1. Instant rice – the 2 minute stuff in a sachet doesn’t have to be microwaved, in fact it doesn’t even need to be cooked so pop the bag in a pot, fill with water and boil for a while. The water can be used again and doesn’t even need to be potable.

2. Ham in a can is versatile, combine with rice and cheese for a risotto or with pasta and a sauce, or use for sandwiches. Will keep indefinitely without refrigeration.

3. Tinned tuna and salmon are another source of protein which doesn’t require refrigeration. Can of tuna, can of anchovies, some vegetables, a sachet of tomatoes paste is a nice pasta sauce or serve with rice or potatoes.

4. Asian packet sauces travel well and provide an endless selection of stir fry options. There noodles in the same range which work well too.

5. You can get meat “cryovaced” or vacuum packed at a butcher (and some supermarkets in the outback), the stated shelf life is then 3-4 weeks, but we found even after 2 months meat was fresh – we kept it lying on the block ice at the bottom of the ice box. This doesn’t even cost any extra.

6. Beer cans are much more compact to carry than beer bottles, lighter too.

7. Wine casks fit well in an cooler if you take the bladder out of the box – we found the 2l one’s easiest to handle this way.

8. Large blocks of ice (usually 4 or 5 litres) last a lot longer in an ice box than party (crushed) ice. In a 65 litre ice box I had 2 large blocks at the bottom and then a bag of party of ice to fill the gaps.

9. Rather than potato chips we found a lot of rice crackers or bread stick type products which don’t crush and travel well and are nice with dips with a beer.

10. Ground salt will clog in humid climates – buy a salt grinder complete with salt in the supermarket for a few dollars. If you like freshly ground pepper then you can buy a grinder with pepper as well.

Have you got any camp cooking tips to share – add comment below!