>>101317any kind of stove similar to the one pictured will be very lightweight and easy to pack, set up & use. one bottle of propane will last a loooong time (several days of heavy use - 2 persons). cooking with propane doesn't have the "romance" of cooking over a campfire but it's so much faster and cleaner that it's well worth it. also in the event of rain, you can even cook in the doorway of your tent.
instant rice, ramen noodles, instant mashed potatoes, thermostabilized (boil in bag) foods etc. are all ready in a flash with a propane stove. fried taters, bacon, pancakes and such take a little longer but still much quicker than a campfire plus the ease of use and temperature control is no comparison.
a cooler is pretty much limited to canoe or car camping. fresh meat is about the only thing you need to keep cool anyway. try pre-cooking your bacon, it saves time and it will last several days. there are also foil packed meats like chicken breast, turkey, fish steaks, and beef that need no refrigeration at all. jerky can also be reconstituted and made into a pretty passable stew.
I've made tinfoil dinners like you suggested, but I always cooked them for dinner the first night and to be honest, they really don't always turn out so well. fresh meat can likewise be frozen and packed in for the first meal...
