Off road camping cookery tips

New to camping and dying to head off onto the open road? Maybe you’ve just taken delivery of a beautiful new off road caravan and are itching to be at one with nature. If you’re new to off road camping and camp cooking, you have come to the right place. Here are some practical tips to help you make the most out of your off road holiday. 

First place to start is by saying that in picking an off road caravan or camping trailer with a built in kitchen, you are doing your part to reduce the fire risk in your area. But before you set off, check all of the gas lines, which can easily be done with some light soapy water in a spray bottle. While you may not need to worry about this on brand new units, it is a good idea to check your lines, every year. Pressurize the line, spray a little water on each joint and connection, if you don't see bubbles, you are good to go. If you do see bubbles, no worries, bleed the line, then check all the connections and gently tighten.

One of the important things about outdoor cooking is preservation. If you are going to be doing a lot of camping, and travelling, it would be a good idea to pick up a food-sealing unit. This will not only suck the air out of you meat, it will seal the bag air and moisture tight. Plan your meals, to save time, and you can even season your meat before you seal it up. Once you have everything in sealed bags, place them in the freezer a few days before you go. A good quality off road caravan will have a built in fridge so, once you're ready to load up, you can simply pop your provisions in there.

Now, if your off road camping does not have the benefit of a fridge and you are using a cooler instead, then here is how you load it properly. You may decide to use two coolers so you can separate what you will be using a lot from things you will only use once or twice a day. Things like pop, water, sandwich makings, and the like should be kept in one cooler, along with any condiments. The other food should be strictly for cooking meals, burgers, steaks, shrimp, and the like will be kept in the other one.

When loading up the rule of thumb is first in last out. What you are going to be using last, like in a few days into your trip, put on the bottom. Put a layer of cubed ice over this layer, and then put about a half a pound of broken up dry ice over the top on the ice. Keep doing this layering until what you are going to be using first is on top. Perishables, like fresh corn or prawns, should be on top, so they don't get freezer burn. Be sure to keep you coolers in the coldest area you can, with the most shade. Try very hard not to open your drink and snack cooler during the hottest part of the day; this will save the ice.

Above all, camp cooking is fun and if you take notice of these top tips, you and your family can enjoy safe and tasty mealtimes in the great outdoors.