Camping is a great way to get back to nature and spend some quality time with friends and family. If you’re going on a camping adventure and want to have your egg breakfast to fuel your day, knowing how to pack eggs for camping can be really useful.
Eggs are not an easy item to carry on trips, but with a little knowledge and practice, you can make your breakfast as tasty as at home. There are three ways you can pack and carry eggs for camping:
- Carry whole eggs in a secure container.
- Carry pre cracked eggs in a sealed bottle.
- Carry powdered eggs and rehydrate at the campsite.
Let’s explore each option and see how best we can carry each type of egg on camping trips without making a literal mess.
Carry whole eggs in a secure container
When it comes to freshness, this is your best option as you will be carrying whole uncracked eggs to your campsite and can have a fresh breakfast just like you do at home.
Carrying whole raw eggs pose two challenges:
- You have to keep the eggs at a temperature lower than 45 degrees F.
- You have to pack them securely so the eggshells don’t crack.
To keep the eggs cool and prevent possible breakage, you need to find a good cooler or try some DIY methods to keep them cool (some tips coming up below)
The other challenge is packing them securely, so they don’t move around in the car or while walking to your campsite. Here are three methods I have used to carry eggs on my camping trips.
1. Packing whole eggs in a water bottle
To pack whole eggs in a water bottle, you need a wide-mouth bottle (like this one from Nalgene). Make sure the bottle is stiff so that it can provide protection to the delicate eggs inside.
Fill the bottle with as many as you can fit inside. Depending on the diameter of the bottle, you can stack them on top of each other or place them side by side. Once the eggs are all placed securely, fill the bottle with cold water to the brim and securely close the cap.
The water will provide the necessary cushion to absorb the shocks as well as keep the eggs cool for long. If you want to prolong the shelf life, you can put the water bottle inside a woollen sock to provide some insulation.
If you have access to cold water at the campsite, you can change the water at intervals to refrigerate the eggs. If you use any of the eggs, make sure you top off the remaining volume with water.
2. Packing whole eggs in a rice container
This is another neat trick to carrying whole eggs on a camping trip. Instead of water, you pack your eggs inside a container and fill the container with rice. But why rice?
Rice doesn’t pack too close and has those small gaps between the grains that are really good at absorbing shocks. That’s why it will protect the eggs inside by absorbing the shocks from all sides.
A Danish cookie tin is ideal for carrying eggs with rice method. To securely pack your eggs using this method, follow the steps below
- Make a 0.5 – 1 inch layer of rice on the container bottom to provide some bottom padding.
- Place your eggs atop this layer in a way that there is some distance between adjacent eggs to be filled with rice later.
- Fill the remaining depth of the container with rice and securely close the lid.
The layer of rice on the top bottom and between the eggs provides a nice cushion and avoids any shock during transportation.
3. Packing whole eggs in camping egg holder
If you are not into the DIY stuff, you can order a plastic egg holder off of Amazon (link). It has a nice closed lid and will hold up to 12 eggs inside.
To provide an additional cushion, you can place the egg holder inside your backpack between layers of clothes to absorb any additional shocks.
- Camping egg carrier
- Virtually unbreakable plastic that won't crush
- Handles for easy carrying
- Unbreakable plastic construction
- Won't crush
- Handles for easy carrying
If you are carrying a camping cooler, you can keep your eggs inside so that they stay cool and fresh for the whole camping period. The cooler also provides additional protection against shocks.
Carry pre cracked eggs in a sealed bottle
There are many DIY methods of carrying precracked eggs to camping but I am not particularly fond of any of them because they are not really suitable for extended trips.
As soon as you break the eggshell, you contaminate the egg with a number of bacteria. These bacteria can cause many diseases like Salmonella and diarrhoea. You don’t want these nasty diseases during your outdoor trip away from any medical facility.
Also, when the yolk brokes and mixes with the white, it disturbs the overall pH level of the egg and makes it more neutral (yolk is acidic & white is Basic in nature). This more neutral mixture is ideal for bacterial growth.
If you don’t consume the cracked eggs in time, you risk spoiling the whole bottle.
This is a good idea for a short weekend trip only where you can carry a dozen eggs inside a small bottle without worrying about breaking anything. You can pre scramble eggs the night before caming.
Just make sure the bottle cap is tightly secured and the bottle is kept in a cool and dark place while camping.
If you have refrigeration or just a cooler with ice, it can prolong the freshness of your precracked eggs.
How long do pre cracked eggs last?
Pre cracked eggs are only good for 2 days if stored with care in an airtight container. You can extend the time a little by refrigerating it but that’s about it. If you are going on a long camping trip, this might not be the most viable option.
For long camping trips or backpacking powdered eggs are your best option (keep reading below).
Carry powdered eggs and rehydrate
Another option that’s growing in popularity, especially with backpackers is dehydrated and powdered scrambled eggs that can be used by simply adding water. This type of egg mix has evolved over the years and there are several brands available, including Mountain House.
They don’t taste the best, but if you are going on a long camping tour and cannot possibly carry either whole or precracked eggs, this is the next best thing to have in the breakfast. It is full of nutrition but doesn’t really have the taste of freshly scrambled eggs.
The powdered eggs are dehydrated eggs produced in the same way as powdered milk and other powdered goods. You’ll need to mix the powder solution with water before cooking particular recipes.
A tablespoon of the powdered camping eggs and two tablespoons of water may be used to make precisely what would come out if you whisked 2 whole eggs.
For home storage, you could store the powdered eggs along with other dehydrated foods like instant potatoes, beans and soups. You should keep them in tightly closed containers away from moisture and direct sunlight.
I also recommend carrying pre-cooked and vacuum sealed meals for camping to save both time and effort.
Conclusion
If you’re going to be camping and want a few tips on how to package eggs for your trip, this article should provide some helpful information.
The first step is to determine whether you’ll require only whole eggs or if cracked or dry eggs will work as well. For those who are packing whole eggs, it’s best to place them in an egg holder that has a closed lid so they can’t roll around while inside your backpack.
Precracked eggs can be carried in airtight bottles and refrigerated in a cooler. While dry powdered eggs can be used as well with a little compromise on taste.
I hope this blog will help you prepare better for your next camping trip and help you put eggs in a bag camping safely.
FAQs – How to carry eggs for camping?
How do you keep eggs fresh when camping?
Whole eggs remain fresh without much effort. Just place them in a cool and dark place away from direct sunlight. For pre-cracked eggs, you will have to use an airtight container and refrigerate it below 45 degrees F to retain the freshness for a couple of days.
Do eggs need to be refrigerated when camping?
Pre-cracked eggs definitely need refrigeration to last more than a few hours. For whole eggs, it is still a good idea to keep them refrigerated. If no refrigeration is available, you can keep them in cold water to retain the freshness.
How long do dehydrated eggs last?
Dehydrated eggs can last for up to 2 years. If you see carefully, there should be an expiry date written on the pack. If your pack is passed that date, it’s a good idea to throw it out and get a new pack.
Can you crack eggs ahead of time?
You can crack eggs ahead of time but you will have to seal the cracked eggs in an airtight container and use it within 24 – 48 hours.
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