32 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2017
cookware for easy cleaning. Steaks, salads, dehydrated
mashed potatoes, breakfast hash, foil packet dinners,
hamburgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, pasta, etc., are popular
with us.
A few other notable items include Campsuds soap –
biodegradable and works in cold, hot and salt water; a
Camp Chef 9 piece knife set – packs neatly, includes all the
cutlery you will need and a cutting board; and a Coleman
two-burner propane stove – a dependable workhorse in our
outdoor kitchen.
Food safety is always critical, especially when camping,
so keep hand sanitizer gel and wipes available. Disposable
cutting board sheets are also great for preparing risky meats
such as chicken.
While on the expensive and heavy side, we like our RTIC
coolers, which have dramatically cut down the amount of ice
we have to buy and replace during warm weekends. And if
you plan on venturing out to camp in other states – which I
sincerely hope you do – the coolers are also bear proof.
For minimalist camping, I recommend Mountain House
or Backpacker's Pantry freeze dried food; the MSR Pocket
Rocket backpacking stove; a GSI Outdoors, MSR or
Mountain Summit Gear backpacker cookset; and a portable
spice rack container. In bear country, you may be required to
carry food in bear-resistant canisters. And a good pocket knife
will have countless uses.
Above: Backpacking tents used at Long Pine State Recreation Area during a cross country bike trip on the Cowboy Recreation and
Nature Trail. Below: Hash made with canned potatoes, eggs, bacon and green onion is an easy one-skillet meal for breakfast.
