How to Build a Camping Kitchen Kit

Storage Bin – I have a 30 qt bin that fits everything I need and a good amount of dry food. It’s the perfect size for the back of your car and manageable for one person to carry. 

Camp Stove – I like to cook over a fire if I can, but it takes forever and it’s not realistic most of the time. Getting a portable camp stove is essential and you can’t go wrong with Coleman products. This is the stove everyone has and it’s very easy to use. It’s probably obvious, but this doesn’t live in your main storage box, it’s just an essential.

Propane (Fuel) – You’ll need some fuel to cook with. I recommend always having two tanks on hand. Learned that one the hard way. I’d try to match your tank to your stove brand, but most cylinders should work fine.

Long Reach Lighter – I once spent an hour watching a friend try to start a fire with sticks…it’s possible but not something I’d suggest. Instead, pick up a few of the refillable long reach lighters for your kit and house. Again, two is a good idea for the kit. These things like to walk off on their own.

Pot & Pan – Definitely adjust the number of pots and pans you bring to accommodate your typical camping crew. Mine is usually a 3-4 person party and we use a combo of pots, pans, tin foil trays, and aluminum packets. I got all my cooking gear at the Goodwill and that would be my recommendation. But if you want to get fancy and buy the pans new, get something durable. Most are made of aluminum alloy. If you backpack, I’d try to have one set that works for both car camping and back country, I am a car camper so I have cheap shit. Good Backpacking gear is VERY expensive.

Cooking Utensils – There are ready made kits you can buy, either as part of a larger cookware set, or on their own. As always, try your thrift store first and build it. Order off Amazon if you can’t or want to save your time. 

You need:

• Serving / Mixing Spoon
• Slotted Spoon
• Pasta Spoon (optional, but nice to have)
• Flat Mixing Spatula
• Flat Spatula / Food turner
• Tongs
• Roasting Fork (S’MORES!!!)
• Knives
• Cutting Boards
• Tinfoil trays (8×8)

I like using wood utensils to save my pans and avoid plastic. It’s nice to have a few of the spoons and spatulas, but camping is about roughing it so…

Eating Utensils – Unless you are backpacking and need to minimize the weight of your pack, there is no reason to spend money on eating utensils. Grab your old beat up forks, spoons and knives and throw them in a Ziploc bag. I did find a cute picnic set at my grocery store when I was building my kit, so I spent $3 on mine. Mainly because I live alone and had limited metal ones at home, but also because I like cute things. If you get a utensil set that includes this stuff…great! It may even be more cost effective to buy a new kit, but you’ll have to do the math based on your needs and what’s available at the time.

Tableware – You’ve got the things to make and eat the food, and for some people the act of eating right from the pot is the height of escaping civilization. But if you should want to eat and drink out of a dedicated vessel you should grab some for your kit. I lose at least one thing from my kit every time I go on a trip. It’s a little annoying to someone who likes to have full sets of things, but it’s life.  I recommend picking up extras of whatever you get. You’ll appreciate them when you don’t want to do your dishes right away or make friends with the neighboring camp. 

Cups and bowls will do for the semi-minimalists, but plates are nice to have since they fit more than a bowl. I found mine at my grocery store in the picnic supplies, but part of me really wants the old enamel sets that I remember from childhood. Maybe I’ll get them if I have kids…to keep the nostalgia going.

Cleaning up supplies – It’s easy to overlook these things, so plan ahead and never worry about it again. I’d grab the following items to keep your campsite tidy.

• Collapsible wash bin
• Eco soap
• Wash clothes / Sponge
• Drying towels (double as potholders)
• Trash and compost bags

Even in the PNW, campgrounds don’t compost. I’m betting it’s to keep animals away. We try to keep ours set aside to take with us, but that’s not always practical. It is important to recycle, if you can do more you’ll be doing your best for the nature you’ve just spent a few days enjoying. 

Some Odds and Ends – There are a few small things that no car camping kitchen kit should be without. They will make the whole experience that much better. Top of my list is a French Press. I don’t become human before coffee so this is critical. I’m less obnoxious about the quality of my coffee when camping so I keep ground beans in my kit as well. It’s called roughing it for a reason.

I’d also bring a few small plastic food containers and some aluminum foil. Avoid single use plastics. I don’t typically suggest glass, except for your spice containers. It’s a great idea to keep your most used spices in your kit. I didn’t have any old bottles at the time, so mine are in small plastic containers, but you can just refill your old ones and toss them in your kit. 

Finally, I’d get a citronella candle or two. Now grab a cooler, water jugs, ice, and the rest of your gear and get out of town.

While you’re out there, I’m sure you’ll think of something else to include in your kit. Let me know what it is. I’m slowly building mine up and discovering ways to make prep easier. Don’t forget to check out my post on packing your day trip hiking bag. 

Thanks for reading!