Propane lantern for camping? / Girlfriend's first time camping?

[Grox]

That banana and chocolate thing sounds good., so you just put little slits in the skin and put like baking pieces in there? Eat it with a fork?

Ive thought about something like garlic bread too, kinda more as a snack, but like youve said, more fun cooking then anything..

The "main course" is going to be hotdogs and smores as she expects.. but nothing says I cant pack a few extra's to make it fun. Ive got an army shovel and those gloves, so I can always rearrange the fire once it gets going really, to make a small section of coals for cooking the extras while we are still enjoying the flame parts.

I agree with you on some of the most fun is cooking. Thats why I was always the quartermaster in our scout troop. Lol

The campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring, so I can just set the lantern on the table if we had to eat and the bugs seem to be starting to go away as it gets alittle chillier. Plus, I have some fold up chairs if we wanted to chill closer to the fire.

Sounds awesome!

The way we did these banana things is kind of hard to explain but fun to eat! You don't need to cut the banana. All you do is grab your banana, wash it (if you want to :laughing, and push the chocolate buttons through the skin into the banana. I find that putting them in a line from the stalk to the tail works very well. Wrap them in foil and then put them in the coals. You can either eat it when the chocolate has just melted, or when the banana is getting mushy and the chocolate has become truly melty goodness. The second way is my preferred way! You could eat it with a fork, but a spoon would be more practical since everything becomes gooey. Having a plate is convenient too.

If you want to extend the next day a bit, I always found it was nice to put some potatoes in the coals overnight and let them roast. By morning they ought to be cooked and you can have them for lunch the next day! That's what my girlfriend and I do sometimes, anyhow. If you're going to be cooking pancakes you could put some roast potatos/veggies on for lunch at the same time, maybe.

If you can find time, a day walk or a half day walk would be a might be a gentle way to introduce her to hiking and perhaps pique her interest in more outdoorsy type activities.

I love camping!

 

[coldsolderjoint]

ok, cool, i understand what your talking about. I kinda searched around for camping recipies and i find its commonly called a "banana boat". Seems theres a few variations with chocolate, marshmellows, peanut butter, and even the possibility of extra chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I think that will be my "suprise".. plus its all pretty much non-perishable, so I cant poision her too much. (She still doubts my cooking skills).

I can get samples of the stuff now, and try it out on the barbeque to see how its all gunna work out.

The plan now, is hotdogs on a stick (long fork thing) for dinner, smores, banana suprise, and possibly a small assortment of junk food, then for breakfast waffles and sausage over the fire. (maybe even use up some of that left over whipped cream and chocolate?) And Ill remember to bring a pot or something to boil water for possible hot chocolate mix.

Well probably go to sleep pretty late, and wake up pretty late. Checkout is at 12 noon, and I have to be at work again at 4 pm. Alreadly took off the day before.

Seems like in terms of cash, ill have to buy the water jug for safety reasons, skip the air mattress this time, spring for the lantern.. maybe just light it while were getting settled/cooking the hotdogs to give her that hissing sound effect. Turn it off when were just chilling.

Should be a good night.

 

[AJ_Dual]

Hi,

To get back to you on the foil packs.

We just used raw boneless chicken breasts, store-bought Italian vinegar/oil spices salad dressing, and veggies, like onion, green/red pepper, mushrooms etc. We never needed to pre-boil the chicken.

We'd put everything in the foil, and toss it in the cooler, then pour the dressing into the packet right before tossing it into the coals, otherwise the dressing would leak out of the foil no matter how tightly folded it was. However, you could put the entire foil packet in a Ziploc bag so the chicken would marinate a bit while you got up to the campsite. We did do that for beef.

Generally, we would just leave them near, or just barely in the coals until the packet is puffed up and squirting steam, them give it an extra few minutes after that, it's done. It's also a pretty idiot proof method, since it's a "wet cooking" method, as long as you pull it off before the steam runs out, there's little chance of it burning.

The big thing is timing, potatoes first, then corn on the cob, then the main course foil packet, so everything comes out at the same time.

Another thing you could do is get beef tips, soak them in an equal mix of Worcestershire and soy sauce, with some olive oil garlic powder and black pepper, maybe some white wine or cider vinegar too, make a pack of that, then make a pack of vegetables, mushrooms, sweet onion quarters, bell peppers etc. with some extra marinade to keep those moist too, and then you've got skewer-less shish-kebabs.

This one is great because it's easy to eat with a plate on your lap around a camp fire, everything is already bite-sized. All you really need is a fork.

I forgot one other awesome campfire meal. Pudgy Pies! (I don't know what other names people might know them by…)

But they're the clamshell pie makers on two rods that squeeze shut with bread and filling inside, for dinner you can make ham and cheese, or shredded meat, small chopped veggies, and gravy, and for dessert, you can make a Smore pie, or just use canned fruit pie fillings.

It's my experience that the round ones work a bit better, and seal the edges of the bread better into a pie. (you have to tear off the corners of the bread that stick outside…)

http://www.firepies.com/irons.html

Just be sure to butter the outsides of the bread liberally so they don't stick inside the iron. Most any camping store or even the camping aisle at Wal-Mart ought to have them, and cheaper than the originals in the site above...

 

[chmsam]

As a food guy I just gotta make sure you keep the raw food (ESPECIALLY CHICKEN!!!) below 40 degrees F. I handle food all day and the only food I really, really get paranoid about is chicken and other poultry. Never a good idea to give the young lady "the stomach flu." Food poisoning happens fast with chicken.

Easy to avoid, though. Use a cooler and a lot of ice. Keep the chicken below 40 like I said above and cook it to at least 165. Use a meat thermometer -- they only cost about $6 and take less than 30 seconds to use. If you're worried that she'll think it's geeky, tell her you don't poison people you love, and that it really helps to keep from over cooking the meat, too. Just poke a tiny hole in the foil bag and stick the thermometer into the meat. Get some hand sanitizer and use it after you handle the chicken while you camp. Not that I'm playing Cupid or anything, but barfing and/or a case of the runs could tend to kill the romantic atmosphere, right?

BIG COOKING TIP -- if you grill the chicken, sear it. Just get both sides a nice, golden brown, and do not poke any holes in the meat -- no forks! -- so use tongs and keep the things you use on raw met away from the cooked (you don't want to contaminate the cooked food). Just a few minutes on each side sears the meat and seals in the juices to make the chicken much more tender. Then put it into the foil bag and cook. After the chicken temps to 165, let is set for about 5 minutes. Just don't cut into it while you get everything else ready.

Easy recipes for grilling and hot bag cooking at wegmans.com and epicurious.com. You definitely don't need to be a chef, but a little food safety and preperation before you cook always makes it easier. Try to find a recipe that lets you prep the stuff as much as you can before you put it into the cooler and leave home. Knowing how to cook a little saves a lot of work. And it might just impress the lady.

Have a great time.

 

[coldsolderjoint]

cool.. things are looking brighter (flashlight pun intended )... someone at her job "miraculously" was able to cover her shift. I suspect some persuasion on her side, lol. But thats cool. So, shes getting out of her first job at 3 pm, so she can take her time getting her stuff and whatever.. and we can still get to the park before its dark.

We are still doing the hotdogs.. but I think I wanna suprise her with some "elegant" campfire cooking... lol

thanks for all the tips

AJ_Dual: Ive always wanted to try those pie irons, but all through my scouting days, I always thought they were only useful for grilled cheese. Lol.. Maybe not this camping trip, but being a flashaholic, we all know my buying stuff habbits, so, more equipment= good equipment.

chmsam: having a bout of food poisioning a few months ago, I know that its one of the worst feelings ever. If there is raw food, its only going to be in ice, for a maximum of about 4 hours, it will be in my fridge at home before that. That's why I asked about maybe par-cooking the chicken at home by boiling or some other method, this way, basically your just heating it with the coals. Im sure I could just do it with beef and have it be alittle safer. Hot dogs are pre cooked as far as I know, and the smore/banana stuff is good to go. For breakfast, I was going to go with frozen waffles, and those breakfast sausages like "smith premium".. just put in the microwave or fry them up. I beleave they are cooked from the box too. I was planning on bringing sanitizer, as well as a big water jug for hand washing. I was also planning to stop by the dollar store and picking up at least one or two sets of cheap tongs.. just throw them out if used..

Now I just gotta setle on the menu.. lol..

 

[Oddjob]

It seems to me that you are putting out quite an effort for this girl.:goodjob:

I'm sure she'll appreciate it. It's great she got someone to cover for her at work. Have a great time and hope it leads to many more such trips!!

 

[chmsam]

Par-cooked or not (and don't boil the chicken -- you'll lose a lot of the flavor), keep the food on ice, even fully cooked food. Reheat cooked food to 165, too. Don't leave food out for more than 2 hours either. Just keep ice in the cooler and for the few hours before you cook it the food should be fine. As long as you keep food below 40 or above 140, you should be good. This goes for at home or on the road.

I promise that all the food training I've had can't compare with the not-so-fond memories of barfing so bad I exected to see my shoes come up and still be tied. It has been many years since I have convinced my wife that she, too, should practice food safety just like I do. Funny... it seems to me to be just about exactly that long since anyone in the house has had a bout of "the stomach flu"... Hmmm, ya thunk the two might be related?

This kind of camping is a good way to find out if the lady is "worth the effort" and to show her that you think she is. My wife wouldn't dream of camping where she couldn't roll out of bed and turn on the coffee maker and plug in the hair dryer, while I have great memories of camping two days hike minimum away from the next human beings. The price of old age, I guess. She doesn't get it to say the least, but not having another person but your sweetie around can be very wonderful or very educational, if you know what I mean. At least I can still remember days that were good enough that I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for days.

Hope you have a great time and nothing but smiles and a real good case of the warm, fuzzy feelings.

 

[Bright Scouter]

As for coolers and keeping meat cold on a camping trip,,, I always prefer to buy dry ice. It keeps it colder longer and will not melt and get everything wet. But that only works for stuff that can be frozen.

As for a lantern, I know this may be overkill, but,,, There is a company that makes a backpacking lantern that runs on cans of fuel. It is made by Brunton and it is called the Liberty. It is darn expensive. But tiny and fairly bright. The only reason to get it is if you plan to backpack. The best thing about it is it does not use a mantle. Hence the reason it is so good for backpacking.

 

[Ras_Thavas]

Fajitas are also fairly easy to cook around the campfire. The burrito shells can be wrapped in foil and heated quickly. You can either pre-cook the peppers/onions/meat and just heat it in a foil bag or cook in a pan on site.

I am a sucker for a good can of beans and some franks cooked over the fire on sticks. IMHO you can never go wrong with that.

I like using my air mattress better if I put my egg crate foam sleep pads down first as insulation.

Even on the few long term (5day) backpacking trips I have taken one of us would always bring a big tarp. We would hang it from the trees so it covers the tents. That way if it rains we can get in and out of the tents without getting wet, and have a place to sit that was also out of the rain.

I have a couple of white gas lanterns. Ine is a small backpacking model the other is standard size. I know we all love flashlights but I also don't think it would be the same for me without at least one gas lantern.

Not sure what the bug situation will be like where you are, but we would always burn a couple of those mosquito coils to help keep the bugs at bay.

 

[AJ_Dual]

+1 on the food safety, especialy with chicken.

One thing we also did was have a "food cooler" and a beverage cooler". That way the food cooler was only being opened at mealtimes and would stay cold longer. It also made things easier as we didn't have one gigantic cooler that was too heavy to carry.

To avoid the food getting soggy, we filled empty plastic soda bottles of different sizes with water and froze them ahead of time. They lasted longer than cube ice, and didn't make the food soggy as the ice melted.

 

[Lee1959]

Take enough stuff for two nights, just in case. She might surprise you and love it and want to stay two nights. Also do not plan on leaving right away in the morning. Give her a chance to actually like it and sit around camp, one never knows. I marred a girl born and raised in Detroit, and she now archery hunts with me and camps out.

 

[coldsolderjoint]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

We went over this past weekend. And it was a good success. We ended up going at the same time about two hours before dark, and she was amaizingly good at helping set up.

One of my "mistakes" was i "forgot" the bug spray. (I dont care to use it usually unless the bugs are REALLY bad).. so we had to take a trip to the local drug store, and she promptly made us both smell like chemicals, but it was kinda fun.

It was about the same time, that my scorpian went missing. I had "issued" it to her, and I beleave it is probably under the seat in her car. (Did i ever mention how nice it is to see a flashlight sticking halfway out of a hot girl's tight jean's pocket? )

I did buy the lantern, and although, its not really nessesary, i think it was a good investment in my camping equipment. I paid the extra 5 bucks for the electronic ignition version.

I made a big fire, and we enjoyed hot dogs on a stick, smores, and that banna recipie. We actually made them there on the picnic table and it was alot of fun because being me, I overloaded my bannana. It was suprisingly good.

I had bought a big 10x20 tarp and we hung it up for shelter over the picnic table, and it never rained a drop, probably because we did that.

We slept together in the tent and it was really nice, I have to get a better sleeping pad/mattress though. For the both of us, I had three of those coleman egg crate ones, and slumberjack self inflating mat, but due to the heat in my attic, the valve seperated itself from the vynl, so i used it as is. I hate to say it, but my back isnt the same as four years ago. (now i sound like my father).

The bathroom was kind of far away, and being her first time in the woods, I had to drive her to it a few times.

When we woke up, I cooked waffles and sausage on my propane portable grill, topped with syrup, butter, and whipped cream. Breakfast was really good.

Cleanup went fast, and as a first for me, We cooked hamburgers kinda quick before we left.

I brought too much food (i think your supposed to).. and my choice of flashlights was a bit flashaholic. The MagCharger60 is really bright and not that much runtime.. Lol.. I gotta invest in some longer running LED lights now.. (What?! did he just say a DIMMER light?!?!)

But all in all, it was a great weekend, and she said she had a lot of fun and wants to go again early next month. I was trying to convince her to go to stokes state forest and sleep in lean-to's.. but that was untill i found out that they are "closed lean-to's"- four walls and a slanty kinda roof. Its like whats the point?.. she was worried about bugs getting in..

So I think maybe next time, were gunna invite some friends back to cheesequake and bring the 10x20 tent.. and stay longer..

 

[ikendu]

We've camped mostly "out in the middle of nowhere" (South Dakota on private land).

As far as lighting goes, the lights we used absolutely the most were the dimmest lights we own; our Infinities. I took along some of my super dooper lights, but we basically never used them. We always had those Infinites around our necks on lanyards. Once in a while we'd use the PT Attitude or the UK 4AA eLed (both not so very bright).

Although, we never tried to set up or take down in the dark. We've just learned over time that you don't really need a lot of light. We now have an Aurora headlamp that is darn handy if you want your hands free for carrying stuff or working on something.

 

[Grox]

coldsolderjoint,

Sounds like you had great fun! I'm glad that the bananas came out well! They've always been a favourite of mine.

Good luck on your future camping adventures!

 

[JimmyM]

My girlfriend wants me to take her camping for her first time.

That's odd. I took my girlfriend to the back seat of my VW Bus for her first time.

 

[Ras_Thavas]

Glad to hear it was fun.

I can understand the reluctance to sleep in a potentially bug infested lean to. I always bring a tent. If you plan on hiking any distance then invest in a good lightweight 2 person tent.

Hiking your stuff a couple of miles up a trail and setting up camp is a lot of work, but the reward is you will probably be totally alone and able to enjoy nature with fewer distractions.

 

[Lee1959]

I told ya, dont underestimate a womans sense of adventure, it may be different than a mans, but they enjoy a good simple time too. Yes, you may have to make different accomodations for the latrine/bathroom especially the first times but it is worth the extra effort. Each time they go out they will get just a bit more comfortable, especially if you try and help her enjoy it.

I hope it leads to many more enjoyable forays into the great outdoors, I know sharing time outdoors has enriched my wife and my life relationship a lot.