Grilling Recipes Perfect for Camping

With a few months left of the summer camping season, planning your trips and getting all your meals ready can be stressful and overwhelming. The classic go-to meal while camping is hot dogs and hamburgers cooked over the fire, but try mixing it up for your next camping trip with a few of these mouth-watering recipes:

Campfire Chili Cheese Fries

This quick, easy and delicious recipe is perfect for a camping snack or meal. All you need is tin foil, fries, chili and cheese. Cook the fries over the fire, add the chili and cheese, and wait for the cheese to melt. This recipe is simple and quickly ready for you and your family to devour.

Campfire French Toast

Instead of pop tarts or granola bars for breakfast, try this delicious French toast recipe. All this easy, low maintenance recipe includes is egg creation French toast blend and a loaf of bread. Just pour, dip and cook—it’s that easy.

Campfire Spinach Dip

If you’re looking for an easy appetizer or snack, this campfire spinach dip is the perfect recipe for you. This simple, easy dip includes sour cream, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and chopped frozen spinach heated over your campfire.

Cheesy Dutch Oven Potatoes

Add these delicious cheesy potatoes as a side dish to make the perfect campfire meal. All you need is potatoes, bacon, cheese, onions and salt and pepper… it’s that simple. If you don’t like onions, leave them out or if you really like cheese, add more! The choice is yours.

Caramel Apple Pie

Who doesn’t love dessert? This mouth-watering apple pie is easy; just chop your apples, chop the cinnamon rolls, mix it with brown sugar, cracker crumbs, pecans, and cinnamon. Once it is cooked, add the caramel and cream cheese frosting and dig in!!

We have listed a few recipes to get you started, but now it’s your turn to implement them into your next camping adventure. Whether you are heading up north or out back, our Firebuggz Fire Pits and Firebuggz Accessories can improve your camping experience and add FUN for everyone.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Building a Fire

Need some help to build a bigger, better fire? At Firebuggz, we like to think we are experts on the subject. Take a look at our do’s and don’ts for building the best campfire.

Do: Gather the ingredients for a fire

Before you start a campfire, you are going to have to forage for some materials to get it started. Tinder and kindling—the smallest and easiest burning components—are an essential place to start. Tinder includes dryer lint, cardboard, commercial fire starters, or wadded newspaper. This is the ingredient that will ignite your fire. What will really get your fire going are small pieces of dry wood and bark - or kindling. Search the forest floor for twigs, dry logs, and branches. Don’t forget to bring matches and lighters!

Do: Take advantage of a fire pit

If your campsite has a fire ring, clear it out before starting your own. Scoop out any existing charcoal, ash, and debris from previous fires - especially if it is damp. Fire pits make it easier to start a fire, but make sure it is ready for a new fire before you begin.

Don’t: Be intimidated about building your own pit

Clear away a decent-sized space for your fire. This typically means a 4-foot space for the fire itself and a greater circumference of 8 to 10 ft. to avoid fire-catching debris. In your pit, dig down several inches to construct the fire. As a barrier to your fire, you can compact the dirt around the circle into a mound, or use rocks to insulate the fire.

Do: Build the proper fire for your purpose

Don’t waste time building the wrong camp fire. For cooking, you will want to use a “teepee fire” or a “lean-to fire.” A “cross fire” and “log cabin fire” will be best for long-lasting bonfires, but don’t get as hot, therefore aren’t as good for cooking. Learn how to build these different fires below:

• Teepee Fire: Arrange your kindling into the shape of a teepee over the tinder. Then, build a larger teepee from firewood over the kindling. Once you light your fire, the flames will rise up through the kindling to create a roaring fire.
• Lean-to Fire: To begin, stick a long piece of kindling into the ground above your tinder at a 30-degree angle. Lean smaller pieces of kindling against the long stick to build a tent shape. Once the kindling catches fire, add more kindling followed by firewood.
• Cross Fire: A simple one to build, begin by layering kindling over tinder in a crosshatch shape. Follow with firewood.
• Log Cabin: Begin by creating a kindling teepee over your tinder, then place two logs on either side of the kindling teepee. Add two more logs to form a square. Build vertically to form a cabin-shaped fire. Add a “roof,” by using more kindling.

Do: Start and maintain your fire

Once you have the right structure in place, get your fire roaring. For best results, light the tinder from several sides, and gently blow air to build heat and intensity. Control the fire by only feeding it enough firewood to keep it going. To safely turn firewood, take a look at our Original Log Lugger. The Log Lugger is an excellent tool for turning logs and gathering kindling and firewood for the campsite.

Don’t: Forget your fire etiquette

Take caution, and don’t let the flames soar too high. Keep a fire extinguisher, extra water, and extra dirt with you at all times, and never leave a fire unattended. As a famous bear once said, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

Do: Put your fire out

For smart and safe campfire usage in the woods, put your fire out when you are done with it. Lightly sprinkle your fire with water while stirring the coals around to ensure they are thoroughly soaked. Continue until you no longer feel heat from the fire pit. Don’t douse it with water because you or another camper may soon use it again.

A campfire can involve many elements, but by knowing the do’s and don’ts of how to build a campfire, you will soon be on your way to camping success! For more camping and campfire tips, follow Firebuggz on Twitter and Like us on Facebook!