If you want to be self-sufficient when traveling with a tent or camper, you can cook really delicious meals with a little adaptability. Even if your camping kitchen is probably not as comfortable and well equipped as at home – cooking under the open sky is a special experience. On the web you can find many simple recipes that don’t require a lot of ingredients or cooking utensils. So you don’t necessarily have to eat canned ravioli while camping. Find out how it works here.
The right equipment for cooking while camping
If things are going well, you can rely on a solid basic equipment in the camper: two hotplates, pots and pans, enough dishes and in the best case even a refrigerator. If, on the other hand, you are trekking with a backpack and tent, the situation is different: Here, every gram of weight counts and the space for luggage is very limited. How you can still eat a balanced and delicious diet, we have summarized in a separate article:
No matter how space-saving and weight-reduced you have to pack, with the following utensils you can prepare tasty treats even during your outdoor adventures.
Basic equipment for the camping kitchen
- Spirit stove (offers the advantage over a gas stove that you don’t need special cartridges that have to be exactly matched to the stove).
- Light stainless steel or titanium pot (without plastic handles, with lid)
- Pan or second pot
- Cooking spoon/pan turner
- Possibly grill device and grill tongs
- If possible, cool box with cold pack
- Cutting board and knife (large and small)
- Vegetable peeler
- Can opener
- Camping utensils (plates, cups) and cutlery
- Bowl (at the same time storage box)
- Tea towel
- Garbage bag
- Kitchen paper (microfiber cloth if necessary, recyclable, easy to clean)
- Espresso maker/French press/hand filter + coffee filter
Which ingredients are best for cooking while camping?
Uncomplicated, fast and delicious – that’s the motto for cooking on a camping vacation. In addition, the dishes should fill you up to replenish your energy reserves after an active day outdoors.
Foods with lots of carbohydrates (pasta, rice and other cereals) and protein sources (eggs, meat, fish, tofu, chickpeas, etc.) are ideal for this.
The absolute basics of camping cuisine include the following ingredients:
- Pasta
- Cereals (couscous, bulgur, rice)
- Bread
- Coffee/tea
- Vegetable broth
- Oil
- Vinegar
- Spices (salt, pepper, chili flakes, oregano, garlic, curry)
- Sugar
Being open to the produce of the countries and regions you travel to is always worthwhile for variety in your camping recipes. It’s exciting to shop for regional specialties at markets or supermarkets and then improvise when cooking.
Are you still looking for suitable cookware for your outdoor star kitchen? Here you will find high-quality cooking utensils made of robust stainless steel. Whether plates, bowls, pots, pans, cups or drinking bottles.
What is the best way to cook on a camping stove?
Basically, cooking on a camping stove is no different than with a gas stove – except for the difference that you only have one flame available. For example, if you’re cooking pasta as a side dish, you can remove it from the stove after five minutes in bubbling water and let it finish cooking without adding heat. This frees up the stove more quickly to cook vegetables or a sauce in parallel.
The second challenge is fuel: To waste as little of it as possible, foods that take little time to cook are ideal. Couscous is particularly practical. You only have to pour boiling water on it and then you don’t have to cook it further, but can let it steep next to the stove.
Camping cuisine: stew or one-pot pasta
You can optimally combine the logistics and the fuel aspect with one-pot dishes. In addition, the preparation is usually quite simple: some vegetables, a protein source, cereals or noodles, a few spices and a delicious meal is ready. One-pot pasta recipes are very popular. These are pasta dishes where you don’t cook the pasta in an extra pot, but directly with all the ingredients together. You’ll find plenty of recipes for this online.
Ready meals when camping
Ready meals are also occasionally a welcome option in the camping kitchen to get a quick hot meal. Canned food or dishes that you simply pour boiling water on are particularly popular. The latter have the advantage of being particularly light. There are also special outdoor foods for infusing, i.e. freeze-dried foods. Open the bag, pour in boiling water and you’re ready to go: it probably couldn’t be much easier or faster. However, this variant is relatively expensive.
Grilling is always possible
Barbecuing is also an ideal way to prepare food while camping: If you’re traveling by camper, pack your grill from home. You should only clarify if grilling is allowed without restrictions on the campsite. Sometimes charcoal barbecues are forbidden because of their smoke development or because of forest fire danger. The safest way is to use a gas or electric grill. You can use them almost everywhere.
If you carry your home on your back, you can use existing grills at the campsite. A folding grill is also recommended. You can easily transport it and set it up directly over the fireplace. If you don’t want to bring your own equipment, you can start a small campfire and grill directly over the fire with a stick of wood. Bread on sticks makes the campfire feeling perfect.
