Eating after trekking in the bush is very important. Not only does it make for great bonding time with your hiking group, but it also replenishes the lost calories and gives your body an energy boost.
When it comes to food in the outdoors, there are all sorts of options from bars high in protein to high-calorie nuts and seeds. While you can carry some of this as a backup for an emergency, your trip doesn’t have to resemble a military expedition. Plus, when you’re staying outdoors more than a day, you need more than just dry food and snacks.
Source: Roamworthy.com
So, to make your camping stay even more enjoyable, you’d want to take some cooking supplies with you. This way, you get to prepare fresh and nutritious meals that can fuel your expeditions. Check out all the essentials you need to create a practical outdoor kitchen.
Burning Stove
You’d have to start with the basics. And there is nothing more basic than fire. While you can dig a fire pit and cook there, it’s only an extra hassle. That being said, it’s way better to be able to start the fire at the push of a button. So, many campers prefer to get a burning stove.
Not all burning stoves are created equal, though. Some are versatile enough to allow using more than one type of fuel: gas and alcohol are on the top of the list. But who will bring all that fuel deep in the outback? You want to have a wood-burning camp stove. In this case, the fuel source is all around – you just need to remember to collect tinder on your way to the campsite. When it comes to wood-burning stoves, there’s one particular brand that stands out – Biolite.
Source: Aussiestormshop.com.au
Opposed to other wood-burning stoves, the Biolite stove offers a clean and safe cooking experience. It has a special system that prevents smoke. How convenient is that? And not only it takes the smoke away to burn the sticks and tinder more efficiently, but it also produces electricity. It uses the difference in temperature to do so, and the results are quite decent actually. The thermoelectrics on this small gadget provide 3 watts of continuous power, which is more than enough to charge your devices via a USB port.
The Biolite stove even has a smart LED dashboard that will give you real-time feedback on fire strength, power output and fan speed settings. And all of this doesn’t take up a lot of space in your backpack (it measures 12.7cm x 20.1cm and weighs 935 grams). A truly compact, smart and functional design.
Water Kettle
Having something to boil water on short notice is crucial in a survival situation. Not only can it help you cook up an instant meal pack, but it can also be used to boil water to steralise it. You can have a stainless steel water bottle that will stand to boiling temperatures over a stove without any problem whatsoever. Or you can buy a Biolite kettle pot that can be used to cook, pour, and store with ease.
Source: Rei.com
Multifunctional Pots and Bowls
Camping is best done with others. You can camp on your own, however, it is always more fun if there is a group. And you are in a group (even if the group consists of only two members) you will need several pots and pans. At least one of you should have a set of stackable pots and bowls to share a meal in.. It is easy to find pots that have an intelligent design, contribute to space efficiency, and facilitate high cooking performance. They make them durable these days, so if you take good care of them, they can serve you for many years. The bare minimum is two pots (with one of them doubling as a lid), and two bowls that can all fit in one set. You can go beyond that, but weight and efficient use of space is always a concern.
Reusable Utensils
No, we do not suggest taking a whole drawer out of your regular kitchen. You just need the pieces that you can use to cut, to eat liquid food and to pierce food. There are multi-tools that have a decent knife, a sort of a spoon and a fork for eating on the go. They are great if you are on your own and you have a fast and easy way to make sure they are disinfected before use.
Source: Gearhungry.com
For camping in groups, there are sporks. They are a combination of a spoon with a fork at the far end. This is a great way to save on both space and weight while preserving function. As far as knives go, you can take a separate knife to cook, serve and eat with. Or you can use one of your other knives to eat with. Just make sure you expose it to high temperatures on the fire or to treat it with a disinfectant that is safe if ingested. You do this to get rid of every nasty bacteria that might find a home on it.
Portable Grill
Obviously, carrying a full-sized barbecue is not not a very convenient concept. Even if it is lightweight but too bulky, you will start hating the decision to take one with you. That is unless your grill is easily foldable and designed with portability in mind. While it might make packing your bag more complicated, it can save you from carrying a lot of food from your starting point. Having a grill will certainly make cooking foraged wild fruits or mushrooms or fresh fish a very easy task. You can even put some small game animal (birds, squirrels, rabbits) on them. It will definitely provide relief to you in the outdoors. Just make sure it is compatible with your stove.