Who cooks most when camping? Who is the chef when you are having a barbeque?

Traditionally that right goes to the man. It’s not that we think we are better cooks, as it turns out, it’s the only time most ladies allow us to put on our manly aprons and show off our culinary expertise!

Contrary to some beliefs men can cook. Or dare I say, we want to cook more of the foods we crave. Virile souls, you have come to the right place!

Welcome to Coles (coals) Cuisine! The place where you can get some tips (steak preferably) for cooking on an open flame, embers, charcoal, propane, or other types of heat transference to food. Here we can hang out, help each other, and maybe even learn how to cook more manly without seeming superior at the grill to our ladies. Sometimes a man just needs to cook an awesome meal to show our gals that we can provide for them in a non-invasive way (we won’t “steal the kitchen”), so they may appreciate our efforts and (hopefully) enjoy a camp or home cooked meal. Once you give your woman a good reason to go out into the woods guys, she will (probably) want to go camping with you much more often! And hey, it might just be a win, win for us!

Besides, what better way can you show your appreciation for all that your woman does for you? You can take this time and be the one doing everything (you would be anyway if you camped alone). Make camping fun again, or as comfortable for her as possible! Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Well, let me ask this. “What is sex on a camping trip like?” Simple answer (explicit warning) “It’s fucking in tents!” (intense for those who just saw something fly over your head). Either way, Um, win, win!

With these thoughts in mind, I bring to you Coles Camping Cuisine! Here we will learn (or be reminded) how to cook on an open fire, camp stove (wood or gas), grill (either charcoal or propane). And yes, we will even be learning how to cook for her at home! (GHASP!). We will also be learning (I say we because some of these things even I haven’t done before!) how to cook dehydrated and/or freeze-dried foods, canned food, preprepared meals, yard greens, tree bark, wild plants, and (dare we try this) bugs. There will be many of the “normal” meals planned as well for those with weak stomachs such as “hobo” meals, warming up food from home (first night or novice camp chefs), and (the foremost in camp grub) STEAK! With sides of course! What is the best way to prepare a steak? Medium rare is the key, anything more than medium isn’t tolerated here! (Sorry dry, burnt and flavorless steak lovers). Besides, why would you purposefully be miserable eating dry flavorless camp food while hiking, biking, paddling, or camping. Relax, eat real food, and enjoy the exhilarating feeling you get from being “one with nature?”

As with all other aspects of Skinny’s website, this section is still in development (awaiting the studio completion). With each passing day, I am hopeful that this spring (2025) will bring forth the desired outcome we shall soon become accustomed to. Outdoors with Skinny! Cooking with Coles! This section shall be a fundamental and encompassing aspect for a comfortable and rewarding adventure out into the wilderness!

Here we will also learn some of the “best” foods to take on a camping trip. I say best, yet everyone has preferences for what they eat. Ultimately, you are the one packing and eating your own menu. What I will do is introduce you to foods that are high in protein, carbs, and fiber. This combination is meant to keep your muscles fueled and healing faster, keep your gut happy and more regular, and add in some sugars for the “pick me up” that most people need out on the trail, water, or road. The foods prepared on this channel will be dehydrated (that we produce ourselves, so get a dehydrator), freeze dried (prepackaged storebought meals), seasonings (you should have most of these on hand) to make them more palatable, and how to pack them whether it be in a backpack, bikepack, canoe / kayak, or automobile.

The information presented here isn’t groundbreakingly new. In fact, you can even buy the books I will be using to create this experience! (I am not an endorser for these books, I use bits of information from several sources in the videos.) All I am doing is taking ideas from multiple sources and presenting them to you via video and urge you to give it a “hands on” experience. So, before anyone pipes up and says, “I just read something like that the other day!”. Just remember, you have the ability to do what I am doing as well!

Kick back, grab a brew (also used in cooking), fire up the stove (I will be using a propane stovetop for “home” cooking), and prepare for an experience few have ever seen! (Not really, I like the build-up). Here is a list of some of the things Cole will be cooking up sometime this spring. Dehydrated food and how to use them on the trail, prepackaged meals- when to use them and what to add to them for better tasting grub (if you are like me, prepared meals have a “taste” to them, you know…), canned foods (it’s amazing what you can do with a few cans of food!) Don’t forget the steak! Oh, yes, the steak along with sides of baked potato, slaw, and beans! No cheating, all these will be prepared by you for yourself, her, and others.

The “tools” we will need for this cooking endeavor are as follows, but are not limited to; Camping cookware set (you pick, as long as it is a full cook set), plastic utensils (spatula, spoon, knife, spork), cast iron cookware, stainless steel cookware, prep bowls of many sizes and types, a good cooler (for glamping and car camping), plastic plates and “silverware”, water sourced “on the trail” (think LifeStraw or Katadyn water filtration systems), various ways of packing for your trip (backpacks and car trunks mainly), along with a host of other “essential” items you may already have at home or in the kitchen.