this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2023
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I'm going to be camping for 4 days at a location without easy access to fire (hence no boiled water). As such, I'm going to be packing a bunch of canned stuff for my daily meals. The place is in England, where we're expecting a few hot days this week and maybe some rain over the weekend.

However, I have some free time before the trip to cook food. But I'm not sure if there's any good foods I could bring along that could keep for 3-4 days without a fridge. I guess that crosses out most meat dishes.

Some ideas I had were: falafel, fritters, bread, calzones, pasties. Have you tried taking such foods camping and if so, did they last a few days without spoiling? Are there any other foods you'd recommend? Thank you so much!

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

My mother's fridge is only maintaining a temp of 6C (you want 4). While waiting for a new fridge she was concerned about this. I explained that for the first 15-20 years of her life, their was kept cold by putting in a cabinet with a block of ice in it. She calmed down a lot about it after that. :)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Whenever I go camping I pack a cooler with ice and put my perishable food items in there. Easy to grab snacks, like fruit, pastries, and pre packaged items are also a favourite of mine.

Also, having a portable grill helps when you cannot use fire to cook.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Freeze-dried vacuum-packaged hiking food. A bit expensive though.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I mean I would just eat cold canned ravioli because that's delicious and it would be a great excuse to eat cold canned ravioli, but you do you

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (4 children)

MREs might be a good choice - I know the US ones come with a water-activated device to heat your food up. They're also about 1250 calories each and balanced for recovering after intense exercise.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I only know the German ones and while they'll keep you alive and healthy easily, they won't keep you happy.

(Edit: but my knowledge about those is old, maybe they're delicious and wonderful by now, but I doubt it)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I went through the whole menu not too long ago and they can be pretty hit or miss, but very edible. They've removed some of the worst offenders like the "vomelet". Most things taste uninspired but the meals can be pretty diverse and there's some solid options like chili mac or maple patty. None of them have made me particularly unhappy. I hear German rations are really good though, so maybe I just have low standards because we have worse food here.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I’d recommend cured meats like smoked sausage or jerky along with crackers. I believe you can do cous cous without boiling the water too but I could be wrong there.

There are also some dehydrated backpacking meals that don’t require boiling the water. Usually they are the breakfast ones with powdered milk and granola and dehydrated fruits - they’re delicious and some of my favorite backpacking food!!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (5 children)
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (9 children)

Fruits, rice, pasta

Edit: dont do rice, it’s a bad idea

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Get some mason jars and do oldschool canning. Food will stay preserved well as there's no bacteria at the temperature you put it in there, and no air will get in.

Toss in some macaroni and pasta sauce, goulash, tomato soup, premade cup-o-noodles with your favourite veg and protein. Your imagination is the limit.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You can get either canned or dried fruits and veggies that last longer un-refrigerated and have some nutrition to them. Obviously there's power bars as well. Dry cereal if you don't mind eating it dry, makes a decent snack too, or bring powdered milk if you do want to eat it with milk. I've heard freeze dried foods are popular with backpackers. Bananas last long enough if you get them fresh enough. I think there are other fruits and veggies that you don't need to refrigerate for them to last long enough, like tomatoes, cucumbers, oranges, pears, kiwis, apples, etc, just as long as you eat the whole thing in one go cause they don't last as long once they're cut or bit into. Oh and fruit cups are also an option. And of course there's bread, but if you want some variety there you can make/buy some banana bread to take with you as well. Popcorn also lasts quite a while if kept in a sealed bag. You can also eat ichidan or other dry packaged noodles dry, just break them up into smaller pieces in the bag, take out the flavour packet, and either pour the packet into the bag, or pour the noodles and flavouring into a bowl, and mix it up. Tastes pretty good, and makes for a good snack. Not very nutritious, but cheap and easy. There's also pop tarts, which can be eaten cold.

Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. You don't need to take all of them for just 4 days, but it's nice to have options.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Can you share that recipe, Legolas?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

That's just long enough for things that aren't shelf stable to start going bad, depending on local conditions. Bread can mold in a couple days though, in warm and humid places.

So, focus in on shelf-stable or preserved things, whether made in a modern method, (sterile packaging of some sort) or an old fashioned method, (drying, curing, smoking) or just naturally able to keep (nuts, seeds, chocolate, honey).

Someone posted their granola bar recipe, that looked pretty solid. I would certainly not bring a bunch of pasties or a calzone unless I was also bringing a cooler. Then I'd be bringing ingredients and tools and making them on-site just for fun, as I assume I'm now car camping, or at least camping fairly close to my vehicle. If backpacking in, then absolutely not. Ready-to-eat, shelf-stable stuff only, to cut weight and stay efficient. And a pasty or calzone would squish in the backpack and end up gross anyway.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

No easy access to fire? Is that because fire is forbidden or because getting wood and/or a place to burn stuff isn't available? If it's the latter, a gas burner is your friend

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

This website is very helpful and informative https://trailcooking.com/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

If you're in England look into the Duke of Edinburgh club. It's an outdoors camping club for youth. You should be able to find a packing list and it will have food suggestions.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

What I found to be quite interresting and working well are the solid fuel stoves from esbit. You should be able to bring them on a flight and one small tablet lasts long enough to boil enough water for some instant ramen, soup or a cup of instant coffee.

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