On The Move Eats: Fuel Up Anywhere With Some Creativity + Planning
Camping season is here and I find myself planning my traveling kitchen box of supplies and goodies to keep me fueled for the journey. As I enter another phase of living primarily out of my truck and tent for the summer, I relish the moments of watching the sun set across the mountains while eating dinner from the tailgate. My camp cooking might look different from yours, so let’s explore all the delicious options to enjoy when adventure calls.
When it comes to the views and company (whether it’s the squirrels or your mates) camping meals are always the best. Two solid things I’ve learned when preparing for a couple camping meals is to have a meal plan for the trip, as well as a kitchen box set aside with cookware, spices, fuel, lighter and cleaning supplies. Meal plans help organize your food for each day and keep shopping to a minimum. The kitchen box allows for spontaneity in case things don’t go according to plan — an emergency box of mac and cheese is always a good idea.
Patagonia Provisions makes loading up your kitchen box simple with quality food sourcing and camp-friendly meal options. Patagonia took on camping food with the same ethos as their clothing and gear company — their products are produced in ways that build soil health, ensure animal welfare and protect agricultural workers. Options include buffalo jerky, wild salmon, dry soup mixes and breadfruit crackers to fulfill a camping pantry.
From the super basic stovetop recipes and one-pot meals to tailgate delivery, Western Coloradans know how to eat while on the move. Lauren Loisi, a traveling jeweler based out of Breckenridge, lives out of a Ford E-250 and has a super basic cooking set up which includes two coolers, one for dry goods and the Yeti Hopper M30 cooler to keep her perishables fresh. Her kitchen is a Jetboil portable stove, one pot and some Tupperware. Learning about her cleaning method for a one-person, one-pot system made me question all the nights I was eaten by mosquitoes while trying to wash my dishes by headlamp and not spill all my hot water.
“I clean all of my dishes with a spray bottle, since I don’t have a sink set up in my conversion,” says Loisi. “The spray bottle and rags work great, plus conserve a lot of water.”
I identify with this solution, especially when planning a trip to the desert and driving into town to refill water takes more time out of your adventure.
For Loisi, her favorite meal to make in her van is tofu and vegetable fried rice. “I cook the vegetables and tofu first, then I cook up some instant brown rice,” she says. “This meal is super simple and nutritious.”
Full-on kitchen in Zach Mahone’s van. Photo by Zach Mahone.
Zach Mahone, however, sports a more glamorous kitchen set-up. Mahone is a professional photographer based out of Boulder and owns a Dodge Ram Sprinter van with a sink, three burner stove, oven and ARB refrigerator. He recently moved out of his van after living and traveling around Colorado in it for three years.
For him, the comforts of a full kitchen came as a priority when deciding to live in a van. “I thought about all the things that make a home a home and wanted them represented in my build-out,” he explains. “It was important to me to not feel like I was living in the van. I don’t consider cooking in the van camp cooking. I consider the kitchen in the van a real kitchen and can prepare any meal as such.
“My favorite thing to do is put a frozen pizza in the oven, drive somewhere and smell the pizza cooking, then when I arrive at my destination, I have a hot pizza fresh out of the oven,” Mahone adds.
In fact, Mahone rents out his van for others to enjoy for their outdoor getaways through various rental apps like Outdoorsy and Rent RV.
Sometimes the trivial setbacks of a camp kitchen like sand in your spaghetti and a cooler of luke-warm bevvies can steal some joy from a backcountry meal, despite the scenic viewpoints. Take-away options like The Grazing Fox’s cheese and charcuterie boxes are ideal for those wanting a backcountry meal with no fuss. Pamela Davis from Vail offers pre-made options for explorers to enjoy after a long day’s hike or bike.
The Fox Box is an adventure-ready meal that comes tightly packed in a sturdy balsa wood box so it can be thrown in a backpack or cooler, plus is collapsible for an easy pack out. Food items are selected to help fuel your activities which include good fats, good carbs, healthy ingredients (fresh fruit and veggies) and a chocolate treat. “It is all of the things you need to sustain a day out,” Davis says.
The average cost per person is about $25 a box with accommodations for food preferences and allergies. Davis said some popular requests include the Agave Whipped Chèvre stuffed peppers and Sweety Drops.
Whatever your camp cooking style might be — from a three-course meal to beans out of a can — anything is acceptable. My favorite truck camping meal is sausages with sautéed tomatoes, onions, peppers, plus a bag of kettle chips to munch on while cooking.
What are your favorite car camping meals? Ring the dinner bell next time you see me watching the sunset from my tailgate.
Originally published in the Summer 2021 issue