There was a time when camp food for a weekend overnight revolved around hot dogs, canned goods, and tasteless dehydrated dinners. Fortunately, those days are behind us thanks to a new generation of camping gear and accessories that open up all kinds of options that can help even rookie outdoor chefs cook like a pro.
Whether your car camping or miles into the backcountry, grab some of these hot accessories to guarantee your one-way ticket to camp-chef stardom.
Great meals start with fresh ingredients and today’s amazing assortment of coolers come in a variety of styles from sturdy chests that will keep food chilled for days to insulated cooler backpacks that are perfect for day hikes.
Car campers will want to take a look at the new wheeled coolers from RovR Products. Designed with rugged wheels and steel axles (you could literally portage one of these on a canoe trip), they are designed with separate compartments to keep your ice separate from food items so things stay cold without getting soggy. And they’re just the right height for carrying wine bottles to celebrate with friends once you’re in camp. Yeti also has a new wheeled cooler (the Roadie 32) that’s also wine bottle compatible and its 32-quart size fits easily in the trunk.
Day hikers will want to consider soft-sided backpack coolers from Yeti and Hydro Flask. These come in several sizes that are perfect for keeping salads and sandwiches fresh on a day hike yet they’re rugged enough to take on a canoe trek.
For stowing perishables and keeping dairy products from getting waterlogged, vacuum-sealed food packs from Klean Kanteen are just the ticket and they’re small enough to stash in a pack for day trips or overnights.
The Pro 14 stove from Camp Chef is perfect for car camping. It features two 30,000-BTU burners, matchless ignition, and a three-sided windscreen so you can boil a big pot of pasta water on one side and have room enough to whip up a tasty sauce from scratch on the other. And it all folds down into a compact unit that’s easy to stow.
Making pizza in camp has always been a challenge. You can do it on a hot rock, but it will take a lot of fire tending and hours to get your rock hot enough to crank out a nice crust. Ooni’s Koda 12 gas-powered pizza oven makes it easy. This compact unit reaches an amazing 950 F. in just 15 minutes. Simply roll out your dough, add your favorite toppings, and it will crank out perfect 12-inch pizzas in just 60 seconds.
Weight-conscious backpackers will want to consider GSI’s PINNACLE Dualist HS Complete. This all-in-one cook set comes complete with a high-efficiency backpack stove, cookpot, small pot, bowls, and utensils all of which nest together in the main pot for easy carrying. Total weight is just 9.6 ounces without the fuel cannister.
One of the big trends in camping gear is providing conveniences you would have in your home kitchen for use in camp. Gerber, a name synonymous with knives and multi-tools, has just introduced a whole new line of camp kitchen pots, pans, and utensils. Their new 16-piece ComplEAT Cook Set has everything you need to easily feed a group of hungry campers from pots and pans to tableware. And their new full-size camping griddle is made from carbon steel, giving you the same durable, nonstick qualities of cast iron without the weight.
This must be the year of the French press as there are several out there worth noting. Yeti has three new double-walled models including a whopper that holds an entire pot of coffee. And the plunger has a unique flap that keeps grounds separated from the coffee once it’s been pressed so it stays super-hot but doesn’t get bitter as the grounds are sealed off separately.
Backpackers will want to lean more toward the lighter weight French press from Hydro Flask. Want an ultra-light press? Look no further than GSI’s JavaPress that weighs in at a scant 10.2 ounces.
One item I never head to camp without is hot sauce. The compact makeup kits you find at the pharmacy have all sorts of cool little bottles that are perfect for carry tabasco, honey, and your favorite spices. GSIalso has a full range of small spice bottles and containers as well./p>
And for slicing and dicing, nothing beats Gerber’s ComplEAT Cutting Board Set that features two knives, a dual-sided cutting board, and a handy food storage container that everything nests into.
Quick Tip: Chop Now, Cook Later: Brooks Hansen from Camp Chef says one of the best ways to make meal prep on the trail easier is to chop all of your vegetables at home where you have ample countertop space then put them into plastic containers or baggies to stow in your pack. When you get to camp, all you need to do is dump your veggies into a pan or onto the grill and start cooking.
