A Camper’s Guide to Morning Meal Prep

When camping, the best breakfasts are often the ones you have prepared a little before leaving. A few simple tricks are enough to turn waking up around the fire into a quiet moment rather than a marathon of washing up and cooking. Ready-to-heat eggs, pre-mixed pancake batter, pre-cooked potatoes or frozen breakfast sandwiches: here’s how to simplify mornings in the great outdoors without sacrificing taste.

Eggs: Allies of a Camping Breakfast

Hard-boiled eggs are still a classic, but other options are also great for camping, including pre-poached eggs. At home, poach them lightly, then stop them cooking in a bowl of ice water to ensure a runny yolk, even after reheating. Store them in a container filled with cold water for up to two days in the fridge. At breakfast, a brief dunk in simmering water restores their texture.

We love them:

• On a toasted English muffin;
• With avocado toast;
• In a potato breakfast bowl;
• With smoked salmon and cream cheese.

3 Options for Preparing Eggs Ahead of Time

1. Crack eggs ahead of time and store them in an airtight container to quickly make scrambled eggs or omelettes in no time.
2. Omelette bites topped with cheese, vegetables or bacon can be prepared and baked before freezing.
3. Assemble well-filled breakfast burritos — eggs, cheese, onion, sausage, shredded cheese — in tortillas, then freeze them in foil so they can easily be reheated over the campfire.

Pancake Mix: To Each His Own

• The mix of dry ingredients

  Preparing only the dry ingredients is an ultra-convenient option for longer stays. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in an airtight jar, then all you have to do is add the liquid ingredients on the spot. The preparation can be kept for several weeks without the need to keep it cold.

• Refrigerated dough: Ready to bake

  To save time and limit washing up at the camp, prepare the wholemeal dough at home. It can be kept cold for 24 to 48 hours.

• Frozen dough: Cooler proof

  Raw dough freezes easily for up to two months. On the day you head out, transfer it directly to the cooler: it keeps everything cool during the journey and is ready to cook once there.

• Ready-to-heat pancakes

  The simplest solution is often to cook the pancakes in advance and then freeze them by separating them with parchment paper. They can be easily reheated in a pan or on a plate, allowing you to enjoy a good cup of coffee while breakfast heats up.

Crispy No-Wait Potatoes

For successful campsite breakfast potatoes, the secret is to blanch them at home before leaving. Cut the potatoes into cubes, then cook them for about 5 minutes in salted water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Blanching then speeds up cooking on the fire, while lemon juice helps preserve their beautiful colour by limiting oxidation. Once cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container in the cooler. In the morning, brown them in a cast-iron pan with butter, oil, onions and spices. The result: golden, crispy potatoes that complete the perfect breakfast—and in just a few minutes.

Tips for Better Organization

– Freeze burritos, muffins and breakfast sandwiches before departure;

– Use airtight bottles to carry pancake batter and beaten eggs;

– Provide simple toppings such as fresh fruit, maple syrup, salsa, toasted nuts or homemade granola;

– Focus on practical, all-purpose foods such as tortillas or pita breads and pre-cooked bacon.

No-bake options for busy mornings:

• Yogurt
• Overnight oats
• Homemade bars
• Cheese
• Washed, pre-cut fruit (melon, mangoes, strawberries, grapes)*

* Apples, pears, bananas and oranges are among the whole fruits that do not need to be refrigerated for the first few days. They can keep well in the open air.

Need more inspiration? Here are two recipes to make at home for stress-free mornings of camping: oatmeal pancake mix with dry ingredients gathered ahead of time, and date, peanut and chocolate bark, which is delicious, nourishing and no-bake.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

Date, Peanut and Chocolate Bark