What Food Should You Take on a Big Lap of Australia?

One of the questions that comes up all the time from people planning a Big Lap is, “What food to take on a Big Lap of Australia, and how much should we carry?”

It sounds like a simple question, but the answer depends on how you travel, how long you are going for, how remote you plan to be, and what sort of meals you actually eat.

We have been travelling full time for almost three years, so our caravan is our home. That means we probably carry more food, pantry items and cooking gear than someone doing a shorter 12-month lap. We are not packing for a holiday. We are living on the road.

I also cook mostly from scratch. I rarely open a jar of ready-made sauce or meal base. I will usually make my own butter chicken, curry, taco seasoning, burger sauce, rubs and marinades. Because of that, I carry a lot of pantry staples, herbs, spices, tinned tomatoes, passata, tuna, flours and dry goods.

So before you copy anyone else’s caravan food setup, keep this in mind: pack for how you cook, not how someone else cooks.

How Much Food Should You Carry on a Big Lap?

The amount of food you need to carry depends on where you are travelling and how far you will be from decent supermarkets.

If you are travelling through towns regularly, you do not need to pack your caravan like you are never going to see Woolies again. But if you are heading into remote areas, doing long dirt road stretches, camping off-grid, or travelling routes like the Gibb River Road, Cape York, the Tanami Track or the Plenty Highway, you need to be more organised.

Before a remote section, I like to think about how many days we will be away from a decent supermarket, what meals we are likely to cook, what fresh food will last, and what I can freeze ahead of time.

You do not need a strict meal plan that says, “Monday is curry, Tuesday is burgers, Wednesday is tacos.” But it does help to know how many dinners, lunches, breakfasts and easy travel-day meals you need to cover.

A simple way to work it out is to count the number of days you will be remote, choose the types of meals you actually eat, then work backwards from there.

Pantry Staples for Caravan Travel

In our caravan pantry, I carry a mix of dry goods, tins, condiments, oils, herbs and spices.

Because I am gluten free and Kev eats sourdough, we carry a few different types of flour. I have gluten-free flour for my cooking, and baker’s flour for sourdough or sourdough pizza bases.

Other pantry items I like to keep on hand include:

Tinned tomatoes, passata, tuna, rice, pasta or gluten-free pasta, flour, herbs and spices, oils, tamari or soy sauce, fish sauce, sauces and condiments, wraps or bread alternatives, snacks, crackers, dry ingredients for baking, and basic meal starters for curries, tacos, burgers and stir-fries.

I use labelled containers for many of our dry goods. You do not have to label everything, but it does make it much easier to find what you need in a small caravan pantry.

The main thing is to keep your pantry organised by category. Dry goods in one section, oils and condiments in another, tins together, snacks together, and baking items together.

When you are living in a small space, you do not want to be pulling out half the pantry just to find the rice.

Best Containers for Caravan Pantry Storage

For dry goods, I use containers such as Sistema tubs and similar pantry storage containers. They are great for flour, rice, pasta, dry ingredients and anything that would make a huge mess if the packet split open.

One thing to watch with some containers is the little clip tabs on the lid. If you try to lift the lid by the clips, they can snap off. Use the actual lid or container when pulling them in and out.

For herbs and spices, I keep everything together in small plastic tubs. Mine are from Kmart and were only a few dollars. They are not fancy, but they work. Keeping all the spices in one tub means they are not rolling around loose in the cupboard, and I can pull the whole box out when I am cooking.

This is especially useful if you cook from scratch and use a lot of different spices.

How to Stop Food Falling Out of Caravan Cupboards

Even if you are not on a dirt road, things can move around in a caravan. Sometimes all it takes is a roundabout, a sharp corner or a bumpy driveway, and when you open the cupboard door, something falls out.

For dirt roads and corrugations, you need to think about pantry storage more carefully.

Use containers where you can, keep heavy items low, avoid glass where possible, use tubs to group similar items, and make sure cupboard doors are properly latched before you drive.

If you have oils, sauces or anything that could leak, store them upright in a tub or tray. That way, if something does spill, it is contained and does not run through the whole cupboard.

This is one of those things you learn quickly on the road. One leaked bottle of oil or sauce is enough to make you rethink your entire pantry setup.

Packing Food for Remote Road Trips

When we are heading into a remote area, we stock up properly.

We had just come off the Gibb River Road when I recorded this, and we were still fairly well stocked because we were also looking at doing the Tanami Track. For remote trips like that, you need to think ahead because there may not be much available along the way, especially fresh produce.

Remote roadhouses and small stores can be fantastic, but you cannot rely on them to have your preferred brands, special dietary items, fresh fruit and veg, or the exact ingredients you usually cook with.

If you have a favourite milk, gluten-free product, bread, coffee, tea, cereal, snack, or anything you really do not want to be without, stock up before you leave a larger town.

I learnt this the hard way in our first month on the road.

We were travelling from Rockhampton across to Longreach and then up towards Karumba. We went through Emerald and stopped at Woolies, but I did not buy the milk I like. I drink Bonsoy, and I thought I would be able to get it again somewhere along the way.

I could not.

I did not find it in Longreach, and I did not find it anywhere on the way to Karumba. I think it was about six weeks before I found it again on the Atherton Tablelands.

Now I always carry three or four cartons of Bonsoy because it is what I like, and it is not available everywhere.

You can usually find fresh milk in most towns or servos, but once you are remote, even that is not always guaranteed. If something matters to you, carry enough of it.

Fridge Storage in the Caravan

I keep most things in clear container in the fridge. This makes it much easier to find things and stops everything sliding around. Our fridge container are from Kmart. I use different sizes depending on what I am storing.

I usually keep fresh meat in one larger container, eggs and bits and pieces on a fridge shelf and open items or current-use foods together. This means I can pull out one basket rather than digging through the whole fridge.

It also helps when you are travelling on rough roads. Things are still going to move, but baskets make it easier to keep food grouped and contained.

How to Keep Vegetables Fresh in a Caravan Fridge

Fresh produce can be tricky on the road, especially in hot weather or remote areas where you need food to last longer.

I use produce pods for our vegetables. They have an outer bag and also an inner bag that you keep moist. The idea is to help keep vegetables fresher by maintaining moisture around them.

I use them for things like lettuce, carrots, pumpkin and broccoli, but you can mix and match depending on what you are eating at the time.

When we are back home or doing a bigger reset, I would like to change the bottom section of our fridge and use more of these produce pods instead of standard fresh plastic containers.

The main thing with fresh food is to buy what you will realistically eat, not what you wish you would eat. There is no point filling the fridge with vegetables if they are going to go slimy before you get to them.

Before remote stretches, choose fresh produce that lasts well. Things like carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, cabbage, pumpkin, apples and hardier greens tend to last longer than delicate salad ingredients.

Freezer Food for the Big Lap

Our freezer is usually stocked with meat, homemade stock paste, and some pre-prepared ingredients and sauces.

When we were preparing for the Gibb River Road, we expected to be out there for two or three weeks. We ended up only doing seven days because we had power issues, so our freezer was still very full.

For remote travel, I like to freeze meat in portions that suit the meals we cook. Chicken thighs are one of my favourites because they are so versatile. You can use them in curry, tacos, souvlaki, stir-fries, barbecue meals and quick dinners.

We also eat a lot of smash burgers on the road. I think we have eaten more burgers while travelling than we ever did at home. They are quick, easy and work well on the barbecue. I make my own burger sauce too, which makes them even better.

If we are going remote, I will buy meat in bulk, portion it properly, and freeze it.

Vacuum Sealing Food for Caravan Travel

One of the handiest things I have started using is a vacuum sealer.

I use a Seal It vacuum sealer with different sized bags. You seal the top, then vacuum the air out. I use these bags in both the fridge and freezer.

Vacuum sealing helps save space, keeps food organised, and can help food last longer. It is also useful for portioning meat before freezing.

I also use it for homemade stock and rubs. I make my own chicken and beef rubs and keep them in the freezer, ready to use.

For caravan travel, anything that saves space and reduces mess is worth looking at.

Should You Take Frozen Vegetables on a Big Lap?

We do not rely heavily on frozen vegetables. The only frozen vegetable I usually keep in the freezer is peas.

That said, I know a lot of travellers do carry frozen veg, and it can be a great option if you have enough freezer space.

If we were doing a very long remote trip, especially if we were going to be away from shops for more than a few weeks, I would consider carrying more frozen vegetables.

For most of our travel, though, I prefer fresh produce where possible and then a few backup options in the pantry or freezer.

What Meat Should You Carry for Caravan Travel?

The best meat to carry is the meat you actually cook with regularly.

For us, that means chicken thighs, mince, sausages, steak, and meat for barbecues or simple dinners.

Chicken thighs are great because they can be used in so many meals. Mince is useful for burgers, tacos, bolognese, nachos or chilli. Sausages are easy, especially if you find a good butcher along the way.

When we were in Broome, we stocked up at the butcher there and bought some fantastic meat and sausages. When you find a good butcher on the road, it is worth making the most of it.

If you are heading remote, portion your meat before you freeze it. Do not freeze one huge bulk pack unless you plan to cook it all at once.

What Food Should You Stock Up On Before Remote Travel?

Before heading into remote areas, stock up on anything that is hard to replace or important to the way you eat.

This may include your preferred milk, gluten-free items, special dietary products, coffee, tea, favourite snacks, meat, fresh produce, wraps, bread, pet food if you travel with pets, baby or toddler food if needed, and any medications or supplements linked to food routines.

For us, Bonsoy is a must-carry item because I know I cannot find it everywhere.

For someone else, it might be almond milk, lactose-free milk, gluten-free bread, a specific coffee, protein powder, kids’ snacks or favourite cereal.

Remote travel is not the time to assume every small store will have exactly what you need.

How to Meal Plan Without Overplanning

You do not need to plan every single meal in detail, but you do need a rough idea.

A good approach is to work out:

How many days you will be away from major shops, how many dinners you need, how many easy lunches you need, how many travel-day snacks you need, how much fresh food will realistically last, and how much freezer space you have.

Then choose meals that use similar ingredients.

For example, chicken thighs can become curry, tacos, barbecue chicken, souvlaki or stir-fry. Mince can become burgers, tacos, nachos or pasta sauce. Tinned tomatoes can work in pasta, curry, chilli or soup.

The goal is not to have a huge variety of random ingredients. The goal is to carry useful ingredients that can become several different meals.

When Your Caravan Fridge Door Opens on the Road

One issue we had while travelling on the Peninsula Developmental Road up to Cape York was our fridge door flying open.

It was the first time it had happened to us, and it was not ideal.

We have heard all sorts of theories about why it happens. It could be the fridge model, the clips, the latch, or just the roughness of the road. On our fridge, I can actually pull the door open without using the clip, so it clearly needed extra security.

Kev installed bungees to hold the fridge and freezer doors shut. He drilled into the side of the fridge surround and attached them properly so they hold the doors tight while we travel.

They work really well, and now I do not even think about it.

If your fridge door has ever opened on the road, you will know it is not something you want to happen twice. Check your fridge latch before heading onto dirt roads and consider adding a proper travel strap, latch or bungee system if needed.

My Best Food Packing Tips for a Big Lap

Pack for the way you actually cook. If you cook from scratch, you will need more herbs, spices and staple ingredients. If you use jars and packets, your pantry will look different.

Do not overpack just because you are nervous. Unless you are heading remote, you will usually be able to shop along the way.

Stock up before remote roads. Fresh produce, meat and special dietary items can be harder to find once you leave major towns.

Use baskets in the fridge. It keeps food grouped, easier to find and less likely to slide everywhere.

Use containers in the pantry. They help prevent spills, broken packets and pantry chaos.

Keep oils and sauces in a tub. If something leaks, it is contained.

Think in meals, not random ingredients. Choose foods that can be used in multiple dishes.

Carry your favourite hard-to-find items. If you are fussy about milk, coffee, gluten-free products or snacks, take enough.

Secure your fridge and pantry before dirt roads. Corrugations will find every weak spot.

Final Thoughts

Food on the Big Lap does not need to be complicated, but it does need a bit of thought.

You do not need to carry everything, and you do not need to meal plan every single day. But you do need to know how you cook, how remote you are going, and what food matters most to you.

For us, travelling full time means our caravan pantry, fridge and freezer are set up like a small travelling home. We carry more than someone on a short trip might, but everything has a purpose.

The best advice I can give is to start with what you already eat at home, then adjust it for caravan life, storage space, remote travel and how often you want to shop.

And if you are heading off on a remote road, do the stock-up before you leave town. Future you will be very glad you did.

Big Lap Food FAQs

How much food should you take on a Big Lap of Australia?

You only need to carry enough food for the way you travel. If you are passing through towns regularly, you can shop as you go. If you are heading remote, plan for the number of days you will be away from major supermarkets and carry extra pantry staples, meat, fresh produce and any hard-to-find favourites.

What pantry staples should you take in a caravan?

Useful caravan pantry staples include rice, pasta, flour, tinned tomatoes, passata, tuna, oils, sauces, herbs, spices, wraps, snacks, baking basics and ingredients that can work across multiple meals. The best staples are the ones you already cook with regularly.

How do you keep food organised in a caravan pantry?

Use containers, baskets and tubs to group food by category. Keep dry goods together, oils and sauces together, tins together, and snacks together. Store heavy items low and keep anything that may leak inside a tub.

What food should you stock up on before remote travel?

Before remote travel, stock up on meat, fresh produce, bread or wraps, long-life milk, favourite snacks, gluten-free or dietary items, coffee, tea and anything you may not find easily in small towns or remote roadhouses.

Should you meal plan for the Big Lap?

You do not need to plan every meal, but it helps to know how many days you need to cover. Choose flexible ingredients that can be used in several meals, such as chicken thighs, mince, tinned tomatoes, rice, wraps and vegetables that last well.

How do you stop food moving around in a caravan fridge?

Use baskets or tubs inside the fridge to group food together and stop items sliding around. Make sure the fridge door is properly latched before travel, especially before dirt roads or corrugations.

Is a vacuum sealer worth it for caravan travel?

A vacuum sealer can be very useful for caravan travel because it saves space, helps portion meat, keeps freezer food organised and reduces mess. It is especially handy before remote trips or off-grid stays.