Beginner camping - what to cook?

[NewtonMP2100]

....s'mores......don't fuhget......

[neophyte]

I presume drinking water will be available. So, to help you get going the next morning,


Coffee. Bring coffee.

For you.

Your son has his own, built-in, get-up-and-go stimulant.

[Dennis S]

You have to have a marshmallow and weenie roast.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Dennis S wrote:
You have to have a marshmallow and weenie roast.

Which one is the bun? :wink:

[davester]

I would never bring freeze-dried foods on a one-night camping trip. That stuff is for extended backpacking trips (i.e. a week or more) where you can't afford to carry even an ounce of extra weight.

Bring just normal food as suggested by a number of posts above. When bike camping my strategy has always been to shop as near to daily as possible so that I was only carrying a one day supply of food and could maximize the number of perishable fresh food meals (as opposed to canned or packaged food). Spaghetti and sauce is a good easy choice if you have water available where you're camping. You don't need to be too picky...any calories taste good when you're camping, and especially so if you've expended a bunch of calories getting there.

[NewtonMP2100]

.......franks and beans [ not your own ]....???

[Sarcany]

davester wrote:
I would never bring freeze-dried foods on a one-night camping trip. That stuff is for extended backpacking trips (i.e. a week or more) where you can't afford to carry even an ounce of extra weight.

It's not just about the weight.

You have to carry out what you bring in with you.

No mess, no fuss to roll up a foil packet and drop it in a ziplock. Weighs almost nothing empty so you have less of a burden coming back vs coolers, cooling-packs, and boxes and wrappers for perishables.

[Ombligo]

Don't forget the Jiffy Pop over the campfire, the kid will love it. For real fun, take the label off before he sees it, then watch his face as it expands and he doesn't know what it is. Walmart usually has it.

(if there are other kids, you better bring several)

[NewtonMP2100]

.......goose.....is cooked.....??

[Mr Downtown]

One night? I might just do toasted cheese sandwiches with (precooked) bacon. Or quesadillas with crumbled bacon, so you don't even have to worry about the bread getting smushed. Foil weighs almost nothing.

If no campfire, remember Sterno cans.