Cooking with Fire
If your campsite has a fire pit setup ideal for cooking, add these words to your camping vocabulary: cast iron. Cast iron skillets and cast iron dutch ovens are must-have camping cookware when it comes to preparing meals over an open fire. Simply create a hot bed of coals and stick these rugged campsite cooking tools directly in the fire. The best part is that the recipes are endless. I've eaten many delicious dishes cooked in a cast iron dutch oven, from egg bakes to birthday cakes. Try this dutch oven mountain man recipe on your next camping trip.
Another clutch campfire cooking tool is the broiler. Much lighter than cast iron, a broiler can grasp steaks, burgers, vegetables and toast and cook these foods to perfection. Broilers are especially great at making deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches at camp.
Stovetop Meals
When you can't (or don't want to) cook over an open fire, camp stoves are the perfect alternative. Hot, tasty meals can be made with a fuel canister and the flick of a lighter. Add some lightweight camp cookware to the mix and you're in business. You might also consider investing in a camp table if your stove requires a flat surface. Once you have your camp kitchen set up, you'll be eating like royalty.
Breakfast is one of the best tasting (and smelling) camping meals. A camp stove allows you to whip up eggs and bacon without needing to get a fire started in the morning. As a bonus, you can use a kettle, percolator, pot or boiling method of your choice to treat your crew with camp coffee.
Lightweight Camp Cooking
Unfortunately for backpackers, hauling cast iron skillets or camp stoves across miles of trail isn't an option. Backpackers and lightweight campers need to stick with the basics of a backpacking stove, a fuel canister and a small, lightweight pot. Often stoves and pots come together as a set, but you'll almost always need to buy fuel separately.
Backpackers, although your camp cooking setup is small, it is mighty. Pre-packaged camping meals are usually the simplest meals for backpacking, but there is room for creativity! Give these homemade backpacking recipes a try if you're looking to spice up your meals in the backcountry.
