Camp Cooking

Take advantage of convenience foods. Boil-in-the-bag rice cooks up fast and easy and is well worth the few extra cents. Just-add-water foods, such as soups, smash and cups of noodles make great no-cleanup meals and snacks.

Measure and combine dry ingredients ahead of time and put them in resealable sandwich bags. Remember to label the bags.  
Insulated plastic mugs with lids you can drink through are great on camping trips. They keep hot beverages hot, cool beverages cool and insects out of everything.

If you plan to braai, bring a grate to put over the fire. Don't assume your campsite will have one
Gather up a set of camping dishes and store them with your other equipment so they're always ready. If you're not sure what to include, go through your menu, meal by meal, and list the dishes and utensils you'll need for each one. And remember to pack what you'll need for cleanup - a dishpan, sponge or washrag, one or two drying cloths and soap.

Even if you've conquered the ”experienced climbers only” trail, ridden the roughest rapids and hooked the granddaddy of all catfish, a camp stove that won't light will be the most distinct memory of your trip. If you plan to cook, plan to invest in a quality camp stove.

A pressure cooker can save on gas and go some way towards compensating for the absence of an oven in a small recreational vehicle. (Probably not a good idea with children who may be prone to shaking the vehicle while the cooker is in use — with possible unpleasant results.)

Don't forget the marshmallows.

Cover pots and pans whenever you're boiling or cooking. Meals will be ready faster and you will save fuel when you use lids. Lids also keep unwanted objects or creatures from landing in your food.

Cook meals like curry or stew ahead at home. They can be kept in a cooler and quickly reheated when you're hungry.

Bring small amounts of cooking supplies rather than big containers. For example, pour a few ounces of cooking oil into a resealable plastic jar rather than bringing the entire bottle.

Aluminium foil is a camp cook's best friend. Fold it into packets for steaming veggies on the fire. Wrap it around potatoes for perfectly baked spuds. Poke a few holes in it and cover your grate to keep food from falling into the fire. The uses are endless.

Yours in caravan & camping,CaravanParks.com – Southern Africa’s Caravan & Camping Tourism Network