Meal Ideas for a Classic Tent Camping Trip

So you love the idea for roughing it for a few days, living with nothing but your bug spray, a fire, and the piece of land you pitched your tent on. You’ll cook over your fire for a few days—no big deal right? Until you start planning. What exactly should you pack, what utensils will you need, and what’s the best way to store your food to make it last the length of your trip? Let’s start with breakfast.

Breakfast Ideas

Cinnamon rolls over the fire (or camping stove)

A little wonky, right? But surprisingly decadent. There’s nothing better than a gooey cinnamon roll anyway right? Pack your normal sleeve of pillsbury cinnamon rolls, stick them on your roasting sticks like a marshmallow and cook them until the edges are golden brown. And of course, don’t forget the icing!

Classic Oatmeal

Oatmeal isn’t as exciting as cinnamon rolls, but it’s really easy to cook over the fire in a camping pan, or over a camping stove. Mix a little bottled water in with your prepackaged oatmeal packet, then cook it over the heat for about 5 minutes, and wha-lah, apple cinnamon goodness, here we come! (Top with sliced bananas if you want to be a little fancy)

Lunch Ideas

Turkey and Cheese (or PB&J) Sandwiches

We like to pack our lunches on-the-go, because we’re normally not at our campsite mid-day—we’re hiking! Our go-to lunches are lunch meat sandwiches with some chips, because they’re quick, they pack well, and we can eat them on top of a mountain. Store your lunch meat in a cooler over the course of the trip (you may need to replace the ice as it melts from nearby gas stations) and we recommend splurging on a yeti cooler if you camp often, because the ice usually keeps for over 24 hours!

Dinner Ideas

Your basic hot dog (or brat) over the fire

Nothing says an easy dinner like hot dogs on roasting sticks. Pack your buns, dogs, and your favorite chips, and this dinner is done. Also, don’t forget your condiments. There’s nothing more depressing than slipping your perfectly roasted hot dog into it’s bun then realizing you forgot to pack the ketchup. Trust us, we’ve done it—see picture above :(

Walking Tacos (or taco bowls)

Pack yourself a pound of hamburger, taco seasoning, a little salsa, cheese, and lettuce, and single sized bags of fritos, and you’ve got yourself a delightful walking taco. You can brown the hamburger quickly over the fire or camping stove, add it to your frito bags with your toppings, and dinner is served! This is one of our favorite meals while camping.

Tin Foil Dinners

Try these tin foil dinners for a wholesome, filling meal with a few of your favorite veggies and your meat of choice. We like to pack steaks, potatoes and carrots, and then season with some garlic salt and pepper, fold it up in a piece of tin foil, and let it bake on the fire coals for about 10-15 minutes, depending on what you’ve packed in there. These are easy, and truly hit the spot after a long day of hiking.

Dessert Ideas

S’mores, of course!

You’re not camping if you didn’t pack ingredients for a good old-fashioned s’more. We like to embellish them, though. Instead of normal marshmallows, buy the GIANT ones. Instead of Hersheys, try them with a different candy like Reese’s, Crunch, Kit Kat, or even Oreos. You can get real creative!

Shooters

Pack light with your favorite booze shooters for when it gets dark and that lovely fire glow just needs a little something extra. We like to pack Apple Pie Moonshine (yes, like the country song) or a good Tennessee whiskey to keep warm in the cool, evening air.