Going Camping in the Grand Canyon

When we camp - or I'm preparing food track side for my husband and pit crew on race weekends, I always bring 2 coolers. 1 cooler is for beverages and sits where everyone has access to it and can help themselves. The other cooler is for the food - and I keep it a little out of the way so that everyone isn't opening it all day - letting the cold air out etc. Secondly - if it is going to be more than one day - I freeze everything, and that helps keep it fresh. I buy ice every day, - to top off the cooler, and I keep re-usable freezer blocks on top of it all just inside the lid - that helps make it last. I have it down to such a science that usually when I'm buying ice, 1 bag will top off both coolers. I have the colman extreme coolers - they say that they keep food cold for like 5 days. The first two years that I had them they absolutely did - we hardly had to add ice at all. I think the insulation material inside breaks down though - because it does seem now that I have to add ice at the end of day 2, 3, etc...
The last time that I had to cook @ the track for 4 days - I prepared pasta at home, drained it, tossed it with oil, put it in gallon size zip lock bag and froze it flat. @ the track, I put frozen shrimp in a pan on the camp stove, tossed in some frozen veggies and scampi sauce, and then tossed the pasta in at the end to warm it. I had already wrapped garlic bread slices individually in foil and they warmed on the little mini grill - everyone RAVED about it, and I had people from all over the paddock area trying to trade sandwiches and hotdogs for shrimp scampi & pasta! Recently while camping for my husband's birthday - I made his favorite meal during the week, and froze the extra to take on the weekend. Basically - it's a sloppy joe recipe that I make with cooked shredded chicken. Again - freeze it flat in gallon size zip lock bags. At the camp site - warm it in a pan on the camp stove, serve it up on buns with a side of chips or raw veggies like carrots, etc. and YUMMO. For dinner - I packed frozen chicken fillets, and whole red potatoes, and mini carrots. I cut the chicken, & potatoes up, and put them in a gallon zip lock back with the carrots and a little onion. Sprinkled the dry lipton onion/herb soup mix in, mushed the bag around a little to mix it through, and then dumped it into disposable aluminum pie pans, wrapped them in foil and put them on the mini grill. Every so often I shook it a little and after maybe a half hour - we had a great meal.I also had corn on the cob individually wrapped in foil and they were on the top rack of the mini grill and everything cooked perfectly! My dad joined us to celebrate my husband's birthday and couldn't believe how yummy everything was, and how much there was considering that we were camping. If you pack everything in the gallon zip lock bags and freeze it flat, you can stand them up in the food cooler like files and fill it with ice around it, they don't take up much room, it's easy to pull what you need out without having to dig around and there is no leakage of water into the packaging! My doing it like this, I only had 1 pan and cooking utensil to wash - everything else was disposable. Also - it's a little more expensive, but I buy single serve milk containers - because they pack well and then I don't have to have glasses/cups to serve it in wash or dispose of. Breakfast - granola bars, cereal, donuts, and/or cinnamon rolls. You can even get those little pecan pinweels in the little aluminum pan - take the package off, and then warm them in the pan on the grill and they are super yummy. Good luck & have fun! Alo - I found it convenient to have a big rubbermaid tote that I had the bread, chips, utensils, paper goods, etc in - I could keep it in the car or tent, everything stayed clean and fresh.

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I'm a little late responding to your post.

We camped at the Grand Canyon in May. In the village there is a full service grocery store so you can buy meat and perishables when you get there. There are also restaruants if you want to take a break from cooking or don't wan't to pack lunches for midday outings.

I love camp cooking with my dutch oven. You can make casseroles, oven baked chickena nd even cake or brownies.

Be sure to drive out to see the Watchtower. Have fun!

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Y.

I did not see in your request what time of year you are going. The south rim is about 8000 ft. above sea level - so in the summer it reaches about 85° during the day and 55° at night. We did not camp in the canyon, but at a private campground located at the entrance.

Food is very expensive at the grocery stores at the south rim. I HIGHLY recommend you stock up at the grocery store in Flagstaff. There is nothing else until the rim.

If you hike into the canyon - it can be 128° at Phantom Ranch. It is easy to hike down and very hard to hike back up. I would not suggest you bring any meat that is uncooked - esp. chicken. You need to keep all perishable foods below 40° - to not get food poisoning. By the way - I have a degree in nutrition and dietetics and used to be a manager of college and graduate school food service programs.

Check with the local guides on how much water to bring. Day hikes are great - but overnight hikes, you better consult with an expert. If you go in the summer and drive - check out the north rim - it is also quite beautiful and very different from the south rim. It is a 5 hour drive one way and they have a great campground that is park of the national park at the north rim - but no electricity in the campground. We have a pop-up camper and we had our heater in the camper on every night - it gets that cool at night.

Have fun

M. in Elk Grove Village

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Hi Y.

Camping is fun, and you can make meal time fun too. Pocket meals are fun to make. Pockets are made with Heavy Duty Foil and placed in the hot coals.

A dinner/lunch idea is: 1 thawed boneless chicken breast half or boneless thigh, (you can partially cook before camping) thinly sliced potato, carrots, green peppers. two or three ice cubes. salt and pepper to taste and other spices if you wish. (you can add onions if your child likes them) assembly: cut an 18 inch piece of foil place the veggies in the middle of the foil and salt and pepper them, then place the chicken in top if the veggies, of season that too. then put the ice in top of that. then bring the two long sides together and roll down to almost touch the chicken. Do the sides the same way. this is to keep all the juices inside and make it good. (you can do all this prior to leaving home also.) Place the pocket on the coals for approx 10 min each side. The chicken will be done and veggies will too. just eat from foil or place in a plate.

I hope this helps, You can do this with pork, turkey burgers and any meat you would like to use. We have done these many times while camping with our boys.

You can even take a pot of boiling water, and freezer zip lock baggie, 2 or 3 eggs, cheese, and veggies if you like. place the eggs in the baggie and have your child mush them together, add the cheese and veggies make sure the baggie is closed really well and place it in the hot water,(no longer boiling) until you see that the eggs are done to your liking. then carefully take baggie out of the water and open and eat from baggie or place on a plate.

Hope these ideas help for some meals.

Debz

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We always made this thing with a meatless chili on top of freetos when we went to camp. It was easy to pack and heat up. Sandwiches are good too. Are you taking a cooler? Turkey dogs, peanut butter, canned fruit, granola bars, of course you should have all the makings of Smores LOL. ALOT of water and sunscreen too. My grandma always took hard boiled eggs for all kinds of things. Also bisquick now has that just add water pancake mix, you just shake it in the container it comes in and pour onto the griddle, easy clean up! I would make the drive and stop closer to camp for your groceries, that way you know they will survive the four day tent stay in the cooler. I have not been to the canyon, but would suggest ponchos from the dollar store just in case and something warm, you never know what kind of weather you will hit while camping. Have a wonderful time.

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Hi.. just thought I'd add one more thing that I didn't see mentioned! We just got back from the GC and we had a cooler that you plug into your car or electric source. We also bought a mini generator for about $39! You charge it up and you can plug anything you want into it. You can charge it even from the car. Between the two of those, we kept even yogurt and cheese fresh for a week!

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I just got back from Grand Canyon. It was really windy there and I had to put our equipment box between the wind and the camp stove to get it lit and keep it going. There are also tons of Ravens in the camp grounds. If you leave anything on the table and walk over to your tent or car, they swoop down and try to swipe food. One tried to make off with our ziplock baggie of ground coffee. Everything has to be kept put away.

So you're right, keep it simple. Soup and sandwiches, hotdogs, cereal and juice type meals are good. If you don't want to cook, there are restuarants inside the park and just outside the main gate too.

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Hi Y.,
We love to camp and have been tent camping for many years. I would like to share a few tidbits for meals. One of the things I do is have a small bbq which is a tabletop one. Charcoal is easy enough to pack. I like to make easy pouch meals in foil. You take any kind of veggies, meats maybe even a little teriyaki sauce or salt, pepper and garlic and double wrap them in foil and let them cook on the grill. Another thing to do with the grill since the coals stay hot and you don't want to waste them is cut up some potatoes, onions and a few dabs of butter, season them well also wrap them in foil and cook them turning them over once at least during the cooking time 1/2 to 45 minutes depending on how much you are cooking. Open to cool, store in cooler for the night and reheat for breakfast with some eggs in the morning.
Pasta is also another easy one. You can cook it ahead of time then reheat it when you are at the campsite. Breakfasts can be as easy as cereal and milk, and lunches can be sandwiches. Dinners are mostly the trickiest. Hope some of these ideas help.
Have fun!!
~~D.

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A tip-
If you plan to freeze some meals, they may not last 3 days in the cooler. Take 1 cooler just to keep drinks and snacks in, you will be opening that one all day long. That way the foods you want to keep cold/frozen for 3 days will stay.
Have fun!

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Hi Y.,

First---I want to give you a heads up on safety- there are lots of paths there that have no rails and HUGE drops into the canyon- so you and your son be careful out there!!!
As for dinners- one good one our Girl Scout troop always did was to pre-marinate chicken in olive oil, garlic and rosemary (just cover it) put it in a plastic baggie and on ice- then when you're ready- to grill just take out the chicken...add your favorite fresh veggies (mushrooms, red peppers, onions etc.) and wrap it all in aluminum foil- throw it on the grill and 20 min. later (roughly) it's done. Enjoy!!!!

L.

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If you are near an REI store, or similar outdoor store, you can get prepackaged freeze dried meals specifically for camping. You just need to have a stove to boil water to heat them up. There is a wide range of choices, breakfasts, dinners, desserts. Not bad. Trader Joes has some similar type meals that come in pouches. Canned goods work. Peanut butter. Make sure you have a secure ice chest. Have a blast!

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Our trip to the Grand Canyon in July last year was cold with a bit of rain. We had to buy jackets there. As for keeping food, we use the ice packs for our lunches everyday and they keep for just about 7 hours.

Sounds like you got great advice about the food, just wanted to add a tidbit about the Canyon. We went there two years ago in the summer. We decided to hike into the canyon, only about a mile and a half. It was only 70 degrees or so at the top of the canyon. We brought small bottles of water and that was it. It was not enough. By the time we got where we were going, it was 120 degrees and I had heat exhaustion. It came on fast. I almost had to be airlifted out. A ranger gave me crackers and gatorade and I was stuck sitting there until the sun moved and shaded that side of the canyon. I managed to walk out, but it took me 2 1/2 hours because I had to keep stopping. So, PLEASE, if you go hiking, brings LOTS of water and some food. And drink a bunch before you go out. Heed the warnings everywhere and you will have a great time.

When I camped in the canyon we didn't bring food on the drive but set up camp and then took our shopping list to their local grocery store and bought food. This helped us save space and also kept us from worrying about food spoiling or holding up. We bought turkey dogs, sandwich stuff and chicken to grill at night. Real basic stuff like canned veggies that we could warm up and pasta for energy.

For the drive we made sandwiches, took boxes of crackers and water.

Good luck and have fun!

When we go camping we buy shelf stable things before we leave, canned items, crackers, pasta, etc. and get the fresh when we get there: fresh fruit and veggies, protein, eggs, etc. If we are going to be there multiple days then we will make a trip to the store every other day to keep it fresh. A cooler will only keep stuff cold for so long. Some of the things we like to make are tostadas, burritos, spegetti, bbq chicken, burgers, and the like. All of these can be done w/o red meat. It alwasys tastes so wonderful because you are so active and hungry when you eat your meals and you are outside. It is really nice.

When doing pasta...just cook,add little e.v.o.o (so it doesnt stick) drain and pack in gallon zip lock...just bring CANNED pasta sauce. put pasta sauce still in can on top of coals/fire....the when hot dump in bag to heat pasta and mix. no pots to clean!!!

We haven't been to the Grand Canyon yet, but camp every year with two kids. If you want to have meat, it is possible. First be sure you have a good cooler. Mine keeps the ice pretty well for several days. Usually it will be easy to find ice to add to the cooler before the old stuff melts. I try to plan each meal before I go. For instance, one night we will roast hot dogs over the fire, one night we will have chicken, one night burritos etc. I prep everything at home and freeze the meat in ziploc bags (put the chicken in a bag with teriyaki sauce and freeze, etc.) Canned tuna is a good meat option as well. Keep in mind, even though you are camping, you are not completely removed from civilization. There is usually some type of market or gas station relatively close. Have fun and don't stress! Good luck,

Hi Y., I've gone camping my whole life. The easiest thing to do is prepare and freeze the meals ahead of time. As the time goes by the meals will thaw in the ice chest and all you have to do is heat them up to eat it. Use tin foil to freeze the meals, then you can throw the the who thing on the griddle or over a fire. Have fun.

Depending on where you are staying and the weather - soup and sandwiches are easy and yummy.
Vegtable soup: start with a tomatoe base and add your veggies and pasta at the end.
Chicken and rice soup you can make ahead, freeze and then heat to eat.
Pasta dinners.
Homemade tuna and noodle caserole is a good one.
Hope that helps.
P.

My family and I were in the Grand Canyon a few years back. I agree, ravens, wind, rain, cold, sun, fun, laughter, great memories, it is all possible. Just be open to whatever comes.

As for food, there are a multitude of things you can bring. You want to keep it simple right? (I am vegetarian so no worries about offering you suggestions with red meat or nay meat for that matter. LOL) If you don't bring meat, it is all that much better, meat doesn't keep. Fruit and veggies will keep for a few days. I would get on of those plug in coolers if you feel you absolutely need to, you know the kind that plug into your cigartette lighter in the car? But this may jsut be the opportunity for you and your son to eat "natural". PLEASE stay away from those dehydrated meals - most of them are more bad than good for you.

Food and camping can be fun and simple if we let it.
* Peanut butter and jam sandwiches
* Tortilla chips and salsa
* crackers and cheese (cheese only lasts about 2 days out of fridge so eat it on day 1 and 2)
* raw veggies
* certain fruit: apples, bananas, oranges, kiwi, - pretty much anything with a peel will last a few days.
* pancakes
* tortilla shells - can be used for sandwiches, or lightly grilled with cheese and salsa - kind of like a quesadilla
* grilled cheese sandwiches
* granola
* nuts
* protein bars (our favorite: http://liveitdontdiet.isagenix.com/us/en/isaleanbars.dhtml)
* protein shakes (check this one out - all you need is a water bottle to shake it up) http://liveitdontdiet.isagenix.com/us/en/isaleanshake_new... - you can get them in travel size packs - these are a PERFECT BREAKFAST!
* hummus and pita bread
* cold pasta salad - any kind of pasta with fresh veggies - cook the pasta at home and bring the veggies - only good until day 2

Y., you can keep it healthy and safe. Stay away from meat while camping, it is hard to keep without refrigeration. Go natural, keep it simple and spend your time exploring the canyon not worrying about your food. You are going to be making lasting memories with your son, food will enhance it if it is done right.

B.
Family Wellness Coach