Ten tips on camping food for the bush: from the Kgalagadi to the Kruger

Here are 10 tips on how to plan, prep and pack food when traveling in the bush. We each have our own way but always good to learn more and get ideas from other campers. From the Kgalagadi to the Kruger, planning a menu can be a pain, when it should be a pleasure and fun!
For those who have requested, here is a link to a template to my food /trip planner for our trips:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

[@erwinkruger-haye2698]

Great video and got me thinking and typing this lengthy comment . I hope that the engagement helps grow your channel - I salute your effort - I am always meaning to do this, but we are still photographers and just get so focussed that it has never happened. We literally need 2 hours these days , but no longer camp anymore, which makes things easier. So hopefully some of our habits can help someone We also just got back from our 25th Kgalagadi trip..( 18 since 2015). We generally book 2 weeks before and take potluck. This last trip , we booked on Friday 29th Dec at 17h00 and left on Sat 30th. Got Nossob and KTC ....only left CT at 10am on 30th as we had to shop. We have come a far way from the 80s with my dad having to wrap a coke in a wet cloth and leave in the shade at Mata Mata or my Mom reviving a 4 day old lettuce by crisping it in water and it tasting salty due to the water .. who knows how to do that anymore? one is also never the only car at Nossob anymore. Car fridge freezers have changed the game totally, also having the kids old enough to no longer want to come along makes things easier. we also have a collapsible cooler bag that can keep ice for 8 hrs for if we are staying reallly long - those items stay cold in the bag in the aircon and go straight into fridge at chalet. Stanley flasks also mean one does not have to try and get gas going in the wind at a picnic site to boil water. we always leave with a full flask on every drive. I always marvel at people trying to boil water , while I just pour mine into the plungepot and let the coffee brew. We have 6 ammo boxes in a drawer system in the bakkie , along with a 45lt water tank ( to reduce plastic waste of buying 5lt bottles - they get burned in Kgalagadi - not recycled) and a 52lt National Luna Weekender and a dual battery system that has been a game changer- Fridge stays on 24/7 and cold chain is maintained. we even have a 3000w inverter for charging laptops and camera batteries...Our setup is simple , yet effective for us. the little freezer compartment is big enough for 10 days meat for 2 Ammo box name examples are Food 1, Food2 and Box 3 ( Braai box- blitz, 3 lighters, matches, citronella candles, and tools as well as a small braai grid that can to 4 braaibrootjies) One of our ammo boxes has ( don't judge) a cheap Clicks egg boiler ( R229 now) and a Nespsresso machine ( very rarely used) and a spare plunge pot( we buy the R69.90 Checkers ones and had one break once) I prefer the plungepot coffee in the bush, we have bean to cup at home so are "coffee snobs". Some things should not be compromised on 😁😁 we also have a set of sealable Tupperware that fit inside each other for the invariable leftovers and dishing those yoghurt breakfasts . These stay in the ammo boxes in the bakkie - get washed when we get home and repacked immediately condensed milk compartments we have a few things we will always plan like you do - just not in excel😂😂. on a piece of paper If you get to the Checkers Meat market early in the day and ask nicely, they also will vaccum pack some of those chicken flavoured sosaties. We always take a few a few varieties with. Vaccuum sealed steak freezes well and a trip is not a trip without Lamb Loin Chops , says my wife. Wors also freezes easily. These days, If driving straight through we buy 2 Microwave Woolies or Checkers meals for the 1st night...getting older is not for sissies...or if I have energy to braai, we keep in reserve for that windy evening . We always take 2x1lt Double cream yoghurts and muesli and dish sealed Tupperware's that we take in the car as we leave the gates at first light with coffee and a rusk ration ( otherwise they are gone) .Breakfasts sorted. Yoghurt and muesli with honey every day . same as home and will hopefully have to eat at Leeudril or KijKij due to a sighting, otherwise it is onwards to Melkvlei. bacon and eggs will usually get made once a trip, but only at KTC or if we are lucky enough to get a Riverfront chalet Woolies also does those small servings salads/veg, that last a day or 2 past the date, and we grab those along with usual salad stuff and bags of veg like cauli and broccoli , that we can nuke in the chalet . The expiry dates determine what gets eaten where Potatoes, onions and butternut last well too. Apples do well too as do some green bananas that ripen as one goes.. and dont forget that bag of oranges bought near Citrusdal ( I neglected to mention that we also have a cheap plastic orange juicer in box 3 ) Woolies tomatoes and salad always last way past the date so those things only come from Woolies on a trip. lesson learned in the past A big block of cheese always goes with. Nothing beats eating Ribeye with steakhouse Pumpkin and spinach at KTC or Nossob. Braaibrootjies also get made once a trip. Albany best of both has at least 7 days life on the dates , though not available in Upington checkers . always bought in CT. In Nossob we always buy the Roosterbrood from the shop to support the staff. Though the dough idea is awsome, but even that is seen as too much work by my better half🤣 We started a habit a few years ago that we do every trip. We will stop at a picnic site and have a cheese and cold meat selection (always includes parma ham) along with onion marmalade- the works.... it is our little thing - we certainly get a few strange glances. A friend also found that Scubs ( plastic bag ice making thingys) are still available and made Valpre ice cubes for his Whiskey . nothing like mineral water ice and single malt in the Kgalagadi at sunset. having said all of the above, we actually went and ate yummy burgers at the Twee Rivieren restaurant on this last trip -Their food is generally good - Everyone forgets that it is an option and the prices are way cheaper than Cape Town...and their aircon is icy...it was really hot this year ..and if the rainstorm or windstorm are unpleasant , a great refuge

[@insideoutadventuressa8283]

I love your comment and stories! One day when we without kids we will be more spontaneous. Photography is our first love, although we still novices, but I love telling the stories for our older future selves! SO video clips now go along with all the photos. What would we do without out camping freezer! I can't even fathom how folks like your parent's used to manage. Food is so important for us ;), but so is coffee (and wine)! Ye, probably could be coffee snobs too. We take a coffee maker and plunger, used the plunger at Rooiputs as no electricity. Our wine is a tradition of collecting all year (wine farms etc) and taking the good bottles on our trips. We do cheese platters and cold meats too! Picnics we still do a lot of Jaffels (as all the videos depict), great for left over food and great for kids. We will give the TR restaurant a go next time! We were in Nossob together this year! We were there from 27th to 2nd, were you in the storm there? It was insane! So was the heat. Thank you for sharing :) Maybe we will actually meet up sometime!

[@Henriette368]

I love the planning! We pack the freezer the same according to the planning of what we are going to eat last at the bottom. Thanks for the tips!

[@insideoutadventuressa8283]

Thank you! Love a good plan!

[@cathyharris8942]

Loved your video! Glad to hear I’m not the only one that starts planning a year in advance.😁 I love a planning spreadsheet! I have tabs for meals, what to pack, detailed route, itinerary etc. Would love a video on some of your favourite meals/recipes please😁

[@insideoutadventuressa8283]

Thanks so much! I am definitely going to more recipes!

[@user-ud1kr5sw7h]

Hi, thank you for the wonderful tips. I did not know you can freeze bread dough. I have also found that freezing stuff flat in ziplock bags free up a lot of space in the camp freezer. I love to braai some chicken breast at home, freeze them and take them with for a quick chicken salad, chicken with couscous or a chicken mayo sarmie. I saw your pork chops on the vlog. It looks delicious, would you mind sharing the marinade recipe?

[@insideoutadventuressa8283]

Thanks so much for the comments! Bread dough freezes super well, we always have a stash at home too. I love the braai chicken idea for salad! Our marinades vary, I like variety 🤣. One option is Ina paarmen, we live close to a factory shop so it's much easier, the soy and honey, we also love the traditional tomato sauce, Worcester sauce and chuckney combo, sometimes a homemade sweet chilli concoction. We marinade the meat before freezing. I will definitely introduce our recipes in future blogs! I love getting ideas too, so please share favorites 😍

[@anotherdayinafrica5042]

Tips .vacuum pack the meat then freez in the buck freez to size .meat last 100 times longer pretty cook meals put in aluminum cheap container with foil lid.defrost put on the fire as is to warm. Half cook veg for the precooked meals and add after food cools down and freez .long life milk once open put in a liter plastic container and in the fridge .beer bottles and other bottles glass ware in the fridge tend to brake off roading stuff a old dish cloth or rags in the fridge to stop.them moving about it works.no brakage

[@insideoutadventuressa8283]

Thanks so much! Great advice 👍🏻

[@stefanbreet7557]

Really liked your video on the planning. I'm South African but work & live in Thailand so I can only dream about traveling South Africa while watching videos like yours. I also got a similar trailer like yours and are in the process of kitting it out so I can hook up and go with my limited time for holiday's. Is it possible to get a hold of a copy of your planning sheet in excel so I can try and learn from your experiences pls? Thanks allot and stay safe.

[@insideoutadventuressa8283]

Thank you so much! Sorry for the delay but I want to set up a link in a format others can easily use, (like google sheets) as I use Microsoft word. I have finally sat down and done it and added it to the video description but here it is directly! You can easily cop paste on excel from sheets, I checked. docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15zdkkgPmI56-ItIXGfsMCGnmwMC_CdHY7Bc1IAIhR0Q/edit?usp=sharing Let me know is there is a problem opening it as it is my first time. Good luck with your planning! It is one of our favorite times. Thanks for watching!!