Whether you plan on carrying your gear on your back, in your canoe, on your horse or in your car, the camping cooking equipment you bring can mean the difference between a great camping trip and a horrible one. One of the biggest challenges you will face is cooking for you and others without the use of all those nifty appliances you usually use in the kitchen. Many meals have been lost to the ashes of a campfire, but why? With the use of some inexpensive (or for a bit more money, depending on what you really want), lightweight, camping cooking equipment, making meals is easy!
When choosing your cooking equipment, it’s important to first consider how much time you will be camping and whether or not you are going to be carrying your gear with you or staying in one spot the entire time. If you are going to be driving up to your camp site, pitching a tent and staying there, your choices are plenty. If you plan on toughing it out and spending several days hiking or canoeing and have to carry everything with you, then you need to consider more carefully what you will be bringing. Using a big gas camping stove is great if you just need to carry it from the car to the picnic table, but if you are traveling several days into a remote area then you’ll want something smaller and lighter. Trust me, I’ve seen a few camp stoves left on the side of the trail on the second or third day of a long hike. I’m surprised they carried it that far!
Rule of thumb: Depending on where you are going and what you are doing, the best camping cooking equipment is the minimum amount of gear you need to get by on.
For those of you hiking or traveling, space and weight is very important. You’ll also want to bring the minimum amount of gear you can possibly get by on. If you can use items for multiple purposes (some pot lids also double for plates or bowls), then you’re already ahead of the game. Here are some ideas of camping cooking gear you may need:
Pots and Pans
Car and base campers (people who don’t plan on traveling very far to a campsite) can chose just about anything they want. Cast iron is great, durable and easy to clean.. but heavy, so it’s not very good for hikers and canoeing. Backpackers should aim for lightweight and be a minimalist. Here are the basics:
- A Pot: Aluminum pots are light, but titanium is lighter. The big difference is price (titanium is more expensive). A single pot (with a lid) is usually sufficient for most single or doubles. More than 2 people calls for more than one pot.
- Pot Sets: Pots designed for hiking and backpacking are sometimes sold in sets and conveniently fit together into the largest pot in the set. Usually the lid to the largest pot will also double as a pan. A decent set will cost you a couple bucks but will be lightweight, durable, and non-stick.
Bowls and Utensils
Once you have cooked your magnificent camping meal, you need to eat it. Solo hikers can eat straight out of the pot but if there’s more than one of you then you’ll need some bowls and utensils.
- Utensils: For most people a spoon is all you need but there is also a spoon/fork combo (called a spork) that is great. Depending on what you plan on cooking, a lightweight spatula may be needed.
- Bowls and Plates: If you don’t want to spend much money then all you really need is a bowl. If you’ve got some money burning a hole in your wallet then there are quite a few interesting choices, which includes squashable lightweight bowls and cups and plates made of silicone or can fold.
- Cups: Some cups can double as measuring cups as well as drinking cups. Try to use one cup for multiple purposes.
Cooking
Eating your food will be great, but how are you planning on cooking it? If you’re a car or base camper then you can purchase a decent sized cooking stove. If you’re hiking, backpacking or canoeing, then a smaller and lightweight heating element will be required. Another option is cooking your food on the campfire although there are a few downsides to that, including uneven cooked food, smoke flavor (which can be nice… sometimes), food falling into the fire and lost for good, and lastly but not least… burned hands. Another big thing to keep in mind is depending on where you are and what time of the season it is, you might not be permitted to make a campfire. If this is the case, then you will definitely need a lightweight cooking element. Many manufacturers make small cooking elements that fit on top (or connect via a hose) of a small gas tank. These elements are great for even cooking and pots or pans fit nicely on top. A downside is that one heating element means one pot or pan at a time.
