Let’s face it, traveling as a vegan isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially if it’s not a very “modern”, vegan-friendly area. But have you ever tried camping as a vegan? It’s actually easier thank you may think. In 2022 I traveled 40,000 miles across 26 states camping with a tent, three small vegan children, and a desire to make life fun. I learned a lot along the way, lessons I thought I would pass along. So here are my tips for traveling, camping vegans who just want a good meal over a campfire.

Author: Kaitlin Rosencranz

Getting ready for a week of camping? A month maybe?

1. Pack Essentials

• Cast iron skillet (preferably more than one, different sizes)
• Bamboo cooking utensils
• Other cooking needs like a can opener, tongs, hot pad, and cutting board
• Bowl, sponge, environmentally friendly soap (find plant-based soap makers on Vkind.com), towel for dishes
• Portable blender, cooler, life straw, foldable grill rack, and a travel mug if you need it for pit stops

2. Obviously there are many more camping essentials, these are what I had for cooking, just keep it simple and compact.

From one campfire-cooking vegan to another, the most important tip I can give you may be common sense to some, but to others, we learn through behavior, action, and doing. Driving around the country alone with three small children was no easy feat – we all learned a tremendous amount. We traveled and camped for nine months straight in twenty-six states from Southern Florida to Northern California, but that doesn’t mean we had to sacrifice our diets and lifestyles. I still wanted fresh fruits and veggies, I wanted more than a can of beans, and I wanted meals to keep me going for another hike or a refreshing smoothie under the sun on the Gulf Coast.

My tip is simple and effective if given attention and thought. When you’re planning your campfire meals and want to stay put for more than a few days, obviously a bag of ice won’t last very long. Build your menu so you can use the fruits and veggies from the cooler in the first two days or so, depending on the weather of course, and stock up on shelf-stable fruits and vegetables, nuts, and yes, a few cans of beans never hurt anyone. Bonus tip: if you get frozen fruit for your portable blender along with a bag of ice, they help keep things colder a tiny bit longer (but be wary, they can leak).

My favorite campfire meals are tacos, they’re easy, quick, and fun to make with kids, and you can create many variations and fresh salsas in under an hour. Here are two of my favorite recipes…

Black Bean Sweet Potato

In one skillet pour one can of beans and spice it with cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast, and add minced garlic and half of a chopped yellow onion. I like to eyeball my spices to my own liking so use what you prefer.

In another skillet heat up some oil while you dice up a sweet potato. When that’s done cooking sprinkle with salt and cumin and toss.

In a bowl, mash an avocado and add a small chopped tomato, a quarter of the yellow onion, lime juice, and salt.

For the salsa use another chopped tomato, the last of the yellow onion, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped jalapeno if you’re up for it.

Warm a tortilla over the fire and layer accordingly:

Kale, sweet potato, black beans, guac, salsa, and if you like, top with feta cheese (Violife has a good one!).

Pinto Beans with Pineapple Salsa

In a skillet over the fire, pour pinto beans in and spice it up with whatever you fancy, I usually use some combination of cumin, cayenne, coriander, oregano, paprika, garlic and onion powder, and salt and pepper. Using any combination of 3 or more of those would be okay depending on how limited you are on the road. I also love to add minced garlic and onion and sometimes a jalapeno. While the beans are cooking you can make the salsa.

Chop a bit of pineapple, a jalapeno, red onion, scallion, cilantro, and tomato, then add lime juice, salt, pepper, and coriander or cumin. 

You can also chop some fresh romaine, iceberg, or kale, I used romaine here because it made sense to me, as well as some vegan shredded cheese (So Delicious is really good and melts really well).

Warm a tortilla over a fire and layer accordingly:

Shredded cheese, spicy pinto beans, pineapple salsa, chopped lettuce.

Some people hear the word “camping” and think they have to live off dried fruit, granola, and jerky for a week but that just isn’t the case. Camping can be as simple as a backpack, a hammock, and a 10-mile hike into the woods. The weight of the food for a short while amounts to nothing when you get to lay in your hammock with the smell of spicy Mexican campfire tacos cooking with the sun setting beyond the horizon.