It is no secret that eggs are one of the most popular and versatile types of camping food. No matter how you prefer to eat eggs, most travelers like to bring eggs camping. However, there is always a question before your next camping trip: what is the best way of packing eggs for camping?
Here is a simple guide on how to pack eggs for camping safely and conveniently.
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How to pack eggs for camping: a list of smart hacks
I can offer several different ways to pack eggs for camping trips.
The main ways of transporting eggs include these:
- Container-packed eggs
- Dehydrated eggs
- Frozen eggs
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Oil-coated eggs
- Powdered eggs
- Pre-cracked eggs
- Water bottle packed eggs
Among these methods, pre-cracking is the least safe one as the egg’s shelf life reduces a lot. In this case, eat the eggs as soon as possible. As for the other methods, all of them are safe if you follow all the proper tips.
4 smart ways to bring fresh eggs for camping
If you prefer to take whole raw eggs for a camping trip, there are a few options on how to pack them safely.
Bringing raw eggs along with their shells may sound a bit fiddly as you may worry about their security. However, bringing unbroken fresh eggs has a great benefit as well.
When stored in their shells, eggs have much higher chances of lasting longer than cracked eggs stored in a jar or another type of container.
Thus, store-bought eggs or farm-fresh eggs are the best option for a long camping trip.
Keep in mind that farm-fresh eggs are more likely to have a long shelf life than store-bought eggs. Besides, they have a more bright flavor. However, if you can’t get eggs from the farm, store-bought eggs are still a great option.
During the trip, you can cook the brought eggs as you prefer. No matter if you are a fan of hard-boiled or fried eggs, using some additions or side dishes, the choice is up to you!
Here are the main tips on how to pack whole eggs for camping.
#1. Container packing eggs
The simplest way to bring eggs for camping is to pack them in containers. It is both safe and practical if you know how to do it properly.
To prevent egg breakage, place eggs into the egg carton or egg holder. Then, pack them in an airtight container. Make sure that you choose a properly sealed container, so you will be on the safe side.
Instead of a regular egg carton, you can also opt for Doritos as a package variant. Unlike an unedible carton, you can consume Doritos afterward. Just don’t forget to wash the eggs thoroughly unless you have to discard all the Doritos packages!
Keep in mind that eggs have porous shells that are prone to accumulate and grow bacteria. As a result, the wrongly stored eggs can become a cause of poisoning.
To prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, keep your fresh eggs in a cool and dry place.
A popular option is to fill a mason jar with rice and place your eggs there. However, this variant may sound a bit bulky.
As a variant, you can also use bubble wrap to safely pack eggs while camping. Just wrap each egg carefully in a piece of bubble wrap, and place them in the airtight container. Now, you can transport whole eggs without any harm.
One more smart hack is to place a paper towel in the container. It will soften the inner surfaces so as not to crack the eggs inside, and absorb the excess moisture that can become a breeding ground for bacteria. If necessary, you can easily replace paper towels during the trip.
#2. Frozen eggs
If you can bring a cooler or a freezer pack with you, a good idea is to keep the eggs frozen during the camping trip! There is no better way to avoid harmful bacteria growth than keeping them at a temperature below 40°F.
You can fill food cooler boxes or freezer packs with ice to provide a secure package for eggs. If you have an insulated bag, you can also fill it with ice or freezer packs. Low temperature is a key point to prolong the shelf life of your eggs.
Keep in mind that pores in egg shells are prone to accumulate bacteria from water! A good tip is to place eggs into the egg cartons or holders to prevent them from contact with cold water from the container.
#3. Oil-coated eggs
A disputable point about farm fresh eggs is whether to wash them or not. Both these options have their pros and cons, that’s why it can be difficult to decide what to do better.
On the one hand, you don’t want to bring eggs along with chicken waste, so you will probably want to clean eggs before bringing them to your camping trip. On the other hand, farm-fresh eggs are naturally covered with a protective coating that you will break when washing eggs. As a result, washed eggs have a shorter life when are not stored correctly.
Thus, a brilliant idea is to coat the cleaned egg shell with a thin layer of mineral oil. This will help you to restore natural protection and keep your whole eggs fresh for a long time. Besides, this is a great way to harden the egg shell additionally so it will be less prone to break while traveling.
As well as mineral oils, you can use some other oils to protect whole eggs. Soybean oil or avocado oil are two more super options to coat eggs with.
#4. Water bottle packing eggs
Last but not least, a good way to pack eggs for camping is to submerge them in a plastic bottle that is filled with cold water.
For this hack, you need a wide-mouth water bottle so you can place eggs inside with no harm.
After you place eggs inside, fill the bottle with cold water and close the lid securely to prevent any water leaks.
The only drawback of this method is that you need to refresh the water regularly to keep eggs fresh and safe. If you do not have such a possibility during the trip, this is not a good idea to try.
3 safe ways to prepare eggs for camping
If you don’t feel like fussing about raw eggs, there are still a few alternative options for you. Pre-boiling eggs saves your cooking time and makes eggs easier to transport. For those who don’t mind taking powdered or dehydrated eggs camping, the problem of coolers and containers does not exist at all! You will save space in your backpack and won’t worry about cracking.
Choose the best variant that is up to you.
#1. Hard-boiled eggs
This is both a delicious breakfast and a handy way to take some eggs with you. Just boil them for 3-10 minutes to the desired consistency, and let them cool completely. Then, you can use a camping egg holder or a regular carton to bring the pre-cooked eggs with you. During the trip, you can eat the eggs as a snack or make some tasty salads.
To store boiled eggs safely, the temperature must be no higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. At higher temperatures, they have a much shorter shelf life.
#2. Dehydrated eggs
Sometimes dehydrated eggs are considered the same as powdered ones. However, they have some differences in texture and preparation methods. Besides, they weigh almost nothing and can last long during the whole camping trip. The only drawback is that dehydrated eggs have less flavor than regular fresh eggs.
All that you need is to pack this egg powder securely and bring it as camping food. When necessary, you can just add some water or milk to rehydrate and cook them! Rehydrated eggs fit perfectly for cooking omelets, french toast, fried eggs, or scrambled eggs if you wish.
#3. Powdered eggs
Taking powdered (or dried) eggs camping is one more great option for those who like to cook eggs quickly. Besides, it is a handy way to bring eggs camping without any worries about breaking them accidentally.
If you don’t mind your eggs scrambled, powdered eggs are your best bet!
Packing powdered eggs is insanely easy and convenient. No awkward packaging, no worries about their shelf life. Just take some powdered eggs with you and cook them with a bit of water or milk. Then, you can use this versatile mixture for cooking meat or veggie dishes or making French toast, just like with regular scrambled eggs.
Bringing eggs for camping: storage tips
No matter how you pack eggs for camping, there are still a few general hacks that you have to know when camping! Following these simple tips will help you to prolong the shelf life and provide security for your eggs.
#1. Take a water test
When packing for a camping trip, the main rule of thumb is to take only fresh eggs! To make sure that your eggs are really fresh, here is a simple water test that can answer your questions without cracking them.
Fill a bowl with moderately warm water, and let an egg float inside. While the egg sinks and keeps lying flat, it is fresh. However, other variants are not so optimistic.
If you can see the egg staying on the bottom with one side lifted, it is moderately fresh, which means that you should consume it as soon as possible.
Finally, when the egg floats on the water surface, it is a sure sign that it has gone off, so eating this egg is not safe for your health.
#2. Watch out for the egg shells
The second crucial point is to pack eggs without any damage to their shells. So, before you pack eggs for camping, don’t skip the double-checking step! Inspect them thoroughly to make sure they are undamaged, otherwise you can’t take them camping.
#3. Opt for the right packing method
Since your goal is to keep eggs fresh and safe, the next tip is to choose the correct method of packing eggs. For farm-fresh or store-bought eggs, the best option is to place them in airtight containers. Make sure that they won’t crack during the trip by using some bubble wrap.
The key point is to keep eggshells safe from cracks, so you can add some cold water or rice to the container.
Remember that refrigerated eggs last longer, so if you can provide freezing conditions for your camping food, this is your best bet. Adding some ice packs to the plastic container is a super hack unless it is too bulky for your whole package.
As for the egg powders, there are no specific tips so they are much easier to pack and store.
#4. Secure transporting
As you can guess, packing eggs safely is not enough. You have to make sure that you transport eggs safely so as not to crack them or let them go off.
Provide a dry and cool storage place while transporting eggs, so you won’t worry about your eggs going off.
Avoid keeping liquid eggs in a plastic bag for a long time, as pre-cracking eggs are the shortest way to grow bacteria. If you are going to consume pre-cracked eggs as soon as possible, keeping some in a plastic bag is okay.
Can you pre-mix eggs for camping?
Yes, pre-cracked eggs are a handy option to take for a camping trip. When you pre-mix eggs, you can take a few containers for a trip – a much more practical way than taking raw eggs camping! Besides, you can accent each container with multiple additions that are up to the campers’ tastes.
However, keep in mind that liquid eggs in the bottle require proper storage! If you don’t refrigerate and store eggs properly, they are prone to go off quickly. Wrong storage can boost bacterial growth, so you have a great risk of food poisoning.
Do you need to refrigerate eggs for camping?
There is no need to refrigerate eggs for your camping trip if you are going to consume them soon. If you can store eggs in powder form, they don’t need to be frozen to last long. In other cases, you have to keep your eggs cold to last long.
Final thoughts
There are multiple ways of storing eggs while traveling. Now, you are fully equipped with a pack of hacks for your next camping trip. Just grab some eggs the way you prefer, and you can enjoy your trip and meal!