Camping Cooking Equipment

Portable butane stoves, along with other portable stoves used for backbacking trips, come in a variety of configurations and price points. It can be confusing.

But on the web site sponsored by Backpacker, the magazine for backpacking, there’s a feature called “Gear Finder”. They have a section on “Stoves”. There you can check the parameters you desire in a for stove – fuel type, weight, price, as well as user reviews and editor’s choice – and review a variety of them. Find that page at portable butane stoves. Remember that some of these stoves are advertised in the magazine and that might influence their picks, but it’s a good place to survey what’s available.

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It’s amazing the ingenuity demonstrated in camping cooking equipment. Here’s an example. I’ve not used this portable charcoal grill as yet, but it certainly seems to have all the features I want in a portable grill. This item, called the X-Grill for obvious reasons, is only the size of a newspaper when folded for storage and travel. Yet it has a 200+plus square inch grilling surface. The photos say it all.

I found this dandy at on eBay for a fixed price 0f $49.95 plus shipping. Look under portable charcoal BBQ grill.

As far as camping cooking equipment goes, remember the old saying, “but for a horseshoe a nation was lost.”?

Well, we’re not going to war but just the same, when camp cooking, the want of something like a can opener or a pot holder might be the difference between a hot, savory meal and a partial dinner of gritty, semi-warm grub.

So remember to bring the “little things” that make a difference in the cooking process and the end result.

What are those cooking tools falling into this category? Well, they may differ depending upon your cooking style, number of campers you’re cooking for, where you’re camping, and even on the region of the country you’re camping in. For instance, if you’re camping by the shore and digging for clams, do you have the right utensil to crack them open?

But here’s a list of the smaller gear I have in my “camping only” utensil kit that I’d classify as indispensible no matter where or how I’m camping. You may add to the list as you will.

Camping cooking equipment essentials – the little things.

Matches (even if you bring a light and extra fuel)
Manual can opener
Paring knife (sheathed)
Chefs knife
Knife sharpener
Vegetable peeler
Salt and pepper shakers (with caps)
Assorted spices in small cans
Long-handled fork
Long-handled stirring/serving spoon
Long-handled ladle
Kitchen tongs
Spatula
Meat thermometer
Fire Tongs
Kitchen scissors or shears
Dish towels (2)
Dish rag
Scrubbing pads
Paper towel roll
Aluminum foil roll
Measuring spoon set
Graduated measuring cup
Pot holders (2)
Storage bags – small and quart sized

If I’ve left out something you feel is necessary, please add it in the comment box below.

Now, to store and transport your kit you might look for a small plastic tub. And I always have a list of the items in the box taped to the underside of the lid to use as a checklist. I check everything before I leave home (in case something was “borrowed”) and as I pack to return home. My experience dictates adding a new utensil every once in a while.

But keeping your camp cooking equipment stored in one place is a good idea, even if you’re only an occasional camper.

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Though there are alternatives to a propane camping stove, no other type provides the portability combined with a low-cost fuel source and safety. In addition, propane camp stoves come from a variety of manufacturers that provide many levels of quality, utility and price.

Portability is a relative term. If you’re talking about a backpacking trip into the wilderness, you’ll look at a different set of manufacturers than if you’re looking to car camp. Also, the canisters for fuel vary in size from the large ones used to power backyard grills to back-pack sized units. As far as cost is concerned, propane is the least expensive for protable stoves.

Propane is clean-burning, and if stored according to directions, pretty safe. Once hooked up correctly to the stove’s valve, there’s little danger of gas leaking. And of course, the stoves allow you to regulate the amount of fuel to provide different levels of heat depending on what you’re cooking.

Most propane camp stoves fold conveniently for packing and for storage.

One consideration: on long wilderness trips, be sure to pack enough fuel. And a spare hose couldn’t hurt.

Your propane stove may be the most used of all your camping cooking equipment, so consider buying the best.

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 Dutch ovens can be used to bake, fry, steam, simmer and boil. They can do almost everything your home oven can, from fixing stews and other one-dish suppers to baking biscuits, cobblers and breads. 

It takes a bit of preparation and experience to explore this pot’s versatility, but that’s part of the fun of the Dutch oven. You can use it with a fire pit in your back yard before venturing into a remote campground and enjoy outdoor cooking summer or winter right at home. Then you’ll be prepared, as the Boy Scouts say, when you’re ready to hit the trail.

A Dutch oven is a very specific item, however. Some pots sold as Dutch ovens simply aren’t Dutch ovens. Here’s what to look for: A heavy, black cast-iron pot with a lid and feet and a wire bucket-type handle like the one pictured below.

Now there are enameled and even aluminum products called Dutch ovens by their manufacturers, and by broad definition, they may be. But the real Dutch oven, the one that’s been in use over camp cooking fires for many, many years will be cast-iron and heavy. The lid will sit inside the rim of the pot so hot coals can be placed on top, and it will have a handle so it can be removed from the fire with an oven mitt. It’s feet will raise the pot so as not to smother the fire directly under it.

Obviously, the Dutch oven is not for backpacking and long hikes. It’s too heavy and bulky. But as a base-camp utensil, the Dutch oven can be the most useful of camping cooking equipment.

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Camping Cooking Equipment – find gear here for every camping experience

No matter the type of camping you’re planning, there’s cooking gear to go along.

And this site hopes to provide you information and tips about what’s available and what’s appropriate for the type of camping you plan to experience. Whether you and your family and friends enjoy back packing or tailgating, you’ll find info here about the right camping cooking equipment for your needs.

And it’s just not camp cooking gear we’ll cover. We’ll look at camp food prep and storage, cooked or raw. We’ll cover maintenance and cleaning, safety and ecological concerns. Wether you’re out to impress your friends with the latest technology gear or you’re a survivalist, you’ll find some good information, tips and information to make the correct buying decisions for your particular situation.

So browse and search for your needs, and keep coming back because we’ll continually update this site.