Important Outdoor Cooking Tips When Camping

Cooking and camping in the open is a refreshing way to enjoy the outdoors. It's also a great way to impress your family and friends by showing them how well you can cook outside the comfort of your home kitchen. The following outdoor cooking tips and ideas will help you have a good camp cooking experience.

We will begin our outdoor cooking tips with what to bring. Remember that once you go out to camp you won't be able to go back easily if you forget something at home. Here's a "handy" checklist to make sure you don't forget anything:

___ Heavy duty aluminum foil

___ Zip-loc freezer bags in various sizes

___ Disposable plates, bowls, cups, flatware

___ Drinking cups

___ Salt, pepper, sugar, spices

___ Powdered milk, can of evaporated milk

___ Coffee, filters, cocoa, tea bags

___ Paper towels

___ Trash bags

___ Can and bottle opener, corkscrew

___ Cutting board

___ Metal cooking utensils like tongs, spatula, grill forks, serving spoons, knife, roasting sticks

___ Measuring cups, spoons

___ Serving bowls

___ Plastic table cloth

___ Storage containers for leftovers

___ Pot or pan with lid, skillet

___ Foil cooking tins

___ Non-stick cooking spray, oil

___ Pot holders and mitts

___ Dish pan, dish soap, towels, sponge, scrub

___ Strike anywhere matches

___ Butane lighter

___ Firestarters

___ Barbecue grill, smoker

___ Propane, charcoal

___ Firewood (if needed)

___ Grill top for campfire

___ Dutch oven

___ Crockpot

___ Propane stove

It's important to leave the campsite clean so always remember to bring enough garbage bags. Bring biodegradable and environmentally-friendly cleaning agents. Leftover food should be placed in containers and brought home or disposed properly. Clean up is as important as preparation.

Now you're ready to cook! The cooking method you decide on will determine the food you can bring or cook. Common camper favorites are:

• Barbequing or grilling burgers, hotdogs, chicken, ribs, steaks, fish, veggies, and even fruits.
• A variation for grilling is using foil pouches. Place your seasoned meat, veggies, or fish in the foil, add a pat of butter or oil. Seal tightly and place on the grill. The pouch contents will retain their moisture and flavor.
• Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a deep cast iron or aluminum pot with a tight lid that doesn't allow steam to escape, much like the tin foil method, making for a flavor-filled dish.
• Crockpots. Cooking with the crockpot is nothing more than placing all your recipe ingredients in the pot and leaving it all to stew.
• Box oven. Feel like a boy scout? Make an oven with a cardboard box, aluminum foil, and some metal rods. When done correctly, will let you bake almost anything.

Things to remember:

• Pre-chop, peel, or measure the needed ingredients for meals ahead of time and pack in zip-loc bags. Label them correctly.
• Pre-cook meats
• Block ice will last longer than cubed ice.
• All items in coolers should be packed in watertight containers.
• Don't light fires near tents or other flammable objects.
• Empty zip-loc bags can double as garbage bags.
• Clean up after every meal.

There are more outdoor cooking tips but these are essential-the rest you will have to experience for yourself. Have fun cooking and camping!

A great tool for outdoor camping to help you see better when you cook is the head lamp flashlight. For a great selection you can take a look here at: http://www.headlampflashlight.com.

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