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    Home » Camping Recipes

    Non-Perishable Camping Food

    Published: Jul 31, 2022 · Modified: Mar 6, 2023 · Leave a Comment

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Don’t want to worry about refrigeration on your next outdoor getaway? This guide to non-perishable camping food offers ideas for camping without a cooler!

    Campfire with covered dutch oven pot over coals, with text overlay reading "Non-Perishable Food for Camping without a cooler".

    A big part of the lure of a camping trip is simplicity, right?

    Getting away from the million and one things you have to keep track of. Relaxing in your own way.

    Of course, we’ve still got to eat! But I like to try and hit the sweet spot between satisfying food and uncomplicated prep.

    And that means on each trip, I have to grapple with the question: Do we bring a cooler – or not?

    I do love having the option of meals like a campfire shrimp boil, a breakfast hash with chorizo, or pasta with vodka cream sauce.

    When we’ll be in a good situation for meals like that, we take an Igloo BMX cooler. It’s on the smaller side, as coolers go, so I recommend it if you’re just trying to save space.

    But it’s also true that on some trips we simply can’t (or don’t want to) bring a cooler.

    If you’re hoping to go camping with entirely unrefrigerated food, here are some ideas for how to do it.

    Bring Non-Refrigerated Substitutes

    There are a few items where you can swap in a shelf-stable version. For example, sometimes it works to use nutritional yeast instead of cheese. You can also buy shelf-stable milk for your cereal.

    If you want eggs, buy some from a farm. If they’re fresh and haven’t been washed, they should be fine outside of the refrigerator.

    If you do want to use a refrigerated item without a cooler, try to time things so that you can pick up your item from the grocery store right before you’ll need to use it. That way storage won’t be a problem.

    Non-Perishable Snacks

    Let’s start by brainstorming all the things you can bring that are more or less ready to eat.

    Peanut butter, jerky, and dried fruit are a great starter list for snacks. And don’t be afraid to bring along some fresh apples or other less-delicate fruit and veggies.

    We also get small containers of things that are shelf-stable until opened, like mini salsa jars or shelf-stable milk. If you buy them small enough, you can use them up in one session and not have to worry about storage.

    I’ve found mini salsa jars at a dollar store. Throw in a bag of chips, and you have everyone’s favorite snack.

    Quick Non-Perishable Meals

    For a no-fuss meal, look for packets or cans of fish or chicken. Sometimes you can buy them already seasoned, or even packaged with crackers or condiments. There’s virtually no prep with this kind of food.

    What if you want a warm meal that’s still light on prep? Look for meal packets. Some lentil or chickpea-based Indian meals work well, like a channa masala meal or coconut squash dal.

    Or think about buying some freeze-dried meals. They can be a little pricy, but for some trips they’re worth it! For more details, see this guide to the best freeze-dried meals.

    Chicken-based non-perishable camping food from Mountain House.
    Freeze-Dried Chicken Meals

    All you’ll need for meal packets like that is a heat source (which we’ll discuss below).

    What Gear Do I Need With Non-Perishable Camping Food?

    Unless you’re subsisting on snacks and tuna packets only, you’re probably going to need at least a little bit of kitchen gear.

    Planning to cook over the campfire? Great! You can always bring along an adjustable campfire grill to ensure maximum control over the heat level.

    A campfire Dutch oven is especially useful for many dishes. It has little feet for sitting atop the hot coals, and a flat lid for piling coals on top if necessary.

    Dutch oven with lid on campfire coals.
    Campfire Dutch Oven

    Prefer to bring your own heat source?

    A backpacking stove is quite lightweight if all you’re looking for is a way to boil water, such as when heating up the freeze-dried meals mentioned above. Or when making this easy tuna couscous bowl.

    A person uses a backpacking stove to boil water in the woods.
    Using a Backpacking Stove

    For more involved cooking, I recommend a Coleman 2-burner propane stove.

    For other specific utensil and pot and pan recommendations, see my guide to the best camping kitchen gear. Also, each of my camping recipes will list what equipment you need to make it.

    Now that we’ve covered the basics, what if you want to do more than heating up meal packets? It’s time to get culinary, and you can still do it without a cooler!

    Let’s get into some recipe ideas.

    Camping Food To Make Ahead of Time

    I like to make my own cereals and bring them camping. It’s easy to do ahead of time, so that breakfast and snacks are all taken care of once you’re off in the woods!

    Peanut Butter Granola
    This easy peanut butter granola features rolled oats and is baked until golden. It's an indulgent breakfast option for home or for camping!
    Make It
    Toasted Oats Cereal (Camping Breakfast)
    This warm toasted oats cereal (muesli) is made with rolled oats, chopped nuts, and dried fruit, and is a delicious and hearty camping breakfast. Make it ahead of time at home or at the campground!
    Make It
    toasted oats cereal in bowls with milk

    Campfire Recipes

    The following recipes can be cooked over a campfire.

    Some of them call for fresh ingredients that don’t need refrigeration, like onions and peppers. These should be fine as long as they’re not sitting in high heat and humidity for a long time.

    Some of them even include optional meat or fish — canned, of course!

    Campfire Red Lentil Stew
    This easy campfire red lentil stew is a hearty vegan meal that's perfect for camping. This twist on Indian dal is made in a cast iron Dutch oven over a campfire.
    Make It
    This easy vegan CAMPING Palak Dal (Red Lentils with Spinach) is cooked in a Dutch oven right on the campfire!
    Campfire Pesto Pasta
    This pesto penne is an easy camping pasta recipe cooked on a campfire or camp stove! It's a one-pot Dutch oven meal made with tomatoes, artichoke hearts and (optionally) smoked salmon.
    Make It
    Camping Pasta recipe in a Dutch oven.
    Campfire Chili
    This spicy vegan campfire chili is made with beans, peppers, tomatoes, and a beer broth. It’s an easy cold-weather stew that’s perfect for camping!
    Make It
    Campfire chili in a dutch oven
    Campfire Fajitas
    These vegetarian campfire fajitas are an easy camping dinner made with seasoned onions and peppers, black beans and warm tortillas.
    Make It
    Campfire Fajitas on a plate.
    Campfire Pasta Marinara
    This campfire pasta marinara is a one-pot Dutch oven camping meal made with veggies, sauce, broth, and short-grain pasta.
    Make It
    Campfire pasta marinara in bowl.

    Non-Perishable Camping Food For a Camp Stove

    Bringing along a camp stove? You can easily throw together some burritos or a delicious curry.

    Refried Bean Burritos (Camp Stove Recipe)
    These refried bean burritos are made with beans, tomatoes, and onions for a quick and easy camp stove dinner. They're made with easy to pack, shelf-stable ingredients, and are perfect when you're camping without a cooler.
    Make It
    refried bean burritos on a plate
    Chickpea Curry (Camp Stove Recipe)
    This vegan chickpea curry (or chana masala) is a delicious camp stove recipe.  It's ready in about 20 minutes and will leave you feeling full and satisfied.
    Make It
    This Camp Stove Recipe features vegan Chickpea Curry + is FAST.  It's ready in about 20 minutes, and will leave you feeling full + satisfied.
    Camp Stove Fish Curry
    This quick and easy camp stove fish curry is an Indian-inspired camping dinner!  Prepare this sardine curry on a camp stove in less than 30 minutes.
    Make It
    camping dinner: goan fish curry in bowls with lime wedges and cilantro

    And for an easy side that requires no cooking at all, canned veggies and simple dressings are your friend, as with the green bean salad below.

    Canned Green Bean Salad
    This easy canned green bean salad is a quick vegetable side dish that requires zero cooking, and is perfect for road trips, camping, and power outages.
    Make It
    canned green bean salad in a serving bowl

    Have you fine-tuned any of your own tips for camping without a cooler? Let us know in the comments below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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