Kitchen Essentials for Glamping and Lightweight Pack Trips

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If you are new to camping, it’s easy to want to buy all the fancy gear you see advertised. Just a quick review of all the items that pop up on Amazon for camping kitchen is overwhelming. Trust me when I tell you this–you don’t need all that fancy stuff.

It’s easy to get excited and buy one of everything, but all that stuff can actually add excess weight and make your camping trip less enjoyable.

Here’s a simple plan: build one kit for glamping (when you have power) and one for lightweight tent camping. Adopt a use less and make do attitude to keep your camping trip relaxing.

Essential Camping Kitchen Lists

You Can’t Cook Without Heat

There are several options for cooking at the campground. If you are in a camper with a propane stove or electric cooktop it’s easy to whip up a meal indoors. But, do you really want to heat up the interior of your rig and deal with lingering smells for hours?

Most campers prefer cooking outdoors and there are many options:

Campfire Cooking

When people think of camping, cooking over an open fire is the first thing that comes to mind. And there are times when it’s a lot of fun to skewer some hot dogs and roast them over the flames. Campfire cooking is great whether you are on a pack trip and carrying minimal supplies or set up in a luxury RV resort in your fifth wheel. 🚙

A portable grill is a handy camping addition, but it can take up a lot of space in the storage compartment of your RV. You can purchase propane or charcoal portable grills. Either way, you are going to need to carry a bulky propane tank or a bulky bag of charcoal. Some parks have grills at campsites, but they are often filthy and hard to use. If you insist on having a grill, I suggest a lightweight table top model with an adapter for 1 lb. propane bottles.

Butane Camp Stove (single or double burner)

My butane camp stove is one of the best inexpensive camping items I ever purchased. It has a large wide burner with a wind surround and creates a controllable even flame under my cast iron skillet, saucepan, or coffee pot. It folds to a small size and stores in its own convenient carry case. The whole thing weighs less than 3 pounds and fits in a backpack.

Cookware

Not all pots and pans are resilient enough to stand up to campground cooking. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet. It can withstand the heat of an open fire, fits well on the portable stove, and offers a distinctive taste to the food. Since I use my camper, this works well. If I were tent camping or backpacking, I would leave the cast iron at home and opt for lightweight nesting camp cookware.

Cast Iron Skillet, Saucepan, or Dutch Oven

Cast iron has been used over cookfires for hundreds of years. It is long lasting, withstands extreme high temperatures, and puts a nice sear on the food. Unfortunately, cast iron can be difficult to care for if you don’t season it well, clean it properly, and use correct cooking methods.

Click here to learn how to properly season and clean your cast iron cookware.

A set of nesting pots that double as plates and cups is a great tool for backpacking campers. Lightweight and space saving, these pots offer the cookware you need without filling your entire backpack.

My Personal Favorites

WADEO 2-Burner Portable Stove with Windscreen

I use this as my glamping kitchen stove because the folding windscreen actually works and the stainless top wipes clean fast. The wide burners heat my cast-iron skillet evenly, and it runs on butane or 1-lb propane with the right adapter—perfect for picnic tables or a campsite cooking station.

Why I like it

• Folds flat for easy packing into convenient carry case
• Reliable ignition every time
• Stable pot supports for heavier pans
• Fast, wipe-clean stainless surface

Heads-up

• Butane struggles below ~40°F; use propane in cold weather
• Propane adapter/canister sold separately
• For outdoor use only—cook in a ventilated area

Lodge Cast Iron 10″ Griddle

This is my go to cooking pan. I can grill burgers, fry bacon, scramble eggs, and toast bread on the wide, smooth surface. It does require cleaning and seasoning, but that doesn’t bother me. Unlike thin, lightweight cookware, my cast iron doesn’t allow food to burn quickly.

Why I like it

• Versatile for many uses (i.e. campfire, grill, stovetop)
• Long lasting
• Serves the purpose of several individual pans

Heads-up

• The entire pan gets hot and STAYS hot for hours. Always use a heat resistant glove.
• Cast iron needs to be cleaned with a metal scrubber (I use crumbled aluminum foil) and seasoned after every use.
• Cast iron is heavy.

Don’t Forget the Little Things

If you need ideas for quick camping meals, check out the Recipes section.