by Tammy Lewis

Created on: July 24, 2009   Last Updated: July 25, 2009

How to save money on food when camping

Camping doesn't have to be expensive. The first time I went camping as a single mother, my son and I slept in our van and ate bologna sandwiches, fruit, and yogurt. I was ill-prepared and ill-supplied for the trip, but it was an adventure with my child which we both cherished.

Be creative with your camping food! Besides the basics of sandwich, hot dog and hamburger, there are many inexpensive foods you can bring to eat while camping. Food is one of the easiest ways to save money while camping. Preplanning is the key, as there are several things you need to take into consideration. How much cold storage space will you have? In other words, how much space will you have in your ice chest with enough room left over to hold sufficient ice? That will affect how much refrigerated food you can take with you. How will you be cooking? There are different foods you can make easily depending on whether you are grilling, using a camp stove, campfire cooking or have access to some kind of camping oven.

Some very easy preparations at home can result in tasty treats while camping. Do you have pancake mix at home? Put some in a plastic bag or container and take it with you. You can also make your own. Pancakes are also incredibly adaptable. Did you forget to bring milk for your mix? Use water. Did you forget eggs? No problem. You can substitute water, milk, yogurt, even cottage cheese if you happen to have it into a pancake mix. Do you have a Dutch over or other camping oven? Use your pancake mix as the "cake" part of a dessert and add dollops to your pie filling to make a messy and delicious "camp cobbler."

Biscuits are a nice camping food, too. You can buy cheap prepackaged rolls of biscuits. They don't take up much space in your ice chest, and you don't have to have an oven to cook them. Put them in a skillet with a lid over low heat and flip them over once or twice. They won't rise much and they will look strange, but they will taste just fine. If you want to get fancy, put a couple of coals on the lid to enhance the "oven" effect.

Spaghetti is another tasty but inexpensive camping treat. The dry spaghetti and the unopened sauce won't need to be refrigerated, so you will also free up some of the premium space in your ice chest. Other dry foods you could use include beans and oatmeal. While both are nutritious and inexpensive, oatmeal is especially easy to fix. You don't even need to buy the instant kind. Boil some water, and

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