I have a FoodSaver and have found it to be quite handy when I am packing provisions for a camping trip. I often cook meals in advance and then freeze them to simplify our family meals while we are traveling and camping. Deluxe macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, meatballs, cooked rice, and even twice-baked potatoes are some of my standbys.
Last summer, when I was prepping for our long trip from Seattle to Yellowstone National Park, I grabbed my FoodSaver and decided to vacuum pack a few of the items that I would stash in the freezer. I experimented with a batch of twice-baked potatoes. I baked the potatoes, mashed the flesh with butter and milk, and then returned the mash to the potato skin. I topped the potatoes with some grated cheddar and froze the potatoes on a tray in the freezer. Then when the potaotes were solid, I took them out and vacuum packed them individually with my FoodSaver. They were easily shoved in our travel trailer freezer the day we left.
When we were camping at the Madison Campground in Yellowstone National Park, we didn’t have any hookups so we cooked many of our meals over a campfire. It was the easiest option. One day, I defrosted those twice-baked potatoes and then wrapped them in foil. My husband set them around the campfire. They simply reheated. We served them with grilled steak, garlic green beans, and a Moose Drool beer. I suppose I could have saved myself some work and simply brought uncooked potatoes and placed them around the campfire, but that would have taken a lot longer. My prepared potatoes reheated quickly by the campfire.
So, do you vacuum pack anything, such as food, socks, or matches, before a familycamping trip?