Food in the Wild: How to Stay Energized on Your Camping Trip

Update: 2024-09-16

Description

Introduction: Welcome back to the Primitive Camping and Bushcraft Podcast, hosted by Chris Speir, covering the basics of food while camping. Chris emphasizes the importance of calories as energy, especially during outdoor activities, and shares his favorite campfire-cooked meals.
Calories as Energy: Chris explains how camping and outdoor activities burn significantly more calories than daily office life. He discusses calorie surplus and deficits, how to plan meals for camping trips, and the importance of fats and protein for sustained energy.
Planning Meals for the Outdoors:
- Bring a variety of food options, depending on your trip length, such as canned meats, freeze-dried foods, and instant rice.
- Learn the value of supplementing your food supply with hunting and fishing while camping.
Popular Food Items:
- Canned Meats: From Spam to sardines, Chris covers various canned meats and how they contribute to protein intake.
- Beans and Rice: High-fiber, protein-rich options that are lightweight and perfect for long trips.
- Peanut Butter: A high-calorie, energy-boosting food that’s essential in Chris’s camping pack, providing quick recovery when energy levels are low.
- MREs (Meals Ready to Eat): A convenient, waterproof food option offering over 2,000 calories per meal.
- Summer Sausage: A non-refrigerated protein source that pairs well with breakfast or beans.
- Instant and Freeze-Dried Foods: Lightweight, calorie-dense options like mashed potatoes and freeze-dried breakfasts.
Essential Spices and Oils:
- Chris shares some of his favorite seasoning hacks, such as carrying a small bottle of Tabasco sauce for flavor and germ-killing properties.
- Travel-size containers of salt, pepper, and olive oil are easy to pack and can significantly improve campfire cooking.
Quick Tips: Always consider the weight vs. calorie density of the food you pack. Canned foods may be heavier, but they offer protein and fats needed for energy. Lightweight, dehydrated, or freeze-dried options are great for longer hikes or where space is limited.
Next Episode Teaser: The next episode will focus on miscellaneous gear essentials, preparing listeners for the final gear section before moving into shelter-building techniques.
Outro: Don’t forget to pick up the Primitive Camping and Bushcraft book, join the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Facebook group, and subscribe to Spear Outdoors on YouTube.