If you don’t have the right gear, cooking at camp can feel like a chore, but it doesn’t have to. Make sure you never feel that way again by adding some great new gear before your next camping trip. Whether you’re just looking to make some upgrades or you’re starting from scratch, here are some great options to create a high-quality camp kitchen.
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Cooktops and Counter Space
If you aren’t a fan of cooking over a fire that you have to build, there are a few different options for you. If you want the feeling of cooking over a fire without all the hassle, Solo Stove has a number of smokeless fire pits in a variety of sizes for you and your camping family’s needs. They even have a tabletop option if you’re concerned about having children near open flames. You can also peruse their cooktop offerings to add to your new traveling, smokeless bonfire.
If those really aren’t your style, there are other options for camping stoves that you can pick up, like the Coleman 3-Burner Camp Stove. The adjustable burners allow you to have three pots cooking evenly without worrying about burn spots.
It’s also a good idea to invest in some sort of counter space. Mountain Summit Gear offers a great portable kitchen counter with storage options so you have space to prep your meals at the campsite. Of course, a collapsible table will also do the job just fine.
Cookware
If you’ve seen our recipes, you know we love castiron here at Outdoors.com. As long as you aren’t hiking with all of your gear to set up camp in the middle of the backcountry, we highly recommend bringing either your skillet or Dutch oven and trying some of our favorite foods and recipes.
If you don’t want to ruin your nice pots from home, and you don’t have old ones that can handle a little wear and tear, investing in Stanley’s Cookset is a great idea. It comes with a stock pot, saucepan, frying pan, and collapsible cutting board, plus a spoon and spatula. This is a great set that covers almost all of your needs. You’ll still need to invest in a knife or two, as well as reusable utensils and a set of plates and cups.
If you’re a bit of a coffee addict, you’ll want to make sure you have a camping-friendly coffee pot with you (check out our recipe for the perfect cup of campfire coffee here), and make sure you have your favorite coffee handy each morning.
More Kitchen Necessities and Accessories
You’re probably not going to forget that you need a cooler, but you may underestimate what size cooler you actually need. YETI offers coolers in various sizes, ensuring that you’ll have enough space, no matter how long your camping trip may be.
Going out for just one night on a solo camping trip? A Roadie 24-hard cooler may be perfect for you. If it’s the entire extended family for a weekend, though, you may want to invest in the Tundra 350 cooler to ensure you have enough food to feed a small army of hungry campers.
If you’re staying at a more primitive campsite, bring a camp sink with you. You’ll need to fill it with water, but it will make cleaning up after meals a lot easier. A collapsible sink will make for much easier packing at the end of the trip, though non-collapsible options can be used as storage.
If you don’t want to have to fuss with soap, a sponge, and a scraper, investing in OXO’s Soap-Dispensing Brush with Storage Case may be a smart option for you (soap not included). And while we’re on the topic of cleaning, don’t forget cloths or rags to dry everything off after doing the dishes.
Buying a case of water bottles may be the easiest way to pack drinking water, but if you’re trying to cut down on your single-use plastic consumption, invest in a reusable water jug like the 11-liter one from Dometic.
