Camping Kitchen: What You Need

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Two of the most important things you need for a successful camping trip are good sleeping gear and kitchen gear. I cover the best camping tents and sleeping mats in a different post, so this one is all about your camping kitchen needs. You can also check out my complete camping gear checklist to make sure you have everything you need.

One of my biggest recommendations when it comes to camping kitchens is to create a bin that’s all of your camping kitchen gear and another that is all of your “pantry” stuff. This makes packing for your camping trip so much easier. Here’s what you need to make sure you pack in each.

Camping Kitchen Must-Haves

My camping kitchen tub has the equipment we need to do the actual cooking of things–pots, pans, stove, knives, spatulas, etc. This box doesn’t need to be re-stocked after each trip. Here’s a list of everything we keep in it:

Cooking Essentials

1. Stove or Cooking System:
   • Portable camping stove – we use the Coleman double burner and love it
   • Camping BBQ – technically you don’t need this since you can do your cooking on the burner, but my husband likes to grill meat, and then we use the burner for side dishes
   • Fuel appropriate for your stove (propane, butane, etc.).
2. Cookware:
   • Lightweight pots and pans
   • Skillet
   • Strainer
   • A large pot if you plan to do one pot camping meals.
   • Coffee kettle & mugs (optional).
3. Utensils:
   • Spatula, tongs, ladle, and serving spoon – a set like this has everything you’ll need–even s’mores skewers!
   • Knife and cutting board (folding or compact is great for space-saving).
   • Can opener and bottle opener.
4. Dishes and Cutlery:
   • Camping plates, bowls, and mugs (durable materials like stainless steel or BPA-free plastic).
   • Forks, knives, and spoons.

Food Prep and Storage

5. Food Storage:
   • Large ice chest – you don’t need to get anything too fancy, but do know that nicer coolers, like the RTIC, will keep your food colder for longer and will save you from having to make extra ice runs. Check out these other tips for making your ice last longer while camping.
   • Dry food containers or resealable bags.
6. Prep Tools:
   • Mixing bowls (collapsible for space-saving).
   • Measuring cups and spoons.
   • Grater or zester (optional but useful).

Camping-Specific Gear

8. Portable Kitchen Setup:
   • Camping table or cook station (optional but helpful) – we use this one and really appreciate the extra counter space and storage
9. Lighting:
   • Lantern or headlamp for nighttime cooking.
10. Food:
    • Obviously you need food to cook all your favorite camping dishes.

Camping Kitchen Pantry

Our camping pantry tub if where we store things that need to be re-stocked after each trip, such as paper plates, plastic silverware and plastic cups (if you don’t use re-useable stuff), trash bags, etc. Here’s a full list of what we keep in ours.

• Paper plates
• Plastic silverware – I like this large box of heavy duty plastic silverware to start with; then I can do just forks or spoons in future purchases since we go through those faster.
• Plastic cups
• Salt
• Pepper
• Vegetable & olive oils
• Crushed red pepper & any other spices that we use often
• Sugar, coffee, or tea (if needed)
• Trash bags
• Paper towels
• Dish soap
• Sponges
• Collapsible wash basin
• Extra propane bottles for the stove

Once you have your camping kitchen supplies, be sure to check out these easy camping meals along with this complete camping supplies list with everything you need to pack.

More Camping Resources:

• Camping Games the Whole Family Will Love
• Camping For Newbies: Camping Basics
• Yellowstone National Park Campgrounds
• How to Have an Outdoor Movie Night While Camping

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