What you're going to eat is an important consideration when camping. While packing ready-made food may seem like the obvious solution, surviving on S'mores, dry protein bars and canned beans alone quickly grown tiring. If you want your camping trip to be supported by real food, it's worth investing in some practical and functional outdoor cooking gear.
If you have enough room in the trunk and plan to stay at the same site, you can create a proper outdoor kitchen. With the right cooking gear, not only will you be able to cook all your favourite recipes in the great outdoors, but your overall camping enjoyment will significantly increase. That being said, here are the essentials you need to build your camp kitchen.
A stove is the basis of any kitchen, even an outdoor one. But not all stoves are suitable to take with you in the middle of nowhere. You need to pick a portable camping stove that is lightweight, versatile and allowed in any campsite (even during fire bans). In the wild, you won't really need a two-burner stove. What you really need is a small stove that can accommodate a pot or pan so you can simmer, cook or fry a meal.
Camping stoves can run on different types of fuel. Canister stoves are the most common choice of backpackers as they are low-maintenance, lightweight and easy to use. They run on canisters of pre-pressurized gases: isobutane and propane. The flame these stoves produce is easy to adjust and simmers well. Some stoves even feature a built-in pressure regulator that keeps the heat output consistent. There are also remote canister stoves which are even smaller and more lightweight than standard canister stoves.
You also have the option to use a stove that runs on liquid fuel. Most models use white gas, but there are also other options available. Especially if you want to bring your stove with you to another country. If you want an eco-friendly solution, some stoves run on alternative fuel, such as fuel pellets or wood.
Of course, for the meals, you will be going to use fresh ingredients and they will need to be stored somewhere cool. For this reason, a portable cooler is a must for every outdoor kitchen. Also, you get to have cold beer. If that's not reason enough to get some outdoor refrigeration, I don't know what is. Bringing along a fridge instead of a cooler, means you don't have to deal with ice. No ice taking useful space for extra food, no melting in the hot sun. A portable fridge can simply be hooked up to power and operate.
Cooking also uses water. If you don't want to continuously run back and forth to the water spigot, get yourself a nice water jug. Make sure to invest in a practical water jug that won't fail you buy spilling its contents. Pick one with strong construction and a good lid.
With a good cast iron skillet, you can cook up some delicious camping recipes. As cast iron is virtually indestructible, it can be easily used over your camping stove or even over a campfire. It also has a non-stick surface, which means you won't have to deal with a lot of scrubbing and cleaning up. And thanks to its superior heat retention, a cast iron skillet will cook your food up to perfection. You can buy a skillet with a lid or get a lid separately. The addition of a lid increases the number of meals you can prepare with the skillet.
If you don't want to spend your camping trip eating nothing by fried food, then investing in a dutch oven is a good idea. A dutch oven can allow you to saute, boil, steam and bake everything you want. Some ovens come with a flat lid with a rim that allows you to place charcoals on top.
A good outdoor knife should be able to do any type of cooking task, whether chopping vegetables or slicing steaks. Stainless steel is the best material you can pick for an outdoor knife as it doesn't rust, it's lightweight and it's easy to clean and sharpen. Make sure that the knife is housed in a protective sheath so that you don' t accidentally hurt yourself or puncture something during transport.
You will need something to eat in, right? While ceramic plates are out of question, it doesn't mean that using disposable ones is the best solution either. Single-use tableware is one of the biggest contributors to pollution. With that being said, the best option is to invest in some dedicated outdoor tableware made of enamel. Enamel tableware is super durable, heat resistant, easy to clean and has a speckled finish that makes food all the more appealing.
If you have enough room in the trunk and plan to stay at the same site, you can create a proper outdoor kitchen. With the right cooking gear, not only will you be able to cook all your favourite recipes in the great outdoors, but your overall camping enjoyment will significantly increase. That being said, here are the essentials you need to build your camp kitchen.
A Portable Camping Stove
A stove is the basis of any kitchen, even an outdoor one. But not all stoves are suitable to take with you in the middle of nowhere. You need to pick a portable camping stove that is lightweight, versatile and allowed in any campsite (even during fire bans). In the wild, you won't really need a two-burner stove. What you really need is a small stove that can accommodate a pot or pan so you can simmer, cook or fry a meal.
Camping stoves can run on different types of fuel. Canister stoves are the most common choice of backpackers as they are low-maintenance, lightweight and easy to use. They run on canisters of pre-pressurized gases: isobutane and propane. The flame these stoves produce is easy to adjust and simmers well. Some stoves even feature a built-in pressure regulator that keeps the heat output consistent. There are also remote canister stoves which are even smaller and more lightweight than standard canister stoves.
You also have the option to use a stove that runs on liquid fuel. Most models use white gas, but there are also other options available. Especially if you want to bring your stove with you to another country. If you want an eco-friendly solution, some stoves run on alternative fuel, such as fuel pellets or wood.
A Portable Cooler or Fridge
Of course, for the meals, you will be going to use fresh ingredients and they will need to be stored somewhere cool. For this reason, a portable cooler is a must for every outdoor kitchen. Also, you get to have cold beer. If that's not reason enough to get some outdoor refrigeration, I don't know what is. Bringing along a fridge instead of a cooler, means you don't have to deal with ice. No ice taking useful space for extra food, no melting in the hot sun. A portable fridge can simply be hooked up to power and operate.
A Big Water Jug
Cooking also uses water. If you don't want to continuously run back and forth to the water spigot, get yourself a nice water jug. Make sure to invest in a practical water jug that won't fail you buy spilling its contents. Pick one with strong construction and a good lid.
A Cast Iron Skillet
With a good cast iron skillet, you can cook up some delicious camping recipes. As cast iron is virtually indestructible, it can be easily used over your camping stove or even over a campfire. It also has a non-stick surface, which means you won't have to deal with a lot of scrubbing and cleaning up. And thanks to its superior heat retention, a cast iron skillet will cook your food up to perfection. You can buy a skillet with a lid or get a lid separately. The addition of a lid increases the number of meals you can prepare with the skillet.
A Dutch Oven
If you don't want to spend your camping trip eating nothing by fried food, then investing in a dutch oven is a good idea. A dutch oven can allow you to saute, boil, steam and bake everything you want. Some ovens come with a flat lid with a rim that allows you to place charcoals on top.
A Good Knife
A good outdoor knife should be able to do any type of cooking task, whether chopping vegetables or slicing steaks. Stainless steel is the best material you can pick for an outdoor knife as it doesn't rust, it's lightweight and it's easy to clean and sharpen. Make sure that the knife is housed in a protective sheath so that you don' t accidentally hurt yourself or puncture something during transport.
Tableware
You will need something to eat in, right? While ceramic plates are out of question, it doesn't mean that using disposable ones is the best solution either. Single-use tableware is one of the biggest contributors to pollution. With that being said, the best option is to invest in some dedicated outdoor tableware made of enamel. Enamel tableware is super durable, heat resistant, easy to clean and has a speckled finish that makes food all the more appealing.
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