Camping is cool

Loiter with a tent!
Camping is one long picnic

One of my first camping experiences, however, was not cool!

I loved tent sleepovers and one of my achievements, in the Girl Guides was to win my “campers permit”.

This meant I was allowed, with some other Guides, to overnight in a tent, without adult supervision.

A lasting memory of my first unsupervised adventure makes me realize I was not a good team leader!

Instead of setting up our campsite, the girls ran off to visit some Boy Scouts, who were pitched up in a nearby field!

OK, so, secretly, I would have liked to go with them! But I was supposed to be "in charge"!

And, as you know, I also like food, so I stayed to set up one of the essentials - the fire!

It's pretty easy to make a campfire. First make sure you're in a clear area of field, with no overhanging trees or shrubs and a safe distance away from the tent.

Collect your firewood, sticks and kindling twigs. If you can, find some silver birch bark, which is great kindling to start the fire off with. It has a natural oil in it, which helps it to flame. (Thanks to Ian Humphreys for this tip and others)

Then put down a small row of sticks (green or otherwise)to make a base for the fire. Then on top build a row of very fine dry twigs and then arother row, laid diagonally across the first.

Use some paper - or even better, a tiny piece of real cotton wool covered in Vaseline with a match or spark to start the fire and keep putting on little bunches of twigs and sticks until the fire is established.

Take out of your pocket, a Grilliput or use something similar to balance your kettle or pot.

Arrange seating around the fire in the form of logs, boulders or portable chairs and stools.

I've been told by a Bushman, Ian Humphreys, not to build a circle of stones around the fire to contain it because if these contain water, as some do, they could explode when they get very hot.

Also make very sure to put the fire out completely if and when you leave the campsite. Otherwise, one thing that could happen (that you might not immediately think of) is tree roots underground (some are only cms below the surface)could catch alight and spread the fire.

NEVER LEAVE A FIRE UNATTENDED.

You can use up a lot of energy pitching the tent, collecting firewood and generally making the campsite a pleasant place to be. You and your fellow campers will therefore appreciate meals that fill you up and keep you going.

So make like a Girl Guide - Be prepared! Make a list and don’t forget to add:

a kettle
large saucepan with lid
frying pan (nonstick is best)
tin opener
wooden spoon
washing up bowl and brush
a roll or two of thick kitchen paper towel
and lots of matches

The first thing to remember is that breakfast and the evening meal are the most important. Breakfast should give you the energy needed to face the day – especially if the weather is cold or damp.

Porridge is a good option. The oatmeal will keep you full for longer. Make it more exciting by adding any variety of dried fruit and some dried milk. That makes a nice creamy porridge, with the only effort being to boil a kettle of water and mix!

Or how about some French toast, or eggy bread as it’s sometimes known? It’s simply bread dipped in beaten egg and a little milk and then fried. I love making this over an open fire. It doesn’t matter how hot the frying pan gets – the bread just cooks quicker. Nowadays I would pour maple syrup over it but that was unheard of in my youth!

Otherwise just fry sausages, bacon or eggs and stuff them in baps or rolls.

It’s worth making a bit of an effort for dinner but it all depends, of course, what sort of camping trip this is, how much gear you can carry with you and what shopping and other facilities you may have nearby.

You’ll find picnic ideas throughout this site, which will come in useful I hope. Check out barbecue recipes or use ideas from Bonfire Night and bonfire recipes for instance, or a healthy picnic.

For drinks you might like to find out more about FLEJ: Flej Solo is the ultimate outdoor and travel cup.

The neoprene sleeve will keep a drink hotter for longer and it comes in a range of funky colours. The lid has a specially designed spout which, when sucked on, will activate the Agitor Micro Pump and mix the drink. Beats trying to remember where you packed a spoon or stirring with a stick! Click here for more info.

If the idea is to travel light, and you aren’t going to catch your own fish or wildlife, then my suggestion for dinner would be an all-in-one meal such as pasta.

Dried pasta should be boiled in as much water as possible until just al dente. To the drained pasta, add a packet sauce and perhaps a can or two of tuna or chicken.

However, something to bear in mind is that if you use food from cans or tins, they cannot be burnt on the fire like cardboard containers and will, therefore, create extra rubbish to carry home or to the nearest available bin.

A tin or two of baked beans is always a good idea though. Very handy in a food emergency as they can even be eaten cold from the tin if needs must!

On the other hand to cook dried food, you need a good supply of fresh water – so think again if you have to carry it all!

Hot soup and bread - or hot chilli chocolate, with toasted marshmallows - eaten sitting around the campfire, telling stories and singing songs, means that you can then snuggle down in your sleeping bag with a happy smile on your face and a warm feeling in your tummy!

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