What to Pack in Your Outdoor Cooking Kit

There is nothing like doing your own cooking on a camping trip. When you make the food fresh in the great outdoors rather than packing frozen lunches, you get an experience unlike any other, but to make sure that experience is a pleasant one, you need to pack the right cooking gear. Here are a few essentials you should have in your cooking kit.

A Stove

If you brought a camper trailer, then chances are that it includes a stove. This is the perfect portable & reliable stove, alternatively you may want a stove you can use outdoors over a wood fire. To get an authentic camping experience.

You want a stove that’s easy to clean, compact enough to be packed away easily and simple enough to use and set up. This is your key piece of cooking equipment, so make sure it can accommodate your pots and pans and other cookware.

Fire Starter

You can’t cook outdoors over an open flame unless you have some way to start a fire. Most people opt for matches, but if those get wet, then you are out of luck until they dry out unless you have the waterproof kind. Waterproof matches are a great addition to your camping supplies in case of bad weather. You could go old school and use a flint and steel combination, but that may be more work than you are prepared for.

The simplest and often most practical method of fire starting is usually to go with a kitchen lighter. This lets you light the fire from nearly a foot away (so you don’t burn yourself) and, it won’t matter if it falls or becomes wet.

Pots & Pans

You probably only need one pot and one pan, unless you are making food for lots of people or using a large stove. Make sure these are stainless steel wares that can hold up to some abuse. You will probably drop them a few times and have to clean them out regularly, so be sure they are durable and easy to clean.

Non-stick pans are the best, since they require less maintenance and cleaning and can often be used without any cooking oil. That means you won’t have to spend as much time cleaning them up, and it will be simpler to prepare the food.

Water

You need to bring some water to cook with as well. Some foods will require water, but you’ll want water that is clean enough to wash the dishes with too. You will need to wash your hands before preparing the food, and you may want to wash off the utensils and wares as you cook and make different foods with them to prevent cross contamination.

You can never have too much water on your camping trip, so make sure you bring plenty or bring the supplies to purify water in your area and save enough to do your cooking with.