Plan Meals Around the Length of the Trip

• Before packing your cooler, consider how long you plan to be in the woods. Travel time is also a factor. Fresh hamburgers and hot dogs will be fine in sealed containers packed in a fully iced cooler if you will reach your destination within six hours and plan to eat the food that day. Chicken and other poultry, pork, and fish can be eaten the same day but are messier than hamburgers and hot dogs, and require more preparation and longer cooking times. If you plan to be camping for three days, leaving on the third day, then plan on food for two dinners, two breakfasts and two lunches, plus snacks. Plan to cook and eat all fresh, raw foods on your first night. If you plan to fish, don't forget the fish scaler and a good knife for cleaning your catch.
  
  

Breakfast and Lunch

• Eggs will stay fresh on ice overnight, so scrambled eggs and thick slices of bread toasted over the campfire make a hearty breakfast with fresh fruit. A sealed package of cold cuts will keep on ice for a day so you can have sandwiches for lunch, perhaps with chips. You can bring an old-fashioned metal popcorn popper and enjoy popcorn with your sandwich or around the campfire at night. Canned foods such as soup and chili make a quick meal over a camp stove for lunch on the second day. For a simple breakfast on the day you break camp, fruit pastries and cereal bars will put a rest to morning hunger pangs. Trail mix, beef jerky, and cheese and crackers make delicious snacks during or after a hike. Canned and bottled beverages will wash down your snacks. Your snack bag won't be complete without marshmallows, a box of Graham crackers and enough chocolate bars for everyone. What's a camping trip without s'mores? For longer trips, consider purchasing prepackaged meals preserved specifically for camping.
  
  

Spices and Condiments

• Almost any condiment except mayonnaise will hold up without constant refrigeration, so bring the ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce when you go camping. Salt and pepper are essential, but a little variety won't take up too much extra space in your pack. Bring a pound of flour or cornmeal so you can make a batter for fried fish. A bottle of dried dill weed will jazz up the fish. Transfer about a cup of olive oil to a small plastic bottle and pack that, too, so you can fry your fish in the skillet.