Even the top chefs have trouble cooking when it comes to cooking in the wild. Cooking can be a challenging task when you are outdoors and away from home and if your camp kitchen is not set up right then it makes it even harder for you to cook a decent meal. A proper camp kitchen set up is your difference between a warm slop and a meal worthy of your own kitchen.
Setting Up a Camp Kitchen
When it comes to setting up a kitchen you must scout for a flat area that is away from trees, bushes and, most importantly, any natural water sources. You want to make sure that your camp kitchen is at least 100 yards away from the closest source of natural water.
It’s also recommended that your kitchen area should not be too close to your tent as it can attract animals, especially bears when in bear country. Anywhere from 100-200 feet away from your tent should be fine.
Once you’ve identified your kitchen area, find a large rock, a picnic table or other flat surface to act as your kitchen countertop. Use this for your camp stove and other amenities you brought for your kitchen. Don’t forget to think about things like plates, utensils, pots and pans, etc.
To avoid the constant back and forth for trips to get water, grab a large container of water to use. If you’re not sure how much water you’ll need, as a general rule of thumb, a person usually requires a gallon of water for cooking, cleaning and drinking per day.
Additional Tips
- Before heading out make sure that the pots you take with you are not too big for your stove to make sure that they don’t tip over.
- Take a bucket or a couple of large water bottles with you to allow you to fetch more water at once rather than making trips to get water.
- Try to make sure that you bring utensils that are made for camping. Cleaning and using them can be much easier.
- Don’t forget to clean your dishes as you go along. Washing your dishes at night is never fun and dirty dishes have the tendency to attract animals. To make washing dishes easier, you can bring a compactable kitchen sink like this one.
- If it’s windy, set up a windbreaker so that you can light your stove and you don’t waste fuel
