20 Food Gadgets to Take Camping from Blasé to Gourmet
Just because you're headed to a campsite doesn't mean you need to leave your cooking skills at home. To go gourmet in the wild, backcountry campers can add a few simple tools to the mix, and if car-camping is more your pace then bonafide, quality upgrades can be packed in the vehicle for those who aren't keen on sacrificing all of life's luxuries during their adventure into the woods.So leave behind the burnt weiners and instant coffee, and cook up great meals like char-grilled steak, morning espressos and gooey mac n' cheese (one propane-fueled tool even makes paella a possibility). Still not convinced you can rough it? A deluxe portable pizza oven might make you a happy camper.
From a grizzly-proof cooler that keeps your perishables cold (artisanal cheese!) to a high-tech camp stove that boils water in under 5 minutes (while also keeping your phone charged), here are 20 options to help you eat well in the great outdoors.
campfire cooking
Conquer cooking with this campfire classic
This multi-purpose cast iron skillet is a workhorse both in the kitchen and on the campground. The high sides allow you to cook everything from a breakfast of bacon and pancakes to a dinner of steak and skillet chocolate chip cookies. Heavy to carry but durable, non-stick and your fresh-caught fried fish will never taste better.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet 12-in., $50, Walmart
Just add water
When your adventure calls for a light pack, ditch the energy bars and go for these gourmet dried meals. All you have to do is add boiling water and you’ll be savouring risotto under the stars (or Bibimbap if that’s more your style).
Good To-Go Herbed Mushroom Risotto, $15, MEC
Keep your pinot tasting fresh
This lightweight pack will keep a bottle of wine fresh for several days (or even weeks) after opening, and the lining doesn’t absorb odours — so your favourite red will taste just as good by the campfire.
Platypus Platypreserve Wine Preservation System, $11, MEC.
Keep it classy at the campground
Enjoy your favourite vintage in the outback with these wine glasses. The screw-off stem makes them easily packable so there’s no need to give up sipping wine with dinner in the wild.
GSI Glacier Stainless Nesting Wine Glass, $16, MEC.
Plate it up in style
Melamine plates are super-lighweight making them ideal for on-foot camping trips. These ones add a stylish spin to your campfire cookout.
Lakeside Melamine Dinner Plates, $10 (set of 4), Indigo.
Next-level night vision
Eating late is no problem (neither is a midnight snack) if you bring along this handy headlamp so you can see to prep and cook your ingredients hands-free. With six different lighting modes and a water-resistant construction it will keep things bright no matter the conditions.
Black Diamond Cosmo Headlamp 160 Lumens, $40, Atmosphere
Keep things clean
Keep mess to a minimum (without having to lug all the dishes to your water source) with this handy collapsible tub. Bonus: Once your dishes are done, you can fill it with ice and it doubles as beer cooler.
Progressive International Collapsible Tub, $23, Amazon.
Make the perfect cup of joe
The Aeropress is small and compact, making it great for travel, Coffee-snob approved, it can make 1 to 3 stellar cups of coffee in just 1 minute.
Aerobie Aeropress Coffee & Espresso Maker, $30, Bed Bath & Beyond.
A taste of the Swiss mountains
Bring along your favourite cheese, melt it over the fire, then scrape the gooey goodness over potatoes or grilled vegetables. You can also dip apple slices or thick bread into the melty fromage.
Charcoal Companion Stainless Raclette Pan with Scraper, $19, Home Depot
Trek with prep tools
This set includes the practical tools, a knife for chopping and small cutting board as well as more luxurious gear such as a stainless steel micro-grater and salad tongs ( you know, for those foraged greens) for campers looking to kick it up a notch. Best of all is the sleek carrying case, which means no loose items floating in your camping kit.
Primus Campfire Prep Set, $85, MEC.
A cut above: Try a fire-grilled sandwich
Graduate from packaged hot dogs and get creative with this easy-to-use cooking iron. It can cook omelettes and hashbrowns or turn out a gourmet grilled cheese.
Camp Chef Square Cooking Iron, $25, Walmart.
Ditch the open flame for propane
For better control, forget the fire pit and pack your propane instead. This reliable two-burner stove keeps the heat consistent even in extreme conditions.
Coleman Perfectflow 2-Burner Propane Stove, $70, Walmart.
Be a grill-master
You can set this griddle over either a portable propane stove or on top of a fire grate. Use the smooth side for your morning pancakes and eggs and the ridged side for steaks and kebabs at dinner.
Woods Cast Iron Reversible Griddle, $40, Candian Tire.
Dish up soft serve at the campground
Make homemade ice cream while you play. Add ice and rock salt in one end and ice cream ingredients in another, and roll around for 25 minutes for a frosty treat.
SoftShell Ice Cream Ball, $50, Bed Bath & Beyond.
Bring a high-tech heat source
Enjoy smoke-free flames with this two-pound super-stove. An LED dashboard allows you to monitor the strength of your fire, and updated technology means you can even harness the energy from the flames to charge your phone.
Biolite Campstove, $175, Atmosphere.
Deliver great meals with a Dutch oven
This sturdy, deep pot has legs that allow it to sit perfectly over hot coals and is great for cooking up everything from chili to cobbler. These disposable dutch oven liners help you save on clean up and can also be lifted out and used as a serving dish.
Lodge Deep 8 L Camp Dutch Oven,$180, Walmart
Don’t leave the flavour behind
These spices add instant magic to everything from your morning oatmeal to grilled meats. A compact carrying case keeps them organized, it comes with a carabiner so you can easily clip it to your back pack.
Backcountry Spice Kit, $65, Camp Brand Goods.
Keep your fuel ice-cold
This rugged cooler can take anything nature throws it’s way, from bumpy backroads to grizzly bears looking for a snack, it keeps your chicken breasts cold, your favourite pâté on point and your chardonnay chilled for days at a time. Yeti Roadie 20 Cooler, $280, MEC.
Turn campsite grilling gourmet
The Skottle is like a skillet, grill and wok all in one. Designed for use with a propane tank, the pre-seasoned surface is non-stick and is great for cooking up bacon, stir fries and you can even make paella!
Skottle grill, $185, Bomber Products.
Create your own slice of heaven
When delivery isn’t an option, turn to this portable pizza oven. Wafting aromas of freshly baked pizza will make you the envy of the campground.
Biolite Basecamp Pizza Stone and Lid, $86, MEC.
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