Depending on what type of camping you plan on doing, the camping cooking equipment you bring can mean the different between a successful trip and a horrible failure. Are you carrying your gear on your back? In your canoe? Are you just driving up and pulling everything out? These are the important questions you need to ask yourself before you start packing for your trip.
The Biggest Challenge.. Cooking
One of the biggest challenges most people face is cooking, and what camping cooking equipment do they need to bring. Without the use of all those nifty household appliances you have in your kitchen, planning and packing the appropriate equipment is crucial. Many a good meal has been lost to the ashes of a campfire.. but why? With a little know-how, a little planning, and a little money (or lots of money depending on what you really want), there is a huge selection of lightweight camping cooking equipment to choose from that will make meals easy.
When selecting your camping cooking equipment, first consider how much time you will be camping and whether or not you need to carry everything or leave it in one place the entire time. If you’re going to be base camping (drive up, pop your tent, pull out whatever you need from your vehicle) then you have plenty of choices. If you’re going to be toughing it and spending a few (or several) days hiking, canoeing or carrying everything, then you need to spend a little more time and carefully decide what you want to bring. Bringing a big Coleman cooking stove is great if all you need to do is pull it out of your car, but if you’re going to be carrying it, you might want to consider a smaller burner or cooking over the campfire. Trust me, I’ve seen a number of large camp stoves ditched on the sides of trails from people who didn’t plan well. Honestly, I’m surprised they even got them that far!
Rule of thumb: 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 will be very important. 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 other ideas of camping cooking gear you may need for your fun trip:
Pots and Pans
Car and base campers can choose from 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 canoers. Backpackers should aim for lightweight and be a minimalist. Here are the basics:
- A Pot: Aluminum pots are light and affordable, titanium is lighter but more expensive. A single pot (with a lid) is usually sufficient for most singles 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. Often the lid to the largest pot will also double as a frying pan. A decent set will cost you a couple bucks but will be lightweight, durable, non-stick, and last for years.
Bowls and Utensils
Once you have cooked your tasty 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 probably 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 single bowl per person. If you’ve got some money burning a hole in your wallet and some extra space, 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 also 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 bring a decent sized cooking stove. Coleman is one of the best known brands in cooking stoves. If you’re hiking, backpacking or canoeing, then a smaller and lightweight heating element will work great if you won’t be able to cook from a campfire. Campfires are usually a good choice 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… burnt hands. Another big thing to keep in mind is depending on where you are and if there’s been a shortage of rainfall, you might not be permitted to make a campfire. If this is the case, you will definitely need a lightweight cooking element on your trip. Many manufacturers make small cooking elements that screw 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 so meals will take a little longer to prepare.
