It may be getting chilly outside, but there’s still plenty of time for camping this fall! Some people believe you have to go all out and buy tons of stuff to go camping nowadays, but not us. We have been able to have a wonderful time spending very little. How does our family camp on a dime?
One of our favorite places to camp is a small place in Big Sur a few hours away from home, right on the river with a playground for the kids. It is a little more on the commercial side, but a great place for kids. Another all-time favorite place is Crater Lake in Oregon. They have the best campsite with huge sites, separation from others, but also good bathroom facilities.
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So, for the food: here is what I do! I definitely plan in advance. I come up with a menu, usually with a lot of the same things as times before, and then prep beforehand. Here is what a typical menu looks like:
For breakfasts, I make a whole bunch of delicious breakfast burritos in advance. Inside, I put cooked eggs, sausage, cheese, potatoes, and maybe some onions. This allows us to have a good, hearty breakfast for a couple of days, and everyone loves them! For the other days, if we run out of breakfast burritos, it is so easy just to bring some pre-made pancakes or pancake mix to whip some up, oatmeal or cream of wheat, or even just some cereal, as it is simple to get milk at the campground store.
Lunches are simple, too. It’s usually sandwiches all the way, and if we are going camping for a longer time, we may also throw some hot dogs into the mix. But, PB & J or Nutella if that’s getting old and a few loaves of bread goes a long way with a big bag of baby carrots, cut up cucumbers, or grapes on the side.
Some of the dinners we have are loaded baked potatoes and corn, hamburgers, kabobs, or grilled veggies and chicken. These can all be prepared in advance too.
For the loaded potatoes, I pre-bake potatoes and wrap them each in tin foil so when we’re camping, we just have to toss them into the fire to heat up. Then we add toppings like sour cream, cheese, scallions, or bacon bits. I do the same with the corn as I do with the potatoes.
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Simple snacks and desserts are best too. Desserts usually just mean graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows, or a simple pre-made cake wrapped in tinfoil. Preparing everything in advance saves you headaches, time, and money too because you won’t be scrounging at the last minute to figure things out or go out and buy more. Camping can be a low-cost, wonderful family vacation, and truly it’s one of our favorites because we really get time to bond in new and creative ways!
What are your favorite make-ahead camping meals? Please share in the comments below!
Recently diagnosed with a chronic condition that has turned her life upside down, Tara Leiker, a mother to 6, has had to learn how to make the best of a difficult situation. Tara, a Professional Counselor by trade, had to let go of her job as a Program Manager helping children with autism a few months ago, losing 60% of the family’s income. She is now on a quest to discover new ways to help her family survive and make ends meet. One of the ways she now spends her time is re-engaging her skills and interests as a curriculum developer, writer, and blogger.
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