10 Helpful Kitchen Tools for the Best Campfire Cooking

Camping is always an exciting adventure.

Wandering around the woods, singing campfire songs, listening to the birds chirping, sleeping in tents, gazing at the stars, enjoying the breeze and best of all campfire food! Cooking food on campfire can be fun but it also requires some planning and the right tools. It is indeed tempting to pack all your cooking tools but you must remember that too much baggage can become a burden. Most importantly, there is a special charm in cooking food outdoors with just a few basic kitchen tools. Here are the 10 helpful kitchen tools that are best for campfire cooking:

Cast Iron Frying Pan/Skillet

This might be heavy but is super durable. Cast iron can survive the intense heat of the campfire and will help you avoid ruining your kitchen tools like nonstick pans with plastic handles.

Metal Skewers or Toasting Fork

Roasting is a great way to make campfire food. You can use metal skewers to roast assorted veggies, kebabs, and of course marshmallows. If you have a grill, you can simply place the skewered items on the grill to cook or hold the skewers in your hand to roast items over the campfire. These are handy since they are compact and easy to clean. Toasting fork is also handy and you can roast marshmallows, sausages, kebabs and also toast over open flame.

Oven Mitts

As you would be cooking on campfire using cast iron cookware, metal skewers and more, you would need oven mitts to handle them as the campfire heats gets evenly transferred to even the lids and handles of the cookware.

Seasonings

You can invest in an all-in-one seasoning container that can hold pepper, salt, chili flakes, cayenne and other herbs and seasoning you prefer. You can even use vitamin and tablet organizers to store your seasoning to cook your food with. These are compact, lightweight and can easily be stored in your backpack.

Reusable Dinnerware

It is always recommended to use reusable dinnerware to ensure a clean campsite. There is nothing worse than arriving at a campsite to find pizza boxes, broken glass, Styrofoam plates and glasses lying around. Avoid wastage of plastic utensils and paper plates by using reusable dinnerware.

Tripod

Of course you can get by without a tripod but it comes super handy when it comes to cooking food on campfire as it reduces the chances of tripping. Tripods are lightweight, compact and help in balancing the food while you cook without worrying anything will fall over. It is best to get the one with foldable legs.

Camp Stove

There are plenty of fancy and expensive options available in camping stores but all you need is a simple two burner stove that will help in cooking your food and will also fold up so it’s easier to carry. There are also different sizes available, you can pick the one which is more suitable to your requirements and budget.

Fuel and Fire Starters

You can’t cook without a fire and you need something to start the fire. With fuel, it gets easier to start a fire, otherwise wood and dry branches are your friends. Majority of campsites offer firewood, so it is best to check with the camp authorizes before you start packing. If you want to do it the old fashion way and collect wood to start a fire, you would also need lighting liquid and a box of matches for that. If you are bringing along a charcoal grill, you would also need a spade to work with the coal.

Chopping Board and Knives

A knife is a necessity for all camping trips and not just for food. Make sure you take extra knifes that have sharp blades to cut meat, vegetables and for other purposes. Going camping without a knife would be the biggest mistake you would make. Take along a chopping board to make it easier to cut veggies and meat. Ensure that you pack the knives carefully. Furthermore, pack in a Swiss army knife or a pocket knife just in case.

Folding Double Wash Basin

Since you are taking reusable dinnerware, you would of course have to wash the dishes. A folding wash basin would be best for this purpose.

The list of essential kitchen tools for camping can vary as per your camping style, trip duration, and the facilities provided at the camping site. However, these are the basic kitchen tools that you would need to make the best campfire food. Ensure you pack enough to last throughout your trip.