thanks for those tips :-)I am wanting to prepare as much as I can over the next couple of weeks so I do not have to rush anything. I am a very organised person. My partner thinks I am crazy getting things ready now as we are not going till the day before new years lol
tarankyle,
Nov 8, 6:03am
yes I do have the use of 2 chilly bins. Was going to use one for frozen foods and the other for the fresh food. I have started to keep any soft drink bottles & made up juice in them for the kids so will use those to keep foods cold & when the have melted enough they will be pulled out for the kids.
charlieb2,
Nov 8, 6:07am
no, you are definitely doing right tarankyle.... we went for the first time last christmas.. It was awesome.. and a lot of that had to do with pre-planning food etc.
charlieb2,
Nov 8, 6:08am
Oh and if you have a chest freezer, but a chilly bin in it for a few days before you go away..... keeps everything cooler.. Think I got that tip from the lovely fisher
*waves to fisher*We are ok... apart from the fact it looks like our house will be pulled down!!
charlieb2,
Nov 8, 6:09am
You sound well organised Lianne!! (Its jo from your course!!!)
tarankyle,
Nov 8, 6:26am
thats a great Idea, had not thought of that at all. Yeah after xmas will have heaps of room in the chest freezer lol
orcawhale,
Nov 8, 7:35am
buy a toasty sandwich maker that you can pop onto the bbq. they are about $30.. and you can also pop in a pot that cooks eggs or go into bunnings and buy the egg rings so u can cook eggs.
cgvl,
Nov 8, 10:10am
Bottles of frozen drinking water in your frozen chilly binn will help keep meat frozen longer. Like someone above said, use 2 chilly binns ,one for frozen that you only open once a day, and the other for digging into for marg etc. Take powdered milk, which I hate, or freeze the satchets of milk that you can buy, pack these around meat too.
Food stuff: baked potatoes, done in tin foil on the BBQ, stuff with baked beans or chilli beans. Pasta is great as well.
camper18,
Nov 8, 7:27pm
If you can source flake ice from fish wholesalers it is far better than frozen water blocks as it packs firm around the food packs and lasts longer. Did this for years when camping for 6 weeks over Xmas. If you have a hooded BBQ you can even cook a roast and vegies in the iron pots. We did it 3 times a week for up to 25 people. They were great days, sadly all family flown the nest now so bought a motor home and do it the lazy way now.
tarankyle,
Nov 8, 7:45pm
thanks for all of these great ideas, I am feeling alot more confidend food wise now lolcan't wait to go now :-)
purplegoanna,
Nov 9, 12:30am
that called glamping! lol glamour camping! i take the electric jug and a mini ovenits made my life a whole lot easier tooo..
charlieb2,
Nov 9, 12:50am
Gotta love glamping purplegoanna.... we even stay at a campsite with ensuite shower and toilet on each site!!!
Mind you, we are equipped for the 'back of beyond' trips too!
valentino,
Nov 9, 1:30am
Not too sure if noted above but if one can seal certain foods items in a vacuum style packaging, foods can last quite considerably longer in chilly bins..... with such packaged items.
Likewise with precooked meats wrapped in plastic sealed wrapping, reheated gently to suit although chicken items is the one to be wary of.....
Just think of the old days when refrigeration was not around as much as today.
Also, the double gas ring that was noted above is great and only a reasonable size metal plate is required or a good S/S frypan and a pot or two to keep the load light especially with a gas bottle or two.
And if one is really roughing it, then a good bit of paper and a lighter plus waterproof matches is a must plus places with good running fresh water.
All depends on length of stay or camping though, as fisher noted "Be Well Prepared".
tarankyle,
Nov 9, 1:37am
I am listing stuff on trademe now so I can go out and buy a gas burner for boiling water etc & anything else that i think will come in handy
uli,
Nov 9, 1:38am
The mind boggles ...
winnie231,
Nov 9, 6:44am
What campsite is this charlieb???? Never come across quite that much luxury when camping lol!
misterman3,
Nov 9, 6:58am
We have just started the camping thing too, but haven't done the freedom camping yet.Packets of pasta, 2 minute noodles, dehydrated peas etc. are good. I take baking and try and ration it out - you know what kids are like if they know there's treats hidden away! And tons of apples - that fills up the tummies. Have a great holiday!
tarankyle,
Nov 9, 7:37am
thanks :-)yeah thats the thing with 5 kids and my partner theres a hell of alot of snack food to take lol I am going to start some baking next week & freeze what I can then just take it with us. Alot cheaper than buying snacks from the supermarket.I just got to make sure I can keep a couple of bottles of wine cool for new years eve lol
charlieb2,
Nov 9, 9:56am
and why would it boggle uli?We have a portapotti so we arent leaving a disgusting mess behind.... and we have cooking equip that doesnt require power.... Why is your mind boggling?
charlieb2,
Nov 9, 9:57am
will whisper in your ear winnie...
charlieb2,
Nov 9, 10:01am
What a great thread tarankyle!Hope you have a blast,As for snack foods I tried to think what we'd use at home and add in a 'treat holiday factor'.So with mr and the two boys I figure a big bag of chippes per day was a good idea.... We had yumo snacks tucked away for new year etc etc.
My best idea is to write down your days and figure in any extras.. eg" sitting around with nibbles on NYE and then factor in meals and be precise... eg: on day 10, sausages and no fresh stuff left so Craigs bean salad and ...etc etcc
fisher,
Nov 9, 10:44am
So many ideas racing around...ring second hand shops for "toastie sandwich maker" make toasties with the kids... Dont be daunted just because your camping..You do EXACTLY the same things as cooking at home... As far as cooker is concerned get one of the single burner canister cookers for about 30 bucks.. Takes a can of gas similar a fly spray can and last a long time.. Just use a pot for boiling water.. or if you think you are going camping again in the future, buy a whistling kettle ..about 18 bucks I think.. My biggest hint for you... Plan plan plan..your menu what you need for each day then add extras you think may be needed.. Can you pick up real fresh veges on the way from roadside stalls.. last longer and lots of summer fruit.. watermelons.. sweetcorn on cob..strawberries and the like all at their best and good prices after xmas.. have a good time... It's one thing the kids will remember forever... Oh one last thing.. insect repellent.. fly spray.. suntan lotion..
elliehen,
Nov 9, 11:11am
And for parents who can't get to exotic camping spots, remember that young kids also love stay-at-home-camps, with a tent in the back yard and some of the fun food above :)
nabbed,
Nov 9, 2:54pm
buy one of those tripod toasters for your gas stove too because toast is good for snacks
icemaiden001,
Nov 9, 3:10pm
Your lucky all the doc campsites up here are NO Open Fires ... Full stop ... Gas / covered bbq's only ... Not allowed generators either as apparently the are too noisy !!! :)
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