Save Time, Energy and Money on Camping Trips by Not Cooking!

From canoeing in the remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota to camping at Burning Man in the Black Rock City Desert of Nevada, I simply hate having to spend time cooking food that inevitably won't taste as good as a normal meal. Instead, I've developed a set of meals and snacks that are easy to prepare and don't take time or require cooking. The following strategies for eating non-cooked food make camping easier, cheaper and reduce the amount of gear required.

Snacks and Lunches: for starters, it is easy to get tasty meals out of cheese, sausage, crackers, trail mix and other items that may be technically perishable but can last a long time without refrigeration. Little sandwiches can be made out of thinly sliced cheese and sausage set between two Triscuits or other mid-sized cracker and make for a great snack or small midday meal. Water can be instantly turned into a refreshing and nutrient-replenishing drink with powdered drink mix (instant lemonade, Kool-Aid, Gatorade or ideally Emergen-C).

Dehydrated Foods: dried and dehydrated meats and fruits can provide valuable protein as well as other vitamins and nutrients. For meat-eaters, beef jerky is a great way to get calories, protein and salt. Dried fruits can be bought cheaply at local co-op type stores or even (for a bit more money) at most grocery stores. Dried fruit is easy to keep handy in a pocket or backpack, weathers well in hot temperatures and makes for an excellent sweet desert.

Prepackaged Snacks: a variety of prepackaged items like candy bars, granola bars, cookies and so on can, of course, be easily found in any grocery store. For more 'energy bar' type items I recommend Clif Bars - there are a number of flavor varieties that taste good and they can be purchased relatively inexpensively (for one dollar a piece at places like Trader Joe's). While this may not sound cheap, it is a good deal considering how filling Clif Bars are.

Real Meals: For more 'real' meals canned foods of different kinds can provide variety, nutrition and be filling. Canned pastas and ravioli are obvious starters, but Campbell's Chunky soups are better for providing a more balanced meal with a good variety of flavor options and vegetables. These are filling and relatively high in calories. Trader Joe's also has some larger canned soups that are vegetarian, cheap and delicious. These are all safe to eat cold but can also easily be heated in the sun before being eaten. Most also have pop-top lids that don't require a can opener, which means one less thing to pack!