this works in real life!
Eileen
 
Great tips.

When humidity is a problem, I add a box of chalk to my dried meat/cheese box (soft sided cooler). Strange trick, but works.

Fellow spice snob here, been with Pensey's since "Day One". ;) There are a few spices I find that The Spice House does well on. Both are great places to buy everything and anything. Spices make the meals! ((And don't forget those citrus additions and vinegars too, mmmmm.))

Eileen, I like your style for cooking! Using the DO on "base camp" type days and relying on the sailing type cooking on those time when you have to put the miles on the road. I adore good food, but there IS a way to still have it on the quick. Thanks for pointing me in the direction of sailing cooking! Hope to hear how things work out on your trip! Safe travels!
 
With respect to Lin and Larry Pardey, their book

The Care and Feeding of the Offshore Crew

is the "bible" of long distance cooks by any mode of transportation.
 
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