As the warmer weather approaches, we look forward to another season of camping and enjoying the fun, relaxation, and beauty that the outdoor environment has to offer. I am anxious to get out on weekends to some of my favorite campsites around Kentucky and Indiana. Of course I'll have plenty of fishing gear to bring along in case some of my family or friends join in on the adventures that are sure to come with each outing. This is the most enjoyable thing for me when I see others having a great time hiking, fishing, throwing Frisbees?, or sitting around the campfire telling stories or singing campfire songs.
There are several things I try to consider before I begin packing for a camping trip. First of course, is how long will I be gone? How much time do I have to get away from the "9 to 5", unwind and get refreshed by the fresh air, sunshine, and peaceful scenery that nature provides so abundantly? This summer, I'm going to try to get out more frequently on the weekends so I'll talk a little about short outings that are not too distant from home. This will allow me more time for what I actually want to do, and that of course, is to camp. I don't want to spend 5 hours going and 5 hours coming, using basically a whole day just for traveling. If I pick a place that's within a 100 mile radius, I should be able to find several dozen places to visit and spend less than 4 hours of total travel time.
Ok, that sound great, I can think of a dozen places within 100 miles right of the top of my head. Lake Monroe, where my youngest son and I visited last year, is only 1 hour and 45 minutes from my home. That was a great weekend camping trip and my daughter and her friends at IU came from Bloomington to join in the fun. Several of the girls had not fished much at all, and I had more fun than they did watching them scream and holler as we caught over 70 bluegill. It was a great thrill for them to actually catch, clean, and eat fresh fish. Most of the panfish were a little on the small side, but I had them keep them for several reasons. One of course, is the fish sometimes swallow the hook and it's nearly impossible to throw them back when this happens. Another reason I sometimes keep small bluegill, is that it helps other aquatic life to have more abundant food sources. Anyway, after we cleaned them all, they were absolutely delicious dipped in a bowl of egg and milk, rolled in cracker crumbs and cornmeal, and fried to a golden brown. And of course we had several bags to take home, which seemed like it made the camping trip last longer than just the weekend.
But let's get back to some of the essentials of planning your weekend camping trip. After you've decided on how much time you have, you will need to consider how many nature lovers are going camping. That's usually the easy part. So if you've got 5 people going, and you're going to be gone for two nights and two days, you'll want to figure how many meals that will be. I'd say it will be in the neighborhood of 2 dinners, 2 breakfast, and 2 lunches, not including snack times. So we'll need enough food for 10 people (5 x 2) for essentially one day. That should calculate to an average of 8-10 ounces of meat per person, 8-10 ounces of vegetables and fruit per person, and 8-10 servings of bread or grains per two persons. You can also use the 8-10 rule for your drinks for a total of 8-10, (8-10 oz. drinks) including water, per person per day. This may seem like a lot of liquid, but when you consider 3 meals a day and an additional drink in between, you are already at 6 drinks a day. Remember, dehydration is a major cause of heat stroke. If you're going hiking, swimming, or playing any type of running sport, this will easily bring the drink count up an additional 3 or more for a total of 9 drinks a day. Let's make an easy formula to go by.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOO
D QUANTITY FORMULA
5 people for 2 days = (5 x 2 = 10)
10 x 8-10 ounces = (80-100 ounces meat) or 5-6¼ lbs.
10 x 8-10 ounces = (80-100 ounces fruits and veggies) or 5-6¼ lbs.
8-10 servings bread or grain per (2) persons
8-10 (8-10 oz. drinks) per person (per day)
NOTE: Hard cheeses such as American and Swiss include in meat weight.
Soft cheeses such as cultures add to fruits and vegetables weight.
Eggs may be separate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
So that's a pretty good rule of thumb to go by for your "3 squares." If you like to snack, which goes great with camping, bring along your chips, marshmallows, or no bake cookies and you'll never go hungry. Don't forget the milk if your bring chocolate.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Article written by Keith Kampschaefer. Keith is President of CHK Marketing, LLC, which owns and operates http://www.PackNCamp.com Outdoor Supply. Along with his extensive knowledge and experience in the outdoors, Keith also has over 30 years experience in the food industry, specifically, perishable foods such as meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Last week in Australia, one man's day at beach could... Read More
For the 92nd time, the Tour de France has started.... Read More
Sharklife.co.za has been fighting an ongoing for the protection of... Read More
The most famous Egyptian pyramids to be built are the... Read More
Mystic Seaport celebrates the seafaring past of New England. Known... Read More
Mt. Washington Valley Trails & Mt Washington - NHThe highest... Read More
Nightlife in Big Sky, Montana is more exciting than you... Read More
Malaria is endemic to most of the areas in Africa... Read More
The Usamabara Mountains are very special mountains, often that tired... Read More
Perhaps you have wondered about taking an RV vacation. It... Read More
Hawaii snorkeling is a fun activity available to almost any... Read More
When you search online for a camping gear outlet you... Read More
The Royal Barge Procession in Bangkok, conducted on very rare... Read More
Visitors to Hawaii frequently see dolphins from shore or on... Read More
WHAT TO HUNT AND WHERE: Alaska is a hunter's paradise.... Read More
There were four of us on that first Tom Sawyer... Read More
Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II ship are major attractions... Read More
In The city of Arcadia California, right next door to... Read More
Magnetic declination is an essential principle to understand when navigating... Read More
With so many different designs, packing a backpack will vary... Read More
Spain: sun, sea, sand and Spanish... discover us! Spain, a... Read More
Whale watching is a spellbinding, entertaining, and thought-provoking adventure trip.... Read More
The quaint little balcony was large enough to accommodate two... Read More
Climbing the glaciers to the summit of Mount Chimborazo in... Read More
If you've been dreaming of traveling the highways in your... Read More
Important information about camping stoves...What type of camping, hiking, or... Read More
The kind of things you pack when you go on... Read More
The key to getting a good bargin, instead of a... Read More
Hello Again,Today we will be talking about meal planning. Meals... Read More
The Kenya safari circuit is one of the best in... Read More
Isn't it time you stepped out of the concrete jungle... Read More
A meal in Greece is highlighted with a selection of... Read More
Holidays in India, awesome in her size and diversity. This... Read More
Take a captivating trip through the Cape Cod National Seashore... Read More
Have you ever had a backpacking trip that was a... Read More
Holidays in India, awesome in her size and diversity. This... Read More
WHAT TO SEE, TO DO AND WHERE: Mount McKinley is... Read More
Sun, Sand and Surf ? an apt description for Goa?... Read More
If anyplace on earth is a natural paradise, Plitvice Lakes... Read More
Tanzania's natural endowment as a wildlife safari destination is unrivalled.... Read More
Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain, after Kilimanjaro. It... Read More
It seems like the most adventurous thing in the world.... Read More
The owner can attempt small inflatable boat repair if factory-gluing... Read More
Drive along one of South Africa's scenic strips and you... Read More
Romancing History ? A Holiday in RajasthanRajasthan, the name evokes... Read More
WHAT TO HUNT AND WHERE: Alaska is a hunter's paradise.... Read More
Why ultralight backpacks? Devotees of ultralight backpacking know you reduce... Read More
(NC)-With approximately 42,000 mosquitoes for every person in Ontario, most... Read More
Hello Again,Today we will be talking about meal planning. Meals... Read More
So unknown is this treasure of Lake Jipe not many... Read More
There are so many selections available when it comes to... Read More
Boondocking is fun! Boondockers go anywhere they want, at any... Read More
Mount Rainier National Park is the most popular park in... Read More
Have you ever thought you might like to try a... Read More
On Lake Michigan, at the end of the Stonington Peninsula,... Read More
When you look at a river, what do you see?... Read More
Six different islands in Hawaii are open to tourism. Most... Read More
Camping is an excellent way to explore and experience the... Read More
An African honeymoon safari is the perfect way to celebrate... Read More
SAFE WALKING TREKKING OUTDOORSIf you are contemplating a long distance... Read More
Having traveled from state to state and every city in... Read More
My river-rafting adventure started on a bicycle. The small daypack... Read More
Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was... Read More
Mt. Washington Valley Trails & Mt Washington - NHThe highest... Read More
The call of the wild can be seductive. The exquisite... Read More
In a previous article, I wrote primarily about box ovens.... Read More
Outdoors |