How to Store Eggs for Camping? [Useful Tips]

Eggs should be a part of everyone’s diet. When campers or hikers plan longer or more demanding trips, eggs are an essential part of the food they take. Since eggs are a great source of protein, they are beneficial for hikers and campers and can make them more energized.

While there is no doubt that you can take eggs with you on all kinds of trips, you might not know the proper ways to store them.

In today’s guide, I will give you clear instructions on all types of eggs you can take on camping trips, how to store the eggs, and when you should eat them to avoid them going bad. If that piques your interest, I urge you to keep reading!

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eggs on camping breakfast

How Do I Store Eggs While Camping?

If you decide to take eggs camping, you will need to store them well. Especially if you are planning on taking raw eggs with you. It will take nothing short of the best storage method to keep them from breaking.

If you decide to go with raw eggs, there are several things you can do. For example, you can use a plastic bottle or a ziplock bag to put the eggs in. With the plastic bottle, you will need to stack the eggs nicely so that they do not break. For the ziplock bag, you will need to crack them, remove the peels, and freeze the actual eggs with the bag. Then take them out of the freezer right before leaving for the trip.

Remember that you need a pan or something and a campfire to cook raw eggs on. If you are not allowed to have a campfire at your campsite, it would be better to go with cooked eggs. Hard-boiled eggs or powdered eggs are two of the best alternatives to consider. Powdered eggs are the best option because they can last quite a while, whereas you will need to eat boiled eggs within a couple of days of cooking them.

As you can see, there are many things to consider before setting off on a camping trip. You can always choose not to take eggs, but they are so delicious and full of protein that I recommend taking at least a couple. To learn more about the storage and preparation of eggs for camping, keep reading!

How to Prepare Eggs for Camping?

There are several ways you can prepare your eggs for a camping trip. The first thing you should think about is whether you want to take them raw or not. Depending on what you decide, you can go with one of the recommended preparation methods.

Raw Eggs

Let’s start with raw eggs. The options are to take them as they are or freeze the actual egg and take it like that. If you decide to take the whole egg with the peel, you need to store it in a container or case. This is to protect the egg from breaking during the trip.

You can use any container that fits the eggs. Place the eggs so that they are stacked either on top of one another or next. Then, fill the rest of the space with saltwater or rice – both work great for absorbing shocks.

Cooked Eggs

Cooked eggs are easier to transport. Undercooked eggs, I mean hard-boiled ones, as they are best for camping trips. They do not need to stay in the cold for long, while you can also eat them within a couple of days of cooking them.

If you go with hard-boiled eggs, you can choose to store them with or without their peels. It depends on your preference. If you decide to peel them, wait until they cool down to allow them to peel more easily. Also, putting some salt in the water while boiling them can help peel.

Powdered Eggs

Powdered eggs are another excellent alternative to raw eggs, but they do not taste nearly as good as actual eggs. I recommend them for a camping trip because you do not need to prepare them for the journey. You only take the container of powdered eggs as it is and cook them on the actual campsite.

If you decide to prepare such eggs before leaving for the trip, you can always store them in an air-tight container. Still, since the preparation of these eggs is not that demanding, you can always do that at the campsite.

How Long Do Eggs Last when Camping?

As you must know, eggs need to be stored in a cool, dry place at all times. When home, you would keep them in a freezer. But when you go on a camping trip, you might not have a freezer that you can use.

In that case, you need to know how long the eggs will last. After some time, they can go bad, and there might even be bacterial growth on them. If you want to avoid food poisoning, you need to use the eggs before this day comes. Otherwise, you risk getting food poisoning.

So, this is what you need to know. Raw eggs will stay good for about a month if you keep them in a cool place. Otherwise, you need to consume them within a couple of days. The same goes for boiled eggs, which could stay good for a week if you keep them in a cool place. Otherwise, you should eat them within a couple of days of cooking them.

When it comes to powdered eggs, there is a different story. Their expiry date is as long as ten years since being produced. That is quite a long time – it even means that you can take them on those long hikes that last a couple of months!

With this in mind, you can decide how long it is before the eggs go bad, and you need to throw them away. Do not take any chances – if you suspect they have gone bad, throw them out immediately. You do not want to put your health at risk.

If you plan to camp in a random spot, consider taking a small camping freezer. If you do not have one and cannot invest in one, take only foods that do not need to stay in the cold. That way, you will be sure that you are not carrying something that will go bad before eating it.

How Long Do Eggs Last in a Water Bottle and How To Do It Safely?

You can also store eggs in a water bottle. This is so for both raw unpeeled, and peeled eggs. They would remain safe for eating anywhere from five to seven days.

There are bottles with wider openings that you can use for whole egg storage. You should put the eggs in the bottle one by one, stacking them on top of one another. Then, you can use salt water or rice to fill the rest of the space.

Put the cap on the bottle, then wrap it in a towel or sock, and you will be good to go. That is everything you need to do when storing whole eggs. For raw peeled eggs, there is another thing you should do.

You should put the eggs in the bottle – it can be a regular water bottle or one with a broader opening. What you do is crack them and put them directly in the bottle. Then, you can choose to freeze them, which is recommended if the trip is a few days removed. Otherwise, you can secure the bottle and leave it as it is.

Placing the cracked eggs in a water bottle will prevent them from spilling. If you remove the extra air from the bottle and secure it with the cap, you will keep them from going bad. It is a win-win situation in either case. So, if you do not like any of the other storage methods, I recommend that you use this one whenever you are getting ready for a new camping trip.

How to Take Eggs Backpacking?

There are several egg storage methods that you can use when going camping. In short, here they are:

Use a plastic bottle

This does not refer to a regular water bottle. There are bottles with a wider opening that can fit eggs in them. The storage method using such a bottle is given in the previous section, so you can go back and check that out if you decide to go with this storage method.

Use a ziplock bag

If you use a ziplock bag, you will need to freeze the eggs before the trip. You take the peels away and place the eggs only in the bag. Then, you put the bag in the freezer and keep it there until the moment you need to leave for the trip.

The ice will protect your eggs from going bad from the warmth. You can wait for them to unfreeze and then cook them and eat them.

Take an egg case or egg holder

Most eggs come in egg cases or holders when you get them from a store. You can use these egg cases or holders to take the eggs on a backpacking trip. Still, keep in mind that it is easy for the eggs to crack if you store them like this.

The best thing would be to wrap the entire egg case in a towel or clean woolen sock. This will provide extra protection as the towel or sock can absorb the shock.

Use a container

You can store eggs in a container, but you need to be mindful of how you arrange them. Make sure there is a little space between them as possible. After placing the eggs in the container, there is another thing to do.

Use some saltwater or uncooked rice to fill the void between the eggs. This will keep them from cracking during the trip. You can also wrap the container in a towel or garment to further protect it if you want to.

Take powdered eggs in standard packaging

Finally, you can use powdered eggs in their standard packaging. This package does not damage easily. If it is adequately sealed, you will not need to worry about it. If you have opened it before, you can use some wrapping to secure the seal and ensure the powder does not escape.

Wrap-Up

Powdered, boiled, or raw – no matter what egg you take on the camping trip, you are in for a tasty treat! Eggs are the perfect meal for any camping breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Be mindful of the storage and use the tips above to secure the eggs before using them.

Thank you for reading this guide. I hope you found the information helpful. If you know any other egg storage tips and tricks, please share them in the comments below!

Andrew Mullen

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