Embrace Life's Adventures
Whether you're camping, homesteading, or preparing for the unexpected, we make it simple to be self-reliant.
About Simply Prepared
Our Mission
At Simply Prepared, we believe self-reliance should feel simple - not overwhelming. We make it easy to be prepared at home, on the road, or off the grid. From freeze-dried food to practical know-how, we help you navigate life's everyday moments and wildest adventures with confidence.
Simply Prepared: camping
Planning Your Trip
Camping offers a chance to disconnect from the daily grind and reconnect with nature. Explores the key steps to planning an unforgettable outdoor adventure, from selecting the perfect destination to understanding seasonal factors and necessary permits.
Gear, Food & Water
Packing the right gear, food, and water is crucial for a successful camping trip, ensuring both comfort and safety in the outdoors. Check out this deep dive into some of our favourites.
Safety & Survival
Staying safe in the wilderness requires preparation, awareness, and the right survival skills to handle unexpected situations. Essential safety tips, emergency preparedness, and practical survival strategies that will help campers confidently navigate the outdoors.
simply prepared: homesteading
5 Ways To Start Growing Your Own Food
Growing your own food is a rewarding and sustainable way to ensure fresh, healthy ingredients while reducing reliance on store-bought produce. It doesn't matter if you have a spacious backyard or a small balcony, these practical tips will help you cultivate your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs with ease.
How to Create a Self Sufficient Property
Building a self-sufficient property allows you to reduce dependence on external resources and embrace a more sustainable lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for complete off-grid independence or simple ways to boost self-sufficiency, these practical steps will help you create a resilient and efficient homestead.
The Pros and Cons of Adding Livestock To Your Land
Raising livestock can be a rewarding way to increase self-sufficiency, provide fresh food, and improve land management, but it also comes with challenges. If you're considering chickens, goats, or cattle, this guide will help you weigh the pros and cons to make an informed decision for your property.
My Favourite Tools In The Kitchen
Every home maker has their go-to kitchen tools that make meal prep easier, more enjoyable, and efficient. These are my top must-have gadgets and utensils that I would be lost without.
5 Things You Can Stop Buying
Becoming more self-reliant starts in the kitchen, where many store-bought essentials can easily be made at home with simple ingredients. With a few basic techniques, you'll gain more control over what goes into your food while embracing a more sustainable lifestyle
Food Preservation Basics & The Importance Food Storage
Proper food preservation ensures long-term freshness, reduces waste, and provides reliable nourishment in times of need. We'll explore essential preservation techniques—including canning, dehydrating, fermenting, and freezing—while highlighting the critical role of food storage in maintaining a sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle.
featured recipes
Thai Chicken Curry Soup
Cheesy Beef & Broccoli Casserole
Cheesy Beef & Broccoli Casserole
A lightweight, flavorful meal perfect for camping. Made with freeze-dried chicken, coconut milk powder, and Thai spices, it’s quick to prepare—just add hot water! Packed with aromatic herbs and veggies, it delivers a rich, comforting taste in minutes. A must-have for easy outdoor cooking!
Cheesy Beef & Broccoli Casserole
Cheesy Beef & Broccoli Casserole
Cheesy Beef & Broccoli Casserole
This is one of our favourite meals. Packed with protein and nutrients, this dish combines tender beef, vibrant broccoli, and a comforting creamy sauce with pasta for a filling backcountry meal. Lightweight and convenient, it’s perfect for refueling after a long day outdoors. Quick to prepare, easy to pack, and absolutely delicious!
Breakfast Skillet
Cheesy Beef & Broccoli Casserole
Breakfast Skillet
Made with freeze-dried eggs, sausage, and cheese, it’s quick to prepare—just add hot water and scramble! Savory and satisfying, it delivers a comforting, home-cooked taste to kick-start your day in the great outdoors.
Hearty Chili
Cheesy Beef & Broccoli Casserole
Breakfast Skillet
A bold, satisfying meal perfect for camping. Made with freeze-dried ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and spices, it packs rich flavours and warmth into every bite. Just add hot water for a comforting, protein-packed dish that’s easy to prepare and keeps you fueled for adventures!
Discovering Simply Prepared
Who is behind Simply Prepared?
Hi! It's me, Kaitlin. How did I end up here? Great question, I'd love to tell you.
I’m a homesteader by nature, and an outdoor adventurer by nurture.
I grew up in the kitchen, learning how to make everything from scratch. As soon as I was old enough to hold a wooden spoon I had my own apron and was busy making a mess. I truly loved every minute of hands-on learning and being able to create something from next to nothing. This also transferred over into the garden. I spent hours outside with my Papa learning how to plant, care for, harvest, and preserve our food. There is just something so satisfying about planting a seed, nurturing it, watching it grow, then being able to harvest and enjoy all that hard work. Planning a garden gets me excited, having my hands in the dirt feels so calming, and being able to provide food for myself gives me great piece of mind. When I moved out on my own, I continued to grow my own vegetables, preserve my own food, and bake from scratch. Little did I know, at the time, all these skills were not something that were widely known. This way of life was so normal to me, so I thought everyone grew up this way.
When I found someone as passionate about self-reliance as I was, we found some space away from the hustle bustle where we were able to create our own piece of paradise - complete with flower gardens, vegetable gardens, an orchard, berry patch, and of course…chickens. I began teaching him all the traditional skills I had learned growing up, and he began teaching me about the joys of backcountry camping and how our two worlds, both reliant on self sufficiency, were the perfect compliment to each other.
He had been going on camping trips for years and absolutely loved the backcountry. From hearing his stories, I knew some of the struggles about lugging all their equipment and trying to figure out what food they could take without adding too much weight. I wanted to support him so I set out on a mission to produce food that we could freeze dry to take camping. This plan was quickly derailed when I began investigating the equipment needed, and all that was involved. In 2019 I stumbled upon a freeze dried food company that sold single ingredient items. I could make camping meals and all the hard work was done! I also noticed this company had a consultant program and thought, if I’m going to be ordering anyways why not get the perks on my own orders?! So that’s what I did.
I finally agreed to go on a camping trip with him. I was going to see first-hand what this “backcountry camping” was all about and put this freeze dried food to work. He showed me how to pack everything, proper launch etiquette, portaging, and how to safely cross a windy lake in a rain storm. I was so out of my element. I had no idea what I was doing or where we were going, and I don’t do well with not knowing. When I woke up the first morning on our own private island on Ragged Lake I just stood there. The crisp fall morning air, the fog rolling across the water, the colour of the changing leaves surrounding the lake, and the sound of nothing – except the loons (this has become my favourite sound). There was no cellphone reception. No missed calls, messages, or notifications. There was no one expecting anything from me and no one I had to answer to. The list of “To Do’s” for the day wasn’t running through my head. It was in that moment everything made sense. I understood why he enjoyed it so much, and I also quickly came to understand the importance of quality lightweight gear!
The trip went well, I survived and was willing to go back again. I got some great photos and we had some great food. This freeze dried food began making a regular appearance in our camping meals and we even incorporating it into some of our regular cooking. We were super impressed and knew there would be other people looking for food like this, so I decided I was going to spread the word.
It was also during the time the world shut down and everyone was turning their focus towards more self-reliant practices at home, since no one could really go out and do anything.
This was my “aha” moment. Everyone was trying to figure out how to become more self sufficient and wanting to learn the skills I had growing up. I had all this knowledge and experience, and I wanted to help. So here we are. I’ve been sharing tips and stories on social media for quite some time now, but I wanted a space that was easier to search, explore, and dig deeper. I’m glad you’re here.
Whether you’re stocking a pantry, planning a camping trip, or just want to learn how to do things the old-fashioned (and totally awesome) way – I’m here to help. Unless I’m elbows deep in the dirt, or off-grid in the backcountry, I’m usually not too far away if you’ve got questions so feel free to reach out!
Thanks for stopping by,
Kaitlin