The Ultimate Guide To Vegan Camping

From vegnews.com

From s’mores and hiking boots to cruelty-free sunscreen, our vegan camping guide readies you for an adventure into the wilderness

Camping offers the perfect opportunity to get in touch with nature and live simply, away from the rush of civilization. Whether you’re into roughing it in a tent and sleeping bag or going glamping in an air-conditioned RV, you don’t want to forget your vegan ethics at home. To ensure you have the best cruelty-free camping trip ever, we’re highlighting a few of our favourite foods, supplies, and essentials to ensure you have a peaceful weekend in nature. 

@marmot/Instagram

The gear

If you plan to camp where the temperature dips at night, make sure to bring a warm sleeping bag to avoid shivering throughout the night. Some sleeping bags are made with down or wool, but REI offers a selection of sleeping bags—made only from synthetic fibres—that will keep you cosy all night long.

@vegetarianshoes/Instagram

If you plan on hitting the trail, a sturdy pair of hiking boots are a must. Without proper shoe wear, you put yourself at risk of injuring your ankles or having aching feet due to lack of arch support. To remedy this, we suggest Eco Vegan Shoes’ All Terrain Pro Waterproof Hiker, Vegetarian Shoes’ Approach Mid, and Merrell Men’s Zion FST Mid Waterproof hiking boots to keep your feet and ankles supported during wilderness treks.

@ospreypacks/Instagram

When trekking in the outdoors, you’ll also want to have a cruelty-free backpack to hold your water, snacks, and any other necessities. Mountain Smith’s Clear Creek Backpacks or Osprey’s Backpacking Packs are 100-percent vegan and made to last for many trips.

@justegg/Instagram

The food

Camping food is all about low-maintenance meals that don’t require kitchen appliances and can be thrown together with a few basic ingredients. Still, that description doesn’t have to equate to endless PB&Js and protein bars. For a fun and simple breakfast, bring JUST Egg in a cooler to whip into an epic scramble or sandwich.

Get your morning coffee fix with BruTrek’s French Press, designed for brewing outdoors and made with a hardy exterior shell. Make sure to stick a few packets of Nod Food’s powdered oat creamer in your pack for a tasty swirl of added creaminess. 

@readywisefood/Instagram

If you want to go a bit more gourmet as you fuel up for your day, make this Campfire French Toast, which requires mixing only a few ingredients before your trip. When the day draws to a close and your stomach is ready for dinner, get the campfire roaring, and toss some veggie and tofu kebabs on the grill. On a backpacking trip? Try these plant-based dehydrated meals from Readywise. Our personal favourite? The Wild Rice Risotto. 

@mydandies/Instagram

As the sun sets, pull out a bag of Dandies marshmallows, your favourite fair-trade vegan chocolate bar, and honey-free vegan graham crackers to make s’mores while you tell spooky ghost stories.

Other essentials

@albabotanica/Instagram

Camping isn’t just about food and clothes, which is why you’ll need to have a few more basics with you to make your trip as enjoyable as possible. First, when you sling up a hammock at your campsite, don’t forget to apply cruelty-free sunscreen to protect your skin and avoid dealing with the pain of a sunburn later.

One downside to camping in the summer can be the mosquitos—especially if you’re near a lake. To keep away the bugs in a cruelty-free manner, use a vegan bug spray or a mixture of essential oils such as citronella, peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus oil.

@nomadixco/Instagram

Going for a dip in the river or lake? Pack a durable Nomadix towel in your bag for an eco-friendly way to dry off. Each towel is made from 30 post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, so you can feel extra good about your choice.

Finally, you’ll want to pack your own plant-based hand sanitizer or hand soap because your bathroom options might be limited (or not ideal), and your trip will be much more enjoyable if you stay clean and comfortable. 

https://vegnews.com/2022/6/guide-vegan-camping

Instagram cook shows how going vegan will revolutionise your next camping trip

From inews.co.uk

Campfire cookery doesn’t have to be complicated or involve a heavy backpack – just go vegan, Beca Jayne tells Peter Elia on a hike through Dartmoor

Ingredients ready to cook in Dartmoor with Beca Jayne of @muddy-bootlaces (Photo: Peter Elia)

My fondest hiking memories (occasionally rose-tinted) are usually filled with spectacular scenery, meeting new people or experiencing the joy of a mountain summit. Cooking on the trail, however, has always been a necessity, a means to an end.

I’ve tried cooking meat and vegetable dishes from scratch, resulting in a heavy and impractical backpack. As a result, I usually opt for freeze-dried foods, which are lighter to carry but invariably disappointing to taste.

That was until I met Beca Jayne, who makes cooking the centrepiece of any hike or camping trip.

Her Instagram account @muddy_bootlaces is helping hikers to cook exciting vegan dishes, which are easy to prepare and backpack friendly. After a few messages exchanged on social media, she invited me to Dartmoor National Park for a hike, camp and food experience.

We start our vegan hike with a smile from the ironically named Pork Hill car park and gently climb our way onto the wild, open hills. I ask Beca what she likes most about cooking outdoors. “It calms me. I feel at peace,” she says, “It’s almost like a meditative process, listening to birdsong or the water trickling down the river while I’m preparing my meals.”

Beca cooking lunch – mushroom fajitas – at Roos Tor (Photo: Peter Elia)

Our lunch stop at Roos Tor (tor – a Celtic word for rocky hill) is timely. The large slabs of stone along the hillside create the ideal cooking shelter, and there’s bad weather ahead.

Beca prepares mushroom fajitas and soon spices fill the air. She plates up and I gratefully devour the fajitas. Our conversation turns to the advantages of a vegan hike. “I don’t have to worry about food going off. Things like meat and dairy can be affected by heat and their expiry date is shortened quickly.”

Recipe: mushroom fajitas

Makes: 2 servings = 4 wraps
Preparation time: five minutes.
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
100g soya chunks
10g-20g dehydrated mushrooms
1 courgette
1 pepper
1 red onion
1 fajita seasoning
4 tortillas
4 tbsp hemp seeds
Squeeze of lime
Sprinkle of coriander

Method
Boil the soya chunks for five minutes to rehydrate while chopping the vegetables. Take off the heat, then pan-fry the onions. Add the vegetables and stir for another five to 10 minutes. Once drained, add the soya chunks and mix in the fajita seasoning and cook for another five minutes. Serve in a warm tortilla, sprinkle with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime to finish.

Tip: Hemp seeds are an excellent lightweight source of omegas, protein and calories.

Estimated calories per person: 660, including two wraps

The rain arrives as we walk through the undulating moorland. Our backpacks are wet and dinner time is still two hours away. I daydream of one one-pot cottage pie, Beca’s signature comfort food dish. Only when we descend into the glorious river valley of Tavy Cleave, I realise my dreams will be realised.

Thanks to Beca’s bushcraft, the tents are swiftly up and the stove roars in the damp conditions. Then, with just a single pot, her food alchemy begins. “Veganism makes me more creative with my meals; I’ve never seen dehydrated cottage pie in a camping shop,” she says.

I sit back in my tent with the rain coming down, fully satisfied after such a delicious meal.

The following morning, it’s tofu scramble and chapatis for breakfast. A plate full of bright colours that looks far too exotic for soggy Dartmoor. The scramble is light in texture and yet deceptively filling with fluffy chapatis on the side. Finally, with stomachs fully fuelled, we pack our things and retrace our steps back to Pork Hill.

Tofu scramble for breakfast brings bright colours to the moorland (Photo: Peter Elia)

We have one last stop by a pretty stream at Windy Cross. “You’ve got to have a treat on the trail,” insists Beca. Her steamed baked chocolate cake is the ultimate crowd-pleaser as onlookers watch in anticipation.

She lifts the lid over the pot to reveal the chocolatey cake in full steam mode and a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth moment to cap off my vegan adventure. Beca has shown that her next-level dishes can also add to great hiking memories.

For more vegan recipes, you can follow Beca Jayne and her cooking adventures at instagram.com/muddy_bootlaces

Recipes: one-pot cottage pie

2 servings
Preparation time: pre-prepared (add hot water on hike)
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
200g soya mince
16 sundried tomatoes
10g-20g dried mushrooms
6 tbsp hemp seeds
Cottage pie seasoning
Water – fill until 1cm above the mince
100g dried mashed potato
Optional: Add green veg on the side. Reduce oil for lower calories

Method
Fry the onion with oil in a 900ml pot, then add mince, vegetables, hemp seeds, water and seasoning. In a separate bowl (I suggest a small silicone bowl), boil water, add mash and mix. Top the cottage pie filling with mash. The pie should be ready in 10 minutes. Serve with veg if you wish.

Tip: Add some nutritional yeast and black pepper into the mash mix to give it a cheese flavour

Estimated calories per person: 575.

Tofu scramble with chapatis

2 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
280g tofu
16 cherry tomatoes
200g spinach
1 red onion
100ml plant milk
Seasoning: 2 tsp turmeric, smoked paprika, bullion powder, a pinch of garlic and a pinch of salt
Chapatis:
50g bread flour
Season with a pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper

Method
Fry an onion and seasoning in oil. After a few minutes, crumble the tofu into the pan and stir regularly for five minutes.

Add the plant milk to create a sauce. As the sauce starts to bubble, add tomato and spinach. Serve with a chapati when the spinach has wilted.

While the tofu scramble is cooking, mix the bread flour and seasoning with water until you have a firm ball.

Once the scramble is cooked, take off the heat. Add the chapatis into the frying pan to cook on both sides for two to three minutes.

Tip: Bring a boil-in-the-bag of rice for extra breakfast calories.

Estimated calories per person: 500, including two chapatis each.

Steam-baked chocolate cake

1 serving
Preparation time: Pre-prepared (add hot water on hike) Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
25g flour
20g sugar
15g cocoa powder
10g coconut milk powder
1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
3-5 tbsp water
Optional: 100g Alpro soya custard

Method
Mix the pre-made ingredients in a silicone cake tub. Then add a few tablespoons of water to thicken the paste. If the paste still hasn’t reduced, add a little more water as steaming will make the paste softer. Next, place the tub into a pot on a raised surface (I use a small cookie cutter) and steam on low heat for around 20 minutes and serve with custard if you wish.

Tip: For extra decadence and calories, add chocolate chips, walnuts or both.

Estimated calories per cake: 495, and with custard 576

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/instagram-cook-vegan-camping-meals-ingredients-tips-beca-jayne-muddy-bootlaces-1133444