How To Get Ready For Camping This Summer

I want to give you some ideas on how to get ready for camping this summer. Now, here’s the deal, camping, and emergency preparedness go hand in hand, right? You may not have a trailer, camper or a tent, but sleeping under the stars is fabulous! Can you hear the rush of the stream going by? Do you love the smell of eggs, pancakes, and bacon cooking outside? I know I sure do! There is something about learning to start a fire outside in a safe location and where the law permits. Well, we can cook with a Dutch oven on some charcoal outside whether we are at a camping spot or in the back yard. Get up early so you can cook breakfast outside in the mountains!

I remember when I was growing up and every Saturday morning my family would drive up to the mountains where the county had some fire pits. Oh, my gosh, the memories of cooking breakfast over a fire pit still makes me smile.

Table of Contents

Camping Tools:

Water:

You need water for each person to stay hydrated. I recommend a minimum of one gallon per person per day. I would take more only because that’s how I roll. I need a lot of water to make pancakes, soups or whatever. Remember to take the water you need to make certain meals. And don’t forget the clean-up. I love boiling water and washing dishes outside, plus it teaches our family what we would need to do if we lose water inside our home. Score, lesson learned! Sometimes the campsites have water and sometimes they don’t. Be prepared with extra water.

Food:

Make a menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Actually, my printable for food storage would work: Where do I start? By Food Storage Moms All you have to do is fill in the blanks, it even has a spot for what you need to purchase on the chart.

You can fill containers with pancake mix and then just add water. Be sure and bring a good spoon or my favorite tool: Tovolo Dough Whisk – 12″ (a reader told me about this stainless steel one).

Crack the eggs you would use for each meal into an airtight container and put them in the cooler. I like to open a container with eggs rather than cracking them at a campsite.

Divide your lunch sandwich ideas into baggies and label them Monday, Tuesday, etc. You can also make sloppy joes ahead of time and freeze them in a bag, just heat and you are ready to eat. Don’t forget the hamburger buns. This is why a menu is fun because it’s all spelled out. You may forget the ketchup, relish, and mustard for the hot dogs, right? I f you write it down, you are good to go.

Dinner is easy, make some meals in a bag that you can throw into your Dutch oven.

Take bags of salads you make ahead of time, don’t forget the salad dressing.

While we’re talking about coolers, make sure you fill containers with water that you can use for drinking AND keeping the cooler at a safe temperature. Open the bags of bacon and separate the amount you want into one bag for each breakfast. I buy the bacon ends, they taste yummy and are half the price.

Don’t forget marshmallows, chocolate squares, graham crackers, and hot chocolate!

Cooking:

Here are some items you may need.

Dutch oven

Fry pans

Griddles

Charcoal

Matches

Kitchen items:

I love having my kitchen on wheels (making a tub with your kitchen necessities would be awesome) FSM Portable Kitchen

Can opener

Pancake spatulas

Serving spoons

Hot pads

Vegetable spray

Soap for washing dishes

Wash rags/dish towels/paper towels

Paper plates, cold cups, hot cups, and silverware

Hot dog sticks/Smore’s sticks (marshmallows)

Tubs to wash and rinse the dishes

Sleeping:

Tents

Tarps

Sleeping Bags

Lanterns for light

Flashlights

An emergency toilet would work for camping: FSM Emergency Toilet

I hope this post gets you excited about camping and cooking outdoors as a family or with friends. This is just a start. I’m sure you will come up with items I haven’t listed based on the food your family likes, particularly their favorites for eating outdoors. The size of your family will influence the quantities needed. It never hurts to take some extras, just in case. Don’t forget toilet paper, bug spray, some firstaid items, etc. May God bless you for being prepared for the unexpected.