A cheeky breakdown of my staples. A mix of useful gear/ingredient recommendations and reflections on the times I didn’t bring enough peanut butter or forgot my lighter and questioned my life choices.
Let’s get one thing straight: I do try to pack smart. But for every well-planned batch of pre-mixed pancake batter, there’s a bottle of hot sauce I forgot I packed three trips ago… and a half-eaten protein bar crumbled into oblivion at the bottom of my food bag.
My “camp pantry” lives in a repurposed tote with a broken zipper. It’s part storage, part survival kit, part archaeological dig. The staples? Peanut butter (unsalted, because I hate myself), tortillas (crushed beyond recognition), hot sauce (usually four bottles, because you never know which flavor of pain you’ll crave), and instant coffee strong enough to restart a dead star.
You might also find salt, oatmeal, olive oil, and the ghost of that one can of beans I swear I packed but never actually brought.
I’ll be honest: packing for a camp kitchen is more about vibes than logic. Did I plan meals? Technically, yes. Will I end up spooning cold couscous from a Ziploc while squatting near a river? Also yes. It’s part of the adventure.
The trick is learning what you actually use, and building your kit around that. Keep it simple, bring more snacks than you think you need, and accept that something will inevitably leak.
Just… maybe pack one less hot sauce next time. Or don’t. I’m not your mom.