Camping on the Beach

Do we go to the beach, or do we go camping?  This is a dilemma that confounds families each year.  Well, why not do both?  This remedy has the benefits of both ideas without many of the drawbacks.  For instance, going to the beach can be expensive; a beach house with a view can cost a fortune.  For most people nowadays that’s a vacation killer right there.  But many State Parks can offer beach camping for well under $100 a night.  You can watch the sunrise if you’re at Myrtle Beach State Park, in South Carolina.  Or, you can watch the sunset if you’re at Asilomar State Beach in California. 

Sounds perfect, so let’s plan a trip:

• First you need to make sure that the State Park or beach allows camping on or at least near the beach.  I mentioned Myrtle Beach State Park above but I don’t think they allow you to camp on the beach, but Edisto Park does.  For all of South Carolina’s State beach info try here http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/waves-water/beaches.aspx
• A lot of the packing will be similar, bring your grill, sunscreen, etc (For ideas and instructions on how to pack for your trip go to grillopia.com).  But make sure that you also camp for beach activities like a boogey board or whatever you like doing.  Plus you need to bring a warm set of clothes you can keep in your tent because it can get cool at night, but you don’t want to bring a sweater along with you while you’re walking the beach on a hot summer day.
•  Make sure you put you tent far enough away from the shore that it will not get wet when high tide comes through.  You might want to camp close to a structure or something that can block the wind because sand can be a pain if the wind is kicking up a dust storm. 
• A very important rule is to bring a lot of WATER.  This is something you should always do while camping or going to the beach, but if you’re staying over night it is important because you might not have any water when you get there.  Or if you have been on some board walks like me you are stopped in your tracks when you see that they charge up to $5 for a bottle of water.  So bring your own bulk supply.  A sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade is good to bring along too, but you should still bring water.
• Make sure that you can park for free or at least a reasonable price overnight anywhere near your campsite.  There may be more camping and beach equipment then you need, so you will have to pack some of this in your car.  Camping and beach activates can be exhausting, and you don’t want your car to be too far away if you need something. 
• Last but definitely not least; your grill.  Bring your grill or camping stove with a well stocked cooler makes for a great camping experience.  If you can catch a fish from the ocean then the grill could be the component you need to have a story to tell for years to come. 

 

I hope this post was helpful. If so then drop us a line and sign up for our FREE Newsletter at Grillopia.com

Happy surfing and happy Camping

How long should I grill that…?

One of the biggest questions people have when it comes to grilling is “how long should I grill this ?” whether it be a Rib Eye, hamburgers, hot dogs, fish, or whatever? This post will answer just that. The question above is especially important when you’re talking about fish, chicken, and your run of the mill hamburgers. That’s because undercooking these meals can be bad for your health and really mess up your camping trip.  Out of the 3 foods above chicken is the most important to grill well, have you ever seen a restaurant that serves rare chicken?  I’ve been told that hot dogs also fall into this group but I have a hard time with that. I was eating hot dogs straight out the bag since I was 2; oh well eater beware.  Of course grilling a hot dog tastes better than a raw one (boiling does too for that matter). But I just don’t think it’s dangerous. Of course steak is another thing that can be grilled rare but you should be careful, medium and well done are a safer bet.

So let’s start with steak and the different types of steak. So how do you know when your steak or beef is ready?  You can tell by poking the meat; take the meat off with thongs if the grill is too hot to put you fingers around. A Well-Done Steak will be a little hard and darker than less prepared meat, and it should not be pink in the middle. A Medium Steak will be pink in the center and should give way a little when you touch it. For a Rare Steak it should be red in the center. The stake will be soft when you poke it but warm. There is rarer category where the steak is bloody and cool, but for myself, I wouldn’t eat it. Of course you could also buy a food thermometer and go by the directions on the meat but hey; to each his own.

 If you’re grilling hamburger you can give it about 10 to 15 minutes, but don’t flip it too much.  Wait 5 or 6 minutes and flip it once so you don’t’ open the top to your grill too much or take your food off the grate too much. The amount of time you grill fish depends on the size of the fish. Grill them for 5 minutes and then flip them and do this until you can flake them with a fork. Chicken is very import to grill thoroughly; you need to grill them until all the blood and juices are out and it’s no longer pink. If the chicken is a little burnt then it is better than being underdone. 

I hope this helps the next time you barbeque.

How to pack a motorcycle for camping

Griliput grill

When the average camper stuffs their car with their camping gear they would probably have a hard time believing that they could take a motorcycle camping. But in actuality taking a motorcycle forces you to enjoy nature more.

So you’re probably asking how in world you can camp without the use of a trunk. Here is how; and first let me say that I don’t have a motorcycle of my own but my friend Allen goes everywhere with his and I have spoken to other camping lovers who also love their motorcycles.

• The sleeping bag is important and if you’re camping in the south west you might needs just this. I used to live in New Mexico and it was great camping under the stars all night. One of my high school buddies who used to go camping with me visited a few years ago and we camped in the Shenandoah Valley here in Virginia. He thought I had gone soft using a tent, but after about the one hundred and fifty bug bites he was ready to come in.

• So for most of us a tent is also essential. But a sleeping bag and a tent can fit snug together and shouldn’t take up much room when they are they are tied tight.

• Now you know I’m all about the grill, and if I lived in a perfect world where I could go out camping with a motorcycle, then I would still have to bring my grill. This could cause a problem even for a portable grill if you don’t have one of those larger police looking motorcycles. A remedy for this could be motorcycle saddle bags that can be attached to the back of your bike. But if that’s not your style, then the Grilliput Stainless Steel Compact Barbeque Grill might be for you. I have a picture of the grill above; you can put the grill inside your sleeping bag before you roll it up and tie the grate on top of the sleeping bag or tent, so it doesn’t chip your paint. 

Let’s go over how you would use this:

• We already explained how to pack the Grilliput, now wrap your grilling tools in a towel and wrap the towel with rubber bands. When you pack your tent and sleeping bag next to each other there should be a small space in-between each other. Put your grilling tools there.
• The last thing you need is your tooth brush and toiletries.  They can be put in a small travel bag that you probably bring camping anyway. This can be placed above the grilling tools (its important to travel light with your grilling tools only the bare essentials, so that the tent and sleeping bag are still touching the motorcycle). 
• Now you can uses small straps to strap your camping gear tight.

• The Grilliput can be placed over your fire or you can use the Grilliput Compact Firebowl  which can be placed under the grate to heat your food.  Both are very well made, but it is a loner grill.  Meaning it doesn’t hold much food, but then again a motorcycle doesn’t hold many people either.

 

Try this out and let me know how it works.

P.S. Happy camping

P.P.S. If you want to learn more about camping with a motorcycle http://www.bikercamps.com/ is a good recourse

The famous Chicago Hot Dog

I finally got someone to send in a recipe on the Grillopia Community Recipes page. So with that said John of Woodbridge Virginia won with his great hot dog recipe. Thanks John, seems very similar to a Chicago Dog. You can see John’s recipe below.

• Hot Dogs
• Hot Dog Buns
• Tomatoes
• Pepperoni Peppers
• Onions chopped

1. Slice the tomato and then cut the slices in half, then chop the onion into small pieces
2. Directly grill the Hot Dogs for about 5 minutes on medium heat, and grill the buns for 1 minute.
3. Place the hot dog into the bun and the tomato slices into each side of the hot dog
4. Put the pepperoni in between the tomatoes and the hot dog
5. Sprinkle the onions on top
6. Spread any condiment you want on the hot dog

If you want to represent you city, and you have a recipe that can be used on a camping trip then e-mail it to us at communityrecipes@grillopia.com

An uneasy trend is forming

Smokey Mountains

I I read a statement coming out of Merryville Tennessee that confused me. WREG in Memphis Tennessee reported that “Park spokesman Bob Miller said the tastes of the camping public have been changing, with an aging demographic”. The story was about how camping in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park has declined by 20% since 2000 which is a trend that is spreading through National Parks all over the country. It confused me because I wrote a post on this blog that companies like Anorak who sale camping supplies are doing very well in this bear economy. You know a bizarre circumstance has spawned when the purchase of camping accessories and supplies are up, but camping itself is down. It was epically strange because the reason camping is down is due to less young people camping but the reason companies like Anorak are doing well is because they are catering to the taste of young people. Bob Miller went on to say “Older people are less prone to maybe rough it and sleep on the ground and tend to be more prosperous,” he said. “Now that the kids are raised, they can afford to stay in motels or they can stay in an RV.” So older people are in RV’s and young people aren’t camping at all. I camped in an RV a couple times, I had a good time and if that’s your bag thats great and I hope you enjoy camping that way. But I feel bad about this trend; because camping is something I think everyone can benefit from. Our tax dollars pay for our National Parks so you might as well take advantage of a cheep way to vacation. It’s a good investment on our tax dollars too, trust me. Camping can alleviate stress and improve your health if you have the right perspective during your trip. In addition it saves American a lot of money because it is relatively cheaper than other forms of vacationing.

I’ve camped the Great Smokey Mountains National Park when I was 14 or 15 years old with my parents. It was a 2 week trip my family took there as well as Gallatin, Tennessee and Cherokee, North Carolina. It’s beautiful, imagine waking up waking out of your tent and standing hundreds of feet above the ground but only being able to see about 30 due to the smoky looking landscape that region of the Application Mountains are known for. Then seeing a hawk moving the smoke around its wings as he glides directly over it.  Not to mention the freshness of the air and the lack of artificial noise. When I say artificial noise I’m talking especially about that noise you hear when you think things are quiet. When you’re out there you suddenly realize that there is no refrigerator running, there are no cars driving by. The silence is deafening, and it gives you chills. Trust me I’m not saying people should forgo technology; I think technology is our friend. I get to meet a lot of people who I would not normally get to meet in person because of technology, and it brings us other convinces that we don’t even think about. But it’s good to take a break, not just from your job and bosses, but to simplify your life. Not every trip I take is a camping trip either but the next time you’re planning a family vacation or wondering what you want to do this weekend. Think about keeping it simple. Think about camping.

I used the McCormick Grill Mate this weekend

As some of you may know my wife and I got our first addition to the family in May. Our daughter Sumayyah, has brought us a home of love, hugs, kisses, and sleep deprivation. It’s been great. But right now she has made camping a luxury we can’t afford, and seeing as I don’t know when that luxury will come back anytime soon, this blog will concentrate largely on grilling. I got a 3 day weekend this week and my weekend allowed me to get some great Grilling done. I was able to make some great BBQ chicken and marinade the chicken with something I have used for awhile called McCormick Grill Mate. The Grill Mate mix is great for campers who don’t have a lot of ingredients to work with. The comforts of home allowed me to use a glass bowl and a refrigerator to marinate the chicken, but when I go camping I use a few plastic bags and a cooler. So let me go over both ways to marinade your chicken using the McCormick Grill Mates.
You will need the Grill Mate flavor of your choice; I like Hickory BBQ and Zesty Herb;
2 to 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 to 3 tbsp of white vinegar
1/3 cup of water,
(The ingredients will be on the back of the Grill Mate bag)
You can also apply any kinds of spices you like; but I think Worcestershire sauce is a must, and when I use any BBQ flavor I like to add honey.
Now if you’re at home like I was this weekend you can use a glass pan and apply the Grill Mate mix with the vegetable oil, white vinegar, and 1/3 cup of water. I like a little cayenne pepper, oregano, and pepper. Add your chicken afterwards and flip it a few times to make sure the whole chicken is marinated. This will get a little messy. Grill Mate states that it serves about 2 lbs of meat but I have always been able to do twice this amount with sauce to spare.
If you’re camping then you need to use some plastic bags and a cooler. Get 3 plastic bags like you would find at the supermarket (I tipple bag it so the sauce doesn’t leak). Put the same ingredients you put in the glass pan into the bag. Flip the chicken several times and make sure it’s immersed in the sauce. Push the air out and then tie it tight, after you do that put it in your cooler. Both ways of marinating the meat are messy but the plastic bags are even more so. Make sure you have short sleeves or roll them up high because sauces gets on the side of the bag and that can get on your arm. There is no harm in licking the marinade off your fingers, I like to do that but then I have also have a napkin or a wipe near by. You don’t want to attract ants and other bugs to your fingers.
Your chicken will be ready to grill in 15-30 minutes, but I like to marinade them a little longer so the chicken can get softer and fully absorb the sauce. While your grill is preheating sprinkle some salt onto your chicken. Wait until the end so is doesn’t dilute in the marinade. When you get your grill ready grill each side for 3 minutes and keep flipping the meat until there done. But when it comes to Chicken it is better to make sure you grill them toughly. I actually like it when it’s a little charred. Actually I like it a lot charred but that’s just me.

I hope my weekend experience was helpful, Ill try to get some pictures on the blog in the next few days.

As Always, Happy Camping,