A good meal in the outdoors is important if you're going to spend a lot of time in the wilderness. A good meal can help soothe the pain of the long day and turn that rained-out trip into an at least-we-ate-well trip.
It can be difficult to bring the kitchen to the outdoors. I've been a professional chef and guide a lot of groups through the wilderness, and I've learned that food makes or breaks a trip. There is a mix of ideas from the gear you need to meal plan. Whether you're new to camping or a veteran, there's something for everyone here. The best camping gear and best tents can be found in our guides.
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There is a good stove.
The photograph is of Coleman.
A two- burner stove is recommended for car camping. The size of the stove is dependent on the size of your group. The Coleman Classic 2- burner propane camp stove is the best choice for a small group. It has a good balance between cost and cooking power. If you're going out with a larger group, you'll either want to use a couple of stoves or the Camp Chef Pro 60XDeluxe, which costs $350. There are more recommendations in the Best Camp Stoves guide.
It's difficult to find a good backpacking stove because of the weight. You don't need a stove if you bring ready-to- eat food. The difference between survival and real fun can be marked by a hot meal. The Primus Firestick is great for two person meals.
The Jetboil MiniMo is a favorite if you are going out alone. One stove for every two people is what I suggest if your group is large. It's possible to cook for more on a single stove, but I don't think it's worth the trouble.
There is a good cooler.
The photograph is of the iyo
The best cooler is the Tundra Series. I wish the most expensive option was better but it is. I get a solid week of cooling out of a single block of ice when I test the Tundra 45. cube ice can last three to four days in warm weather. It's still better than anything you'll find from other coolers once it gets hotter. It's not cheap, but the ies are nearly indestructible and perform better than everything else we've tried.
I suggest you go with whatever is available at your local store if you don't camp enough. When it comes to performance, most other coolers are equally good. It's important to get something with enough room for your food and ice. I rarely use a 2-to-1 ratio of ice to goods with a family of five camping. The 1-to-1 ratio seems to keep my food cold in my tests.
Store the cooler properly. It usually means in a metal storage box. When possible, keep your cooler out of the sun and keep the lid closed. It's a good idea to keep the food cooler open as little as possible. If you have a separate cooler for drinks, you don't have to open and close your main cooler to get another drink. You can make your own block ice if you have a freezer.
The table is a camp table.
If you go to a campground, you'll probably have access to a picnic table, which you can use to cook, but that takes up a lot of eating space. A good camp table is indispensable if you don't have access to a picnic table. I don't use a camp table that's still available for purchase at the moment. Alps Mountaineering's table is the best thing I've used recently, it's stable and small, but it's cheap.
You can find plastic folding tables at most big box stores. I've used this 4-foot Mainstays model while camping, and it did the job, though it warped over time, so be careful when cooking on it.
The camp cookware.
Your stove is set up on a table, your food is stowed on plenty of ice, and now it's time for the actual cooking. What do you use in cooking? Bring some cookware from home to start. I cook most of my food on cast iron because it's very durable and retains heat well. It's very large.
If you don't want to bring your nice pans from home, another option is to head over to your local thrift store and get a few cheap skillets. If you want to take your cooking to the next level, a dutch oven is a good choice. The Lodge 6-quart model is recommended by me. The lid can be used to cook food.
There is a plan for the meal.
The images are from Westend61
It's possible to cook in the campground or the back country as you please. There are a few things to think about when planning your camping meals.
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