ISO "roughing it" camping tips.

[Angie]

We love to "primative" camp...no electricity, no gas grill (ours, RIP, is no longer with us.)

We are planning on a one day/night trip with our tents, dogs and two girls (ages 9 & 11)

So we will prbably just have cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch with cottage cheese and raw fuits and veggies.

Any other suggestions???

[Andy M.]

No cooking at all??

I don't know where you are camping, but as a Boy Scout, we would gather firewood in the woods surrounding the camping area and use that to make a fire for cooking our meals.

[fliggie]

Some sort of home made bread--pumpkin, zucchini, etc? Maybe with some homemade jam?

I second the campfire and some weiners on a stick!

[KitchenSally]

Okay, seriously.....primitive camping means you MUST have a campfire.

That being said, so many things are easy to do on an open fire with a simple grate. Think hot dogs, bratwurst, corn on the cob. Marinated steaks that you packed frozen and are perfect to cook that night. Potatoes wrapped in foil and put straight on coals. Tin foil packets of peppers and mushrooms.

I really think there are a lot of options for you.

[AllenOK]

Forget the grill. Foil packet dinners, cooked straight in the coals.

Also, mosey on over to the Dutch Oven sub-board, and check out those recipes. There's some real pro's over there that know there stuff.

[Angie]

Sorry, I should have clarified a big YES to the fire. My husband is a camping pyro!!

I'll have to check around for some long tongs to grab the hot stuff from the fire. My sister makes hobo packets (burger, tators, veggies) and throws them in the fire. Last time she did this with me there, they went on the grill...

[Constance]

While you're cutting sticks for the hot dogs, cut some more for marshmallows, and make S'mores.

[fliggie]

The foil packets are great...you can put anything in them, just add lots of butter so the contents don't stick to the foil. I made them a few weeks ago with peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, some new potatoes...one of my favorite summer treats!

[m00nwater]

Originally Posted by Constance

While you're cutting sticks for the hot dogs, cut some more for marshmallows, and make S'mores.

I know this reply is late, but I wanted to add some great info for making S'mores. I have found THIS is the best method for making s'mores:

You need: tinfoil, marshmallow stick, Caramilk bar (personal preference, but you can use plain old chocolate), graham crackers, marshmallows.

1. Place a piece of tinfoil, shiny side up, on the flattest rock surrounding the campfire (or improvise to get the tinfoil as flat as possible and a s close to the fire as possible.

2. Spread enough graham crackers on the tinfoil for each s'more bottom.

3. Place 1-2 squares of chocolate on each cracker.

4. Pull the coals from the fire as close to the tinfoil as reasonably possible to allow for maximum heat on the chocolate. Allow chocolate to melt

5. Meanwhile, roast your mashmallows so they are nice and gooey.

6. Place a marshmallows on the melted chocloate, and add your top graham cracker. YUM!

Oh, and it sort of wrecks the fire when you pull the coals out, but a seasoned camper will easily get it re-assembled and up and blazing again soon!

[Jeff G.]

Heck do a full grown meal. I do!!

take a roast (pork or beef) season it the way you like it. surround with potatoes, carrots, onions. Pour a little something over for moisture wrap tightly in heavy aluminum foil and toss on the coals. After an hour turn it over, let it cook.. When the carrots are tender, it's done.

My favorite is pork loin and use a jar of Packo's red pepper relish over everything in the packet.. Yummy...and you can throw away the pan(foil) when your done...