Going camping end of this month and cant wait :D My first ever camping trip so excited.
Just one thing i'm worried about the food, what do we cook that does not need to be kept in fridge? When we go there will be one person with diabetis so we will have to be careful. is there many things you know that we could cook?
Hi Kanew, do you know where you are going yet? if you do, does the site have fridge facilities?
A good tip I read on this forum is to make your first nights meal and take it with you and reheat.
Does the diabetic person like rice and pasta? If so you could take packets of savoury rice/pasta n sauce (checking sugar levels on packets first as they do vary). I eat these a lot, and whilst I am not diabetic, I developed gestational diabetes during my last pregnancy, and as my mum is diabetic, I do try to eat a low sugar diet most of the time lol
------------- You don't have to be crazy, but it helps!
lol thanks for you help rubymam, i am going to a haven site which has resturants but wanted to keep the trip cheap. if the site does have fridge facilities what does that mean? everyone shares a fridge everyone gets a mini fridge each?
a lot of camp sites have fridge and freezer facilities you can use. when we go camping i make food in advance ie cottage pie, and freeze it, take out just before i go away and put in an cool box, with loads of ice blocks.will stay frozen for a day at least, especially in this weather!! my dad was diabetic and he used to love camping, i just asked him what he wanted me to take for him before we went.
If you do need to keep fresh food for a day or so, stuff like milk, butter or cooked/uncooked meats eggs etc, place the food in an airtight plastic bag (remembering not to mix cooked and uncooked foods), remove as much air as possible before sealing it, then immerse the bag in a bucket or bowl of cold water. Place bucket/bowl in the coolest position possible. Milk in a plastic carton can be placed straight in the water container. Replace water daily, ideally just before you go out for the day and your food should still be fresh for use that evening.
Use food stored in this way within 24 hours but it is still a handy way of storing food.
We have been using this method of food storage for 30 odd years and never had a problem, it just means you food shop from day to day but we nearly always buy food on our return from our day out for cooking that evening and use this storage method for our bacon and eggs in the morning.
There are of course many foods availble dehydrated that only need water or milk added to provide a meal, these are very handy if like us you don't carry a fridge.
What about the humble tin of grub and long life milk etc.
Adults who are unfortunate enough to have diabeties have to be good at regulating their diets so you shouldnt have to worry. It's a sensitive subject but you could ask them what the signs are if there is something wrong and what to do and what they can can't eat. It is also good practice to know a doctors number and the nearest A&E when you are away from home.
a lot of sites let you freeze your Icepacks for a minimal charge /charity donation. -so check first and label them up (black marker, or in a labelled bag depending on the site). this way you can keep rotating your pack and keep your coolbox cold perpetually.
We used to take a cool box and buy a large pack of Tescos blue stripe frozen peas every other day, this used to keep stuff cool, and you never run out peas!!!
I have just returned from camping with my 13 year old daughter who is a diabetic type 1, I must admit camping with diabeties is troublesome, but the most important thing is to keep the insulin cool, this can either be done by keeping it in a cool box with plenty of ice packs (as a previous person said these are readily available on most sites for a small charge), The person with diabeties might have a special flask or carrier that keeps medication at the right temp. As previous suggestions, rice, pasta, tuna etc. I must admit that I have recently brought a gas fridge and although it is rather large it manages to keep all meat (if frozen before going) for a whole week for 5 of us, plus milk and salad. So we ate rather heathily this year for the first time, either that or visit the numerous farm shops for fresh veg and meat on the day.
The main thing is that you have fun!!! and the best part of camping is making do with all sorts of foods that you would not normally eat everyday!
We have been using an ice box, depending on the weather, the ice box is fine for 24 hours. Like has alread been said, most sites do a freezer pack service. So freeze your for you, so make sure you have spare. Other sites loan you pack. 1 charged us 40p per pack to freeze then, think this is the most expensive around. Phone the site first to make sure.
I am currently looking in to some sort of longer freezing system without electric hmmm
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Food..... No fridge
