I have found camping to give me an opportunity to reconnect with nature, the outdoors, and the fresh air. My camping setup is not so streamlined to handle hiking the pacific coast trail; however, all my gear fits in my Subaru Outback Wilderness and when I arrive at my destination, I can be set up in as a little as 15 minutes.
- FOLI – First Out, Last In – When I first arrive at my camping spot, this is the first container I grab. I make sure it is on top and easily accessible.
- Food – What food, meal options, and how I store it when I am headed out.
- Kitchen – It is not a Top Chef kitchen; however, it gives me the space I need to prep, cook, eat and clean up after meals.
- Coming Soon – Sleeping Accommodations- my desired sleeping arrangement is my Roof Top Tent (RTT); however, if that is not an option, then I have my lightweight, 3-person Big Agnes backpacking tent. Given the size and weight of a RTT, I have included videos of how I store and install the RTT on my car.
- Coming Soon – Gear – this is all of the camping gear I bring on a trip and how I have it organized.
- Camping Links – resources to use for US, Canada, and around the globe for camping reservations.
- Coming Soon – My camping experiences – where I have gone, where I stayed, and any recommendations if you decide to travel to these locations.
Guidealong.com (audio Tour) – I found this app to be reasonable priced and I used it when camping through the Grand Teton’s and Yellowstone National Parks.
FOLI – First Out, Last In
After a couple of camping trips, I noticed there were certain items I looked for every time I arrived at a new camping spot. To ensure these items are not lost amongst all of my other camping gear, I created a “FOLI” container. FOLI stands for First Out, Last In. It is the first container I take out of my car and it is the last container I pack. This is what I store in my FOLI container:
My FOLI Items
| FOLI Items |
|---|
| Camping dustpan and broom |
| 2 Flame sticks |
| Goal Zero Lantern |
| 3 – LED Globe Lights |
| Mosquito Coil diffuser with extra coils |
| Mosquito Coils |
| 2 Rechargeable Headlamps |
| RTT (Roof Top Tent) “lipstick” power supply for LED lights in tent |
| Tablecloth with weights |
| 2 Thermcell Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller |
| 3 Thermcell Mosquito Repeller Refills |
Food and Meals
The biggest challenge when camping is how to keep food fresh for a long period of time. I used to store my perishables in a 25Qt Igloo BMX Hard Cooler. This would work for about 3-4 days before I would need to add more ice. I have upgraded to a 30Qt Bouge RV Refrigerator, and I can stay off grid for a couple of weeks! If I am doing a quick weekend getaway, I will use the cooler because it takes up less overall space.
I store my food a couple of ways. If the food is perishable, then it goes into my 30Gt Bouge RV Refrigerator. If it is non-perishable, then it is placed in a labeled soft sided cooler.
- Refrigerator – mine lives on the rear passenger seat with a power cord running to my EcoFlow River 2 Pro battery located in the rear hatch. The battery is plugged into the rear hatch cigarette lighter and charges whenever I am driving. When I am not driving, it can power the refrigerator for at least 36+ hours (depending on temperature) before I need to charge it back up again. For that, I use the EcoFlow 220W portable solar panel.
- Soft sided coolers -I have 4 soft sided coolers packed in the rear seat. Each one is labeled – Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Dinner – to make it easier to find food based on the meal.
So, what food do I bring and where does it go? Below are my daily meals. It includes the quantity I bring (based on camping with 2 people) and how long it will store. The “Container” column is where I put the food – refrigerator or in a labeled cooler. This helps me when packing and as well as finding the food come mealtime.
Breakfast
| Container | Breakfast Items |
|---|---|
| Fridge | Egg Container – Scrambled eggs – 4 per day w/ Mexican Cheese 1 -8oz bag/week |
| Fridge | Blueberry Scones – 2/day lasts ~1wk in the fridge |
| Breakfast | Blueberry muffins – 6 per day lasts ~4days on the counter |
| Breakfast | Krusteaz Instant Pancake Mix, Syrup |
| Breakfast | Coffee/Cappuccino Mix |
| Breakfast | Tea – assume 3 per day |
| Breakfast | Pop Tarts (Mike) Bobo Bites (Lori) |
| Breakfast | Cinnamon Container |
| Rear Seat | Water – 1-1/2 Gallons/Day 6 gallons lasts 5 days |
Lunch
| Container | Lunch Items |
|---|---|
| Fridge | Grapes – 2wks in the fridge |
| Lunch | Apples – 5-7 days on the counter |
| Lunch | Protein Bar – 2 per day, Trail Mix |
| Lunch | Bo Bo Bites (or similar) ~1.75 bites/day |
| Lunch | Granola Bars ~1.75 Bars/Day |
| Lunch | Herbal Tea – mint, raspberry |
Snacks
| Container | Snack Items |
|---|---|
| Fridge | Grapes |
| Snacks | Cheese |
| Snacks | Crackers |
| Snacks | Pretzels – 1 family bag per week |
| Snacks | Almonds – sandwich sized bag for 2 wks |
Dinner
| Container | Dinner Items |
|---|---|
| Fridge | Protein: Shiskabobs; Salmon/Smoked Salmon; BBQ Meat (beef or chicken); Pre-Cooked Beef or, Chicken (ex. Kevins) |
| Fridge | Veggies Broccoli Salad Grilled Veggies: Onions – 2-4wks on counter – 1 onion per week, Zucchini – 1-2wks, Peppers -10-14 days; 4-5 days if cut Protect veggies from sides of Fridge |
| Fridge | Corn on the cob (5-7 days in fridge) |
| Fridge | Roasted Garlic (jar) |
| Fridge | Lime Juice |
| Dinner | Starch: Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend; Ready Pasta by Barilla |
| Dinner | Dried Onion, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasonings |
| Dinner | Soup |
| Snacks | S’mores (per serving, 2ppl): 4 marshmallows; 4 Graham Crackers; 2 Hershey bars |
| Rear Seat | Wine |
My kitchen setup
Over the years I have adjusted my cooking setup. My goal is to have the right cooking gear in the smallest space using the least amount of fuel to cook. I have upgraded my propane tanks to be refillable; however, the isobutane tanks are still one and done.
My kitchen set up consists of a cooking table, maybe a BBQ (depends on the length of trip and food access), a couple of Jetboil products, and a cheap 2.5 gallon trashcan from Target for meal prep and after meal cleanup.
What is stored in my cooking bin
When I am planning for any meal, this is the first container I grab.
| Cooking Items |
|---|
| Aluminum Foil |
| Napkins in a ziplock bag |
| Bag of utensils – includes: Bread Knife, Wine Bottle Opener, Shot Glass, Foil Cutter, Wine Bottle Stopper, Cheese Spreader, 4 Complete Sets of Utensils |
| 3 cutting boards |
| Hard Anodized Pot Bag – Includes: Anodized Pot with Lid (large), 1 Isobutane Tank, 2 Handles, Small Cooking Burner, Isobutane Stand, Towel |
| Isobutane tank |
| Jetboil Flash -includes: Burner, Isobutane Stand, Pot Adapter |
| Cooking/BBQ Bag – Includes: 2 Marshmellow Skewers, 1 Spatula, ThermoPop Dot Thermometer), 3 Knives (various Sizes), 2 Wooden spoons, Plastic Tipped Tongs, 2 Hot Pads, BBQ Spatula, BBQ Fork |
| Measuring Cup – includes: Food Scraper, Measuring Spoons, Hand Sanitizer |
| 4 Plates and Bowls |
| 3 Trivets |
| 2 Windscreens |
| 2 Wine Glasses |
Other cooking items
If I am bringing the BBQ, then all of the below items fit in the Weber Go Anywhere BBQ Box. If the BBQ stays home, then my fire-starting items are stored in the “BBQ-Lite” container.
| Location | Other Cooking Items |
|---|---|
| BBQ Box | Weber Go Anywhere BBQ + BBQ Brish |
| BBQ-Lite | Axe |
| BBQ-Lite | Fire-Starters – 2x number of fires plus dedicated cutting knife (I cut the above fire-starters into quarters so I use only half a block/fire) |
| BBQ-Lite | Firewood tongs – Re-used old tongs from a retired fireplace set |
| BBQ-Lite | Pair of work gloves |
| BBQ-Lite | 2 – Propane Tanks |
| Car | GCI Master Cook Station w/ sink plug |
| Car | Jetboil Genesis Basecamp – this is expensive! However, it takes very little room and has very fine fidelity on the flame size. |
| Trash Bin | Wooden shims to use as kindling |
My dining area
Not all of the places I camp have a picnic table. Or, if it does, it is not near the warm fire pit. Here is my setup for a nice cozy meal by the fire.
| Location | Dining Area Items |
|---|---|
| Car | GCI table |
| Car | REI Co-Op Flexlite Air Stool |
| Clear Plastic Bin | REI Co-Op Flexlite Camp Boss Chair |
After meal cleanup
One disadvantage of cooking is there is the cleanup. The trash can is great for wiping left over food into, and I use it for storage when it is not used for trach. Here is what I use to clean up and minimize trash and water usage.
| Location | Meal Cleanup Items |
|---|---|
| Misc Bin | Dish Soap |
| Misc Bin | Folding Water Bucket |
| Misc Bin | Paper Towels |
| Misc Bin | Sink Plug |
| Misc Bin | Foldable Sink |
| Misc Bin | 2 Spray Bottles – one for soap, one for rinse |
| Trash Can | Alcohol, Baby, Hand, & Clorox Wipes in mesh bag |
| Trash Can | Plastic Bags (trash, Ziploc) |
Links to find camping spots
- hipcamp.com – tent sites, RVs, glamping – find the perfect site. Camp sites can be found throughout the world.
- Maps | Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov) – where is there free open space to camp in the US. Be aware that there will be no facilities in these locations.
- US Parks Reservations – US National Park Service Reservation System.
- Canada Parks Reservations – Canada National Park Service Reservation System.
- Campflare Reservation Cancellation Notification – notifies me when someone cancels their reservation in a US State or National Park. This is a great way to find a last minute spot.
One final note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my website! – Lori