Rough Camping & Survival Tips

F. Vaccaro · Mar 29, 2026

That steel coffee cup will burn your lips right off your face.

pilar · Mar 29, 2026

Try some pan de campo ( bread )

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup lard or vegetable shortening (or 1/4 cup shortening + 1/4 cup oil)
3/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk (plus more if needed)
Optional: 1 tbsp melted butter (for brushing)

Instructions

Prep: Preheat your oven or Dutch oven to 375-400°F. Generously grease a 10-12 inch Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet.
Mix: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Cut Fat: Cut in the lard/shortening using a pastry cutter or fingers until the mixture resembles coarse peas.
Add Liquid: Gradually stir in milk until a tacky dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.
Knead & Shape: Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently for 1-2 minutes. Roll or flatten into a circle about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake: Place dough in the hot skillet, prick with a fork, and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Finish: Brush with melted butter, let it cool slightly, then cut into wedges

Campfire Instructions
Use a shovel to place the Dutch oven over a small bed of coals, placing many coals on the lid for 10-15 minutes, flipping once if needed for even cooking

We ate this almost every couple days when my uncle and I were caribou hunting.
That and cowboy coffee, we used my coffee kettle to purify our water also ( two purposes kettle)

It’s not survival mode but comfort mode on a regular hunting trip

HankBuck · Mar 29, 2026

pilar said:
Try some pan de campo ( bread )

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup lard or vegetable shortening (or 1/4 cup shortening + 1/4 cup oil)

3/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk (plus more if needed)

Optional: 1 tbsp melted butter (for brushing)

Instructions

Prep: Preheat your oven or Dutch oven to 375-400°F. Generously grease a 10-12 inch Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet.

Mix: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Cut Fat: Cut in the lard/shortening using a pastry cutter or fingers until the mixture resembles coarse peas.

Add Liquid: Gradually stir in milk until a tacky dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.

Knead & Shape: Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently for 1-2 minutes. Roll or flatten into a circle about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake: Place dough in the hot skillet, prick with a fork, and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Finish: Brush with melted butter, let it cool slightly, then cut into wedges

Campfire Instructions
Use a shovel to place the Dutch oven over a small bed of coals, placing many coals on the lid for 10-15 minutes, flipping once if needed for even cooking

We ate this almost every couple days when my uncle and I were caribou hunting.
That and cowboy coffee, we used my coffee kettle to purify our water also ( two purposes kettle)

It’s not survival mode but comfort mode on a regular hunting trip
View attachment 755985

@pilar - your recipe sounds great but I’m a Backpacker and just did a short 2 days/1 night on Appalachian Trail “Rollercoaster” section — can’t see carrying the weight required to cook that meal…the Dutch Oven alone would weigh close to my Pack.

CoElkHunter · Mar 29, 2026

HankBuck said:
@pilar - your recipe sounds great but I’m a Backpacker and just did a short 2 days/1 night on Appalachian Trail “Rollercoaster” section — can’t see carrying the weight required to cook that meal…the Dutch Oven alone would weigh close to my Pack.

Yes, you need to pack the old reliable flour tortillas with a couple of cans of mustard sardines so you can have mustard sardine burritos. They don’t weigh much. LOL

pilar · Mar 29, 2026

CoElkHunter said:
Yes, you need to pack the old reliable flour tortillas with a couple of cans of mustard sardines so you can have mustard sardine burritos. They don’t weigh much. LOL

Freeze dried oysters, Limburg cheese and tortillas makes a great addition too sardine burritos as a change up

observe · Apr 9, 2026

Africa's two 'survival' knives....

These two dirt cheap knives have truly tamed Africa!

The big bladed Sugar cane Machete [Called a Panga over here], and the Okapi pocket knife.
They have skinned and processed more wild- and domestic animals, build shelters, also [drunkenly] killed more humans , as well as being EDC more than the 10 next brand name knives put together!

The multi-purposed big and flat pointed 'panga', is also the go-to big blade for hiking, camping, 'survival', bush crafting etc. over here, and much preferred above an axe.
[The big wood chopping axe -if available- stay home.]
The RSA sugar cane flat pointed big knife [called a panga over here], as well as the original 'Okapi' pocket knife existed LONG before Lynn and Cold Steel ever seen the light of day!
[And I today own 16 x all different type of CS knives, and even hunt Warthog walk-and-stalk with my big Cold Steel Boar spear....!]
The shown Okapi is the original [old] traditional pocket knife made and used here in RSA, and the CS Kudu a good CS copy, but years later!
The next 10 brand-names pocket knives that had TOGETHER skin and processed less domestic [cattle, sheep, pigs chickens etc.] as well as wild animals [eg Impala, Kudu, Eland, crocodile, Gemsbuck etc.]--than the Okapi over HERE , are still true!
The traditional 'old' flat 'pointed' 'panga' that are commonly used over here, are now locally made by 'Lasher', and even Cold Steel these days made good copies.
The multi-purpose 'hook' on the tip of the panga is also used to help with the handling of the dangerous thorn-bushes over here when clearing ground or building a quick shelter [Boma] in the bush etc.

As can be seen, the thorn-bush's thorns are something fierce, and protecting your hands by having an 'extension' in handling them, [panga hook], is a winner!

Originally the sugar cane knife with the hook was used to harvest sugar cane in plantations.
The hook not only helps you to gather the cut sugarcane in bundles for transportation, but it also protects you from the numerous poisonous snakes [eg Black Mamba's and Cobra's] living by the 100's in these sugar cane fields [rodents etc. for food].
You now don't need to pick up the cut sugarcane by hand where the snakes are [unseen] on the ground, but hook it up with your panga!
Also the hook of the panga help you in removing hot utensils from the fire!
NO, a Bowie, Kukri or an Ax are NOT a good replacement for the Panga over here, [though a [folding] saw is] though excelled tools in their own right, but for a different environment! ------see my Cold Steel shovel picture above----horses for courses!

I have even used my panga 'survival' knife to cook a fish on the coals!

I also used my multy-purpose panga to bake bread on the coals!

It is very interesting to hear and see other like minded people's ideas, very far removed from here, and what work for you on a different continent or habitat!