Easy Snack Foods for Your Family Camping Trip

With the economy in a turmoil, many people are foregoing lavish vacations this year. That doesn't mean they're not planning to take the family on vacation though, instead they're choosing more inexpensive and economic travel choices. And one of the most popular vacations many families are choosing this year is the old-fashioned family tent camping trip.

Anyone who has not taken their family camping before has a few things to learn before they set out though. And one of the most important items, is figuring how how the family will eat while they're out camping in the wilderness. Some food keeps much better than others do, and even if you're camping in a somewhat popular area such as a state park campground, you will not have many of the standard modern conveniences you have at home. Namely: There will be no refrigerator to keep your food in.

There are many easily portable foods which keep well naturally though, and these are the types of things you should pack for your family camping trip. Keep in mind that the foods you choose to take on your camping trip may vary based on whether you have small children or not.

For small children, any type of easy finger food is good. Dried cereal is one excellent example. It keeps extremely well in a water tight plastic bag or sealed container, and it can easily be eaten without milk. This makes it excellent to use as both a snack or a meal while you're out camping. Try packing a few different kinds of cereal for variety. Fiber squares make a good quick breakfast to get you going in the morning, and fruit loops or other sweet cereals are good when you want a sugary snack. The sweet cereal is good for providing a quick energy burst when you're hiking or doing lots of strenuous activities too.

Other dry goods are another excellent choice to take on a family camping trip. These can be simple and easy food items such as various types of crackers, because you can find them in a variety of configurations. Plain saltine crackers are a great standby, but you might also want to pack cheese and peanut butter snack crackers, and graham crackers too for variety. Toss some flavored potato chips and pretzels into the mix and you have a nice selection of munchables that can keep indefinitely.

Vegetables and fruits are another wonderful source of food to take on a family camping trip, but you'll need to select them wisely. Vegetables are easiest to use and eat on a camping trip if they're cut up before you leave. Try putting things like celery, carrots, and raw califlower or broccoli into heavy plastic bags. If you also pack an unopened bottle of salad dressing, you can eat the raw vegetables as snacks using the dressing as a dip. And if you're cooking over a campfire then you'll also have the veggies ready and waiting to be prepared with a meal.

Both fresh and dried fruits can be taken on family camping trips too, but you'll want to avoid packing soft fruits that bruise or spoil quickly or easily. A banana doesn't travel well since it bruises quickly, and strawberries tend to spoil fast too. So if you choose to take these on your camping trip you'll want to pack just small amounts which can be consumed the first day or so.

Crisp apples, oranges, tangerines and pears are excellent fresh fruit sources to take camping, because these tend to last several days. If you plan to have an extended camping trip though, you'll also want to include dried fruit sources to ensure you'll have plenty of additional food towards the end of your trip.