Elevate your outdoor experience while you are still enjoying mouthwatering meals—this camp cooking guide is all that you need. Make unforgettable memories around the campfire!

The best thing about camping is that you get to spend time outside in nature. And this activity is becoming more and more popular. The Outdoor Industry Association reported increased camping, with 92 million American families identifying as campers in 2022.

One important aspect of camping that many people talk about is camp cooking. Yes, nature is beautiful and all, but you still have to eat something. And even if it is common to make S’mores around the campfire, you might also want something that is not a dessert.

The only problem with camp cooking is that many see it as a real challenge. And indeed, it can be. You no longer have a stove, an oven, or a skink, but it is your chance to get creative. Also, some say that any meal cooked in nature is more delicious. What do you think about this? Better give it a try!

1. What gear do you need?

When you decide that you want to start camp cooking on your next trip, you will need some gear. But what gear you choose depends on how you want to approach this camping experience. Are you driving or hiking?

For most people, the basic camping gear you will need for camping cooking is a pot, a stove, a knife, and a water filter. Once you have these, you should be able to cook some simple and filling meals. Also, you can be sure that you will always have fresh water.

If you decide that you are taking a road trip and stopping at a campsite or that you have an RV and will park in an RV park, this will allow you to take more cooking gear with you since you will be able to carry it around.

A small grill, more plates, a frying pan, and additional silverware—all of them can make your camp cooking experience more pleasant. Besides this, you might also want to bring a spatula, a cutting board, a spatula, soap, and some clean towels.

2. How to carry your food

Maybe you have the best camping equipment, but if you don’t know how to pack your food in a smart way, you can be sure that your camp trip and camp cooking experience will not be the most pleasant.

First of all, since you don’t have a lot of space, you want to prep as much as possible before you leave your home. Marinade your meat and chop your veggies. When you want to take condiments and sauces with you, put them in some small containers, as you won’t probably need the whole package or bottle.

You want to set up everything in a way that occupies the least space possible because you don’t have a lot of space in the cooler and you want to maximize it. Speaking of coolers, you want to freeze everything that needs to be kept frozen at home and also try to refrigerate anything else beforehand.

One secret to keeping your food in the best condition is to always use the 2:1 ratio. This means trying to have twice as much ice as food in your cooler. If you are able to use ice blocks instead of ice cubes, this would be perfect. If this is not an option, you can also use frozen water bottles. In this way, the ice will last longer.

3. Setting up your camp kitchen

One step in camp cooking is to learn how to set up your kitchen in the most effective way. For this, you need to consider where you are going to camp. Are you taking the classic route and going in the woods, or are you trying something more modern, such as glamping or yurt camping?

For example, if you are going to a campsite that has picnic tables, you might want to set up the kitchen on the table or at least as close to the table as possible. This makes the most sense, and it will facilitate the whole camp cooking process. This also applies if your campsite has access to a water source or electricity. You will want to be as close to them as possible.

Another thing you want to consider when you are camp cooking is to always set up your kitchen away from the place you are going to sleep. First of all, you don’t want animals to come near your tent during the night, and secondly, you want to avoid the strong smells that would linger after you cooked.

Also, you don’t want to keep food in your tent. This is a big no-no, and you should respect this. Food attracts animals, and besides the danger, rodents, for example, can smell the food and chew on the tent, destroying it.

The best place to keep your food is in your car, inside a critter-resistant container. This is the safest way, and we advise you to always do that.

4. Camp cooking types

If we look at it, we can easily identify three big types of camp cooking: stove cooking, portable grill cooking, and cooking over fire.

When you choose to cook on a camp stove, the possibilities are endless, as it works in the same way as the stove you have at home, which means you can do the same dishes. It is easy to transport these stoves, and you don’t need to build a fireplace when you want to eat. They are perfect for those who seek comfort but still want to have the camp cooking experience.

If you want your food to have the taste of food that was cooked over an open flame but you don’t want to take the risk, this is the perfect option for you. The portable grills come in charcoal-fueled and propane-fueled models and are amazing for camp cooking.

The last option is cooking over the fire. This is the classic option, and it is also what most people think about when you say camp cooking. But there is a drawback to this. If you want to cook more than s’mores, you will need some additional equipment. We recommend a Dutch oven or a cast iron skillet as the best oven you can use to cook over an open flame.

5. What are the best camping foods?

When you try camp cooking, you want foods that are easy to prepare, portable, and versatile. Oh, and we were about to forget that you also want tasty food. The next foods check most of these boxes, and most people love them.

For breakfast, you can try some pancakes, a frittata, or some delicious breakfast burritos made with scrambled eggs, cheese, beans, and sausage, all wrapped in crispy tortillas. If you don’t finish them at breakfast, you can take them with you and eat them later at lunch or dinner.

For lunch, you can try some grilled cheese, campfire nachos, or chicken kebabs. They are all easy to cook and perfect to carry with you if you have something left. Most of them you can preserve for the next day if you put them in the cooler.

When it is finally time to cook under the stars, you can’t say no to some tasty hamburgers or to a bowl of macaroni and cheese.

Now that you have these camp cooking hacks in your arsenal, you are ready to make some incredible meals when you go on your next camping adventure. And always remember that some of the most memorable meals can be the ones you cook under the open sky!

If you have decided that for your next camping trip you want to cook, here is the perfect camping stove for you: Gas One GS-3400P Propane or Butane Stove Dual Fuel Stove Portable Camping Stove

You should also read: Is Forest Camping Safe or Risky?