Best Camping Food List

The Ultimate Camping Food List

One of the most important things in preparation for your camping trip is to pack your food. The ideal camping food should last for days and can provide you with energy for your outdoor activities.

You can either prepare meals ahead (hint: awesome camping meal ideas) or bring food to cook on the go.

In this article, we gather a camping food list that assures to make your belly full and your body energetic for upcoming outdoor adventures. The Camping Food List

#1 Bananas

#2 Bread

#3 Water

#4 Beef Jerky

#5 Energy Bars

#6 Canned Meat

#7 Coffee or Tea

#8 Crackers, Chocolate, and Marshmallows

#9 Chia Seeds

#10 Cereals

#11 Dried Fruits

#12 Crackers

#13 Cheese

#14 Canned Beans

#15 Whole Wheat Grains

#16 Peanut Butter and Jelly

#17 Trail Mix


#1 Bananas

Packing fruits is one of the best ideas when camping since most fruits can be left even at room temperature. One of the ideal fruits which is ready-to-eat for camping is the bananas. They are high in potassium and other nutrients that makes them the best camping food when you need to eat something and fast.

#2 Bread

Bread is an example of food that won’t go bad when left at room temperature which makes it a great camping food. It is also one of the easiest and standard food that can also be used in making a lot of things.

You can make a toast for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch and hamburgers for dinner. Bread is also considered as carbohydrates which makes it an excellent source of energy.

#3 Water

When going on a camping trip, one you should never forget to pack is water—and lots of it. Water is very important and dehydration is something you do not want to experience on a camping trip. You will probably need about 2 to 4 quarts of water every day. It is ideal to plan how long you are going to camping and pack the necessary amount of water you are going to need.

#4 Beef Jerky

Beef jerky and other dried or packaged meats you can find in the supermarket can be a great food to pack when you go camping. They can be comfortable and lightweight to carry and can provide your body with the protein you need to stay active in your camping activities.

Beef jerky is also quick to serve as a camp snack or during your dinner. Jerky can also come as other types of meat such as elk, venison, and buffalo so you can choose what you like.

#5 Energy Bars

A lot of energy bars such as the favorite granola bars and other candy bars is also high on the list for ideal camping foods you should include packing. The granola bars are made with variety of ingredients that can surely quell your hunger. It can come in a range of shapes, sizes, styles, and special ingredients for whether you need an energy lift, extra protein in your body, or just some organic ingredients in your camping food.

#6 Canned Meat

There are a lot of variety of canned meats you can find in the supermarket and when you are looking for a camping food, they can be really great. Canned meats have high protein content which can be really good and they are also easy to pack.

With a lot of options in canned meats including chicken, tuna, salmon, and crabmeat, you can easily choose what you want best for your camping trip.

#7 Coffee or Tea

Aside from the basic and much needed water, you also need other drinks to add to your list of beverage to pack when going camping. The weather during camping trips is not constant and you probably will have to experience cold mornings and cold nights. It is very convenient to have some instant coffee, tea or hot chocolate within your camping food to keep you warm.

#8 Crackers, Chocolate, and Marshmallows

One of the common things to do on a camping trip is making smores in front of the fire during cold camping nights. Having a complete pack of smores ingredients such as graham crackers, chocolates, and marshmallows will surely give you one of the best camping experience you can ever have.

#9 Chia Seeds

Chia seeds is not actually eaten as a snack on their own, they can also be used in cooking other foods for your camping trip to increase their protein content. A little amount of chia seeds can get a long way which means you don’t have to pack a lot of it in your camping bag.

2 tablespoons of chia seeds have protein content equal to a cup of oatmeal making it a protein powerhouse you can use when going camping.

#10 Cereals

Cold cereals is a typical breakfast food which can also be very convenient to pack when you go camping. They are considered to be breakfast on-the-go or instant breakfast since all you need is add some powdered milk and cold water have your camping breakfast ready.

#11 Dried Fruits

Dried fruits are considered great camping food. Aside from being nutritious, they are also lightweight and easy to store. Dried fruits can also last for a long time even at room temperature so you don’t have to worry about spoiling it. You can choose from a wide variety of dried fruits from the supermarket or have some nuts.

#12 Crackers

Crackers can be an ideal camping food because it can be easily eaten on their own as well as add it to other food items. You can have a camping snack with some crackers, tuna or cheese dips. You can also spread some peanut butter or honey on crackers to make a quick camping meal.

#13 Cheese

Cheese can be packed to go with you on your camping trip as long as you have a cooler with you. Cheese cut into cubes or those which are individually wrapped such as the string cheese can be a space-saving and quick camping snack.

It is also one of the most fulfilling foods that you can bring. Some types of cheese can be kept in the fridge for a couple days such as the hard cheeses that include Cheddar and Parmesan.​

#14 Canned Beans

There are a variety of canned beans that you can find and they are mostly high in fiber and other vitamins that can help you feel and stay full, making it a great camping food. They also taste even better when added to other ingredients and you can bring tomatoes, corn, and avocado to make a vegetable salad.

#15 Whole Wheat Grains

Whole wheat grains can be an ideal food choice when packing for a camping trip when it comes to eating healthy even when you are outdoors. They are high in protein and full of nutrients such as the B vitamins, magnesium, and fiber.

You can choose from a variety of whole wheat grains you can find in supermarkets such as couscous, quinoa, and bulgur to toss into some sauce and vegetables to make a well-rounded meal while you are camping.

#16 Peanut Butter and Jelly

Peanut butter and any type of jelly are one of the easiest ways to combine with other foods such as bread and crackers to make a snack or a meal during your camping trip. Although you can actually make spreads and sandwiches with either of them, it is common to pack peanut butter and jelly together to make your favorite PBJ sandwich easy and quick whenever you are hungry at camp.

#17 Trail Mix

A Trail Mix is a kind of food that is great for camping in terms of providing your much needed nourishment and keep up a camping energy. You can buy a pre-mixed version of this in almost all supermarkets.

They usually include peanuts and other kinds of nuts, raisins, and some hard-coated chocolate candies. Most mixes include 2 other types of nuts or a more creative mix that includes dried fruits and crunchy cereal.


If you are planning to go on a camping trip soon to enjoy a little quiet time with nature, these types of food can be your ideal choice to pack. Your camping food list needs to be packed with nutrients to help you gain your camping energy but should also remain lightweight, easy to store and carry.

If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to share! And feel free to comment if you have some other yummy food you want to add to the list!​