25 Simple and Cheap Camping Foods

We’re in the heart of summer right now, and lots of people are going camping. When I was a kid, my parents only took me camping a few times. They didn’t really know what they were doing, but they did their best. We roasted marshmallows over the fire and made smores. But other than that, we didn’t have much to eat.

Not knowing what foods to pack, they brought some canned beans and vegetables, along with chips, crackers, cereal bars, bottled water, and soda. As a kid, I was happy to eat chips and smores every day, but since we also did a fair amount of hiking, I was starving the whole time.

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When you’re camping, you can’t just eat carbs and sugar all day. You need fat and protein as well, along with proper nutrition so you’ll have the energy and alertness to enjoy your camping trip.

Which leads me to this week’s video. It’s from The Prepared Wanderer, and in it he talks about 25 foods to take with you camping.

With all of these things in your bag, you’ll be able to cook hearty meals three times a day without the need for a cooler. Here’s what he recommends:

Food

1. Ramen noodles
2. Meat packets
   • Tuna packets
   • Spam packets
3. Instant soup
4. Mashed potatoes
5. Ready meals (microwaveable pouches)
   • Roasted vegetable penne
   • Red beans and rice
6. Dehydrated meals (Mountain House)
7. Cheese sauce

Beverages

8. Tea
9. Hot cocoa
10. Coffee
    • Lattes
    • Cappuccino
    • Coffee crystals
11. Creamers
12. Sweeteners
13. Lemon juice

Breakfast & Snacks

14. Instant Oatmeal
15. Fig Bars
16. Peanut butter
17. Energy bars
    • Cliff bars
    • Lara bars
18. Waffle packets
19. Cliff shots

Seasonings

20. Meat spices
    • Red Eyed Hog
    • Old Bay
21. Salt
22. Pepper
23. Chicken broth
24. Condiment packs
    • Ketchup
    • Hot sauce
    • Soy sauce
    • Italian dressing

25. Home dehydrated food

Watch the video below to learn more about these foods, why he chose them, which brands he recommends, and more.