Tag Archives: Camping Gift Ideas

Top Five Mountain House Meals

I love Mountain House, so much that coming up with my top five Mountain House Meals was a difficult task. Mountain House Meals are quick and easy to make, as well as clean up. Not only that but they are delicious and sometimes a warm meal is just what you need. Here are my top five Mountain House Meals.

  1.  Lasagna with Meat Sauce – The noodles are cut into bite-size pieces so you don’t have to try and break up the lasagna in the pouch. Mountain House’s meat sauce has good chunks of ground beef and isn’t too tomatoey. Also, one can’t go wrong with melty mozzarella cheese. Mountain House’s Lasagna with Meat Sauce is sure to be a favorite.
  2.   Biscuits in Gravy – Number two comes in with this hearty breakfast staple that is sure to fuel you for outdoor adventures. The gravy has a perfect creaminess to compliment the soft biscuits.
  3. Chicken and Dumplings – Something about a warm, creamy sauce over some type of bread just makes for the ultimate comfort food. The Moutain House Chicken and Dumplings are also loaded with vegetables to help round out the meal.
  4. Chili Mac with Beef – Chili Mac with Beef is a classic, and for good reason too. Mountain House’s Chili Mac with Beef as a spicy tomato sauce that adds some good flavor to the noodles with big chunks of ground beef. This one is sure to please everyone on your camping trip.
  5. Chicken and Mashed Potatoes – This is another classic, and simply is what it is – chicken and mashed potatoes. It’s a good comfort meal for a cold night, delicious, and warms a person right up. This Mountain House meal is also gluten-free, for those with dietary restrictions.

 

These Mountain House meals are all classics, but Mountain House is always coming out with new flavors. Let me know in the comments what your favorite Mountain House meals are, or if there’s another brand you want us to check out.

 

 

 

Six Games I Want to Take Camping This Year

Another day with temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit has me dreaming of six games I want to take camping this season. While I enjoy camping, another hobby I have is board gaming. What is a better way to pass the time than playing a board game, and why can’t we enjoy board games outside? Well, I have news for you, there are games you can bring camping with you!

Check out this video here for games we have taken with us. Small games are great to bring with you camping, and most small games are inexpensive. The six games I want to take camping this year all come in at under $20! That makes them great to give as a gift for the camping gamer in your life.

1. Point Salad

This is an entertaining card game for 2-4 players, where you will draft cards. These cards will represent different vegetables and scoring scenarios, and as you go you create your “point salad.” This is a quick game, made up of a deck of cards, making it a good choice for camping.

2. Bang the Dice Game

A dice chucking western game, the plays in under 30 minutes. You’re just rolling dice, trying to be the last one standing.  This is another quick game and the components are dice and a few cards making this game portable and compact for travel.

3. Shards of Infinity

This is a head-to-head deck builder for the competitive ones out there.  Very portable, thanks to being a deck of cards, you build your deck and battle your opponent for the victory. The art on these cards is amazing and adds to the theme, making this a game I hope to get lost in.

4. Kingdomino Duel

This is a roll-and-write strategy game, where you roll four dice and use them to fill in your kingdom. Certain dice rolls will earn you special abilities, possibly leading you to victory. While the game consists of dice, a writing utensil, and a pad; you could laminate the sheets off the pad and lighten your load further.

5. Taco VS Burrito

Taco VS Burrito looks like a super funny game, that would be a great way to pass the time. You take turns picking cards with gross foods to make your taco or burrito with, there are also cards that help score more points. It just looks like a fun way to pass the time.

6. Age of War

Another dice chucking game on the list, because they are portable, fast-paced, and fun. In Age of Wart, you and your opponent are batling to conquer each other’s castle. This game plays in under 30 minutes.

 

I am so looking forward to picking up these six games that I want to take camping this year! Have you played any of these or brought them camping with you? What games do you love to bring camping? Let me know in the comments below!

Hiking and Camping Christmas Gifts for Women

Christmas shopping (gift-giving in general) can be hard. I’m sharing with you today some last-minute ideas for Christmas gifts for the women or girls in your life who love hiking and camping. Breaking these gifts down into three categories, we will look at Stocking Stuffers, Hiking gifts, and Camping gifts (you could also check out our women’s camp comforts here for more ideas.)

 

Stocking Stuffers

Stockings were my favorite thing as a child at Christmas, and when I think of stockings, I think of overflowing with lots of fun gifts. Stocking stuffers can add up quickly, so this list keeps all stocking stuffers under $25.

  1. Freeze-dried food, specifically, a dessert can be spendy and hard to justify purchasing for yourself, making it a great gift. You can also adjust it to fit your giftee’s taste. I recommend the Creme Brulee from Back Packer’s Pantry.                                                                                                                                                                      
  2. Headlamps are also very useful, you honestly can’t have enough, we keep them all around the house for different purposes. This one from Foxelli is a gorgeous blue with a tree print, finding one that fits their style helps personalize the gift.                                                                                                                                
  3. Hiking socks, you can’t go wrong when gifting good quality hiking socks. Darn Tough is a brand we know and love, with a lifetime warranty.  Made from merino wool, they keep your feet dry and far from smelly. Again, these socks come in so many colors it make s it easy to fit the person you’re gifting’s taste.    
  4. Headbands are always a great gift to through in an active woman’s stocking, they’re fun and keep hair and sweat out of your face.                                                                                                                                               
  5. If you love the great outdoors there is one thing for sure, you can’t have too many water bottles. This bottle from Nomader is sturdy, so you feel like you’re actually using a water bottle, yet you can roll it up to save space in your pack if needed.                                                                                                                       

 

Hiking Christmas Gifts

It can be hard to find a Christmas gift for the hiking enthusiast in your life, but here are a few ideas to get you a start.  For this gift section, all these last-minute gifts are under $40.

  1. A journal or even a book can be a wonderful gift. The journal will help your hiking enthusiast keep track of all the wonderful places they venture to and the cool stuff they get to see. When it comes to picking a book, there are just so many options…is your hiking enthusiast a lover of stories looking to be inspired, or are they trying to learn a new skill like foraging? Check out this logbook for tracking one’s own adventures:                                                                                                                                                                       The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs features a lot of cool facts about the world around us:                                                                                                                                                                                                  She Explores is a masterpiece that pieces together inspiring essays from many women about their own journey, as well as gorgeous travel photography:
  2. Binoculars are great to have on hand when hiking, so you can enjoy nature at a distance. Binoculars also tend to be one of those things that people do not buy for themselves making it a great gift.
  3.  A new daypack in fun colors paired with functionality is always a great gift. This 40L daypack from Venture Pal features a waterproof pocket and a sternum strap.                                                                     
  4. A packable, waterproof blanket. Having a blanket you can lay in the ground while you stop and take lunch, or wrap around yourself if it’s a bit chilly is always welcomed. This one from JJ Cole Outdoors is large (5 foot by 5 foot) and weighs in at only a pound.                                                                                             
  5. Trekking Poles, these are something hikers might not even realize they would need or like.       

 

Camping  Christmas Gifts

When it comes to finding Christmas gifts for a camper, there are so many options! On this list, each item comes in under $40.

  1. Enamel cups, seriously, there is just something about them that feels right when camping. There are so many cute ones too, it’s hard to narrow it down:                                                                                            
  2. Camping chairs are always nice to add to someone’s collection. They can take one along if it will be just them, or they could even be used at home when having outdoor gatherings:                 
  3. A Luci Light is one of the best portable lanterns. Deflates so it takes up no space, and it is solar-powered, I never go on a camping trip without one.                                                                                                
  4.  Camping games are sure to be on every camper’s list.  Here I focused on outdoor games like bag toss and yard dice. However, we have this video talking about our favorite board games to bring with camping.     
  5. Two words, Pie Irons. If they don’t have one already, they’ll LOVE it, if they do have one already, they’ll still LOVE it. If they haven’t experienced the tasty joy of a pie iron, or maybe they’re looking to be more creative, through in a recipe book for endless, tasty enjoyment.                                                           

 

 

Happy Gifting!

Hopefully, this list sends you on your way to a fun gift-giving season (all though these gifts could be given for birthdays as well!) If you are looking for Christmas gift ideas for guys make sure to check out Kory’s video here!

canister stove for camping

Canister Stoves for Camping

Food is always on my mind when prepping for camping. The minute I start planning a trip, it’s usually “mmm, what are we going to eat?!” With food being such a big part of the experience making sure you are able to make it is pretty important! My favorite way to cook our food while camping, second only to fire, is a canister stove.

Canister stove for camping

Stoves for Camping.

Sure, there are many types of stoves: alcohol, canister, solid fuel, woodburning and even solar-powered. Each fuel type has its pros and cons, which is a lot to unpack and we will save that for another day! Today, we are going to dive into canister stoves, and what makes them a great choice for your outdoor kitchen!

Space Saver

Canister stoves can be packed inside things already packed, such as a pot! This means you don’t have to find the room for a cooking container and a stove. A built-in perk to this (as if having more room in your pack wasn’t enough!) is that when prepping for a meal, just pull out the pot and the portable kitchen is ready to go!

Weight

We all know that space and weight are two things that are highly treasured when it comes to your pack! Canister stoves along with their space-saving convenience, are lightweight! A great stove when weight is a big concern is the BRS 3000T! This tiny stove heats quickly. The BRS 3000T is small, light, and also has three pot support legs with teeth that do a great job stabilizing pots.

Convenience

Honestly, this is the category that makes the canister stove a real winner for me. Canister stoves are so easy to use! All that is needed is the stove and the fuel canister. A great starter stove is definitely the Etekcity, this stove even has a piezo ignition so you don’t HAVE to carry a lighter (even though it’s always good to have one on hand!) Another perk to drop in the convenience category is that when it is raining, you can actually put this stove inside your vestibule. Ensuring a nice warm meal in the wet and chilly rain.

Cons

Everything has a con to balance out the pros, and the canister stove is no exception. There are three major cons that come along with canister stoves:

  • There can be issues with stabilizing the pot/pan that you are cooking with.  The pot/pan can make it unstable depending on what size they are and the weight that added to the pot/pan. Generally, pots are easier to stabilize on this stove type. Issues can be avoided by knowing beforehand what will be prepared on the stove, finding a flat spot to place the stove, and above all paying attention.
  • One downside to a canister stove is that the canister is a set amount. The amount cannot be adjusted for longer trips, to compensate you will need to bring another canister. Which takes away from the space-saving advantage.
  • Canister stoves can also be finicky when the temps drop below freezing. This fuel type is not ideal when winter camping, as it is not reliable to give flames. Winter camping is when reliability is non-negotiable.

 

Canister Stoves are a Great Choice for Camping

While canister stoves have their cons: stability, set amount of fuel and not being ideal for winter the pros balance these out. You can also compensate these cons by planning your trip so you are prepared with the right amount of fuel, know what the temp will be and having the right pot or pan for the job!  The overall size and weight, and above all convenience of a canister stove cannot be beat!

canister stove for camping

Make sure to share stories of using your canister stove, as well as recipes down below!

 

 

Stocking Stuffers for the Camper in your Life

It can be quite a challenge to find small gifts with plenty of meaning and use, so here are 10 great ideas for stocking stuffers. These stocking stuffers are small and inexpensive at $35 or less, but the person you snatch these up for will get lots of use and enjoyment from these.

10.  A small, packable pillow for a great night’s sleep in the woods. Totally beats their bumpy and lumpy sweatshirt. Get this one from Teton Sports here.

 

9. There is no denying that cell phones are a large part of everyday life for people. In fact, many campers and hikers use them as cameras to take valuable pictures of their adventures. Make sure the adventurer in your life doesn’t miss capturing that moment with a power bank so they can stay charged on the go! Get 10000 MaH with this one from Anker.

8. Brighten their day with a new headlamp! This is a convenient way to make sure they can see whatever they need to in the dark and have both hands free. Try out this rechargeable one from Foxelli.

7. A spork is great for any campers stocking stuffers! You can never have enough of these. Toaks titanium long handled spork ensures you get every last morsel of your mountain house, without getting a mess on your hands.

6. A multitool is one of those things that you don’t realize how great it is until you have one, making it a great gift! They will say “you thought of everything!”  I recommend the Leatherman Squirt – compact and reasonably priced!

5. The number 5 spot goes to canister stoves! If the person you are gifting is just starting out, one with an ignition built in is great. Although, if they’ve been at this awhile, it might be time to upgrade to something smaller and lighter.

  

4. It is always nice to have some form of entertainment out in the woods, something that is often overlooked is games! However, there are a lot of small games you can bring with you, without taking up a ton of room in your pack. Here are a few to check out: Go Find It, Monopoly Deal, Skipbo, Hero Realms, and Catan the Dice Game.

3. Is there anything better than dessert? While many campers and hikers have dehydrated meals on hand, a dessert is a luxury that many don’t splurge on. Here are a few favorites to sweeten their stocking: apple crisp, cheesecake, creme brulee.

2. Sliding into the number two spot is a pair of leather gloves. Leather gloves are great to wear around camp, protecting your hands from scrapes and splinters. A nice basic pair to start with is the Mechanix leather gloves.

  1. Finally, the number one stocking stuffers for your camper/hiker is a nice pair of Darn Tough socks. You can nab a pair for either gender, keep them plain or capture their personality with a pattern. These antimicrobial socks will keep their feet dry and comfy, whether it’s hot or cold out!

 

I hope this list helped you get some great ideas for the holiday season! If you have any great ideas for stocking stuffers that I missed, make sure to leave them in the comment section below! For more gift ideas, check out Kory’s 5 picks!

5 Camping Gift Ideas

These are my 5 camping gift ideas.  If you are looking for more options or just a place to get started check out the first two links below.
Amazon Store / Suggestions – https://www.amazon.com/shop/wolfpackwoodcraft
Affordable Gifts Under $50 – https://amzn.to/2DpcMng
Trek Light Gear Double Hammock – https://amzn.to/2DEUK1c 5 camping gifts
Wise Owl Hammock – https://amzn.to/2DFl63c 
Gloves – https://amzn.to/2K4vzVX 
Pot – https://amzn.to/2DmUBOY 
Possibles Pouch – https://amzn.to/2FlkbGA 
Sleeping Bag – https://amzn.to/2TeSLoE 

Full camping list ideas ==> https://www.wolfpackwoodcraft.com/camping-list-beginners-2

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