Meal Planning

When it comes to meal planning, you can really keep things as simple as you like.  As long as you have enough protein, carbs, and fat, you will be fine for three days.  Some people might prefer not to bother with anything that requires cooking, and that is totally doable.  My choices tend to be in the middle: some level of convenience, but with tastiness as a high priority! One of my favorite parts of going camping is the food.  With all the exercise we will be getting, there is really nothing like a thoughtfully made sandwich at the top of a mountain, or endless s'mores to cap off the night.  As I mentioned before, we will all be visiting the Hannaford grocery store in Millinocket on Friday afternoon/evening for the all-important stock up. So I thought I would share some meal planning ideas to help you knock your grocery list out of the park.


Friday night: eat in town! We will most likely go to our favorite restaurant, Angelo's Pizza.

Saturday morning: continental breakfast at Baxter Park Inn.

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday {snacks}: fresh fruit (eat softer fruits or berries on first day, save apples for later), bulk foods (dried fruits, granola, nuts and seeds), energy bars, crackers.

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday {three lunches}: Uncle Sumner is kindly bringing a bounty of his famous homemade bread to share.  There may well be enough that no one needs to buy bread at all, but we can re-evaluate on Friday afternoon before shopping.  Here is a tip for buying deli meat and cheese: instead of ordering by weight, think about it this way-
   meat: (3 slices(Ned) x 2 sandwiches + 2 slices(me) x 1 sandwich) x 3 days =  order 24 slices of meat
  cheese: (2 slices x 2 sandwiches + 1 slice x 1 sandwich) x 3 days = order 15 slices of cheese
Also for your sandwiches: tomatoes, lettuce (pre-washed), onions, peppers, deli salad (i.e. slaw) - ask them to put it in a baggie rather than a hard box in order to consume less space.
Condiments (team up with people so we don't all buy every condiment!)

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday {three dinners}:
Saturday night we will grill, so bring what you want: hot dogs, bratwurst, burgers (pre-made patties!), buns, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, peppers, sauerkraut, condiments. Side dishes: baked beans, chips, deli salads (potato, macaroni), etc. If we all just bring one side dish per person or small group, we should have more than enough.
My dinner ideas for Sunday & Monday nights are: rice/other grain (bulk foods) & canned black beans, sauce or seasoning, veggies, sausage, grated cheese, etc (basically a one-pot meal that can all be boiled together with the rice or other grain)....and a pasta for the third meal. Boxed mac & cheese goes well with canned tuna and maybe a green vegetable for good measure. For both of these one-pot dinner ideas, I would recommend adding any sauce or cheese you will use directly to your bowl or plate of food, in order to simplify the dishwashing process. A large pot full of red sauce and stuck-on cheese would be kind of a nightmare.  Another option that some people like when camping is a "tin foil dinner," where you wrap up your food in tin foil and cook it over the fire for a bit. No dishes required!

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday {three breakfasts}:
eggs (can be boiled to keep things simple), oatmeal with raisins & nuts(pour hot water directly into your bowl of oatmeal to simplify dishwashing), and your desired toast toppings.

Drinks: Water (one gallon per day per person), instant coffee, canned milk or half & half (individual servings swiped from hotel or McDonald's), tea, honey, hot chocolate, lemonade, juice. Alcoholic beverages are allowed at our campsite, but we are NOT allowed to walk around the park with them.

Dessert: S'mores and S'mores!

Miscellaneous:  Ice (for cooler), paper towels, Ziploc bags (sandwich and gallon), other plastic bags to use for trash, tin foil.


When you get back to your hotel room after shopping, a really helpful thing you can do is to take everything out of its packaging and transfer it into Ziploc bags. Take all the Ziploc bags out of their box and place them into one gallon-size bag.  Then take all granola bars, crackers, tea, pasta, etc out of their boxes and put into bags.  You will be shocked at how much garbage you will be able to leave in your hotel room and be freed from carrying around the park all weekend!  This is also a good time to wash all your fruit and veggies as needed.

Those who live within driving distance will thank themselves if they bring items like:
condiments/non-perishables
salt & pepper
portable cook stove
portable grill
water boiling kettle
pot & pan
cooler
plate
bowl
mug
can opener
fork/spoon/butter knife/paring knife/spatula/serving spoon/tongs
water containers (already full if you like)
Tupperware containers and Ziploc bags of various sizes
tin foil
other plastic bags to use as trash bags
small dish towels or rags

Although you can always use disposable dishes, I think it's easiest for each person to have ONE of each type of dish to use and keep track of, and just wipe it "clean" after each use.


Do you have a tip or meal idea of your own to share? Please do so in the comments!

Packing Checklist

Here are some ideas of what to pack, in a perfect world.  Not everyone needs to bring everything. I understand that those traveling from afar will not be able to bring certain items, so we are planning to bring extras of whatever we can so that everyone is covered.  If you're nervous about something or need help, get in touch with me and I will make sure we have what you need. On the flip side, if you have any extra of something that you are willing to share (tarps or coolers for example), it wouldn't hurt to bring them just in case.


Camping Gear:
tent
tarp
sleeping bag
sleeping pad (or blowup mattress + inflator if you like)
blankets
pillow
table light/headlamp/flashlight + batteries
cook stove/fuel/portable grill (fuel may be purchased at Katahdin General Store in Millinocket)
rope
folding chairs

Clothing/Accessories:
   >>We can expect a range of weather, so be smart with layers!
sporty clothes
sporty shoes/socks
sun hat/sunglasses
sleepwear
swimsuit
towel
water shoes
sandals
sweater
sweatpants/leggings
woolen hat
woolen socks
gloves (or extra woolen socks for hands)
rain gear
street clothes? if you'd like, only one outfit needed for Friday in town

Other:
Baxter Park map: this will help you visualize the itinerary. (I have a good detailed one I can share, but at least pick up a free Park newsletter that has a basic map in it, available at HQ in town or at the gate. I will probably grab a few extras for anyone who arrives after HQ is closed on Friday.)
compass
backpack (comfortable size for carrying essentials during the day)
Moleskin/Band Aids (in case of blisters) + other First Aid
water filter (if you're using one)
Camelback/water bottles (if you bring big ones to fill up, you won't have to buy or filter as much)
walkie-talkies (if anyone has them!)
nominal amount of cash (for canoe rentals and firewood)
camera
car charger
hobbies (books, your knitting, musical instrument, football, playing cards, etc)
binoculars
matches/lighter
cooler
bug spray, if you like (bugs aren't too bad by the end of August)
dental care/other hygiene (no soap, and avoid strong scents)
sunscreen
variety of plastic bags (food storage, trash, dirty clothes...)
tin foil
dishes/cups/silverware
napkins/dish rags (easiest way to do dishes: just wipe them down after use)


Did I forget something? Leave a comment below!

a few reminders

Thank you again for your RSVPs!  There are a few people I still need confirmation from, and need to know if you're planning to stay all three nights in the Park (27th, 28th, and 29th) or will have to leave early.  No rush if you're still figuring this out, but I do need to let the Park know on Friday, August 26 (the day we arrive in Millinocket), exactly how many people we have each night camping. If you still need to reserve your room for Friday night, please refer back to the previous post.

Some of us are really looking forward to hiking Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine. Please understand that this is not something you should commit to doing if you are physically unprepared.  For those who are interested, it is a strenuous hike with an incredible reward at the top.  I encourage you to start training if you haven't already!

Please familiarize yourself with the Baxter State Park rules and regulations.  Here are some highlights: No soap of any kind within 200 feet of a water source, no pets, and no outside firewood. Carry out all trash.  Generally, "Leave No Trace."  I, for one, will definitely plan to take a nice long shower on Friday night at the hotel, and then will braid my hair for the weekend.  We can go swimming after our hikes in lieu of a shower!

As I mentioned earlier, I will be emailing out a rough and optional itinerary for certain activities that you can print ahead of time since we won't have cell service to get in touch with each other.
I also have two more blog posts planned for the week before we go: a packing checklist and a meal planning tips & ideas post.  If you have any ideas or suggestions to share for these, let me know and I will be happy to include them.  If you're intimidated by the idea of meal planning or packing for this trip, do not worry because these posts will have you covered!