Most of us prefer eating eggs for breakfast. So, why not take them on a camping trip?
Yes, a classic campfire breakfast works best with any cooked eggs. No matter if you prefer boiled whole eggs, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, or omelet – anyway, it is always a good option. So, your first one-million-dollar question is not how to cook eggs, but how to pack them for an outdoor adventure.
So, I am ready to share a few tips on how to pack eggs for camping trips.
How to pack eggs for a camping trip
As the eggs are fragile, their storage while traveling can turn into a real headache. So, when planning your next camping trip, you should keep in mind some essential points.
The first thing to decide is what kind of eggs you prefer to take camping. You can opt for whole eggs, pre-cracked eggs, and even powdered eggs as well!
This point is just up to your taste, but the further storage depends on the chosen kind of eggs.
Next, plan the packing of eggs. There are plenty of variants for any type of eggs you choose. However, the activities that you plan during the trip also matter. Be careful with whole raw eggs if you plan lots of physical activities. Keep them safe on top of the packed things in your backpack.
Always think of the egg freshness while camping. Yes, you can bring the eggs whole and safe, but the bad conditions can make them go off.
So, what to choose best? Here we are to focus on each kind of edible egg along with all their pros and cons.
How do you pack whole eggs for camping?
Whole eggs are the most convenient to pack for camping trips. However, there are lots of troubles when you carry whole raw eggs in the backpack. As they can crack easily, you should take care of the proper storage.
Don’t worry much about that, as you still have several ways to keep the whole eggs safe.
1. Water bottle
This is the most popular way to bring eggs for camping. A stiff plastic bottle with a wide mouth is good for keeping the whole eggs. Just ensure that the bottle mouth is wide enough so that you can get the eggs out easily.
Place as many whole eggs as you can inside the bottle. When you place them securely, fill the bottle with cold water up to the mouth. Then, close the water bottle firmly and make sure there are no leaks.
The cold water can keep the eggs fresh for a long time. If you need some extra insulation, you can pack the water bottle into the clean woolen sock.
If you have access to fresh and cold water during the trip, you can change the water in some time. This can help you to refrigerate the eggs regularly. If not, try to avoid warming and keep the bottle in a cooler.
2. Rice container
A good option for bringing eggs for camping is to place them into the rice container. You can protect the eggs inside because of the small gaps between the rice grains.
Add a 0.5 – 1 inch layer of rice to the bottom of your container. Then, place the eggs inside. After that, you should fill the remaining free space in the container with the rice grains.
The rice layer works as a cushion and protects the carrying eggs from any shock and damage.
3. Camping egg holder
If you don’t feel like doing any DIY stuff, then it is a good idea to buy a plastic bag that is called an egg holder. You can easily store about a dozen eggs inside without any extra measures like filling the container with rice or water.
In addition, its lid is closed securely, so you don’t need to worry about it. Just put the egg holder between your garments in the backpack!
4. Camping cooler
To keep the whole eggs safe, fresh, and cool during the entire trip, pack eggs into the camping cooler.
This package works in the same way for any other egg types, such as raw eggs, pre-cracked eggs, soft-boiled or hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs, and many others.
If you still don’t have a cooler, it is a good idea to get one for the next camping trip. In fact, it is the easiest way to pack eggs for camping!
Do eggs need to be refrigerated for camping?
Like any food product, it is important to keep the eggs fresh before you eat them. The problem is they are fragile and prone to grow bacteria very fast.
Even the least crack makes access for bacteria inside the egg. So, refrigeration facilities are the best way to keep the eggs safe and fresh. A frozen egg can stay fresh for a long time. The only drawback is that it is not convenient while you are traveling.
There are two ways to solve this problem. You can take dried eggs instead or fresh ones. Dehydrated eggs are much easier to store while camping. However, if you prefer fresh eggs, you can keep them in the camping cooler or the ice pack.
How long will eggs stay good in a cooler?
A camping cooler is nearly the best option for storing eggs when camping. The best temperature to store them in is about 40 °F or even lower. Thus, your camping cooler can easily provide the necessary conditions for the eggs.
As you can guess, a cooler is the best suitable for long camping trips, when you have to carry eggs for several days. It is the most convenient for a car camping trip, as you can keep the cooler inside your car, and don’t need to carry it everywhere in your backpack.
How do you preserve eggs without refrigeration?
Although having a cooler is one of the coolest options, this variant still can be not available for you. Planning your next outdoor adventure, you may opt for a hiking trip, and carrying the heavy cooler is not a good idea for that.
So, you may think of other variants of how to pack eggs for camping without refrigeration.
1. Choose the powdered eggs
The Egg Safety Center offers to buy dried eggs for camping, hiking, backpacking, and boating trips. As you can’t provide yourselves with any facilities to keep the eggs frozen, a good idea is to get some dried eggs.
Dried, or powdered eggs are available in supermarkets or sporting goods stores. Egg powder is extra easy to carry and store when camping.
To cook breakfast, just take the egg powder and rehydrate it with some purified water! A tablespoon of egg powder along with 2 tablespoons of pure water is equal to 2 whole eggs.
The main drawback of powdered eggs is the lack of taste. Unlike a whole egg, egg powder tastes much more poorly. However, it is still full of all the nutrients.
So, you have to choose between the easy and space-saving way to store eggs and tasty breakfast.
To carry powdered eggs, keep them dry and store them with some other dehydrated food. Place the egg powder in the airtight container and keep it away from humidity and direct sunlight.
2. Safe packaging
If the egg powder is not your cup of tea, take care of safe packaging for the whole eggs. The best way is to keep them in a sealed bottle or plastic bag. You may also wrap the whole tray or each egg separately for better storage. Use a paper towel or bubble wrap to keep your future breakfast safe and sound.
3. Keep the eggs pre-cracked
To minimize the risks, you may just pre-crack your eggs before the trip. You can store the yolk and the white separately, or put them together as scrambled eggs. They are easy to store in a water bottle.
This method has its pros and cons, and I will further focus on them in more detail. If you want to take pre-cracked eggs for camping, keep in mind that it works best with short trips or if you are going to consume them soon. As a variant, you may crack the eggs in the evening and eat them in the morning.
4. Mineral oil coating
One more effective way for both small and long trips is to cover the eggs with some mineral oil. The oil coating helps you to prolong the shelf life and keep the egg fresh. Just imagine that you can keep the eggs in mineral oil coating from 6 months to 1 year!
How to check if the eggs are edible?
There are some easy tips on how to check if the eggs are fresh and edible. To avoid any food poisoning during the camping trip, a good rule of thumb is to check eggs for freshness before you take them away.
What eggs are not edible?
- The eggs are leaking
- Their shell is cracked
- The eggs stuck to the carton package
Never consume the broken eggs, as they already contain lots of bacteria. Even if they seem to be whole but stick to the bottom of the egg carton container, it is an obvious sign of micro-cracks in the shell.
To crack or not to crack?
Pre-cracked eggs are a good choice for storing and cooking. You can save a lot of time, as the pre-cracked eggs are just ready for cooking! Moreover, it is an eco-friendly option, as you don’t need to dispose of the shells.
You can just keep the pre-cracked eggs in a water bottle. If you have a cooler, it is a good idea to keep the frozen eggs in this way.
You can keep the yolk and the white together as the scrambled eggs, or carry them in different bottles.
However, remember that pre-cracked eggs are more prone to go off. Getting out of the shell, the eggs start attracting bacteria and other microorganisms. The pH level in the egg is different while it is covered with a shell. However, scrambled eggs create a neutral pH balance that is good for bacteria to live in.
A good rule of thumb is to pack scrambled eggs in a well sealed bottle. Don’t forget that separate storage of the yolk and the white helps you to save the different pH levels.
A few more words about the egg world
- Farm-fresh eggs are better to pack safely than washed store-bought eggs. As you can keep them outside in indirect heat for several days, it is much longer than for washed store-bought eggs.
- Coat the eggs with a waxy material such as paraffin. This will prevent the bacteria from getting into the shell and prolong the shelf life of your eggs.
- If you have a cooler, you can keep the scrambled eggs frozen, and don’t be afraid of having gone off.
- Wrap the container or the water bottle with scrambled eggs with some paper towels. It will absorb the extra moisture and keep the eggs safe longer.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there are many easy, handy, and creative ways to pack eggs for camping. Just follow these smart tips, and you can get the best personal experience of keeping eggs fresh and safe during the whole trip!
Your Turn
Any other ideas on how you can pack eggs for camping? Looking forward to your comments below.
My name is Olivia Kellison. I have been camping with friends and on my own for a long time. For me, camping is a great way to escape everyday life’s chaos. I started this blog because I have always had a passion for the great outdoors, and here I am gladly sharing what I know with other outdoor enthusiasts. It does not matter whether you are an experienced adventurer, or just planning your first trip, my blog will be of great help to you.