It's not easy to cook a gourmet meal at camp, but food cooked in the great outdoors is always delicious nevertheless. 

Packing for a camping trip means bringing along all the ingredients for meals that are healthy, quick to prepare and easy to store.  Food for camping should be convenient, delicious and fun.  Camping is all about having fun and relaxing; so don't tie yourself down preparing complicated meals while the rest of your group is having a good time.

Camping Food
There is no cut and dry menu of what constitutes camping food.  It can be as simple as hot dogs roasted over a campfire, or as involved as a four-course dinner prepared on a propane grill.  You're free to pack your cooler with whatever whets your appetite, as long as it's easy and quick to prepare.  There will likely be no fridge at your campsite, so remember to buy foods that can be safely kept in a camp cooler.  Don't bring anything that needs to stay frozen, or has to cook at a precise temperature for an extended period of time.  Consider freezing meats ahead of time; they'll thaw gradually in the cooler, and act as ice packs at the same time.   Remember all of the extras too, like salt and pepper, hot dog and hamburger buns, coffee, filters and plenty of fresh water.

Campfire Grilling
When you're at camp, you're going to be cooking your food over a campfire or on a grill.  Luckily, most foods can be easily cooked in this manner.  Bring a clean grill to place over your campfire and you can cook delicious burgers, steaks, chicken and fish, just like at home.  Potatoes and vegetables wrapped in foil can also be cooked to perfection over a campfire grill.  Don't forget the marshmallows for a sweet nighttime treat!

Cooking Utensils
There are some tools you'll need to prepare your camp cuisine.  A clean grill is most important, and tools to build a campfire.  Make sure you bring tongs or metal flipper to turn the meat and take hot food from the fire.  Aluminum foil is a must for cooking and storing food, and for cleaning up afterward.  Bring along an iron skillet for bacon and eggs in the morning, and a heavy-duty pot to boil water.  Don't forget the cutlery and paper plates.

Snack Foods
All that fresh air is going to make you hungry, and you might not be able to wait until the next mealtime.   Bring fresh fruit, crackers, cheese and trail mix for easy snacks.  Later on, as you sit around the campfire, you'll want to have some chips and pretzels, or a bag of cookies on hand.  Being far from home shouldn't mean missing out on the snacks you love.  And when the munchies hit at 11pm, you won't be able to run around the corner to the 7-11.

Everything tastes better when cooked over a campfire.  Your choice of food for camping is really only limited by the amount of time you're will to spend.  Consider preparing foods ahead of time, so you can just unpack the cooler and grill up a feast when it's time to eat.