The joys of camping are many, but having a great meal after a long day's hike and enjoying it around a campfire, well, that's one of life's great experiences. They operative word here is "good" because I can't tell you how many times I've been camping and have had someone who was allegedly in charge of food break out the freeze-dried Salisbury steak or cup o' noodles and then suggest this is dinner. No, when I go camping, I'm usually sure to pack away as much fresh fish, sausages, vegetables, etc. as we can carry. Sometimes, that's not the easiest thing to do, but I usually try.

But even if you manage to pack all the right stuff, you still have to prepare it. And when someone makes a lousy batch of, say, chili, everyone suffers. So don't let that happen to you. Go over to CampRecipes.com and download a few of the 550 or so camping food recipes they've got online there. Your food will be better, your camping experience will be better, and your friends will appreciate you for it. Trust me. I know. And if you want the secret Boy Scout's recipe for "catastrophe", drop me a note.

Filed under: Food and Drink, Camping