reheat sausages over fire while camping
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10 Simple Ways To Reheat Food When Camping

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Trips on the road, impromptu camping, they all provide memories and adventure like no other. And sometimes it is better to go into them without any second thoughts so that you can really test your adaptability skills. Yet, some crucial aspects of camping require a bit of preparation and forethought. An example can be knowing how to reheat food when camping. 

There are plenty of ways you can reheat food when camping. You can use aluminum foil, grilling baskets, and the old traditional stick for cooking or reheating foods like marshmallows and hotdogs. If you want to reheat food without a flame you can even use flameless ration heaters.

Now, knowing about the ways to reheat food and actually doing them are totally separate things. Not doing them correctly can either lead to failed reheating or even worse. So, to prevent any such thing from happening to you, in this article I am going to mention all ways with which you can reheat food while camping. 

What Are 10 Ways To Reheat Food While At Camp? 

When it comes to reheating food outdoors, the more options you know, the better it is. You can alternate between various options depending on your convenience. Hence, to assist you, below I have mentioned the 10 most effective ways of reheating food during camping. 

1. Aluminum foil 

Sliced bread on aluminum foil
Sliced bread on aluminum foil

Due to its versatility, aluminum comes in handy in a lot of cases. You can use aluminum to reheat food by simply wrapping your food with an aluminum foil, a thick sheet of it, and tossing it over the grill.  

Ensure that the edges of the foil are properly sealed. Leave some room inside so that the food can expand when needed. Monitor every now and then so that the food does not burn. 

Aluminum is considered a very good option as it provides the correct amount of heat to the food as it stays quite close to the fire. Aluminum is ideal for cooking or reheating vegetables or meat items. 

2. Grilling basket 

If you are looking forward to reheating large items of beef, bacon, or chicken or even large units of vegetables. You should invest in a grilling basket. They also reduce your manual labor because instead of individually flipping all the food items, you can just flip the grill basket when required. 

Do make sure that the lock on the grill is sealed tightly so that none of the food falls off. If you are confused about which grilling baskets to get, Smoke & Grill and AIZOAM  are some good picks. 

AIZOAM Portable Stainless Steel BBQ Barbecue Grilling Basket
AIZOAM Portable Stainless Steel BBQ Barbecue Grilling Basket

3. Use a stick 

A somewhat ancient technique but cooking and reheating food on a stick is still prevalent to this day. Contrary to popular belief, you can not only use them for marshmallows and hotdogs but for all other kinds of food as well such as roasted ducks, kebabs, etc. Using a stick will also save you from the hassle of using other cooking utensils. 

Do not go for actual sticks as they are not quite sturdy to hold onto food for too long. You can simply go for steel camping sticks. You can even use a metal coat hanger by bending it into shape. Trust me it works.  

4. Buddy burner 

If you want to try out some creative techniques and improvise different cooking materials, a buddy burner can assist you in the task. A buddy burner mostly serves two purposes: cooking and emergency fuel. 

You can start by cutting strips from cardboard and then forming a coil with them. Place that at the bottom of your can. Then you will have to cover this cardboard with molten paraffin wax. Please ensure that your hands do not come into contact with this wax. Wait for some time for this wax to harden. You can then use this as a source of heat. 

After the wax has properly hardened, position four erect nails to the ground encircling the buddy burner. Place the pan which you will use to reheat food on top of them. 

5. Flameless Ration Heaters 

Unless you are in the military, you might not be aware that Flameless Ration Heaters can actually do a pretty neat job of reheating your food. They are basically bags that stimulate a chemical reaction by heating up water when added to the bags. 

The most convenient thing about Flameless Ration Heaters is that they do not account for a lot of weight and simply require water to heat your food. They are mostly ideal for canned or sealed food items.  

If you are wondering where to get Flameless Ration Heaters, simply click here and order away.  

MRE Flameless Heater Pack
MRE Flameless Heater Pack

6. Use A Tin Can 

Another traditional technique that is still effective in present days is the usage of tin cans to reheat food. For this, you will need to carry a large tin can on your journey. 

In the can, you will have to assemble all the food items in layers. The meat or the heavier items should be at the very bottom. Followed by this, any additional seasoning or ingredients you want to add are to be included. 

Cover the tin can especially, the grill holders, and wait. When you think the food is done being reheated, you can take them out. You can also use coffee cans of bigger sizes as an alternative to tin cans. 

7. Pothook 

Pothook is a classic when it comes to reheating your food outdoors. Although the idea itself is quite simple, implementing it can be tricky and requires a lot of attention. If you’re someone who was involved in scouting, you should already know how the procedure works. 

First, you will have to gather some strong sticks and build a structure around the campfire you have built. Then, you will need to use a pothook in order to hang the pot containing your food over the fire. In case you want to heat your food at a faster rate, place the pot a bit lower so that it is closer to the fire. 

If you are going for this technique, you will have to ensure that the base of the structure is strong enough and will not break apart due to the weight of the pot. If it does, all your efforts go to waste. 

8. Camping grill 

You might think that I am referring to portable steel grills when I say camping grills. But no camping grills are different and are made so that you can fully enjoy all the excitement of consuming food in the wild without being at a disadvantage. 

Camping grills are gas grills that are transportable. They use propane. Camping grills are very easy to navigate, even more so when it comes to cleaning. As their lids are to be closed during the heating process, this helps reheat your food faster compared to other grills. 

9. Dutch oven 

Cooking with a dutch oven
Cooking with a dutch oven

The Dutch oven can serve as a very useful cooking tool outdoors. While reheating food, you will have to put coals over and beneath the oven. By doing so, there is proper and even circulation of the heat over the oven. 

Make sure you wrap the exterior surfaces of the oven with adequate aluminum sheets so as to avoid disaster. If you are wondering how to clean a Dutch oven, apply some oil over it after you are done reheating all your food. 

 10. Charcoal grill 

As a camper, you should be well acquainted with charcoal grills as they are commonly used. The best thing about charcoal grills is that there is a new flavor added to your food from all the smoke. 

Just ensure that you are using sufficient amounts of charcoal so that your food does not end up burning.  

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