Special Needs and Diet at camp

[Jrodrigues1278]

In another thread regarding fridge sizes the conversation led me to make a statement regarding my sons diet; which is really the very selective foods he will eat time to time for days, weeks, etc. Which got me thinking....

The parents of kids with special needs, does your child go through a time in which he/she will only eat a certain food or foods? For example, my son enjoys fruits, steaks, hamburgers, chicken, etc. All the stuff kids typically like.

BUT he also gets into these “moods” in which no matter what we make, he refuses to eat it. Defaulting to what I call his top 4; Elliot Pizza, Hotdogs, Turkey Bacon, and Fruit Loops”. Add the fact he is non verbal and can’t tell me what he wants because he gets so distracted he won’t even point. Even worse if he is Hangry!!!

With that being said, when your child gets into one of dietary moods at camp, how do you handle it? Like for instance Ellio’s pizza on a camp stove? How what where and why... I almost feel like I have to deal our air fryer and/or a toaster oven along just in case.

Am I overthinking this?

 

[CTDRC]

I don't think you're overthinking it. Because that's a potential trip ruiner if unaddressed. My boy gets specific, but he will also cave to his classics which are super easy, hor dog, pb and j, mac and cheese, and fried rice. All of which are easy to do out there.

I engineered a lot of comfort into my build, so, engineering a pizza solution for your boy makes sense to me too.

 

[Ubiety]

Am I overthinking this?

Nope, not at all. We make sure to work through the menus with Joel beforehand and allow him to make changes, etc. Taking all of the effort to get out to camp and then an issue with the food would be terrible!

 

[shadow images]

Food is one of the mainstay of overlanding. It gets hard when you have to deal with special diets but can be overcome with prep and thought. My wife's medical condition has lead her to be Gluten intolerant. It has effected not only the way we pack but what we pack.

In your case Coleman makes a propane oven and a fold up stove top oven ,but not sure what your setup is like and how much space you have.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

Food is one of the mainstay of overlanding. It gets hard when you have to deal with special diets but can be overcome with prep and thought. My wife's medical condition has lead her to be Gluten intolerant. It has effected not only the way we pack but what we pack.

In your case Coleman makes a propane oven and a fold up stove top oven ,but not sure what your setup is like and how much space you have.

My set up right now is very flexible as I am in the planning stage. I am going to need to look at these ovens. Thanks

 

[Ubiety]

Food is one of the mainstay of overlanding. It gets hard when you have to deal with special diets but can be overcome with prep and thought. My wife's medical condition has lead her to be Gluten intolerant. It has effected not only the way we pack but what we pack.

In your case Coleman makes a propane oven and a fold up stove top oven ,but not sure what your setup is like and how much space you have.

My wife is gluten free to help with inflammation. When she started it was tough to be gluten free, not many options and lots of bad tastes. This has changed a lot with better gluten free foods being developed. Gluten free used to be a hassle for our family but anymore it’s just how we do things, food choices are good enough and we are all well enough trained I guess. I will never get over the bags of corn chips proudly displaying that they are “gluten free”, yeah, you had me at corn ;)

@Jrodrigues1278 the camp ovens are large but a treat for sure! Ours gets the most use as a warmer while other parts of a meal are being prepared (bacon for instance). We have made cookies and cornbread in the past and fresh baked food camping is out of this world! Ours has a two burner stove on top so it is multi-function. It’s big and will put a dent in your available space though... We let a friend with big truck/canopy haul it...

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

@Greg Eigsti yea I saw one like that. My daughter would love to be able to bake at camp.

My hope/plan is to get a diesel Gladiator when realized. The 5’ bed has been the focus on my planning, the Jeep aspect is easy. I have been looking at caps and evan tray/canopy setups. Possibly a trailer down the road. It will be triple duty as daily/work/overland vehicle as a launch a business as well.

I have been set on a partner steel / cook partner; but this oven idea is super interesting. I am definitely going to think about this.

 

[Ubiety]

@Greg Eigsti yea I saw one like that. My daughter would love to be able to bake at camp.

My hope/plan is to get a diesel Gladiator when realized. The 5’ bed has been the focus on my planning, the Jeep aspect is easy. I have been looking at caps and evan tray/canopy setups. Possibly a trailer down the road. It will be triple duty as daily/work/overland vehicle as a launch a business as well.

I have been set on a partner steel / cook partner; but this oven idea is super interesting. I am definitely going to think about this.

Thanks for the pointer to "partner steel / cook partner" looks nice! We have had good luck with Camp Chef gear; the big griddle setup is nice.

A buddy at work has a Gladiator Rubicon and that has me thinking (I have a 17 JKU Rubicon); like you I am waiting on the diesel version. Gonna hurt the checkbook!!! Thought about taking advantage of a local pandemic Gladiator deal but @Heidi shut that down quickly and with prejudice ;) I can wait and I LOVE my JKU. My gladiator buddy is a bit frustrated and waiting for the roof/bed rack aftermarket to catch up and offer what he wants - probably won't be as big of an issue when the diesels are available.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

@Greg Eigsti have your buddy look at the RSI Smart Canopy or the Smart Tray and Canopy XL. Also there is the RLD design, Alu-Cab and I believe ARE is releasing one. Another tray/canopy is the the PCOR.

In that list is anywhere from 3K to 30K and every where in between.

Leitner, FabFours, and Nuthouse Industries have some nice racks if he doesn’t want a cap.

Like I mentioned before, the Jeep aspect I have covered it’s the overland part that is new to me. It’s crazy at the money we spend on our Jeeps.

 

[Ubiety]

@Greg Eigsti have your buddy look at the RSI Smart Canopy or the Smart Tray and Canopy XL. Also there is the RLD design, Alu-Cab and I believe ARE is releasing one. Another tray/canopy is the the PCOR.

In that list is anywhere from 3K to 30K and every where in between.

Leitner, FabFours, and Nuthouse Industries have some nice racks if he doesn’t want a cap.

Like I mentioned before, the Jeep aspect I have covered it’s the overland part that is new to me. It’s crazy at the money we spend on our Jeeps.

Thanks, will throw those names his way. He is a pretty smart cookie and has been tirelessly monitoring the space. He has very particular wants and I know that he has some acceptable prospects lined up but they are not yet in production. There has been a lack of hallway chit-chat lately so I'm not sure what he's up to on that front ;)

 

[Ubiety]

Like I mentioned before, the Jeep aspect I have covered it’s the overland part that is new to me. It’s crazy at the money we spend on our Jeeps.

Disabilities and special considerations aside - overlanding is what you make it, but it is just car camping at the core. Up to the individual to asses what makes sense for them. My JKU is my daily driver and I haul kids around so a full on Goose Gear conversion or long slides are out of the question. A good compromise is bins. I could spend close to a grand on a fridge that would not get used much - or I could use the coolers that we already own, are cheap to replace and do the job. Don't pay attention to the hype - just get out there and camp and do what works for you. Start with cheap, but sufficient, camping gear and learn what works and does not work from others.

By all means spend as much as you can on the Jeep :)

 

[Ubiety]

@Greg Eigsti have your buddy look at the RSI Smart Canopy or the Smart Tray and Canopy XL. Also there is the RLD design, Alu-Cab and I believe ARE is releasing one. Another tray/canopy is the the PCOR.

In that list is anywhere from 3K to 30K and every where in between.

Leitner, FabFours, and Nuthouse Industries have some nice racks if he doesn’t want a cap.

Like I mentioned before, the Jeep aspect I have covered it’s the overland part that is new to me. It’s crazy at the money we spend on our Jeeps.

This is what he is currently liking (and he thanks you for the suggestions)
Maximus-3 trifecta of rack solutions for the Jeep Gladiator
2019-2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland Access Rack With Side Gates, Incl. (4) 3 Inch ZROADZ LED Pod Lights - PN #Z834101

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

This is what he is currently liking (and he thanks you for the suggestions)
Maximus-3 trifecta of rack solutions for the Jeep Gladiator
2019-2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland Access Rack With Side Gates, Incl. (4) 3 Inch ZROADZ LED Pod Lights - PN #Z834101

Yea I am trying be sensible on the overland gear and to see what works for us.

Haha I am on the same forum ... the Maximus looks great this Coronavirus stuff has them delayed. The other one I had not seen yet. Thanks!

 

[Baipin]

Dietary restrictions is one of the things that led me to overlanding, actually. I have some pretty nasty allergies; the life-threatening kind. Anaphylactic (deadly) to peanuts, nuts, shellfish, some fish, and kiwi. Sensitivities to a lot of tropical fruits.

Staying in hotels, eating at restuarants I'm not already familiar with, can be pretty dicey. To put it one way; I feel more comfortable knowing what foods I can eat, knowing what ingredients are okay, and sticking to those, rather than avoiding certain foods and assuming I'm okay with everything else.

I like to travel, I like to far flung places off the beaten path, and I can't always guarantee they'll have everything I need to eat, wherever I go. I put a lot of emphasis on food storage and my kitchen build, with my Subaru. It's worked out really well so far. If you design your trips and your rig with these sorts of requirements in mind, I'd say you have a chance of making overlanding the best "style" of travel out there if you've got dietary restrictions, because so much can be done on your terms, without reliance on others.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

Dietary restrictions is one of the things that led me to overlanding, actually. I have some pretty nasty allergies; the life-threatening kind. Anaphylactic (deadly) to peanuts, nuts, shellfish, some fish, and kiwi. Sensitivities to a lot of tropical fruits.

Staying in hotels, eating at restuarants I'm not already familiar with, can be pretty dicey. To put it one way; I feel more comfortable knowing what foods I can eat, knowing what ingredients are okay, and sticking to those, rather than avoiding certain foods and assuming I'm okay with everything else.

I like to travel, I like to far flung places off the beaten path, and I can't always guarantee they'll have everything I need to eat, wherever I go. I put a lot of emphasis on food storage and my kitchen build, with my Subaru. It's worked out really well so far. If you design your trips and your rig with these sorts of requirements in mind, I'd say you have a chance of making overlanding the best "style" of travel out there if you've got dietary restrictions, because so much can be done on your terms, without reliance on others.

Thanks for sharing. You make some very goods points especially for someone as sensitive as you are. I applaud you for getting it done on your own terms...

Side note: any good trails near you? I have family an hour away In KITCHENER

 

[Baipin]

Thanks for sharing. You make some very goods points especially for someone as sensitive as you are. I applaud you for getting it done on your own terms...

Side note: any good trails near you? I have family an hour away In KITCHENER

Thank you! Allergies don't make for the easiest lifestyle, but overlanding lends itself well to making travel with allergies a whole lot more enjoyable. As a kid, traveling a lot with my family; hotels and eating out made vacations more stressful than they were relaxing. Then we got a RV and that was a life changer. Now I overland, and it's the best of both worlds; without a huge motorhome, I can actually see things off pavement, but I've still got all the food I know I can eat, along for the ride. I'd say anyone in a similar predicament has ended up at the right place by finding OB. :)

Not many trails out my way, but a bit northeast of both of us for sure! Some near Bobcaygeon are worth checking out. East of that, one of my favourites; the Ottawa Valley Overland Route which starts around Prescott and goes northward on dirt trails and what used to be CP train tracks. An unbelievable amount of logging roads in Quebec, too.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

Thank you! Allergies don't make for the easiest lifestyle, but overlanding lends itself well to making travel with allergies a whole lot more enjoyable. As a kid, traveling a lot with my family; hotels and eating out made vacations more stressful than they were relaxing. Then we got a RV and that was a life changer. Now I overland, and it's the best of both worlds; without a huge motorhome, I can actually see things off pavement, but I've still got all the food I know I can eat, along for the ride. I'd say anyone in a similar predicament has ended up at the right place by finding OB. :)

Not many trails out my way, but a bit northeast of both of us for sure! Some near Bobcaygeon are worth checking out. East of that, one of my favourites; the Ottawa Valley Overland Route which starts around Prescott and goes northward on dirt trails and what used to be CP train tracks. An unbelievable amount of logging roads in Quebec, too.

I am gonna look into those trails for the next time I am visiting my god daughter in Kitchener.

 

[Baipin]

The Ottawa Valley one has full GPS maps on graveltravel.ca - would recommend that since you have to cross paved roads and go down them a bit to find the next trailhead, which isn't always very obvious. Are you in the US? Going from the States up through Quebec, checking out some logging roads around there, and heading down through the Ottawa Valley route is nice. No map here but if I've got my bearings right... If you stay up north a bit around Bobcaygeon you can bypass Missasauga and Toronto offroad or at least on rural backroads.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

The Ottawa Valley one has full GPS maps on graveltravel.ca - would recommend that since you have to cross paved roads and go down them a bit to find the next trailhead, which isn't always very obvious. Are you in the US? Going from the States up through Quebec, checking out some logging roads around there, and heading down through the Ottawa Valley route is nice. No map here but if I've got my bearings right... If you stay up north a bit around Bobcaygeon you can bypass Missasauga and Toronto offroad or at least on rural backroads.

Yes I am from the US. I am in NJ and about 7 hours from the Peace Bridge. I have to go up there soon, god daughter had a baby boy, so i will another reason to visit more.

 

[anytime]

What I would do is reward them. Like I would first tell them to eat what we have on the table and then if they eat that then they could now eat the food that they want or else then just don't eat anything. In my experience, the more I baby them and focus on them and continually talking about NOT to eat other food then the more they would not eat and just talk and talk.