Camp Kitchen Checklist

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Illustration of items in camp kitchen checklist

What you bring for your camp kitchen will, of course, vary depending on what kind of trip you're planning and your culinary preferences. If you fancy yourself a campground gourmet, setting up your personal camp kitchen might just be one of the highlights of your trip. (Looking for recipe ideas? Check out our recipe section of Uncommon Path.)

Whether you're a newbie or experienced camper, it's always a good idea to remind yourself of some basic food-handling rules. Read Food Handling and Storage for Campers and Backpackers to learn about the do's and don'ts of managing your food in the outdoors.

Use this comprehensive checklist as a starting point—then you can customize it to match your style and your trip. (If you're going minimalist, or this just looks overwhelming, see the "backcountry kitchen" section of our backpacking checklist for a more streamlined list of the essentials.)


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Cooking and Prep

Optional:

Dutch oven and lid lifter
Charcoal
Aluminum foil
Mixing bowls
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup(s)
Rolling ice cream maker
Hand-crank blender

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Setting the Camp Table

Plates/bowls (at least 1 per person)
Mugs/cups (at least 1 per person)
Eating utensils (forks, knives, spoons)
Napkins

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Camp Kitchen Storage

Small food containers (for leftovers)
Large bins or bags (to transport and store kitchen gear)

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Camp Kitchen Cleanup

Camp sink or wash bin(s)
Pot scrubber/sponge(s)
Trash/recycling bags
Paper towels
Dish-drying rack
Clothesline with clips

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Common Camping Food Basics

Consider keeping some slow-to-perish items in your camping food bin to use throughout the camping season, supplementing with other perishable ingredients as needed—don't forget the marshmallows! Here are just a few suggestions to get you started, but adapt the list to fit your needs.

Salt & pepper
Spices
Cooking oil/nonstick spray
Coffee/tea/hot chocolate
Sweeteners (sugar, honey, sugar substitute)
Oatmeal
Pancake mix
Syrup
Rice
Dried pasta
Canned foods (soup, chili, etc.)
Dried foods (fruit, jerky, etc.)
Energy foods (bars, gels, trail mix)
Peanut butter
Jelly/jam

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