The Campout Cookbook Review – An Outdoor Recipe Book for the Culinary Adventurous!
Looking for a last minute present for the Outdoor Lover in your life? Check out this Campout Cookbook Review. A highly recommended Christmas gift idea!
Many outdoor enthusiasts rely on two tried and tested cooking techniques:
- Open tin, pour contents into pan, heat, eat
- Open packet, pour contents into pan, add water, bring to boil, eat
If this is your outdoor lover, they are badly in need of a copy of the Campout Cookbook.
If they still haven’t yet managed all of the above steps, and are still at “Open tin, eat with spoon”, then perhaps it’s a bit aspirational, but worth a try…
Much More than just a Cookbook
The first thing that has to be said in this Campout Cookbook review, is that it’s much more than just a recipe book.
It’s more like the Ultimate Guide to Glamping. The book covers every aspect necessary for optimising your next trip to the great outdoors. From tips for packing the car, scoping out the best campsite spots, keeping food cool, making fires. It’s even got ideas for games to play in the car to keep the kids entertained!
Note that the book is primarily for car and van camping. It’s unlikely that you’ll take the necessary ingredients and equipment to knock up a pizza while hiking the Appalachian Trail.
That said, even if your outdoor lover is vehemently opposed to the idea of fun and comfort, they’ll still benefit from the chapter on trail snacks… Also, at no point does it cover hygiene so it shouldn’t offend their deepest fundamental beliefs.
Good Looking and Funny
No sadly, we’re not talking about your outdoor lover, but the Campout Cookbook itself.
It’s a really beautifully made book, with a beautifully embossed, highly tactile cover, and gorgeous illustrations on every page.
The book is also extremely well written, with a great sense of humour. It’s definitely the type of book to leave lying around on the coffee table.
It will fascinate and amuse visitors, whilst giving them the impression your outdoor lover is a master of the woods and fine cuisine (Even if in reality they subsist on cold beans and trail mix).
Challenging but Achievable
After an initial glance at the recipes with their elaborate names, I thought:
“Ah, nice looking book, but I’m probably never actually going to make any of the recipes”.
On closer inspection, however, all of the recipes are very doable. Yes, they take some extra effort and planning than opening a tin or packet, but they’re within reach of most of us.
They have a comprehensive list of camping cooking equipment divided into essentials and extras. Most should have the essentials at home already, even if they’re not part of the regular camping kit.
The exception might be the Cast Iron Dutch Oven, but I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s worth investing in after seeing the recipes!
The Campout Cookbook Review
All in all, I’d have to give the Campout Cookbook 5 Stars. It’s a great Christmas gift for an outdoor foody
I received it as a gift myself, and was very happy. I’m sure I’ll certainly gift a copy to someone else in the future.
A good choice not only for outdoor lovers that need to learn to cook, but also gourmets that want to learn about the outdoors.
The book does a really good job of covering the fundamentals of camping and outdoor cooking. It’s much more of an all round guide than the title belies.
Order your copy now and if you’re lucky it might even arrive in time for Christmas!
