Grill On The Go
Sometime roasting hotdogs over the campfire just won’t do. If you want delicious grilled food even in the middle of nowhere, a foldable grill is for you. It can be easily stored in your car for camping trips without taking up room needed for your tent, food and other essential supplies. You’ll be the envy of all your friends as you show off your grilling skills and make mouths water on your next camping trip.
Bring a foldable stove along on a fishing trip to grill your catches on the spot. Whip one out at a tailgate party to cook up some burgers for all your hungry friends before the big game. Set it up in a snap at the beach so you won’t have to give up your great spot to go eat lunch. In any outdoor scenario, a foldable stove will give you the great taste of a grilled meal with the convenience of a portable, easy-to-clean design.
Making Compromises for the Love of Camping
In my younger days, I made a point of hiking and camping on a weekly basis. Even in college, my buddies and I would drive out of the city and into the Cascade Mountains, far from the hustle and bustle of urban life. We took pride in building our own fire, pitching tents and fishing for our supper. This practice taught us self-reliance and a better appreciation for nature’s splendor.
Now that I’m older and married to a woman who’s not so enthusiastic about “roughing it,” I’ve had to make some compromises. For starters, we only go camping once or twice a year. One of my wife’s stipulations is that we have quality accommodations, including air mattresses and portable heaters. That way we can enjoy the tranquility and pastoral pleasures of the outdoors before retiring to a rather civilized slumber.
Family Fun for Everyone
Camping can be fun for the entire family. It provides an opportunity to commune with nature and have quality bonding time with the family. Planning and preparation is the key to ensure that you have what you need for your outdoor vacation. Bringing too little with you may leave you without the camping essentials while bringing too much may make it impossible to carry everything on your back.
One of the things that should never be left behind when going on a camping trip is a cooler. It’s very handy and perfect for storing your basic condiments. With its insulated material, food stays fresh whether you want to keep it hot or cold. Nothing is worse than setting up your Optimus stove only to find the burgers and dogs are rancid. So if you want to get the best out of your camping trip, investing in a cooler bag is definitely a smart choice.
Quintessential Camping Fare
Cooking outdoors on your two burner propane stove and grill can be a lot of fun and yield some particularly delectable dishes, but there are a few special points to consider when partaking in outdoor cooking. One of the most popular choices for these barbeque recipes are kebabs. Kebabs are skewered chunks of meat and vegetables that are then grilled on an open spit or standard barbeque. The most popular choices for meat are lamb, beef, and chicken, and vegetables span from zucchini and bell peppers to onion, eggplant, mushroom, and more. These meats and vegetables can then be marinated in any number of sauces, depending on your taste.
But regardless of how you prepare your specific kebab, it is important to take especial care when cooking these dishes on your outdoor grill. For one, make sure your skewers are never in the reach of any small children. Another safety measure is to take care removing your kebabs from the grill. Especially if you’re using metal skewers, they can be extremely hot and should always be removed with cooking pads or cooking mitts. For that reason, wooden, disposable skewers are a fantastic option for this yummy summer dish—just be sure to soak them in water first so they don’t burn.
Prepare, Prepare
Prior to going out into the great outdoors, one of the best things you can do is make sure that you have all the necessary equipment when leaving the safe haven of the city or suburb. For many people, simply packing a tent, sleeping bag, energy bars and a lantern is enough, but personally, I think that more can be done, particularly if you’re spending an extended amount of time out in the wilderness.
If you look around online, you can find comprehensive camping gear checklists that go into detail on what you’ll need beyond tents, emergency supplies, flashlights and basic foodstuffs. If you are anticipating adverse weather conditions, tarps and a propane heater are advisable. Another great resource to aid in your preparation is the guides provided by the municipal parks and recreation department in your county. There are tools that should be utilized to have best - and safest - camping experience possible.
Prepping for Camping Season
Now that spring is here and the weather is warming, outdoor enthusiasts around the country are beginning to prepare for the camping season. While there are certainly minimalists out there who don’t want modern contrivances hindering their connection with nature, it can behoove you to bring along some of these pragmatic supplies.
~Primus Stove - when night falls and it starts to grow a bit colder outside, it’s always nice to have a hot meal to warm you up; also great for cooking breakfasts!
~Down Sleeping Bag - the warmest sleeping bags out there are made from goose down; these sleeping bags are great for colder nights, and can be draped like a blanket for warmer nights, making them an all around winner.
~Gas Lanterns - fueled by kerosene, these lanterns are incredibly bright and very reliable, great for avoiding stumbles in the dark.
~First Aid Kit - an essential for camping trips, this item will protect your family and friends from all the potential harms of the wilderness including snakebites, scratches and scrapes, and even broken bones.
Delicious Meals for an Outdoor Stove
Numerous simple and delicious meals can be made while camping with Primus stoves. These meals include spaghetti, burritos, pasta salad, mashed potatoes, and even steak. For these meals you will need a standard sauce pan and skillet, but the rest is intuitive and near identical to using the stove at home. For pasta salad, make sure to have a bowl set aside that will allow the pasta to cool after it has been cooked, and while adding the rest of the ingredients. For steak, cooking it on a skillet with a little bit of oil doesn’t quite give it the same barbeque flavor, but it’s still quite delicious with a little steak sauce. There are hundreds of different meal options for an outdoor stove, so don’t feel limited just because you’re outdoors!
When purchasing an outdoor stove, it’s also important to make sure you have an extra tank or two of propane. There’s nothing worse than running out of propane while you’re still cooking and ruining the food!
Cooking Fish for Dinner - One Way or the Other
Unfortunately, you can’t always haul in a prize-winning fish on the first night of a camping trip. Sometimes the fish just aren’t biting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun, relaxing day on the river with friends anyway. When it’s time to pack up the angling gear and pitch the tent, daylight might be dwindling. There’s barely any time to cook dinner; time is of the essence. Since you and your friends had your hearts set on fish, try the following Cajun tuna 
recipe on for size.
Ingredients:
2 cans chunky tuna fish
1 ½ cans kernel corn
2 Tsp. butter
1 red onion
½ of a green pepper
½ cup celery
1 Tsp. flour
2 tsp. seasoning salt
Directions:
1. Chop all raw vegetables, melt butter in a skillet and fry the onion, pepper and celery on your Optimus Nova stove until tender.
2. Add flour and blend together. Then add all other ingredients and mix.
3. Serve immediately over rice.
Camp Cuisine: Cashew Curry
Part of the charm of a camping trip is getting as far away from civilization as you possibly can. Day-to-day worries melt away as you bask in the gorgeous splendor of Mother Nature. But sometimes it’s nice to preserve a few hallmarks of civilized life - most notably the cuisine. Even if you’re strapped for ingredients, it’s still possible to come up with some delightful flavor combinations. The following cashew curry with apricots recipe is proof positive.
Ingredients:
¼ cup powdered milk
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder
3 ½ cups water
pepper to taste
2 cups instant rice
¼ cup cashew pieces
2 Tsp. dried apricots
2 oz. grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Mix milk and some of the water into a paste. Add the rest of the water, mix well, and bring to a boil on your Primus camp stove.
2. Stir in the rice. Cover and allow mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add apricots. Continue simmering as you would with any rice dish - until water is absorbed.
3. Stir in nuts and cheese, and then serve after cheese melts.
Essential Camping Equipment
When it comes to camping, there’s no more fun or enjoyable activity to be shared with family and friends. However, to have an enjoyable camping trip, you’ll want to be prepared with all the necessary gear and equipment. You won’t have a stovetop or an oven, so be sure to bring cooking equipment, at the minimum a canister stove is necessary for cooking hot meals. Having some kind of shelter is a no brainer, so be sure to bring a tent, but also be sure you have a rain fly (unless you’re camping in the desert!). It’s also important to bring emergency supplies in case of a real emergency; equipment like a first aid kit, flashlight, and even a GPS device are great to have in the outdoors.
In addition to all of the equipment essential to survival, it’s also important to remember that camping is about fun! For an enjoyable time consider sporting equipment including croquet sets, footballs, fishing poles, and binoculars (for bird and wildlife watching). Being prepared and planning some fun activities will ensure that your camping trip is one to remember.