My son is a Star Scout and I am an assistant troop leader. I’ve come to find out that these guys can out survive any city slicker hands down. Caring for your food while camping may sound simple enough, but there are a few things that anyone should know before taking on nature on its own turf.

First thing any Scout knows is that you can under no circumstance take food into your tent. Even a snack during the day can draw bugs and ants later. But that’s nothing compared to the raccoons and bears showing up in the middle of the night. Hopefully you can store your perishables in a cooler in the van. I wouldn’t go camping where bears live, but if you are that brave you need to keep it out of there reach. The best way would be to make a ‘bear bag’ and tie it between 2 trees at least 12 feet off the ground. Tie a rope tight to one tree and then use a slip knot or clove hitch ( look it up in your Boy Scout book ). This will allow you to rise and lower it when needed. If you do not have a metal dumpster, this should be used with all your garbage as well.

When preparing your menus, try and use as few perishable items as possible to reduce the chances of drawing wild animals into your camp site. Plan meals with cheese, dairy, fresh meat, and fruits only when you can keep them out of the reach of wildlife and are able to keep them chilled properly.

Canned items are always a good choice because you can just about get anything on the market in a can anymore. The drawback is that they weigh more. Another good option are Retort Pouches. These are flexible packages which can hold a wide variety of foods. They are great for winter camping because all you need to do is drop them in boiling batter and eat straight from the pouch.

You can see more of what the Boy Scout have taught me at “Camping and More”