Cool Summer Camping Refreshments

There is nothing like a cool refreshment on a hot day. J ust look at the lines at the snow cone and shaved ice stands around town!  But what about cool refreshments when you're out camping?  Well, thanks to RVs and portable generators, you can have a variety of cool treats in camp.   If you have a freezer compartment in your RV fridge you can bring along Popsicles, which have been a summer favorite for generations.  You can make your own mini Popsicles in ice cube trays using your favorite flavor Kool Aid, sports drink, or other beverage and toothpicks.  Cool treats can be healthy if you choose carefully.  Smoothies and treats of frozen fruit juices or sports drinks don't have the calories that ice cream and commercial Popsicles have.   Frozen treats are a little harder to manage when tent camping, but with a really good ice chest, it is possible.  You can't freeze new ice cube treats, but you may be able to bring along some frozen goodies.

Cool refreshments are more than just nice to have:  they can be essential to your health as well as your comfort.  Dehydration and heat related illness are a real threat in hot weather.  Cool beverages are more appealing so you will probably drink more of them.  Proper cool refreshments can help regulate body temperature and help maintain liquids.  To help maintain electrolytes, make some ice cubes using sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade.

Snow cones.  We felt really luxurious when we first started making snow cones on our dirt bike outings to the Mojave Desert.  At first I just tried crushing the ice in a standard blender.  The results were passable, but would be more accurately describe as crushed ice cones,  They were pretty crunchy and left something (a lot, actually) to be desired.   I found an inexpensive portable snow cone maker on the Internet.  It uses its own specially shaped ice disks so I have to plan ahead, but the results are practically professional -- it produces a fluffy shaved ice "snow" that distributes the flavoring evenly and yields a texture that is a delight on the tongue.   I also found a Rival brand snow cone maker that used regular ice cubes or crushed ice.  I found several flavors of sno-cone syrups at a local restaurant supply store or you can make your own "syrup" using KoolAid or Jello.

Ice cream cones and sundaes are another long time summertime tradition.   And all the equipment you need is an ice cream scoop -- along with a freezer compartment in your fridge or an ice chest adequate to keep the ice cream frozen until you're ready to use it.   Because they're portable and require no cleanup (unless you drip!) ice cream cones are an ideal treat for camping.  You can choose between traditional "cake" cones or fancier "waffle" or sugar cones.  With a little searching you can find chocolate flavored waffle cones and cake cones that come in various festive colors besides the standard wheat color.  Sundaes are a little messier but if you loath doing dishes you can serve them in disposable bowls and use disposable plastic spoons.  Sundaes can be as simple or as elegant as you want them to be.  I was amused by a local ice cream store who offered a "Topless Sundae".  It consisted of two scoops of vanilla ice cream with a half a maraschino cherry on top of each scoop. More traditional sundaes include your favorite chocolate, butterscotch, cherry, strawberry, or caramel syrup plus nuts and whipped topping.  Or, for a really rich sundae, hot fudge!  Most ice cream "nut toppings" are mostly peanuts but, if anyone in your group has peanut allergy or if you just don't like peanuts, chopped almonds or cashews are also delicious.  (Almonds are MY favorite!)  Various forms of candy "sprinkles", including crushed candy bars add a sweet touch.   For the health-minded, real fruit makes a healthy and tasty topping too.   Sherbets offer a lighter alternative to ice cream and are often more refreshing since they have a crisper taste.  Home made ice cream is always a campground favorite.   You'll need a good recipe, an ice cream freezer, lots of ice and rock salt, and plenty of strong arms.   If you're short on strong arms but have power available you could use an electric ice cream maker, but wouldn't that be cheating?

Smoothies can provide a healthier hot weather alternative to ice cream treats.  They can be made with a variety of fruits and vegetables.  You can find many good recipes on the Internet, but the basic formula includes ice cream or yogurt, sliced or diced fruit(s) of your choice, ice cubes, and some liquid such as water, fruit juice, milk or soy milk.  You can add protein powder for extra energy.  Fruit can be fresh or frozen.  Need extra fiber?  Add a spoonful or two of your favorite fiber additive -- this a tasty way to disguise fiber supplements.  Just combine all the ingredients in your blender and run it until it is thoroughly mixed.  Leave the skin on fruits for added fiber and nutrition.  You don't need a special blender to make smoothies.  Any high speed kitchen blender will do.  Recipes do not have to be exact and you can make up your own using what you have on hand and whatever sounds good to you and flavor to taste.  The more liquid you add and the longer you blend your smoothie, the smoother and fluffier (and more liquid) it will be. If you prefer having a little ice to crunch on or like them thicker, use less liquid and blend it less. If it is TOO crunchy for your taste, blend it more. Leftover smoothies can be poured into an ice cube tray to make mini smoothie popsicles or can be re-blended for later.

Cool drinks.  Cool drinks of just about any kind are always welcome on a hot day.  Plain old water is one of the most refreshing -- and one of the healthiest.  Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade help replenish electrolytes that are lost through perspiration.  Cold soft drinks are tasty, but because of the high sweetener content in most of them, they have a lot of calories and are not the best at quenching your thirst.  Alcoholic drinks and caffeinated drinks like coffee and colas can contribute to dehydration so avoid them if you can or drink them only in moderation.   Fruit drinks can be a refreshing and fairly healthy source of hydration.  Lemonade is a traditional favorite -- jazz it up a bit with fresh strawberries or raspberries or mint leaves.  Or try limeade for a change. It is a bit tangier and crisper than lemonade and I find it more refreshing on a hot day.   It is especially good with slices of fresh lime in it.  Speaking of limes, try adding a slice of lime to your favorite lemon-lime soda or ginger ale.   Gives it an extra bit of tang that makes it especially tasty and refreshing.  Various summer punches can also be a refreshing alternative to sodas.  One of our favorites is a Cucumber Punch.  It is made with ginger ale, frozen limeade, and sliced cucumbers.  It is surprisingly tasty and refreshing.  I like to make it up in a washtub style container and ladle it over ice, making sure to include a cucumber slice in each glass.  A bit of green food coloring gives it extra character.  You might choose other colors to match holiday themes but green seems to suit the flavor.  There are a number of refreshing punches that can be made with clear sodas and sherbet.  A personal favorite of mine is 7-up and Raspberry sherbet. Y ou are limited only by your imagination, your budget, and your taste buds.  Iced drinks are very tempting and tasty, but are not necessarily the healthiest thing to drink when you're hot.  Many health nuts will recommend drinking room temperature water, but I don't particularly enjoy it myself.   Even the Bible criticizes that which is neither warm nor cold but is luke warm and is spewn out of the mouth.   And whatever you drink, don't guzzle!   Sipping a little a time will be better for you and avoid the stomach cramps that can come from drinking a lot of cold stuff when you're over heated.

Plain old water is actually one of the healthiest and most refreshing thing you can drink in hot weather.   Drink plenty of it.  Add a slice or wedge of lemon or lime to give it a little fresh, tangy feeling on your tongue.  Ice water is often a favorite on hot days but having it at room temperature is often thought to be healthier by some.  Cool tap water is a good compromise.   Don't wait until you are thirsty to start drinking.  By then you are already starting to get dehydrated.  Take a few swallows of water frequently throughout the day to stay hydrated and stave off thirst.  Many times, people who are getting dehydrated may feel hungry instead of thirsty.  Sedentary men in temperate climates need about 3 quarts of water a day.  Women need about 2 quarts. Your requirement will increase significantly with activity and with hot weather.   Wearing a "Camelbak" hydration pack or carrying a water bottle and sipping from it frequently is one of the best ways of staying hydrated.

RV refrigerators make having cold treats easy.  You'll need a good ice chest and plenty of ice to maintain cold treats for more than a day or two when tent camping.  I've seen ice chests that promise to keep things cold for up to 5 days.  Tests I've read about and personal experience say they actually work.  Of course the performance of any ice chest will depend on outside temperature, sun exposure,  length and frequency of opening, and how well you pre-cooled what you put in it.   Keep your ice chest in the shade as much as possible and limit opening it.  Don't drain off the melted water right away.  The cold water will continue to cool the interior of the ice chest for some time even after the ice has melted.   Both the ice and the water will be at 32 degrees until all the ice is gone.  If water is soaking the contents and it is necessary to drain some of it off, you might pour it over another ice chest or back over the one it came out of to cool the outside and postpone further heating of contents or use it to cool the bandanna around your neck or even to soak your shirt for extra cooling on a hot day.   If you have sufficient battery reserve you could use a 12-volt cooler instead of or in addition to an ice chest to keep things cool.

Bottoms up!