vegan camping

Since becoming an adult, camping and spending time in nature has become an important part of my life. The closest I got to spending time outdoors was visiting my family at the rancho as a kid and very few outings with extended family. In this moment in time, spending time outdoors has become a popular way to get some fresh air and release the stress and pressure of navigating our world amidst a pandemic. The reality is also that camping, hiking, and spending time at national parks isn’t and hasn’t always been accessible to communities of color. Racism is rampant and it brings me joy when I see other people of colors in the trails or when I see families of color cooking at campgrounds. One of the fun parts of camping and hiking for me are prepping for our trips. Below are some tips for your next camping trip. I hope they are helpful!

respect the local people + people around you
Leave places better than how you find them and remember that people live in the area you are visiting. Remember that by honoring the land you also need to honor the people that are native to the land you are visiting and those that live in the area.

respect nature and follow proper guidelines 

Follow area’s guidelines and don’t disrupt the natural habitat. Don’t feed the animals and clean your area. Be sure to recycle and discard trash in designated areas. Also please store your food and cooler either in your car or tent so that the animals don’t get to it. 

meal plan ahead of time

Decide how many meals you’ll be cooking. Make a shopping list or check to see what ingredients you have. Also note what cooking utensils you have- do you have a propane stove, will you be building a fire, do you have a cooler? Once you know what ingredients you have or what you’ll be making, plan your meals based on which food needs the most refrigeration. I use excel sheets to plan trips or things with people because then you can get everyone on the same page. If you are camping with other people you can even take turns making meals or decide who cooks, cleans, or preps so that labor is equally distributed. 

food prep

I like to prep food if possible at home. Washing all veggies and chopping any veggies that won’t spoil. Some like celery or carrots can also be stored in a container with water. I will also sometimes prep potato salad or bean and rice for the first day of camping so that it doesn’t spoil without refrigeration. Prepping your food makes time at your campsite easier and prepping your meals easier so you can focus on hanging out or hiking. Bring biodegradable soap, white vinegar (to clean veggies), plenty of hand sanitizer, trash bags, a table cloth, foil, and cutting boards, and plenty of water. I like to freeze gallons of water or container with water to keep the cooler colder longer aside from any ice packs or bags of ice you have.

Below are some meal ideas: 

breakfast ideas

oatmeal (so easy you just add water! you can even make overnight oats), pancakes ( I like to use a shake cup with pre-made batter or add the instant pancake flour that just requires water. this means little mess and easy to simply pour into your pan. granola bars- either homemade or store-bought. fruit- try to pick sturdier fruit that doesn’t get smashed or be careful when packing it. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tofu scramble, beans burritos, breakfast potatoes 

lunch and dinner ideas

Peanut butter and jelly, chickpea ‘tuna’ sandwiches or lettuce wraps or to eat with crackers, veggie sandwiches, portobello burgers, veggie burgers, tortas, bean tacos, potato tacos, baked potatoes, potatoes with soyrizo, salads,  chili, grilled veggies, grilled pizza, rice noodles with veggies that you can pour broth to, vegetable stews. 

snacks
trail mix, rice cakes, salads with durable veggies , fruta con chile, granola bars, chips and salsa, vegetables with hummus, oranges, apples, dried fruit, nuts, vegan jerky.