Camp Cooking Guide:

How to Cook when Camping and Backpacking

If you have any outdoor cooking tips or advice of your own that you would like to add to this camp cooking guide then please let us know. And be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to it later!

Now just scroll down to start learning how to do some camp cooking!

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Camp Cooking Equipment

Chapter 3: Kitchen Hygiene and Sanitation

Chapter 4: Leave No Trace

Chapter 5: Camp Cooking Tips

Chapter 6: Camp Cooking Recipes

Chapter 7: Conclusion to the Camp Cooking Guide

The Joys of Camp Cooking and Eating Outdoors

Are you lost when it comes to camp cooking? Do you just make the same boring meals time after time on campouts? Want to learn how to cook better when camping and backpacking? Great! We can help.

A lot of people think camp cooking has to be difficult and boring. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way.

For us, food and cooking are a big part of enjoying a camping or backpacking trip. Good food can make a miserable day a whole lot better, just as bad food can make a miserable day almost unbearable.

In this camp cooking guide we strive to provide the information, tips, and the advice to make your next outdoor cooking experience the best one yet.

Stoves vs. Fires

This can sometimes turn into a “heated” argument (pardon the pun). A lot of people have vastly differing views on this subject. We will share our views, but the decision is obviously yours to make.

We prefer stoves in most cases for cooking outdoors. I’m sure some of you are screaming, “What? No campfire?” We are not saying that all campfires are bad. In fact, we do quite a bit of camp cooking over a fire, but we only do it when the circumstances call for it. We're just saying that we feel that stoves are better for most people most of the time. There are a number of reasons stoves are our primary choice for camp cooking:

1. Stoves leave little or no impact on the land while improper fires can scar the land for decades.

2. Stoves are less likely to get out of control.

3. Stoves are more convenient. You don’t need to gather fuel and build a teepee. Just turn on the fuel, light it, and you’re ready to go. When you are finished cooking all you have to do is turn the stove off and let it cool. When done cooking with a fire, you must take the time to put the fire out completely and make sure that it is completely out.

4. Stoves are cleaner. You don't have to worry about ash getting into your food when you're doing the camp cooking.

5. Stoves are easier to cook with. You have more control over the flame and the amount of heat output with a stove.

6. Stoves can often be used where fires are not permitted. Always check with local land agencies prior to leaving for your trip.

Again, we are not saying that fires have no place in the wilderness. We enjoy a good campfire as much as everybody else. It’s just that there is a time and a place for a fire, and there are good ways to build a fire and bad ways to build one. For more info on Building a low-impact fire see the Leave No Trace Chapter. You should also check out the Leave No Trace Website at: www.lnt.org or call 1-800-332-4100. An excellent book on Leave No Trace techniques is Soft Paths: How to Enjoy the Wilderness Without Harming It by Bruce Hampton and David Cole (Stackpole Books, 1995). The LNT website and the Soft Paths book will help you determine when a campfire is the right choice.

Now we will discuss the different types of stoves available to campers and backpackers: Canister stoves, liquid fuel stoves, and what we call family camping stoves.

Canister Stoves

Canister stoves like the MSR PocketRocket Stove (which won the Backpacker Readers Choice Award in 2007) run on canisters filled with propane, butane, or a butane-propane mix. They are a great choice for backpackers because they are quite small and very lightweight. On top of that, canister stoves are so easy to use. All you have to do is attach the stove to the canister, turn the gas on, and then light it. There is no need to prime them, and they recquire almost no maintenance.

If you want to make these stoves even easier to operate you can often purchase an automatic ignition device to attach to the stoves. Then all you have to do is turn the fuel on, press the button, and you’ve got a roaring flame. Some models, like the Campingaz Twister 270 HPZ (reviewed Here), even come with an automatic ignition already built in.

There are some trade-offs with canister stoves, however. First of all, their performance in extremely cold environments is not as good as liquid fuel stoves. If you are going on an expedition where you will see very cold weather, you may want to do your camp cooking on a liquid fuel stove instead of a canister stove. One other draw back is the fact that most models have canisters that cannot be recycled.

Some models, however, use canisters that can be recycled. When the canisters are empty you can almost completely collapse them, which saves a lot of space in your pack. Then the crushed fuel canisters can be recycled after your trip. The Coleman Exponent X-Series Stoves like the Xpedition (reviewed Here) are the only stoves we know of that use this kind of canister, and their performance in cold weather is much closer to that of liquid fuel stoves.

Liquid Fuel Stoves

Liquid Fuel stoves are also a good choice for backpackers. They are heavier and a little more bulky than canister stoves, but they are still small enough for backpackers. Liquid fuel stoves are often called "white gas stoves" because most models work best when using white gas (often called Coleman fuel), but some models burn a variety of fuels. They are relatively easy to use, and they work very well in all conditions.

The ability to burn more than one type of fuel makes these stoves a better choice if you are traveling abroad. Many foreign countries may not have propane canisters, but you will be able to find kerosene or gasoline nearly anywhere in the world. Some good examples of liquid fuel stoves are the Mountain Safety Research (MSR) Whisperlite International, the MSR Dragonfly Stove, the Coleman Exponent Apex II, and the Coleman Exponent Multifuel Stoves.

Even though most liquid fuel stoves are more powerful and provide great heat output than canister stoves, they are not as convenient. Most models require pumping and priming (lighting a little bit of fuel or alcohol to warm the fuel line to vaporize the fuel) before lighting the stove.

One other drawback to these stoves is that they are often more expensive than their canister counterparts. Is it worth the extra money? It depends on where you are going and what you need. In some cases yes, in other cases no.

Family Camping Stoves

These stoves are much too large and heavy for backpackers. They are ideal for people that go car-camping by driving to a secluded spot or to a designated campground and unloading all of their gear from the car or truck. Family campers have more room and they don’t have to worry about how much the stove weighs since they don’t have to carry it on their backs.

Family Camping Stoves are great for camp cooking because they offer high heat output and a large cooking area. You can have two or three things cooking at once, depending on which model you choose.

Coleman and Brunton make great Family Camping Stoves, and they offer quite a few different models. There are propane stoves like the Brunton Gannett Two Burner Stove , Coleman Fuel (white gas) stoves, and Dual Fuel stoves (which burn either white gas or unleaded fuel).

Once you decide on what kind of fuel you want to use, you will then need to decide how many burners you want. There are two-burner and three-burner models, and there is even a grill-stove combination.

These stoves offer great flame control, too. You can simmer on one burner while you are boiling on another one. Or if you choose the grill-stove model, then you can grill some hotdogs while you boil the noodles for the macaroni and cheese. With family camping stoves you have a lot more options.

If you are a car camper / family camper that has a lot of people to cook for or you need to make more than one dish at a time, then these stoves are for you.

Cookware

Whether you are a backpacker, family camper, or both, you will obviously need pots and pans to do your camp cooking. There's a lot of cookware to choose from, so we will try to make it easy for you.

There is a new form of aluminum that is just as strong as stainless steel, yet it is lighter, conducts heat better, and is easier to clean. It is made this way through a process called hard anodization. GSI makes the best hard anodized aluminum cookware on the market, and it is our choice for camp cooking (to read our review Click Here). The only downside, however, is the fact that it is a little more expensive than the stainless steel cook sets. We feel that it is worth the few extra dollars to get a lighter, easier-cleaning, cook set that will last us even longer. If you are on a budget, which we understand, than stainless steel cooksets will work just fine.

How big the pots are and how many pots you will need depend on how many people are using the same cookware. If you travel alone or with one other person we would recommend the GSI Hard Anodized Extreme 6 piece Mess Kit (The bowl and mug count as 2 of the pieces).

If you have 3 or 4 people to cook for then we would suggest the GSI Hard Anodized Extreme 5 piece Cook Set or the Coleman Exponent Backpacker Cook Kit.

And finally, if you have a larger group of people then you will probably need to go with something like the Peak 1 Outfitter Cook Kit. Remember, by choosing one of the larger cook sets you will be prepared for larger groups, and you can always leave a pot or two at home if you don’t need all of them.

All of these cook kits are strong enough and light enough for backpackers, and they also work just as well for family campers. All of the cook sets mentioned above come with lids that double as fry pans. The stainless steel fry pan / lids work pretty well, but foods tend to stick and burn if you are not careful. The anodized aluminum fry pan / lids work even better and they are a cinch to clean. Trust us, the non-stick surface of GSI’s cook sets makes clean up a lot easier.

If you purchase a cook set that does not have built in handles, then make sure they come with pot grabbers. A pot grabber is a small tool that allows you to grab the pots without burning your hand. This is an item that is easily misplaced, so be careful.

For family campers, a Dutch oven is a wonderful item to bring. They are great for baking, browning, and roasting on a hot bed of coals. Dutch ovens are simply wonderful for camp cooking. They are usually made of cast iron, but they can also be made out of aluminum. For more info on how to cook with and care for Dutch Ovens Click Here. And for Dutch oven camp cooking recipes Click Here.

Dutch ovens are usually a little too bulky and heavy for backpackers. There is one Dutch oven that we are aware of that is suitable for backpacking. It is the Banks Fry-Bake Oven. It can be used as a shallow pot, a frying pan, and a Dutch oven. Every group of students from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) carries a Fry-Bake Oven because of it’s versatility and durability.

Another option for baking while backpacking or camping is the Backpacker's Pantry Outback Oven. It's light-weight, easily packable, and does a great job for baking. It can also multi-task as a pot cozy of sorts to keep your food warm in the pot, and it can even be used on other pots to reduce boiling times which saves fuel. You can now add brownies, pizza, cake, and more to your camp cooking with this baby. (Look for our review soon.)

Once you have your pots, pans, ovens and everything taken care of you will need some utensils.

Camp Cooking Utensils

You will obviously need some sort of bowl. A lot of people eat right out of the pot, but that’s a great way to get sick if you are sharing it with another person. You can use a Tupperware-type bowl with a lid. It’s durable, lightweight, easily cleaned, and you can use it for storage when not eating out of it. They also come in a ton of different shapes and sizes to suit your needs. Or you could use the Peregrine Guyot Cup/Bowl Set. These collapse completely for easy packing, are realy lightweight and durable, and you can even turn them inside-out to clean (or to lick every last bit of food out). Your fellow campers and backpackers will be envious because they are just super-cool. Or you could make your friends jealous by using the Orikaso Set. These are stored flat, and then you fold them up like origami to use them as plates, bowls, and mugs. They are truly amazing.

Some people take a mug. For family campers this is no problem. But backpackers may choose to leave it at home to save room. If you have room for a mug, that’s great. If you don’t have room then your bowl can serve as a mug once you’re done eating. If you decide to take a mug then we would suggest taking an insulated plastic mug with a lid instead of a stainless steel mug. Stainless steel mugs do not keep hot liquids hot for very long, and you can burn yourself pretty easily on them.

You will also need something to eat with. If you are family camping, you will probably take a whole set of cutlery and tableware since you have room in the car or camper. Backpackers, on the other hand, need only a spoon. We can’t really think of any food that requires a fork instead of a spoon. If you don’t like that idea then try using a Snow Peak Titanium Spork (a spoon and fork combo). Lexan is also a great material for utensils. It is lightweight and durable yet it is nearly impossible to melt. And you can always use the stainless steel variety, but they are a little bit heavier.

A knife is also needed. There are thousands of uses for a knife in addition to using it for camp cooking. If you want even more use out of your knife, then we suggest looking into getting a Multi-Tool. We recommend the Leatherman Wave Tool. It has so many functions and it's so useful that you may not want to leave home without it.

Finally, you will need some odds and ends to do some serious camp cooking. For example, you may want to take a spatula, or serving spoons, or anything else that depends on your menu. Just remember, every item adds weight and takes up space, so make sure that you really need it for all of your camp cooking. To save space and weight you should try using the MSR Alpine Folding Utensils since they fold up into a small, lightweight package.

Water Treatment

It’s sad to say that even a clear stream in the high mountains may contain bacteria, viruses, and other harmful things. So you should always treat your water before drinking it. For family camping, you can bring jugs of water with you, and most established campgrounds provide water that is suitable to use without treating it. There are four ways to treat water: with heat, with chemicals, with a purifying filter, or with UV light.

Boiling the water will kill diarrhea-causing microorganisms, but it will not kill absolutely everything, but it comes very close. You only need to bring the water to a boil. Some people think you need to keep water boiling for up to 20 minutes, but this is not necessary. In fact, you probably couldn’t carry enough fuel to do this. For really nasty water, you should keep it boiling for 3 minutes. If you are using the water for camp cooking then you do not have to bring it to a boil before adding the food. The cooking process will create enough heat to kill the microorganisms.

The easiest way to treat water chemically is with iodine tablets or drops. Potable Aqua makes small bottles of 50 iodine tablets that are perfect for backpacking. Just add one to two tablets per quart of water, wait 15-20 minutes, then drink. If water is very cold then you will want to wait 30 to 45 minutes, and be sure to allow the treated water to cover the threads of your bottle before drinking.

A lot of people cannot stand the taste of water treated with iodine. To mask the taste add powdered drinks to the treated water like Kool-Aid or powdered Gatorade. Be sure to let the iodine do its work for 15-20 minutes before adding the powder so it won’t interfere with the purifying process. Or you can use a product called P.A. Plus. P.A. Plus is added after the iodine takes effect, and it neutralizes the iodine taste greatly.

The third method of water treatment is with a filter or purifier. Water filters with a maximum filter size of 0.2 microns (one micron is one millionth of a meter) are effective against bacteria (which range in size from about 0.2 microns up to 10 microns) but are ineffective against viruses which are much smaller (0.004 - 0.1 microns in size). A purifier is effective against bacteria and viruses because the filter size is much smaller. So make sure the system you buy is a purifier and not just a filter. The good things about purifying filters is that they are very easy to use, and you don’t have to wait 15 minutes to drink the water. Just filter the water and drink. However, filters are a lot bulkier and heavier as well as a lot more expensive than iodine tablets. They can get clogged, filters will eventually need to be replaced, and they can break. Even if you carry a water filter, you should always carry some iodine tablets.

The fourth way to treat water is with UV (ultraviolet) light. This method is fairly new to campers and backpackers. There is a product called the SteriPen Safe Water Pack which uses UV light to kill anything that might be in the water. The Steripen is fairly small and lightweight, very quick and easy to use, and it really is an effective way to treat your water (many water treatment facilities us UV). And for backpacking there is the SteriPen Adventurer Handheld Water Purifier which is a smaller, lighter version of the steripen. There are a few minor drawbacks, though. You can only treat 1 quart of water at a time, but the steripen works so quickly (around 90 seconds) that this isn't too much of a problem. The water has to be clear (no murky stream or pond water), but this is solved with the prefilter that's included in the water pack or it is sold separately (or you could even use a bandana over the top of your water bottle as a pre-filter). You also have to make sure that you can fit the Steripen into your water container, which is usually not a problem. And lastly, batteries don't last forever (roughly 30 cycles on normal batteries, and up to 140 on lithium batteries), but there is a SteriPen Solar Charging Case that will charge batteries even out in the backcountry.

No matter which method you use to treat water when camping or backpacking, we recommend carrying iodine tablets on all of your trips simply because they don’t take up much space and weight, they never break down, and they are effective. So take iodine tablets with you as a backup at the very least. Choose any of the above methods as your primary method of treating water.

Personal Hygiene

Here are some tips on how to stay clean and healthy in a backcountry kitchen on camping and backpacking trips:

Always wash your hands with a little soap (at least 200 ft. away from water sources to avoid contaminating the water) before you do any of your camp cooking. Using a camping sink will make it much easier to collect and transport water, and it's nice for washing hands as well as dishes.

Wash dishes with hot water and a little all-purpose soap at least 200 ft. away from water sources (Never do dishes directly in water source).

Don’t eat out of the same pot or bowl as your camping partners.

Don’t share the same eating utensils with others.

Don’t use a sponge for scrubbing dishes (they quickly become infested with bacteria and germs) unless you have several new ones ready to use later on your trip. Instead use sand, pine needles, etc.

Try not to have any leftovers. If you do have leftovers try to eat them as soon as possible since they can become covered in bacteria. Obviously, if you’re car-camping with a cooler, you can store you left-overs on ice.

Always wash your hands after going to the bathroom.

Always treat your water before drinking it (you don’t have to treat the water with which you will be doing your camp cooking as mentioned above), unless it is from a source that has already been treated (like the faucet at an established campground).

LNT Fires

We briefly mentioned the benefits of using stoves instead of fires for camp cooking in chapter 2. Now, this Camp Cooking Guide will go into more detail regarding low-impact fires, but you should also go to www.lnt.org. Most of the following information on how to build a low-impact fire is from www.lnt.org or call 1-800-332-4100. An excellent book on Leave No Trace techniques is Soft Paths by Bruce Hampton and David Cole.

What should you burn? Never break off or cut down limbs or trees. Use fallen limbs that are no bigger than the size of your wrist. Make sure there is plenty of downed wood around so that you won’t completely deplete the area.

Where should a fire be built? If you are at a highly impacted campsite with a fire ring, then you can use the already establish ring. If you are at a site that looks like no one has ever been there, then you could do a few things to make as little impact as possible.

First, if you have room you could bring a fire pan. This is just a fireproof pan (like a trash can lid or an old oil pan) that you take with you to build a fire in. This is a great option for family campers or those that are traveling by canoe or kayak, but it is obviously not practical for a backpacker to carry such an item.

Backpackers can build what is called a mound fire. This type of fire is built on a mound of mineral soil that has been collected on top of a tarp. You can find mineral soil in a dry streambed or under an uprooted tree. Again, you really should read Soft Paths for more detailed information.

According to the book Soft Paths there are six criteria for building appropriate low-impact fires:

1. They are safe
2. Damage to the site is minimal
3. Construction of the fire is simple
4. Firewood is abundant in the area
5. Clean up of the fire is easy
6. Camouflaging the site is easy when you are done

Once the fire is no longer needed make sure you burn all of the wood to ash. Carefully make sure the ash is cool enough to sift your hand through. Crush any remaining pieces of charcoal to ash then scatter the ash over a very wide area. Scatter any unburned wood, and make the site look as if you were never there.

We would also like to add that you should always check for regulations. Certain areas may prohibit open fires, so you should call the local land service agency where you will be camping.

LNT Camp Cooking Sites

You should always try to find a durable surface for your camp cooking site. Rocks, snow, and dry grasses are excellent choices. If you are in an area that has lean-tos or picnic tables, then you can go ahead and use those for your kitchen areas to limit your impact on the land.

You should also locate your kitchen away from your tent. This will spread out the impact, and it will also help keep animals away from your tent. For more tips on keeping animals away from your food Click Here. An LNT kitchen should also be at least 200 feet away from water sources to avoid contaminating the water with fuel or food.

Clean Up

Cleaning up is a big part of the Leave No Trace program. Have you ever been camping or backpacking and come across a campsite that somebody has trashed? Often garbage is left strewn about, and rocks and logs are obviously out of place. It takes away from your camping experience, doesn’t it? Sometimes people leave things behind accidentally, but it still makes a negative impact.

Here are some tips on cleaning up:

This part of the Camp Cooking Guide will focus on some outdoor cooking tips to help you on your next camping or backpacking trip.

Camp Cooking Tips - Before Your Trip

Camp Cooking Tips - During Your Trip

Camp Cooking Tips- General

Take what you enjoy eating. Don’t worry about being on a diet (unless it is a diet your doctor put you on for health reasons). You will be burning enough calories that you won’t have to worry about putting on a pound or two.

Take a headlamp instead of, or in addition to, a flashlight. If you do any of your camp cooking at night it will be worth the few extra dollars to have both of your hands free, and you won’t have to cram the flashlight into your mouth to use both hands.

If you take a lighter then pick one with a very bright color. They are harder to lose, and they are easier to find when they do get misplaced.

If you lose your pot grabbers then you can always use the pliers of a multi-tool to grab the pots.

Always use the lid on your pot for camp cooking. This will help the meal cook faster which in turn will save fuel.

If a meal turns out too runny or soupy, then just add some instant mashed potatoes. Add slowly and only add a little bit at a time, though, because it can thicken in a hurry.

If a meal is too thick, then add water with powdered milk or chicken broth depending on what you are making.

For pancakes, add the exact amount of water the package specifies. During cooking, you should see bubbles forming in the batter with some of the bubbles beginning to burst before you flip it.

When it's your turn to do the camp cooking, be sure to check back at this website for more ideas. You can even sign up for our newsletter or camping blog to get updates on new camp cooking recipes and ideas. Check it all out by using the buttons in the upper left-hand side of this page.

Camping Recipes for Main Courses:
Delicious beef, chicken, pasta recipes and more.

Camping Breakfast Recipes:
Everything from eggs to pancakes and everything in between.

Dutch Oven Camping Recipes:
Fantastic recipes for cobbler, desserts, side dishes, stews, and more.

Camping Recipes for Snacks and Lunch:
Recipes for trail mix, GORP, sandwiches, and anything else you might snack on or eat for lunch.

Camping Dessert Recipes:
Puddings, Pies, Cakes, and everything else that will satisfy your sweet-tooth.

Camping Bread and Biscuit Recipes:
Dutch oven bread, corn bread, biscuits, cheddar biscuits, cinnamon rolls, etc.

Good Eating and Good Luck

We hope this Camp Cooking Guide has been informative and helpful as well as a little bit entertaining.

We wish you the very best, and we hope you will use this Camp Cooking Guide on your next camping trip or backpacking trip.

Now go on and get out there!

Carpe Diem!

Recommended Reading

1. Pearson, Claudia, editor. Nols Cookery, 4th edition. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997.

2. Pearson, Cluadia, and Kuntz, Joanne, editors. Nols Backcountry Cooking: Creative Menu Planning for Short Trips. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2008.

3. Miller, Dorcas S. Backcountry Cooking: From Pack to Plate in 10 Minutes (Backpacker Field Guides). Emmaus, PA: The Mountaineers, 1998.

4. Berger, Karen. Everyday Wisdom: 1,001 Expert Tips for Hikers (Backpacker Magazine). Emmaus, PA: The Mountaineers, 1997.

5. Hampton, Bruce, and Cole, David. Soft Paths: How to Enjoy the Wilderness Without Harming It, 2nd edition. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1995.

6. Harvey, Mark. The National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide: The Classic Handbook, Revised and Updated. New York, NY: Fireside, 1999.