Camp Kitchen - tricks to save weight, energy and time

In a travelling vehicle we always have to care about weight, space and that we buy things, who are easy to pack. Yes, let the weekend travellers bring their ready to use salad packages, we long term travellers cant buy them out of smaller stores in the 2nd world. 

On extended trips we cant do everything like at home, also when I personally do it with the breakfast, as example. 

What can we cook easily with our camping kitchen, what is not so easy to prepare? For us is normal green salad not so easy to prepare. It need a lot of the sometimes a bit rare water. And we dont have the space for a decent salad dryer, what made the preparation just not worth to do.

What do we do instead? Tomato-salad, chicory, potato salad - there are a lot of alternatives who needs less water, no drying and is too easyier to carry it without to have to carry it in the fridge. Chicory is much easier there!

As overweight of our vehicle is a ongoing issue, we have too to care too about our fridge size. Weekend Vanlifers did put everything inside the fridge and mostly did carry 50l fridges.

We just use a Engel 15l compressor fridges in our travelling cars And also after living over a year in the car, we didnt plan to resize the fridge. Because size and weight matters. Just some rare things has to be cooled, many thing we all had in the fridge at home, has not to be there.

In our fridge is just: Butter, ham, bacon, salmon, steaks, fish, milk beer, chocolate.

Everything else like eggs, tomato, potatoes, onions and other vegetables like chicory or garlic can easily be carryed withoud the coldness. Yes it has to be safely stored too, but with less weight. You find even Salami who doesnt need to be cooled, at least you dont start to use it.

Another nice trick is to take care about the cooking minutes, the noodles need. If your noodles did need 4 minutes to cook or 12 Minutes is a difference in time and energy. 

Similar you can buy rice / risotto who needs less time to prepare. So always look for stuff you can keep up an extended time - and is prepared quickly.

If you use milk rarely in your daily live, buy milk powder instead of normal milk. Saves at least space in your fridge and you dont have to take care, how long you can keep it.

Mashed potatoes you can prepare too with milk powder. If you like you are even able to buy it complete, so you just need water. Sometimes it is nice to get a quick warm meal, without the extended time of preparation, if it is rainy and cold as example. 

Ok when I mention now my other 15l Engel compressor fridge which I did use as freezer you will start laughing. But often we stays over days in remote spots without a store nearby - and I still do love a good steak!

We all have to get the best compromise out of the limitations the roadlife brings with. To be honest - I did carry a fridge just there where I need them. On my 20`500km trip from europe to capetown it was nice to have, did save me from buying bush meat on the roadside...

What kind of tricks do you use? I`m happy to add your suggestions together with a link back to your travelblog or social media account! Feel free to use the comments below too.