Camping is the perfect way to detach from urban life, don’t you think? No one’s there to bother you, no deadlines to meet and certainly not any chores to do. The only things you’ll be faced with is the warm summer breeze hitting your face and fresh air filling your lungs. You certainly can’t complain though. It’s safe to say that we’d all prefer that over the bustling city life any day.
While all that sounds like heaven on earth, there’s still quite a bit of preparation that you’re expected to do. Most people immediately think of the bare camping necessities like a tent and a bunch of sleeping bags but those things go without saying. But do you know what else you need? Food. Can you buy food when you’re out in the middle of nowhere? We didn’t think so. Of course, there’s always packed lunches and sandwiches but those aren’t nearly as tasty as food that’s been freshly prepared. Sadly, you won’t be able to whip out a whole kitchen in the woods but you can go for the next best thing – pack a few essential camping kitchen supplies to prepare delicious meals on the go. Stick around if you want to find out what you’ll need.
What Should You Bring to a Camping Kitchen?
Every camper needs to figure out how to maximise their storage. Surely you wouldn’t enjoy carrying loads of heavy bags and cramming your car with anything and everything you get your hands on. So you need to be smart about which tools you pack. You might not have a full-fledged kitchen at your disposal but it’ll get the job done.
Camp Stove
We’re kicking things off with the basics – whether you’re grilling a few juicy pieces of meat or warming up some vegetables, you’ll need a stove to do so. It’s singlehandedly one of the most important items in your camp kitchen inventory. Nowadays, outdoor stoves are available in a range of shapes, sizes and materials so, in all likelihood, you’ll find something that suits your needs and preferences. If you want our advice – stainless steel stoves are quite durable and corrosion-resistant so you might want to check those out. Plus, the hinges are quite tough so they’ll stay in place no matter how much you move your stove around.
Fuel and Lighters
This depends entirely on the type of stove you choose. The good news is that there’s a wide selection of fuel options available – ranging from wood and charcoal tab, to gas and propane-based burners. You probably won’t go wrong regardless of which one you choose to go for what’s most convenient for you. After all, the whole point of camping is to enjoy your outdoor experience as much as possible. When you’ve decided on that, having a long-necked lighter will come in handy in more ways than one.
Storage and Coolers
Imagine how disappointed you would be if you reached for a bottle of your favourite beer on a hot summer day only to find out it’s super warm and tastes funky. Wouldn’t that be the biggest let-down ever? It only makes sense that you’d have a compact portable fridge, don’t you think? By doing this, you’ll prevent your food and drinks from going bad because of the warm temperatures. One less thing to worry about.
These days, you can find lots of different types of coolers. Each one serves a special purpose which we’ll be breaking down specifically for you. For starters, soft-sided portable fridges are designed to carry smaller amounts of solid food and canned drinks. Otherwise, your goods can easily get mushed or broken down into smaller pieces due to the soft exterior. If you’re looking for something on the sturdier side, you might want to look into hard-sided fridges. But bear in mind that these models are also somewhat heavier once they’re fully loaded so transport might sometimes pose a challenge.
Now you might be thinking, does this mean I’ll have to pack copious amounts of ice cubes to keep everything cool? Well, that’s one way to look at it but it’s not the only option either. These days, you can buy a portable fridge that you can directly attach to your camping power source. This means that you won’t have to pack ice or worry about it melting during the day. Seems simple enough, don’t you agree?
Cookware
There’s no point in bringing a stove if you don’t have cookware, right? Mind you, this doesn’t mean that you should pack your entire pot and pan collection that you have at home. You probably won’t use every single item anyway. Your best bet would be to have a separate set that you use for camping purposes only. In this way, you won’t damage your existing home cookware set.
In any case, before you jump into packing, make sure you consider the number of growling stomachs you’ll be feeding at the campsite. Your cooking tools need to fit enough food to satisfy the needs of all campers.
Tableware
When all has been set and done, you probably wouldn’t feel too comfortable eating with the same hands you used to dig holes when you were setting up the tent. Plus, you’re not an animal so you should pack all relevant tableware and utensils to ensure a comfortable meal for everyone. Never underestimate the importance of this piece of camping kitchenware.
