Live simple Live Free: Boondocking Food

When I am boondocking, I eat simple foods to match my frugal and simple life style. Here are some of the items I take on trip. Boondocking is a term for camping without any utilities available. You have to bring your own food, water, and fuel. My plans are based on moving no more often than every 14 days so I can stay away from supplies for this amount of time. Make up your own menu for 2 weeks and see the typical supplies you will need instead of just stocking your cupboard like you were at home.

I stock what I need for those 14 days plus I always have a weeks worth of what I call emergency meals. These include canned stew, peanut butter, Ramen noodles, canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese, and pasta. I don't like to eat too many prepackaged foods because they always contain way too much sodium. So, I mix them with better fresh food and save them for emergencies. When I plan a meal for lunch or dinner, I actually start with pasta, potatoes, rice,  or dry beans.

I keep oats (rolled), farina, and dry cereal on hand for breakfast. Occasionally, I will have an omelet or skillet breakfast made with potatoes, onions, spam, and gravy.

Hint: Use a couple of drops of vanilla extract in your milk before you pour it on your dry cereal. If you want your dry milk richer tasting, you just add more milk powder. Soon you will determine how much powder to add to the water for your own taste.

Since I don't use a refrigerator when I am boondocking, all my meats are from a can like tuna, spam, chicken, or salmon. Cheese will keep just fine outside of the refrigerator so I normally have Parmesan,Velveeta, and sometimes blocks of cheddar on hand.

I mostly drink water and tea. I do not carry ice with me but drink everything at room temperature.  Coffee is good in the morning or on a cool evening.  I use a French press for making coffee. I also include wine on occasion.

I like to have some snacks handy that I also can take on a hiking trip. I will keep on hand some of the following: hard candy, nuts, raisins, popcorn, and crackers. Occasionally, I will even bake a cake. I also keep baked chips on hand which are usually tortilla chips. I also make my own tortilla chips out of a corn tortilla. The Velveeta mixed with a jalapeno pepper and unsalted canned tomatoes makes a nacho dip. A good substitution is to buy a can of Rotel tomatoes and keep it on hand in case you don't have a pepper.

I visit the grocery store every 2 weeks and buy a selection from the following list: onions, eggs, carrots, celery, tomatoes, fresh corn, squash,zucchini,cucumbers,watermelon,cantaloupes, hot peppers, fresh fruit. What I buy depends on what is in season at that time and location. I use the fresh vegetables in stews, soups, and pasta dishes. When I visit the store, I also purchase a frozen meat, fish or seafood that is placed in an ice chest and cooked that day.

Hint: Most fresh produce keeps better if you first soak it several minutes in a mold-killing solution of one tablespoon bleach per gallon of freshwater. Be sure and dry it in the sun. Green tomatoes, apples and most citrus fruits keep best when wrapped individually in newspaper and stored separate from other vegetables.

I do a lot of bread baking. I also purchase flour tortillas and corn tortillas. My baking supplies include: bread flour, corn meal,  yeast, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar.

Tomato Paste,  Peanut Butter, canned mushrooms, canned black olives, canned green peppers, nonfat dry milk, olive oil, cooking oil, mustard, vinegar, mayo, and 1 small tub of margarine

Spices:
Black and cayenne pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, onion powder, taco seasoning, and paprika.