Food for a trip without a fridge - what will work in the field?
Planning a trip to a place where there will be no access to a fridge? In this case, it's worth carefully considering what to take with you for food. The best choice will be non-perishable products with a long shelf life.
In this post, we will suggest what food will work on such a trip - durable, quick to prepare, and most importantly delicious. Dried beef, freeze-dried meals or classic canned foods? There are more options than you think.
Food that lasts without a fridge - what long-term food to choose?
Many people often go on trips where there is often no access to a fridge, and therefore no possibility to safely store food that requires a lower temperature. This applies to both people traveling by car for many hours, e.g. for work, and those going on tourist expeditions to various places away from civilization, where food storage options are limited. If this is your first such adventure, you are probably wondering what to take with you to eat. Below are our suggestions:
FOOD FOR A TRIP WITHOUT A FRIDGE
In the further part of the text, we include our proposals for food suitable for a trip without access to a fridge. However, it is worth remembering that even without a classic fridge you can store food at a low temperature for some time. It is worth equipping yourself, for example, with a cooler with cooling inserts or a special thermal bag.
Freeze-dried food, or ready-made meals for any trip
Freeze-drying is a great choice for a trip when you don't have a cooler with you or can't use a kitchen. These types of products undergo a special freeze-drying process, during which frozen food is dried under reduced pressure. Thanks to this method of processing, the food retains its original structure and nutritional value, and at the same time becomes much lighter.
You can easily buy freeze-dried food in many online stores. The assortment is very wide and includes dishes suitable for both vegetarians and meat-eaters. This type of food is also suitable for traveling with children – the offer includes various kinds of porridges, puddings, or fruits that will be not only a tasty but also a healthy snack for the youngest.
For example, freeze-dried dishes by LYOFOOD are very popular. These are full meals, such as pork stew with groats – well-seasoned, quick to prepare, and taking up little space in a backpack or a bag.
A dish like the mentioned stew just needs to be poured with hot water, wait a few minutes, and it's ready to eat. You can take hot water with you in, for example, a thermos. The exact preparation method depends on the type of dish, so it's always worth reading the instructions on the package. You can read more about this type of food in our other guide: Freeze-dried food – what is it and what is its application?
Classic military canned foods
Most of us at least once in our lives have reached for canned food during camping or a camp. It is food with a long shelf life that doesn't require refrigeration (it is worth remembering, however, that canned foods should not be exposed to direct sunlight or high temperature).
Traditionally, canned foods were mainly associated with simple products containing only meat, without additions. Today, however, the canned food market has changed significantly – modern products are often full meals that in terms of quality and variety can easily compete with dishes served in restaurants.
On the market, brand Ed Red undoubtedly rules among such canned foods, offering artisanal cans. These are restaurant-quality meals prepared by chefs from top-quality ingredients. Among these dishes, there are full meals, like the butcher's steak in pepper sauce. There are also options for vegetarians.
Such a canned dish, like the one above, should of course be heated, because it doesn't taste as good cold. If you have, for example, a camp stove and a pot in the field, it's enough to put the can into a pot with hot water and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.
Dried food
As for food for a trip without a fridge, dried food can be a good choice. The most popular in this category are pieces of dried meat, which are rich in protein and low in fat. Although these are not full meals, they work great as a supplement to the daily diet.
Such dried food is worth taking with you especially when you go on a trip, for example, in the mountains. In such situations, it works great as a snack that will give you a quick energy boost during the hike.
We recommend, for example, dried beef by Wild Willy, which offers a wide range of flavors such as BBQ, paprika, hot pepper, or cranberry. A good choice is also products by Jack's Meat, offering slices of dried beef with flavors: black garlic, onion, and pepper with tomatoes.
High-energy snacks
For a trip where you don't have access to a fridge, it's also worth taking snacks with you, preferably high-energy ones - especially if you plan intense physical effort, such as hiking in the mountains. Such products not only store well without refrigeration but also provide the body with the necessary energy, help maintain strength, and prevent sudden drops in blood sugar.
We particularly recommend taking Scho-Ka-Kola chocolate with you – a legendary German product containing natural caffeine from cocoa, coffee, and kola nuts. It provides energy, supports concentration, and stands out for its excellent taste of milk chocolate. It is perfect as a quick, energy-boosting snack during a journey. Due to the high caffeine content, this product is not suitable for children.
Rusks and military breads
Among the food products taken into the field, rusks and military breads are very popular. Especially worth mentioning are rusks, or so-called Pancerwafels by Piast - a classic that has accompanied many tourists on trips for years. They are characterized by a very long shelf life and are a great alternative to traditional bread. They pair well with, for example, canned meat.
If you're looking for traditional bread but with a long shelf life, military pytel bread is available on the market, with a consumption date of up to 24 months. This bread can be easily refreshed in several ways, for example in water. Without removing the foil, the bread is submerged in water at 90°C for about 30 minutes, after cooling remove from the foil, sliced after another 20 minutes.
How to transport food without a fridge?
If you don't have a fridge and want to transport meat or other perishable products, a good purchase would be a thermal bag. It keeps cool for up to 9 hours, ensuring your food stays safe. Remember not to open the thermal bag too often to maintain a low temperature.
For people who need to transport larger quantities of products requiring cooling, we recommend coolers. Some models have a large capacity and can maintain a low temperature for several days. An additional advantage is that the lids of these coolers can also serve as comfortable seats when spending time outdoors.
When, for example, you are going on a few-hour car journey and want to take a hot meal with you, you can buy a food thermos, which will keep the meal warm for several hours. In our other post, we describe how to choose the best food thermos.
Food offer for camping without cooking in MILITARY.EU
In the MILITARY.EU store, we have prepared a special category "long-term food", where you will find a comprehensive offer of food products useful during trips without access to a fridge. This is food you can take both for camping and on a long car journey.
We propose carefully selected canned foods, high-quality freeze-dried food, full nutrition rations, rusks, various drinks, and a wide selection of sauces and spices that will give your outdoor meals an exceptional taste. We offer products from brands such as: ReadyWise, Seven Oceans, Scho-Ka-Kola GmbH, Piast, or LYOFOOD.
