Campers at Runoia have been developing their outdoor cooking skills for many years.  Wilderness trips have been an integral part of the program since camp opened 110 years ago.  Can you believe that back in the day campers used their bloomers to stash their lunches in when they went off canoeing!

Regardless of how far you are hiking or canoeing you have to eat and the food can make or break the success of a trip.  Trying everything from re-hydrating dried mixes to baking a cake in a Dutch oven many girls get their first taste of cooking at camp. Campers are involved in all aspects of trip menu planning and then meal preparation.

From an 8 year old flipping their first pancakes to a 15 year old menu planning and cooking meals for a whole week and with everything in between; Runoai girls get a taste of independence and begin to build their own life skills around the campfire.

Food on the hiking trail has to be light weight, well balanced, nutritious and high in energy.  Trail mix, no bake cookies and other high protein snacks can be a great boost when you still have miles to go to your campsite.  Cooking over a camp stove requires good organizational skills, often a menu that needs minimal pots and some creativity for making the meal tasty.  A canoeing trip may allow for a little more equipment and often includes a reflector oven or Dutch oven so baking around the fire becomes a great option.

There is often nothing more satisfying than sitting around the campfire with a tin plate and a spork eating a meal that you have waited all day for and that you helped to cook. 

Always a bonus if it is followed by reflector oven brownies or s’mores.