Outdoor Cooking While Rafting and Camping

Cooking outdoors is a very easy task with a little preparation and planning. If you are planning a rafting or camping trip, there are a few things to remember before you head out to the wilderness, and a few things that can turn a great riverside camp meal into a tantalizing, mouthwatering treat.

First, check your cooking equipment and make sure it is clean and well organized before heading outdoors. Include common utensils and equipment like spatula, turner, large serving spoons, knives, forks, spoons, plates, bowls, cups, coffee pot, cooking pots, pans, (preferably cast iron skillet and Dutch oven), lids, and plastic bags. Utensils can be stored separately in plastic Ziploc bags or long, thin plastic containers with lids. Stack cups inside bowls and pots and pans to utilize all areas of space and remember, you can stack upside down too! Once the tools of the trade are collected, be sure that your cook stove is clean and all working parts are present, including propane, regulator, briquettes, matches or lighter. A few other essentials to include in the cook tubs are pot holders or gloves, foil, cutting board, clean dish towels and scrubbers, dish soap, garbage bags, bleach and a flashlight.

Secondly, plan a menu for each meal of each day that you will be cooking outside. It is easiest to plan the menu by days and meals. For example, Day 1: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks; Day 2: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, etc. Once you have your menu planned you can easily make the list of ingredients that go into each meal or snack. Break the list into categories like meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables, dry goods and so on, until you have a complete list of supplies you need to pack. This list can also double as a shopping guide. Perishable items like meats should be frozen ahead of time and packed together in a cooler along with other items that need to be kept cold like Milk or cheese. Be sure to keep the bottles of frozen water, or recycled juice bottles full of frozen water ice pack to cool the temperature. There is also a good idea, a small thermometer to cool, so you know they can maintain temperatures to prevent food spoilage. Crushed ice is after all the rest is packed in a cooler, and it is best to pack drinks in a separate cooler from the radiator perishable.

Now that everything is prepared and organized, a few other pantryitems are pertinent to note. Add to the dry goods staples items such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar in a mason jar with screwed down lid, an additional empty pint sized mason jar with lid, vanilla flavoring, other favorite herbs and spices including cinnamon and nutmeg, Pam, or your favorite brand of non stick cooking spray, tea, coffee and hot cocoa. These items can fit into a small storage tub with a lid and labeled as Preferred Pantry! In the cold cooler, be sure to add heavy whipped cream in a mason jar with lid, butter, milk and half and half.

Next comes the cooking. Take the time to organize the camp kitchen. Set up a hand washing station with water, pump soap and clean towel. Unpack tools and utensils so they are easy to reach, yet discretely out of the way. Prepare the garbage/recycle station before you start to cook. If you are using a small grill, set it up and check to make sure it works, and that you have placed it in a well ventilated area. Open coolers as little as possible to keep things cold. As the cooking begins, remember you are working at a slower pace than the stove at home. If using a campfire to cook, smoke will enhance and flavor meats and grilled vegetables with an unbelievably delightful flavor. When food finishes cooking, transfer to a plate and cover with a lid or aluminum foil to retain heat and flavor.

Finally, an impromptu treat of Same Day Cobbler is made possible by the supplies included in the pre-trip preparations. In August, there are many ripe blackberries. Pick a quart or two of the wild berries. Rinse and place the berries into a Dutch oven. Sprinkle with sugar and use about one tablespoon of butter and dot the berries. If berries aren't available, pack a can or two of peaches. After that, mix up the cobbler topping using the pancake mix you brought along. Add a few tablespoons of sugar to the mix, and mix with milk until t it is the consistency of a drop biscuit. Drop the cobbler dough on top of the berries or peaches. Sprinkle the top with a teaspoon full of sugar, put on the lid and bake in a Dutch Oven until you can see and smell the steam escaping from the top. While the cobbler is baking, fill a mason jar two-thirds full of heavy whipping cream. Add a dash of sugar, a touch of vanilla and screw the lid on tight. Now it is time for more fun! Pass the jar of whipping cream around the camp fire. As each person shakes it, watch your family and friends make whipped cream! When the Same Day Cobbler has finished cooking, serve with a little whipped cream. Enjoy!

Cooking outdoors can be very enjoyable and delicious. It contributes to the relaxing rhythm of an outdoor adventure and invites others to share in the work, or keep you company while you are cooking. Be sure to clean up, wipe down and store all unused food. Outdoor cooking is an integral element of rafting and camping. It enriches the experience, slows the pace and enhances the flavors of food. Enjoy what comes along and be sure to share the joy of cooking at the camp fire!

Camping in Comfort - ideas that have never considered

Camping in comfort for most people seems to be an oxymoron. This is not so. Today you have a whole slew of camping conveniences that make your camping trip almost as comfortable as staying at home or in a RV. With today's camping gear, any convenience you can dream of can be a reality.

Motorhome vs. Camping

A motorhome would be nice but not everybody can afford one. However, camping gear can easily be bought over time to build up your comforts at affordable prices.

While you may not have the extra comforts of a motorhome, you will be able to stay surprisingly comfortable. You will find that camping is a lot cheaper than a motorhome. Plus, you can go a lot more places camping than you can go in a traditional motorhome or RV.

Bet you aren't going to take a motor home out on a beach. Who needs to get stuck? With the right gear you can go almost anywhere.

Bathrooms and Shower a Must

For those of us who must have a shower with hot water, you can now find hot showers available for camping. Many different models will give you choices you probably never considered.

Everyone will need to have a restroom. Guess what? They are now portable and private too. With so many to choose from, you can easily take one along that suits your need. The privacy of having your own facilities will make things more comfortable, sanitary, and pleasurable for everyone.

Sleeping in Comfort

When it comes to sleeping arrangements, don't think you are limited to a sleeping. An air mattress will rival the best beds. Add to that you can get them with self-inflating pumps and you can camp in comfort.

If you don't want an air mattress or are afraid of poking a hole in it, then get a cot. They are affordable and comfortable.

When it comes to cooking, you will find portable stoves of many kinds. Some stoves come with ovens and thermostats like home.

If you like more modern conveniences, you can purchase small, light weight generators that will provide you electricity for:

electric skillets,
crock pots
coffee pots
Or other electrical cooking appliances.

You really don't have to have cooking fuel if you don't want to carry them along.

Tents with Rooms

Living quarters provided by tents are now easily pitched and will have individual rooms if you so desire. I prefer to have individual tents for the kids, or guests that come along.

If bugs are the problem, there are many different kinds of screen tents available for those outside gatherings.

All of these items can be stored and packed in a car, pickup truck, or a small utility trailer. If you use a small utility trailer, your camping gear can be stored in it when not in use.

Shopping For Bunn Coffee Makers

There are very few homes without the capability of making a good cup of coffee and Bunn coffee makers are one of the most popular machines for doing this. While coffee can be made by using a traditional piece of equipment such as a stove top percolator, electric coffee pot, or even a French press pot, there are also people using gourmet equipment which often include espresso or cappuccino makers and coffee grinders. There are many manufacturers offering such devices, and Bunn coffee makers tend to continually rank as one of the most preferred.

This is because Bunn coffee makers include a wide range of home and commercial machines that have been designed to provide the finest results possible. For example, some of the modern Bunn coffee makers include high-altitude brewers as well as single-serving machines. There are some connected directly to the home's water supply and others that save energy by slowly reducing the tank temperature for a set period of time after the coffee has brewed.

When shopping for Bunn coffee makers it is important to first identify the features required. For example, a single person might want to consider investing in a "pod" style machine that quickly brews a single, flawless cup of coffee on demand. This is done by outfitting most of the machines with dual chambers and connecting them to a water source. The machine then uses the chamber with the pod to hastily make a cup of coffee which is dispensed into the drinker's mug or cup by the press of a button.

So, a shopper should first make a brief list of their needs and then do a bit of comparing between the Bunn coffee makers offering such features. It is important to also look both online and in retail establishments since some stores can offer additional products. For example, many gourmet coffee sites offer a nice supply of beans at the time of purchase.

Percolator Coffee Smells Better Than Baking Bread

People will think you are a dinosaur for using a percolator, especially a stove top percolator, but that's OK because no drip coffee maker can match the taste and aroma of percolated coffee. If you're old enough to remember the smell of freshly brewed percolated coffee that filled the house when it was time for dad to head off to work and you to school then you know exactly what I mean.

You will have to get a Farberware coffee percolator because they seems to be what the old school. The pattern of Yosemite (not that the image of beer, a pot on a campfire in the mountains?) Is thick-walled stainless steel, and you feel it too. This is exactly what you need on the side of the stove or gas grill burner.

It may not make a habit, make coffee on the grill, but it's something you will appreciate expensive, and if you get caught in bad weather knocks two, that the power off for a week orall electric home.

How long do you want to let go of the machine after it started? There is no absolute, definitive answer, but trickles for four or more cups of about eight minutes seems to be optimal. Be sure to turn down the heat after the first alert. You do not want to cook, make coffee and do not need, nor do it. The lowest heat you can get and still keep the coffee jumped into the crystal ball on top, the best coffeewill taste. Too much heat will cause a nasty burnt taste.

You will also want to use coarse ground coffee in a percolator. That's no problem if you grind your own coffee but it can be if you buy grocery store coffee. Most brands only offer drip ground coffee and if you use this grind in a percolators more porous filter you may end up with some of it in your cup.

Different Ways to Camp

A trip outdoors is always exciting and fun. People, especially children, look forward to camping trips usually during summer. It is a nice way to bond and relax and but not spend too much. Camping is very educational, too, mostly for kids who will be learning things about the environment and basically, how things in the wild work. When camping, however, it is important to make sure the right gear are brought to the camp site. Otherwise, problems could arise.

Camping equipment is, of course, essential for those who want to go out and commune with nature in its barest form. It is necessary because it allows campers to be comfortable even while in an environment that they don't deal with everyday. When planning an outdoor trip, it is important to prepare camping equipment at least a week before camp day. This is especially crucial during specific approaches to camping which may need special devices.

If it's your first time to plan a camping trip, yes, there are different ways to camp. For example, car camping is having a tent in a site with your car nearby. Winter camping, as the term implies, will have people camping in the extreme cold of the season. However, they must have special camping equipment to allow them to stay outdoors and survive the extreme conditions. Sleeping bags with inbuilt heaters are another example of winter camping gear. Adventure camping is common among people who race such as bikers or hikers. What they do is race during the day and camp at night. Sailors go sail camping - they go for a sail and dock their boats onshore. Beach camping and lake camping are gaining more popularity nowadays because campers need not to bring heavy camping equipment nor hike for hours. Of course, the fun they get in the beach is priceless.

Whether you're camping traditionally or in some unique way, having to bring all the right equipment is essential. Don't forget your sleeping bags, camp stove, tent, first-aid kits and others which should make your camp a more convenient and safer place for everyone.

Of course, when you camp, you need to know what to expect when you're actually there in the wild. Research on the ways to keep yourself safe especially from wild animals such as bears, raccoons and Snakes. Know the ways to avoid and what to do when you come to a meeting with them everywhere.

Child-Proofing Your RV

When I asked fellow RVers about traveling with children, there was always a short pause before they would answer. Was this a trick question, I thought? Then came their wry smiles, as if their minds were suddenly flooded with memories of the madcap and the maddening. "I just left him outside for a second," said one full-timer friend with a chest full of family war stories. "The next thing I know I hear footsteps on the roof." Quick, someone call Sponge Bob to talk him down.

Ask around and you'll hear a million tales just like that one from RVing parents and grandparents alike, all of which made me petrified to take my youngest on his first motorhome trip. As it turned out, RVing with Parker was a breeze when he was two. Two months old, I mean, when the only thing he had on his mind was his next nap and blobbing about the living room, counting the rug fibers. But then he - gasp! - grew up, got mobile and oh so curious. And then you wake up one morning to find him shuffling down the hallway looking for something to smash with that hammer you accidentally left by the nightstand.

So how does one dare unleash Junior on that poor, unsuspecting recreational vehicle? It's called childproofing, and as I've slowly discovered, the only difference between a bull in a china shop and a toddler in a fifth wheel is your level of preparedness. So prepared we will become, since nothing spoils a family getaway faster than an Elmo doll stuffed down the toilet. Or so I'm told. Here's how to get your RV ready for those little ones.

Chances are good if the homestead is adequately childproofed for your youngsters or grandkids, those instincts and practices will carry over to the diesel-pusher rather nicely. After all, we're talking about the proverbial home on wheels here, with many of the same temptations and trouble spots found here for the family roughneck. Be sure to start with the basics. Outlet covers are a dime a dozen and should be used liberally throughout the interior. Latch all cabinets, even those compartments with nothing to hide, if for no other than to dissuade kids from hiding the family cat. Be on the lookout for sharp edges and corners found on some dinettes, entryway steps, and countertops. One enterprising gent used piping insulation to dull these areas, possibly saving their kiddo from a nasty gash and new crew cut.

It seems everyone's got a different idea of how to handle the oft-perilous entryway area. A fall down this well is particularly nasty, culminating in a major-sized head-on with the door itself. One needn't listen too closely to hear these horror stories around most any campfire. Some families simply gate off this opening, while others fill the space with fluffy items until it's less hazardous. One family I know buffets the entryway with pillows; another uses their luggage to fill the abyss. Just don't make these contents too tempting to where it starts resembling the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese.

Pay careful mind as to how the RV is packed and loaded to avoid any problems. Obviously, any cleaning agents, detergents, poisonous items, sharp utensils, and tools should be kept locked up and away from all interested parties under four-feet-tall. When my friend Mitch told me about the runaway bowling ball that tumbled out from an overhead cabinet breaking his aunt's toe, well, it was sort of funny. However, the consequences of that strange scenario could be deadly if that had happened to be a one-year-old waiting down below. When loading the vehicle, remember this simple rule - heavy items go low, light items up high. Add some non-skid material to cabinets to keep contents from sliding around, and be careful when opening doors for wayward projectiles. And ask yourself - is there really any reason to bring a bowling ball? I thought not.

Pretend you're four-years-old with a daredevil mentality. This kind of mental role-playing is particularly useful for those unaccustomed to communing with youngsters, like you grandparents spoiling, err, I mean taking care of your kid's kids for a weekend. What kind of mischief could you uncover onboard? Shorter countertops allow for greater access to boiling pots, hot pans, and utensils that can definitely leave a mark. Watch those handles on your cookware! Dangling cords from coffee pots and curling irons can be pulled on to youngsters down below. The bathroom door, with the ever-tempting WC (bar, too), should be equipped with a safety device to prevent the handle of the door handle problems before a devious plan hatched by a child. A full-time told me to give appropriate places, the thought of my son could be higher. He recalled how his son used the toilet to get up on the sink, left him exposed to the shops which are not protected, potentially hot water, and a whole range of products left alone.

If one is aware of your family "fell", "crazy" or "shocking wipeouts," the children want morefalling than the NASDAQ did last year. Those linoleum and vinyl floors used liberally throughout many vehicles don't help matters, either. Shoes and/or socks with traction are terrific ways to keep kids upright. A rug on slippery surfaces is that much more destabilizing to a two-year-old in a full-out running frenzy, so watch out for that. Enforcing a walk-only rule inside and keeping obstacles out of walkways whenever possible serve as two tumble deterrents.

The escape window on any recreational vehicle is a constant source of fascination for most kids. Those bright, red handles attract like neon beacons, screaming "Come Play With Me." While it's wise to talk with the family about ways of exiting the RV in case of a fire, the term "emergency exit" sure sounds like fun to most young ears. Don't tolerate any horseplay (Geez, what a grown-up thing to say) here, making sure everyone knows this area is off-limits during non-crisis situations. Windows in general also deserve attention. A toddler leaning on a screen could potentially fall out. Get in the habit of sliding windows open only a few inches, installing wedges to hold them in position, if necessary. The entryway door should be locked at all times since that last step to the outside is indeed a dozie. Any Greg Louganis diving impressions from the bottom step should be strictly prohibited.

Now comes the question of how to stay out of trouble when the lights turn off for bedtime. As you know, RV designers have come with up with no shortage of places for kids to bunk, including sleeper sofas, convertible dinettes, double and triple bunk beds, and recliners. The key challenge, however, is to keep kids in place, with numerous products available up to the job. Bedrail guards or side netting should do the trick for toddlers getting used to crib-free sleeping. Wal-Mart, for instance, has an entire section devoted to childproofing items. Otherwise, line the perimeter of the sleeping nook with pillows to serve as a blockade, while cushioning the floor below with materials to provide a soft landing if things go slightly awry. Nightlights strategically placed throughout the coach are an excellent way to safeguard groggy walks to the bathroom or trips to your room for that early morning game of Chutes and Ladders.

All this readiness may sound daunting, but it isn't really. Think of all this work as a labor of love, a dutiful act to keep the kids safe and you with a chance to relax knowing the RV won't turn into a kind of house of horrors. Then you can turn your attention to childproofing outside. Speaking of which, what's that I hear on the roof?

Everything You Need to Cook Outdoors

Cooking outdoors is often a favorite highlight of many camping trips. Whether you enjoy grilling burgers and hotdogs or getting creative over an open fire, camp cooking can be a fun experience for everyone. Take a few minutes to prepare a simple menu for your camping trip ahead of time and use your camp meal plans to help pack your kitchen items as well as your ingredients.

Every camping trip will require a different assortment of camp kitchen supplies depending on the event's activities and the menu you plan. If you plan to do a lot of camping or are already an avid camper, there are a number of cooking supplies you should keep on hand for your camping outings.

A suitably sized quality cooler with a secure clasp, like those offered by Coleman, is a camping necessity. Cooler chests with a removable food tray are ideal for keeping meats and sandwich spreads cool until you are ready to use them. For extended camping trips, consider using block ice in your cooler rather than crushed or cubes and freeze meats like steak, hamburger, chicken, or pork for longer freshness.

You will also need an assortment of cooking surfaces to accommodate various types of meal preparations. If you plan to cook over a campfire, you will need a grill grate or a camp grill. Many campgrounds offer guests a small charcoal grill at each camp site, but you will want to keep an extra portable grill on hand for stays at locations without an on-site grill. You may opt for a portable propane grill instead of charcoal.

For a more versatile outdoor cooking experience, you will want a good, quality camp stove. Coleman is one of the leading manufacturers of camp stoves and they offer a wide range of sizes and accessories. You will want at least a single burner camp stove, but you may want to consider a two burner stove for more usability. A griddle surface is a nice addition to your camp stove for easy breakfast preparation and more.

You will need camping cookware and cooking utensils as well. Pots and pans designed for outdoor cooking, like the Coleman Family Cook Set, can be used on the camp stove or on the camp grill over the fire. A heavy dutch oven is also nice for stews, pasta, and meats. Keep an assortment of spatulas, knives, and cooking spoons with your camping supplies and consider a coffee percolator for cool evenings beside the campfire.

Purchase a dish pan, dish cloths, and a small bottle of dish soap just for your camping trips. Keep a couple of thick oven mitts and potholders with your outdoor cooking supplies, along with aluminum foil, salt, pepper, and other seasonings, and a few heavy duty scrubbing pads. Camping enamelware is great for dining on or you can use paper plates and cups with plastic Silverware.

You also want to keep the bags of waste liquids, lighters, matches, towels, stored in a sealed watertight at hand for the camping trip, and terms such as napkins and paper. A fork or skewer field is ideal for roasting hotdogs and marshmallows and could take a few containers or plastic bags, food freezer. Remember to keep your camp site provides recipes with your plan kitchen and do food shoppingeasier.