Camping Cooking TIPS That Every Camper Needs To Know...

Just because you're camping in the great outdoors, far from the comforts of home, doesn't mean you can't cook some fabulous dishes for you and your fellow campers to enjoy. By using the information contained in this video, you'll be able to take your cooking skills to a whole new level. So stay tuned and don't go away, because we're revealing cooking tips that every camper needs to know. First up, what sort of gear will you need to bring? You're about to find out. For the best cooking experience while camping, So let's talk about fire grates. One phenomenal way to cook using a campfire is to use a fire grate. Essentially, a fire grate is made of steel, and is similar to the grates you'd find on an outdoor barbecue grill. Fire grates are designed to fit over your campfire, and let you cook your food over the campfire without having to worry about burning your meal. Campfire grates are typically square, but can be round, and will sometimes come with foldable legs. If you're looking for that natural wood flavor, a fire grate might be what you've been searching for all along. The next item of gear you may wish to consider is a cooking grate. For example, take the Tek Sport Over Fire Camp Grill for instance. It's made of steel, folds up well, and works over any campfire. If you want to go the grate over fire camp grill route, the first thing you'll need to do is learn how to properly prep your area, and build a fire pit for your grate. First, clear a large area for the fire and surround it with rocks. Be sure that the circle you've made fits the size of your metal grate. Ideally, the legs of your grate should be on the outside of the fire pit. Why the rocks? Because it will set the limits of your fire. Next up, how can you further control your fire? Let's take a look. Setting the limits of your fire is important to prevent ground spread, but what about the vertical height of your flames? Clearly, when you're cooking over your fire grate or grill, you don't want flames shooting up and engulfing your cooking area. This is why you need to control the vertical height of your flames. So the first thing you'll want to do is dig out a nice fire pit, anywhere from 2 to 3 feet deep. Build your standard teepee style fire, but let the flames die down a little bit before you start cooking your meal. If this is the way you want to go, you have to learn to time your meal with the gradual decline of your fire and flames. If you find your fire is dying down too much, simply add a few pieces of wood. The idea is to add to your heat without burning your food. That's the trick. This may not be the best or simplest option for everyone, but if you do learn to master the technique, you'll love the flavor you get compared to traditional propane. Speaking of propane stoves though, do you enjoy having eggs for breakfast? If so, you may wish to consider buying a camp stove instead of cooking over a fire grate, because for something as simple as eggs, it's better to have a camp stove because you can control the heat and use a specific temperature. If you're thinking of buying a propane or gas stove, check out the Coleman Eventemp 3 Burner Camp Stove. It's a real gem, and it'll satisfy your culinary needs while camping. Up next, what kind of cookware should you choose? Let's have a look. By now, you've probably chosen your desired cooking method, and it's time to think about some quality camping cookware. You'll need some pots, pans, and other cooking accessories. One cooking pot might work, but if you're feeding several campers or plan to cook a variety of dishes, you'll definitely need more than one. Several camping companies offer cookware sets, and this is a convenient option because you don't have to go through the trouble of putting together the individual pieces yourself. One high-quality set is the Stanley Base Camp Cook Set for 4. It includes a stainless steel pot, frying pan, lids, four plates, four bowls, four sporks, and cooking utensils. Another thing you'll need is plates. It's best to be environmentally friendly, especially while camping in the great outdoors. You can even get a set that includes forks and knives made out of heavy gauge steel. Other sets are sold for individuals and include a bowl, a plate, a mug, and a utensil set. And for good measure, when preparing your camping kit, consider how many people you'll need to feed, the kinds of meals you'll be serving, and what dishes the meals will require. You might want to look into plastic storage containers as well for any leftovers you might have. Stay tuned and don't go away, because we're revealing more cooking and camping tips everyone needs to know. Next up, what's the best way to keep your food items cold? A Coleman cooler, of course. Coolers were invented sometime in the 1950s, and they quickly became extremely popular thanks in part to the Coleman Company, renowned for making some of the best coolers in the world. Take for instance the Coleman Xtreme VS The Yeti cooler. Some coolers have ice packs, and some will need to be frozen overnight. The ice packs fit into the top of the cooler. However, larger coolers don't normally use ice packs, and you'll have to rely on actual ice. It's recommended that you use one pound of ice per quart. So if you're using a three-gallon cooler, ideally you should be using 12 pounds of ice. And in case you were wondering, big chunks of ice are better than smaller ice cubes. Why? Because larger blocks of ice don't melt as quickly and last longer. Also, remember to pre-chill your food. Put food items in your fridge first, and only transfer them into the cooler once they're chilled. If some of your items are frozen before going into the cooler, even better. Remember to put your ice on top of your perishable items as well. Heat travels upward, so it's best to put all of your ice on top of your food. Up next, how can you cook some amazing meals while camping? You're about to find out. Using a fire grate is a lot like grilling over a charcoal grill. The only difference is that you're using a campfire instead of natural gas or propane. One thing you can do is try wrapping your food in aluminum foil before setting it on the grill. This allows you to cook smaller items while protecting them from loose flames. It's important to take the direction of the smoke from your campfire into account as well. Depending on the wood you're using, smoke might add a bad taste to your food. Be sure to check your food every so often to see how it's cooking. One of the ways some people like to cook while camping is by using a pie iron. Pie irons are similar to waffle irons, except they come with long handles. Pie irons allow you to cook meat, pie, bread items, and many other things. You may even use pie irons to make your very own pie iron pizza calzones, or delicious sandwiches. Just lock the bread and ingredients into place, put the pie iron over the heat, sit back, relax, and wait. Some people will even stick their pie irons directly into the coals. Imagine making delicious pizza calzones while you're miles deep into a forest in the middle of nowhere. Don't forget to bring your favorite sauces for dipping. Finally, what kinds of things can you make on your camping grill? Camp food grilling is extremely popular nowadays, and these are just some of the things that you can cook while you become one with nature. Grilled cheese sandwiches, grilled vegetables, grilled pizza, steaks, burgers, kebabs, beef tenderloin, corn on the cob, pork chops, salmon, and ribs, just to name a few. The possibilities are pretty much endless. For safety reasons, be sure to prevent oily liquids from dripping through the grate, because they may cause a grease fire. Grease fires can not only burn your food, but they can harm you as well. One of the best ways to prevent oily drippings is to trim excess fats when preparing your meat, and make sure that they don't drip down into the grill. And be sure to keep the bottom of the grill and catch pan clean, so grease doesn't accumulate. Some people like to line the bottom of the grill with foil, because this can prevent the grease from draining into the catch pan. Another thing you can do to prevent flare-ups is to apply sauces to meats during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. This way, sauces don't drip off and cause a mess or fire below. When you're done grilling, turn up the heat, close the lid, and let excess grease and debris burn off for about 15 minutes. For breakfast, one of the easiest and most loved things to make while camping is pancakes. Why? Because they're filling. Two, they're easy to make. And three, if you're camping with kids, they absolutely love them. Depending on where you're camping, you might even be able to add local wild berries to your pancakes. A great way to jazz up pancakes is by adding blueberries or raspberries. I don't know about you, but all this talk of food is making me hungry. That's a wrap for today's video. Thank you for watching.