7 Kitchen Hacks For Camping

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Summer camping is tons of fun for the whole family, and these 7 Kitchen Hacks For Camping will make everything easier for you while at you are at your temporary camp. One of the best parts about camping out in nature is cooking fun foods on the grill, or eating those classic S’Mores treats.

You have to also be prepared for basic cooking needs for more than just the special meals. Things like breakfasts, snacks and simply cleaning your utensils can be a hassle if you aren’t prepared. These are essential knowledge just as the 10 Things Not to Forget when Camping in a Tent is!

With years of camping experience under our belt, this list is our go to for making sure we have things as simple as possible while camping as a family.

7 Kitchen Hacks For Camping

7 Kitchen Hacks For Camping

Invest in the nesting cooking gear: You may want to save money by simply taking pots and pans from home, but at the end of the day, you’ll be frustrated trying to fit them easily into boxes or back seats for your camping trip. Nesting cooking gear is worth the money spent. Not only will you have everything you need for multiple types of meals, but you can store it all back in a neat box that easily packs into your car or corner of your tent.

Marinate and freeze meats before your trip: Grilling meats is one of the best parts of camping out. If you want to do things like chicken, beef or pork on the grill, bag them with marinade and put into your freezer at least a day or two prior to your camping trip. Load them into the bottom of your ice chest and cover well with ice. They will thaw over the first 2-3 days but stay at temperature in the cold ice chest, help keep things cool, and be ready to just toss right on the grill without a ton of sanitary issues. Make sure to double or triple bag them for safety and preferably keep them in a separate cooler.

Limit yourself to 4 basic utensils: You feel the need to bring every utensil from home, but all you really need are a good knife, a spatula, a slotted spoon, and a pair of tongs. These four items will help help you cut food, mix food, turn food as it is cooking, serve food and pick up meats off the grill. A few plastic spoons can help serve food out of dishes as it is time to eat.

Use paper plates & plastic utensils: Paper plates are easy to toss into the recycling bins, or to burn on your fire. Plastic utensils aren’t great for the environment, but they are sturdy enough to use multiple times so a package can be washed and used over again. If your budget allows, you can invest in the wooden utensil sets that are disposable while being Eco-Friendly. For camping, don’t bring the real dishes from home.

Prepare mixes in advance: For things like pancakes, cornbread, fish fry mix, or any other breading or mix you might need to use while camping, simply mix together, pour into Ziploc bags and label well. You won’t have to bring out your flour, cornmeal and all of your seasonings when you have this ready. You can also create a basic season salt blend, or dry rub for meats instead of bring your whole spice cabinet on the road.

Pack nesting storage bowls: There are various brands of storage bowls that nest together allowing lids to fit inside the nest as well. They may not be your favorite for every day use at home, but they are perfect for camping since the go inside each other and save space. If you can find square or rectangular bowls that do the same, that is even better as they pack into coolers easier.

Limit cleanup with disinfectant wipes & soap dispensing sponge: A kitchen sponge that has the soap dispensing handle can be a great way to bring your method of washing dishes without bringing a giant bottle of soap. It also gives you something that will air dry and no pick up germs as quickly as a wash cloth or kitchen rag would. For cleaning off door handles, tables and other frequently touched surfaces, grab a canister of disinfectant wipes to bring along.

These kitchen hacks for camping make packing easier, as well as your time camping easier. Keeping what you take with you to a minimum helps keep things running smoothly. You’ll have fewer issues with cleanup and storage when following these simple tips and hacks .

Do you have any other camping hacks to share?

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33 Comments

  1. I don’t like that you say to bring paper plates and plastic forks. It’s cheaper and better for the environment to use regular forks, spoons, and knives. You can get them for a buck from places like Walmart and they take up very little room. Plus, they won’t melt if they get too hot. Also, you have to be careful with prepared batters. Prepared pancake batter for example, expands and can explode a bag. It also isn’t safe to eat after it’s been prepared for that long. Better to portion it out and just add water at the campsite when you are ready to use. Love the other hacks though!

  2. When we went camping in the fall, I would make beef stew or chili a day or two ahead of time and put it in containers. Then all we would have to do is heat it up after a long day of hiking. Investing in a perculator style coffee pot is a good idea if you can’t miss your coffee!

  3. A cheap disposable tablecloth. The picnic tables are usually rough & dirty. A car wash bucket to wash the skillet & utensils. A 5 gallon collapsible water jug so you have “running” water. These things have proven invaluable while tent camping.

  4. Such great ideas! We hope to camp some day with our boys, but in the meantime I’m collecting tips to make it as easy as possible! Thanks for sharing at #HappinessIsHomemade this week, sharing for the future!

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