# Good non-cooking camping food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346 "2013-07-12T19:02:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shooby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@Shooby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shooby)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/1 "2013-07-12T19:02:29Z")
So I’ll be heading off camping for 3 nights, and we’re not going to have cooking materials (no stove or fire) and obviously no cooler or anything. I usually just go boring with bread, cheese, and some sort of preserved meat. Some fruits & nuts, too. Any recommendations as to more interesting food options, or combinations I might not have thought of? ---
**Author:** ![Shooby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@Shooby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shooby)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/2 "2013-07-12T19:05:14Z")
Recommendations on types of bread would be good too - haven’t been camping in a while and forget what’s good untoasted. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/3 "2013-07-12T19:25:27Z")
For a real easy lunch, buy tuna (or shrimp) in the bag and then grab a handful of mayo packets from the deli. You can eat it with crackers or bread. I usually like a bag of chewy hard rolls, or pilot bread ---
**Author:** ![fstbk1968](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3bc359/32.png) [@fstbk1968](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fstbk1968)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/4 "2013-07-12T19:29:52Z")
Most freeze-dried meals will rehydrate without hot water, it just takes longer. Check out your local REI. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/5 "2013-07-12T19:31:29Z")
> [@Shooby](#): > > obviously no cooler or anything. Won’t the beer get too warm?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/6 "2013-07-12T20:18:11Z")
> [@fstbk1968](#): > > Most freeze-dried meals will rehydrate without hot water, it just takes longer. Yeah, but how would the OP heat the water? Would a solar cooker be allowed? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/7 "2013-07-12T20:31:36Z")
How about army MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)? I think you can get them at army/navy surplus stores. Play army! I got a couple from one of our partners when I worked at a company that did printing for MRE packages. MREs have a rep for being really terrible, but I think it depends on what meal it is. I took a chicken stew MRE camping, and it wasn’t too bad-- the package had a built-in setup that triggered a chemical reaction that heated it up when you cracked it (like cracking a glow-light). ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/8 "2013-07-12T20:39:59Z")
Bubblebee makes a delicious [thai-chili tuna](http://www.bumblebee.com/products/8/bumble-bee-sensations-seasoned-tuna-medley-bowl-spicy-thai-chili/) that we take backpacking often. It’s yummy w/ some Ritz crackers. Apples travel well, too. We’ll also take pepperonis. I like the slices, but some prefer the sticks. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/9 "2013-07-12T21:00:54Z")
Peanut butter is a good energy food source. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/10 "2013-07-12T22:11:34Z")
^^ username/thread topic combo for the win! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/11 "2013-07-12T23:51:10Z")
Lembas. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/12 "2013-07-12T23:59:16Z")
If not MREs, get the components to a First Strike ration. [Bridgford Foods](http://www.amazon.com/Bridgfords-Grab-N-Go-Ready-Eat-Sandwiches/dp/B003FKBDF8/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373673519&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=first+strike+rations+bridgford) has several options. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/13 "2013-07-13T01:05:49Z")
Salami, hard boiled eggs, hummus and veggies to dip! ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/14 "2013-07-13T01:41:08Z")
For hiking I used to make up a whole loaf of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and then shove it back into the wrapper. Carrot sticks and celery sticks. A big bag of pretzels. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/15 "2013-07-13T02:37:21Z")
Jerky. There are many options. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/16 "2013-07-13T02:42:03Z")
Pringles travel well on account of the rigid casing. In fact, that’s about the only thing to recommend them for. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/17 "2013-07-13T02:46:03Z")
> [@Shooby](#): > > So I’ll be heading off camping for 3 nights, and we’re not going to have cooking materials (no stove or fire) and obviously no cooler or anything. > > I usually just go boring with bread, cheese, and some sort of preserved meat. Some fruits & nuts, too. > > Any recommendations as to more interesting food options, or combinations I might not have thought of? Bo’s Gorp = granola with raisins, butter toffee cashews, peanut butter M&Ms, dehydrated pineapple (get the cheapest can of pineapple you can (so it’s just pineapple and water, no added syrup or sugar), dehydrate it and then cut them into raisin-sized pieces) Mix in a big bowl and then parcel it out into individual ziploc bags, one for each day. Plenty of grains, protein, fat, and carbs. Some vitamin C as well. Great for backpacking fuel. High fat snack if you’re just sitting around, tho. Tofu Jerky is a tasty and protein-rich food as well; I prefer the BBW flavor. ---
**Author:** ![catnoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@catnoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catnoe)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/18 "2013-07-13T04:21:22Z")
On a cross country trip a few years ago we kept don’t have to cook food in a basket within reach in case we decided to not stop for hours or if too tired to deal with cooking… Tuna is an excellent idea. The little packets of mayo and relish (discovered they existed while at a movie theater!) give you really fast tuna salad with or without bread or crackers. Radishes will keep for a day or two without refrigeration as long as you leave their tops on them, a little salt and they will perk right up after cutting. Ditto, cucumbers or raw potatoes, just add salt. The jerky, hardboiled eggs, and granola already mentioned were also in our basket. Breakfast or power bars. Switch up the fruit selection instead of or in addition to the usual apples and bananas try pears, grapes, cherries, star fruit, blues berries. Can always pick up a few sugar packets in route and make your own fruit salad! ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Goliath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rex\_Goliath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Goliath)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/19 "2013-07-13T05:27:18Z")
Avocado, raw coconut, bean salads, antipastas are my favorites aside from the “bread, peanut butter, cheese, deli meat” combo. I play it pretty boring, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346/20 "2013-07-13T19:33:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Won’t the beer get too warm?😕 :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-non-cooking-camping-food/663346.md?page=2)