Boondocking and Food August 19, 2019, 12:44:52 pm Need advice in terms of what food you take wheen boondocking. I have a small fridge that is electric only.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #1 – August 19, 2019, 12:50:16 pm "Need advice in terms of what food you take wheen boondocking. I have a small fridge that is electric only. "How long do you intend to be boondocking? My choices would be different for a <3-day period vs. a month or more. Virtual hugs, Judie <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West Today: Calorie Cutting with Tapioca **************************** 1 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #2 – August 19, 2019, 01:23:55 pm Quote from: Judie Ashford - August 19, 2019, 12:50:16 pm"Need advice in terms of what food you take wheen boondocking. I have a small fridge that is electric only. "How long do you intend to be boondocking? My choices would be different for a <3-day period vs. a month or more. Virtual hugs, Judie <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West Today: Calorie Cutting with Tapioca **************************** Understood. Pretty much permanently with the necessary need to stock up, water, dumping etc.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #3 – August 19, 2019, 01:43:10 pm What size refrigerator? Does it have a freezer? What is the power source to run the "electric" refrigerator when boondocking? More information is needed to offer suggestions.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #4 – August 19, 2019, 02:07:33 pm Quote from: Mindispower - August 19, 2019, 12:44:52 pmNeed advice in terms of what food you take wheen boondocking. I have a small fridge that is electric only. Personally, it makes no difference whether boondocking or not. I take what I like to eat. If it won't fit in the refer or the freezer, then I don't take it.Chris 2 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #5 – August 19, 2019, 03:42:57 pm Quote from: Joan - August 19, 2019, 01:43:10 pmWhat size refrigerator? Does it have a freezer? What is the power source to run the "electric" refrigerator when boondocking? More information is needed to offer suggestions.The fridge will not be operable.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #6 – August 19, 2019, 04:21:02 pm A lot of crackers and...Peanut butter and honeycheese in a candried salamicanned soupcanned veggies.But, I'd buy a cooler and really live it up.Milk, real cheese and other things that make boonbocking a much better eperience. 2 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #7 – August 19, 2019, 04:31:40 pm If you have no refrigeration, you will be limited to canned, bottled, freeze-dried, and/or "packaged" non-perishables. You might want to invest in a well-insulated cooler/ice chest for short-term storage of vegetable, fruits, meats (and ice!), and other perishables that you could pick up on your trips to get water, propane, and dump. Or, you could use the "non-operable" refrigerator, with ice "packs"/containers as a cooler to keep fresh stuff for a short while.Costco (if you have a membership) is a good source of bulk canned and packaged stuff, as are Smart and Final and Grocery Outlet, and there are many online sources of dried and packaged foods; these are not inexpensive, so I suggest trying out a few items before making any bulk purchases. Local farmers' markets (that might be going on at the times when go for water and to dump if you plan ahead) might offer deals on produce at the end of the market day; of course, you'd still have to be able to have some way to store this so it didn't go blinky real fast. For the most part, as Chris said, one's food when boondocking or camping or traveling in the motorhome is much the same as what one eats "at home", but, from the little bit of information you offered, it sounds like you're going to be off-grid for long periods of time. You might want to check out the many You Tube videos about the "van dweller" lifestyle for tips and tricks; do a search for Bob Wells (Cheap RV Living) and go from there!
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #8 – August 19, 2019, 04:37:33 pm "The fridge will not be operable. "I don't know your power source/capacity to run an electric refrigerator, but unless it is minuscule and/or you have a large solar array to power it, an electric refrigerator is likely to prove tricky to maintain in the long run.So . . . there could be two scenarios: One that you have a reliable, albeit smallish, electrically-powered refrigerator that you are sure you can maintain the coolth within to a safe 40° or below without a failure or diminution of power capacity.Or . . . two: You invest in a decent cooler, insulate it to the hilt, and expect to restock with ice every few days.In either case, your capacity is likely to be limited for chilled foods. Beverages seem to be the biggest fridge hog, but since I don't drink beer or soda, this has never come up as a problem to solve. Water, coffee, and the occasional reconstituted fruit juice are what I am most familiar with.With no beverages in my way, I would stock concentrated items, such as hunks of deli meats/cheeses, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, and eggs (raw and hard boiled) as will fit. Many fruits and vegs are happy to sit on the counter for a few days after purchase. Peanut butter is happy wherever it is.If daily cooking is doable, I would stock various grains (which I do at home), and cook up two meals' worth on any given day, and then eat those portions over the course of the day - either for breakfast and/or lunch and/or dinner - or, if there is room in your "food case", then you might make two servings of something one night; two the next night; and maybe two more on the third night. This would give you a three-day variety of grains with minimum cooking (which you can do in a really good vacuum bottle) without additional cooking for three days.One leftover portion of a grain, pasta, rice, potato, etc., will not take up much room in whichever appliance you are using; just put it in a small container, or cheapie, foldover plastic sandwich bag, and it will reheat nicely with a spritz of water from the heat of the pan left after you have cooked your main course. If you are into nutritious grains, I could suggest that you learn to love quinoa, as it is a powerhouse of nutrition, cooks quickly in a vacuum bottle, and reheats well. If you eat out occasionally, be conscious of what you order that may lend itself to being taken home to augment what you have on hand.A combination of cooler and electric refrigerator might work well for you by keeping fresh fruits/veggies in the less cold cooler, but I've found that most fruits, and many veggies can be kept with very minimal cooling, or just out on the counter for several days at a time. My current stock of onions, avocados, apples, plums, nectarines, lemons, limes, oranges, pineapples, and tomatoes are all on ventilated shelving in my utility room of my home, and I have more than sufficient refrigerator and freezer space to accommodate them. If slicing is involved, then of course, the resultant pieces must either be consumed or cared for more carefully, but as a rule, I would think that a week's worth of food for one person could easily be accommodated in a small space.Virtual hugs,Judie 1 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #9 – August 19, 2019, 08:56:39 pm Quote from: Jota - August 19, 2019, 04:21:02 pmA lot of crackers and...Peanut butter and honeycheese in a candried salamicanned soupcanned veggies.But, I'd buy a cooler and really live it up.Milk, real cheese and other things that make boonbocking a much better eperience.Right. I plan on a cooler! Shopping one as we speak. Any recommendations?
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #10 – August 19, 2019, 09:33:49 pm Cooler=Yeti, no comparison on length of cooling, however because of the insulation the space is limited. I've kept ice for well over a week. Two coolers work the best. The largest Yeti you can afford and a cheaper version for storage. Keep your ice in the Yeti and move bag at time to food cooler.I agree with Chris, pack what you will eat. I like sardines and tuna. I really miss fresh greens and fruit and that takes me to the store. Also freeze a loaf of bread in two separate bags(double bags, gallon size) with a section of paper towel. It will defrost quickly but going in frozen will give you three extra days on one half and a few more with the second half left in the yeti. Must be wrapped really well, really well! (plastic container)Nuts are great and I think a nice change from peanut butter. Also if you buy small jars of mayo/miracle whip you can have one in the cooler and one in grocery. More expensive but works better with limited cool space. Wrapping lettuce/greens in damp paper towel seems to help. Also, move your cooler to the shade, makes huge difference. If you have space for another cooler, freeze clean milk cartons and place in cooler with fruit and not so cold items. Will make them last longer and nothing wrong with a drink of ice water when you come in from days work.How often are you planning on grocery runs?
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #11 – August 19, 2019, 10:22:30 pm "Right. I plan on a cooler! Shopping one as we speak. Any recommendations?"If you have net access, Google up some videos on cooler comparisons. The Yeti is good quality and will serve you well, but it is very expensive.Invest a few bucks in Reflectix and keep a layer on top of the food in the cooler so that there is minimum air space that is kept cold. Before you open the cooler, try to remember which side your target item is on, and lift only that side of the Reflectix to obtain it.If at all possible, keep your food up out of reach of the ice melt level. I use a powder-coated cabinet shelf. This will pay big dividends if your bag or container sprouts a hole and ice melt water gets in and tries to ruins your food. Try to use sturdy, well-sealed containers rather than flimsy plastic bags. Put all of your sandwich fixings in one container so that you can just grab that one container out and make your sandwich without having to root about to find the disparate ingredients. Ditto your salad greens. Good nutrition on the road pays big dividends.If you are not into making your own, then the deli Cole slaw and potato salad are good additions to a sandwich, making it moist. I don't use any mayonnaise because it is bland. I use Cole slaw dressing and Jalapeño Ranch in its place for any instance where mayo might be used. If you have room, and you care for it, a nice Bleu cheese dressing adds a lot to a salad, or as a sandwich spread, or dip. Pan toasting the bread and melting some cheese on it before adding some deli or leftover meat will really knock up the quality of your eats.If you can make hot water, and can handle a 10-inch frying pan with a cover, and a two-quart saucepan, and I'm guessing that you will be able to do this, the world of haute cuisine is at your fingertips. You will be able to produce meals that will knock your socks off with deliciousness, and be incredibly affordable and nutritious. Virtual hugs, Judie
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #12 – August 19, 2019, 10:30:47 pm Aaaannnndddd - don't forget (like I just did) to take full advantage of the mold retardant papers that you store with your perishables (produce AND bread). I use the Bluapple in my refrigerator's bins, and add the Fresh Paper products to my produce containers, and bread containers. You will be amazed at the increased longevity of the food.I have been using them since they first came out many years ago. The ones for bread are a recent innovation, but work just as well.See the story at: Home - FreshPaperThey can be ordered from Amazon, as can the BluApple, which is also excellent to toss directly into the produce bin. Virtual hugs, Judie 2 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #13 – August 20, 2019, 02:16:45 am Quote from: Judie Ashford - August 19, 2019, 10:22:30 pm"Right. I plan on a cooler! Shopping one as we speak. Any recommendations?"If you have net access, Google up some videos on cooler comparisons. The Yeti is good quality and will serve you well, but it is very expensive.Invest a few bucks in Reflectix and keep a layer on top of the food in the cooler so that there is minimum air space that is kept cold. Before you open the cooler, try to remember which side your target item is on, and lift only that side of the Reflectix to obtain it.If at all possible, keep your food up out of reach of the ice melt level. I use a powder-coated cabinet shelf. This will pay big dividends if your bag or container sprouts a hole and ice melt water gets in and tries to ruins your food. Try to use sturdy, well-sealed containers rather than flimsy plastic bags. Put all of your sandwich fixings in one container so that you can just grab that one container out and make your sandwich without having to root about to find the disparate ingredients. Ditto your salad greens. Good nutrition on the road pays big dividends.If you are not into making your own, then the deli Cole slaw and potato salad are good additions to a sandwich, making it moist. I don't use any mayonnaise because it is bland. I use Cole slaw dressing and Jalapeño Ranch in its place for any instance where mayo might be used. If you have room, and you care for it, a nice Bleu cheese dressing adds a lot to a salad, or as a sandwich spread, or dip. Pan toasting the bread and melting some cheese on it before adding some deli or leftover meat will really knock up the quality of your eats.If you can make hot water, and can handle a 10-inch frying pan with a cover, and a two-quart saucepan, and I'm guessing that you will be able to do this, the world of haute cuisine is at your fingertips. You will be able to produce meals that will knock your socks off with deliciousness, and be incredibly affordable and nutritious. Virtual hugs, JudieThank you.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #14 – August 20, 2019, 04:14:19 am One of the youtubers I follow doesn't use a fridge, she seems to make it work but I don't think that I could go as extreme as she does. 1 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #15 – August 20, 2019, 04:37:12 am Another suggestion is go to a store that sells camping gear. Look for the light-weight packages of meals made for hikers. Although not always tasty, you can pick up these "meals in bags" that you just add hot water to. The shelf-life is fairly long.Bob 1 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #16 – August 20, 2019, 09:13:51 am And then there is always MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) Genuine U.S. Military Surplus Assorted Flavor....Brings back oh so lovely memories for me......glen As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #17 – August 20, 2019, 10:15:47 am Quote from: colddog - August 20, 2019, 09:13:51 amAnd then there is always MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) Genuine U.S. Military Surplus Assorted Flavor....Brings back oh so lovely memories for me......glenI've heard the modern versions are much better than the older ones. Hey, there's always beef jerky and trail mix! Or try this book:Claude Davis's The Lost Ways Review | GET 95% OFF NOW! As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #18 – August 20, 2019, 12:11:12 pm MREs and freeze-dried backpacking food are expensive and I'm assuming Mindispower doesn't have a lot of money since he is living in an old LD with a non-functioning refrigerator.Without refrigeration, find a market that sell dry goods in bulk, it's a more economical way of eating and doesn't require cooling. Supplement the dry goods with Judie's method of keeping fresh vegetable and fruits in an ice chest.If you qualify, check out the local food pantry for fresh foods. Not sure what services are provided in Redding, a town still recovering from the big fire last summer, there are still a lot of folks without a home.Larry
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #19 – August 20, 2019, 01:45:40 pm I received this link from Amazon and thought it appropriate to the current thread. Hope it works! Hello Lester J. Stevens, We found some items we think you might like. Mountain House Cooked Ground Beef $49.95 Shop now Augason Farms Buttermilk Pancake Mix 3 lbs 4 oz No. 10 Can $7.32 Shop now Potato Shreds 1 lb 7 oz No. 10 Can $8.14 Shop now Mountain House Breakfast Skillet #10 Can - Google Search Augason Farms 5-90620 Country Fresh 100% Real Instant Nonfat Dry... $21.18 Shop now Augason Farms Orange Delight Drink Mix 5 lbs 11 oz No. 10 Can $17.16 Shop now Mountain House Granola with Milk & Blueberries #10 Can $43.95 Shop now Mountain House Beef Stew #10 Can $35.05 Shop now Mountain House Breakfast Skillet #10 Can $37.24 See more recommended items
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #20 – August 20, 2019, 04:10:54 pm I use a vacuum sealer to pack and seal food items for home and on the road use; the old one is in the LD for use when traveling if I/when I find bargains or special items that are "freezable", and the "new" one (for home and trip prep) is this:FoodSaver® GameSaver® Outdoorsman at FoodSaver.com.Not that I'm vacuum packing "game", but the Outdoorsman model allows for repeated uses without overheating, and the bag rolls (8" and 11"; I find that the rolls are more useful because they allow cutting custom sized bags - less waste) of the same "Gamesaver" designation are a little heavier than the regular Foodsaver bags. One can vacuum pack and freeze pretty much anything (avoid potatoes), and I have done so! Dry foods, cheeses, particularly hard cheeses, bread stuff (freeze before vacuum packing!), fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc., can all be successfully vac-packed. Some items/contents need to be pre-frozen in containers, then removed and vacuum-packed, while other items, e.g., meats, can be prepped (including seasoned and/or in a marinade) and packaged fresh. The vacuum packs take up less space than food in containers, and there are no containers to wash! Vacuum packing retains food quality for a long time; air is removed, so no ice crystals form in the food. Although the packaging is clear, it's a good idea to label and date the packages.Vacuum-packing and freezing of perishables isn't necessarily applicable to someone who has no refrigerator or freezer, but short-term storage of frozen foods in an ice chest works very well. The sealer does require 120VAC to operate.As ever, YMMV.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #21 – August 21, 2019, 11:03:37 am There was a recent reference here to a video wherein the young lady used no refrigerator, but yet had a fair amount of items in her larder that would normally require refrigeration. She mentioned that the area that she was in got down to the 30's at night and cooled off her items. She would leave the lid off the cooler, and then cap it again in the morning when it warmed up outside.She didn't mention any problems with this, but it would seem that if it is in the 30's, one's body would be cold and might require additional warmth inside the vehicle, thereby warming the cooler contents as well. On the other hand, if she leaves the cooler outside her van, it is more vulnerable to intrusion by animals and the elements.I stumbled upon a different video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm2_bftqBkc] wherein I had watched the entire 32 minutes without noticing that they had no refrigeration either. But the whole of the food preparation was entirely different, as was the nutritional value and appeal.If watching a 32-minute video is not in the cards, she also posted a blog post with the bare bones information, pictorial, and recipes here. I admit to fast forwarding through a lot of the "other than food prep" information, but there are some glorious scenes of the area of Utah that they were in at the time.Interestingly, one segment showed that the fellow had met up with some other campers who shared information about a proposed boondock spot. They used their drone to take a look at said area to help decide if they should move. Spoiler Alert: They moved!All in all, I believe that I benefited in many ways by vicariously spending a small amount of time with them in their camp. Virtual hugs, Judie <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West Today: Breakfast al Fresco *****************************5 Days of Off Grid Meals — Elsa Rhaehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm2_bftqBkc 1 Likes
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #22 – August 21, 2019, 01:42:22 pm My fridge went in my LD and now forced to use cooler until the part comes in to fix it. Aug 30th, cannot wait! I have a Bison Cooler, which is similar to Yeti. I need to restock with ice every 3 days in an all day air conditioned LD. If you do not have the AC on, you may need to re-stock with ice more often.
Re: Boondocking and Food Reply #23 – November 16, 2019, 09:35:25 pm Still wondering how to conserve water by not washing dishes?Amazon.com: DASH Waffle Bowl Maker: The Waffle Maker Machine for Individual... looks like an excellent solution to me. ;-> Virtual hugs,Judie <-- Sierra Vista, ArizonaAdventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the WestToday: Shaved Parmesan and Fontina*************************************** 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
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