Setting Up A Camp Kitchen
How Much Stuff Do I need?
Use what you have at home already, buy new or better yet shop at the thrift store. It depends on how much camping you plan on doing. Taking a bin and throwing in what you have from your home kitchen is a great idea. When you get home it all ends up in the dishwasher to sanitize anyhow? am I right? Again we want Camping In Style - without the extra work or breaking the bank.
Your car camping for goodness sakes, it's not like you have to backpack it in or anything so stop using rinky dink cooking gear go for the real stuff. Bringing an extra table or a kitchen set up like the picture above is optional. For many years I just used the end of the pic nic table and bear box to set up my kitchen. Now I have an extra table and am thinking about using a piece of camp furniture made to set up a kitchen.
What are your thoughts and questions about weather to use a kitchen set up or not?
HERE ARE THE BASICS:
- A two burner camp stove and fuel
- Cooler
- Large clear plastic bin for cooking gear
- Small clear plastic bin for utensils
- Plates and eating utensils
- Fryer
- Boiling pan
- Sauce pa
- Lids
- Dutch oven optional and a whole topic unto itself
- A few good kitchen knifes
- Cooking utensils
- Cutting board etc.... SEE CAMP CHECKLIST for details
OK this is one thing I've been stubborn about and finally my husband has won this debate. I love the earth and like being kind to it. Yes I use heavy duty paper plates. I toss the dirty ones into our wood pile to start our camp fire (FYI campfire is not environmentally friendly either). Allot has changed for me now that I have a child and husband camping with me. Either way your really have to think "What will make camping more enjoyable" I like to hold the image of a decadent Victorian pic nic. The paper plates have won for now.
Next you will need to find a place to prep/cut your food, cook, serve and store food all within close range. NEVER NEVER! NEAR WHERE YOU SLEEP! Having this area close to the "bear (box) pantry" will help make life easier.
Recap:
- Use what you have from home
- Shop at a thrift store or Craigslist before buying new
- Designate your camp gear in a bins and store in garage for repeat trips
- See Camp Checklist for detail list of things to pack
- Paper plates or real you decide
- Plastic or silver ware is up to you as well
- Use a wicker magazine basket to hold your eating supplies on table SEE TIP
- Use a small plastic container to hold silver ware
- A two burner camp stove
- Two containers of propane always have an extra or fuel
- Your food and cook area should be at least 30' from tent
- Set up prep area near bear box
- Have your food organized in clear plastic bins
- Eat dinner well before dark so you can see
CLICK HERE TO SEE CAMP CHECKLIST
Comments
Anyway, yeah, I prefer paper plates that I burn too. I hate carrying out a lot of garbage, and I hate spending all my time washing dishes. If not paper plates, then mess kits which can be used to cook, eaten from, and then washed and put away. That works well as long as everyone is responsible for their own gear.
Where are you camping mostly, places w/ a restroom or remote.
I also don't have a "camp kitchen" because I like to travel light.
Did you see the smaller set up with the black sides posted at the bottom, I kind of like that for lightweight and the shelfs for the cookware/no food.
Also you know I've been trying to camp for three to five nights to make the shlep worth it.