Beginners guide to eating outdoors when cycle camping

[marcusjb]

On the subject of rice and cooking time, the packets of pre-cooked rice (uncle ben's express)(loads of flavours) are really quick to cook on the camp fire. Not so good for weight though, but if you've set up camp and walk to a supermarket, rather than lugging them all the way, they are great.

That said, we use shed loads of gas when touring as I have a girlfriend who won't compromise with cooking, often creating three course meals with much stove time required!  

[Canardly]

At a practical single male(on tour that is)  level seems to be simple carbohydrate and coffee/tea as a basic and take advantage of local facilities as well which is fine. The idea of those frozen/dried meal things gives me the creeps although army compo  from memory was pretty good.

[Pancho]

You barbarians.

All food should be delicious and never just fuel.

I don't do the camping thing (that's just another style of barbarity) but we (that's "we" as in the female crew) do do minimalist cooking when sailing. There's 1001 excellent dishes that can be rustled up in a single pot (google one pot recipes or something). Lamb and cous cous is a goody. Just remember to take a selection of wines with you.

[Canardly]

Pancho we love bad food it is our right......... The Scandinavians invaded us and ruled for 500 years they left us bacon (and horns) and bizarre as it seems fond memories. The French invaded and ruled for 500 years and left us pate and an inferiority complex.

[andygates]

Pot. Unapologetic. Noodle.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Lentils.

Yes I know they're out of fashion ever since Neil from The Young Ones ate them, but they're full of protein, easy to cook, and ...

a bit tasteless usually ..    but I like them! 

It's very easy to make lentils tasty without any extra cooking time. Soak in cold water, rinse. Put to boil with onion, garlic, bay leaves and whatever else you fancy all in one pot. Just before it's completely done stir in a spoonful or two of tomato puree - one of those little tins might be a good size for camping.

[Wowbagger]

You can always get squeezy tubes of concentrated tomato puree but it could frighten the other campers if they find you after cleaning your teeth in the dark.

[Canardly]

lol

[Oaky]

aye in boiling water......... We are talking wet muddy field here freezing your alturas off and soaking jim jams (does anyone actually wear them) but determined to have a go at this....

Ah,  but pretty much anything in the "cooked carbs" category will require water to be boiled, so the water boiling time is almost a constant across the choices.

In fact, when camping I'd be tempted to put the rice in a little bit before the water came to the boil and take it off the heat as soon as it was boiling, cover it and wrap in a tea towel or similar while I heated something to go with it.  I might have to try an experiment...

[andrewc]

You can always get squeezy tubes of concentrated tomato puree but it could frighten the other campers if they find you after cleaning your teeth in the dark.

A lady acquaintance of mine once made that mistake with a tube of Canesten...... we heard the shrieks.....

[peliroja]

surely there arent many campsites more than a couple of miles from a pub?

 

[Kim]

In fact, when camping I'd be tempted to put the rice in a little bit before the water came to the boil and take it off the heat as soon as it was boiling, cover it and wrap in a tea towel or similar while I heated something to go with it.

I'll let you into a little secret: the rice really doesn't care what temperature the water's at when it goes in.  You can put the rice in cold water and bring it to the boil, and when it's done, it's done.  I haven't bothered to measure how much time/fuel this saves, but it's clearly the optimum approach.

Pasta, I believe, is more fussy.  But I can't stand the stuff.

[Oscar's dad]

Pot. Unapologetic. Noodle.

Yes!  Empty noodles from pot into plastic bag making them easier to pack. As me un Twinkle Toes The Step Daughter discovered chicken curry flavoured is great for breakfast. Please don't judge me harshly, she made me do it!!!

[Jaded]

beer garden

Unless it is cold, in which case:

in the pub

[andrewc]

I see no point in reinventing the spoked circular thing so went hunting for a previous post....

"It depends were you are camping.  If I'm in the back of beyond (NW Scotland, Norway etc) then it's variations on pasta'n'tuna, pasta'n'ham, pasta'n'sausage with whatever veggies are to hand.  When I got back from 4 weeks in Iceland I couldn't face tinned tuna for a year!

If you are somewhere were there are plenty of shops just buy  what you would normally eat before you get to the campsite, assuming you've got a sensible cooking kit.  Not taking advantage of fresh local produce when you are somewhere in France would be stupid...

Examples of stuff I do on my Trangia

Stodge - Couscous, just add boiling water & oil/butter/spices.  Quick cook rice in a bag is good as well. Pasta, tubes or spirals... instant mash with butter..

Veg - in a saucepan, gently fry onions/garlic/diced peppers or fine beans, add a couple of chopped tomatoes and simmer.  Sliced chillies for a kick

Meat - Lamb steaks or chops, cooked to taste.  Chicken is best diced so it cooks through, steak, sausages (Bratwurst in N Europe or Merguez in France)

You'll need to juggle the pans over the single burner so everything is ready at the same time.

Wine - a decent Rioja or Cabernet Sauvignon

Enjoy!

My cooking kit:

Trangia 27 with an extra, small pot from a mini Trangia. Gives 3 saucepans of different sizes & a decent frying pan. I keep the small pot for water for tea/coffee

Chopping board / strainer - a circular disc that goes on the bottom of the Trangia.

Spatula or wooden spoon - Sharp knife, Opinels are very good for food prep.

Plate, knife,fork,spoon.  Sometimes a proper corkscrew.

Herbs & spices, tube of tomato puree, tin of Marigold stock. You can get tubes of chopped garlic/ginger/chillie if you like

For coffee
 Amazon.co.uk: Smart café hot cafetiere mug - platinum: Kitchen & Home

For wine Lexan Wine Glass from Taunton Leisure

I don't tend to lose weight on cycling trips..... Smiley

[andrew_s]

In fact, when camping I'd be tempted to put the rice in a little bit before the water came to the boil and take it off the heat as soon as it was boiling, cover it and wrap in a tea towel or similar while I heated something to go with it.  I might have to try an experiment...

You can get pot cosies specially for keeping your pot hot whilst the rice cooks. Aimed mostly at cutting down on fuel use, but also handy for freeing up the stove for sauce making.

They are made from aluminised bubblewrap insulation, so many people make their own. The only problem is getting hold of less than far too much of the stuff.

[Woofage]

Cook sauce, put it aside, cook rice/pasta and then quickly reheat sauce.

Even better: boil water with pasta for a couple of mins then cover and set aside (still in hot water). Cook sauce. Pasta is now ready . Enjoy.

[Julian]

Ainsley Harriott instant rice stuff - esp the pea and mint flavour - is very quick, very tasty, and doesn't contain celery (practically all instant noodles / instant rice things do, and I'm allergic to the stuff, and anaphylaxis on a campsite sucks: I've done it.)

[Butterfly]

We usually buy something in a supermarket in the last town we pass rather than carry stuff. Soups are good as are fresh pasta and sauce. Hot cross buns or similar for breakfast.

Mixed vegetables + tin of beans + tin of sweetcorn + jar of fajita sauce.
Place in wrap with crumbled cheese and sour cream and chive dip

[Tail End Charlie]

Bulgar wheat is great and very easy. Use in the same way as rice or pasta but easier. Boil some water put the wheat in, leave for a little while (whilst preparing the sauce) and it soaks up the water and hey presto, a filling meal. You can get wholewheat bulgar wheat aswell, but I find the taste a bit strong. Buy it from Middle Eastern shops or more expensively from Sainsburys.

[clarion]

Easiest is fresh pasta with pesto.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Easy and tasty, mmmm! But pesto is rather expensive - unless you make your own I suppose, but I can't see that being very practical at a campsite.

[clarion]

Still rather cheaper than eating at a pub as recommended upthread.  And tastier.  And better atmosphere. 

I love eating outside the tent.

[Paul D]

First of all - I'm not a natural camper. If I can divert a bit to a YH, I'm there. Likewise the pub. I see camping as the means to a lightweight or far-from-civilisation end.

However, I am planning some bivvy trips with chris n later this year, of no more than 2 nights. Hence I've been musing on food to carry.

This thread has confirmed something to me: 'fuel' pasta or rice with a bit of sauce is much less appealling to me that leaving cooking gear at home and carrying 1/2lb cheese, cold baked beans, small squeezy marmite and a load of oatcake biscuits! For the five star meal I might add tinned tuna or the tinned lentils that I usually eat without cooking.

That's the evening meals sorted. Space for tins carried up when full, so no problem with empties until I can chuck 'em. Breakfast will probably be homemade flapjacks, and lunch could be two courses - porkpie then peanut M&Ms for afters!

[geraldc]

Tinned fruit.

Tinned peaches eaten from the tin with a penknife, then drink the syrup.