If you’re going camping soon, and you plan to stay overnight…you’ll need a lot of things. You will usually think of things like having food and water, as well as a tent, sleeping bag, pillow…you name it. Yet many seem to forget about campfire cooking tools far too often.
What are they? Campfire cooking tools are simply things you’ll use to cook while you’re camping. There are quite a lot of them to choose from, with some having more value than others in our book.
We want to go over a few of them below, but before we do…we’d like you to keep a few things in mind. We’re not going to be discussing things you might see in a “Glam-Camp” situation. This means you won’t see things like a high-powered grill here.
Yet you will see things that are easy to take with you. Most of them will not take up much space and will usually be lightweight. This means we won’t be including one thing some campers love to take with them, the infamous cast iron skillet.
That said, let’s discuss campfire cooking tools you cannot live without!
Table of Contents
Stainless Steel Items
While some might prefer to take plastic cutlery, plates, or bowls camping…many have been known for leaving them behind. People simply do not value this sort of cheap supply. If it does not matter much to you, chances are, you’ll be fine leaving it.
Meanwhile, stainless steel items are of value and rarely left. Beyond this, they also serve a lot of other purposes. The average campfire will reach anywhere between 600 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit on average. The bigger the fire, the hotter it will get.
Yet stainless steel will not even begin to melt unless temperatures reach 2,750 degrees Fahrenheit. This means you could collect water in these bowls, and put them over a fire to get rid of potential pathogens. That’s if you even need to collect water at all.
They are also great to cook with because again, they are made to withstand a great deal of heat. Bowls come in a set, and most are typically pretty light. There are some stainless steel plates out there, but they are less common and a little harder than we’d like.
Of course, cutlery like knives, forks, and spoons are great to have as stainless steel too. If you ever need to move things around in your bowl, they won’t melt either. We’d also advise the same for drinking purposes, such as the stainless steel coffee cups.
On top of this, stainless steel is very easy to clean. It’s kind of in the name, ya know. Any potential stains you have can be wiped off, especially ash that might have connected to the inside or outside of your bowl. They can also be used repeatedly whereas plastic stuff melts easily and is only really made for one use.
Backpacking Stove
A lot of people will tell you that you need to have at least a potential grill grate. While those are great to have, they can also get really hard to carry around. Many are not foldable and you also need something to hold them up with. Thus causing more for you to carry.
Yet there are great backpacking stoves you can get for an inexpensive amount. They work just as well, with many being stainless steel. In fact, this particular model from Unigear is especially perfect for lightweight travel.
It comes equipped with a pot stand, coal grill, and ash plate. All of this is held up by a small body that can hold up well against anything. You can put it on a campfire or even use gas heating if you need to. It is really up to you. Once you’re done, it packs away neatly in its own carrying case.
You can either put it in your backpack or someone can decide to carry it. This measures out at only 6.3 x 0.8 x 7.1 inches. If you need something larger, there are other backpacking stoves that work well too. Either way, they are far easier to carry around.
Foldable Pots & Pans
While you may not need pots and pans for your camping trip, it is good to take them along just in case. You never know how long you’ll be out if something bad goes down, right? Therefore, taking lightweight pots and pans can be a great asset.
Likely the best you can get are the foldable type, that can easily be put up and taken out for use in less than a minute. We like this version from the Blueshyhall brand. They made their pots and pans out of anodized aluminum, which has a melting point of about 1,220 degrees. This means it can withstand the small campfire most people will have while cooking.
This type of aluminum is also super easy to clean, making it perfect to just wipe up and use it again later. This particular version comes with 10 total items, all of which come to just a few pounds. Making them perfect for traveling or camping.
Proper Fireproof/Fire-Resistant Gloves
While you do not always need to have fireproof or fire-resistant gloves while cooking at a campfire, it is certainly good to have if you plan to cook with pots and pans on an open fire. Why? Well, first and foremost, you do not want to catch your normal gloves on fire. We’re speaking from experience.
Second, gloves that are fireproof also tend to be able to withstand a lot of heat before it sinks into your glove to affect your hands. Therefore, they’ll be perfect to cook with because your hands won’t be getting burnt by the fire nor burnt from the hot temperature it’ll reach.
Ultimately, they may not be considered “tools” for camping. Yet they can be just as valuable to have around as any tool you might want to use. On top of that, most of them are pretty inexpensive and well worth having around your home. They’re also obviously lightweight too.
