Kitchen Utensils for Camping

You probably haven't given much thought to choosing kitchen utensils for camping.  And that's OK.  Most people have enough experience in the kitchen to know that they're going to need and just duplicate that, or as much as they think they'll need for camping.  However, there are some choices for camping that work better than what you normally use at home and having dedicated utensils for camping will make loading and unloading for each trip easier.  What you take with you may depend partially on whether you're in an RV or are tent camping.  If you're in an RV, you probably want to maintain a pretty well stocked kitchen, similar to what you have at home.   However, you may have space limitations.  If you're tent camping, you may need to limit the amount of stuff you have to carry around.   Even in an RV your drawer space will probably be a lot smaller than at home so you may want to downsize some items and seek multi-use tools to reduce how many things you have to sort through when you need something.  You probably won't need everything you have at home.  Your menus will, to some extent, dictate what utensils you will need.  If you stick to a simple menu, you should be good to go with basic utensils. Another factor is the potential to be cooking on a campfire.  For campfire cooking you will not only need fire resistant utensils, but you will probably want ones with extra long handles for  safety and comfort.  Plastic utensils that work just fine at home and may even be preferred for non-stick pans may not be the best choice for campfire cooking.

The biggest difference will be the need for durability and resistance to fire.  The plastic utensils we favor to protect our Teflon cookware at home may not hold up to the rigors of camp cooking, especially if you're cooking on the campfire.   Camping also brings frequent distractions and plastic utensils left in the pan may quickly begin to melt.  I prefer solid stainless steel utensils, but steel items with wooden or heat-resistant plastic or wood handles usually work well, are sometimes less expensive, and last a long time if you keep the handles away from flames.   Stainless steel items can get hot so you might need gloves or hotpads.  Old-fashioned porcelain covered "speckleware" has a nice pioneer ambiance and works well for camping.   I have a meat fork, serving spoon, and ladle in "speckleware" or "graniteware".   I also have a set of speckleware soup spoons that are fun to use.  For really heavy duty stainless steel utensils, check out a restaurant supply store. However, you probably don't need to invest that much.   I've used the ones I bought at my local "dollar" store for decades without any problems.   The only issue I've had, is my wife liked my ladle so well she commandeered it for the home kitchen and I had to find another one.

Which utensils you need will ultimately depend on your menus and cooking style, but here are some basics most everyone will find useful:

      * cooking/serving spoons (I suggest at least 2)
      * slotted spoon
      * meat fork
      * spatulas (again I suggest having 2)
      * ladle
      * paring knife
      * small and medium butcher knives
      * dish towels and/or paper towels

 If you are into basting, you'll need a baster and/or a basting brush.  I would get a plastic baster rather than a glass one since it is less fragile and less likely to break rattling around on the road.  If you like spaghetti or pasta, a claw-style spaghetti spoon is good to have.   You'll need some cutlery too. I like to have at least a couple of different sized butcher knives, a bread knife, and a paring knife or two. Having sharp instruments rattling around in the kitchen drawers dulls them and makes retrieving anything from the drawers dangerous so I like to keep them in one of the wood-block knife holders on the counter or in a cupboard and secure it with Velcro or small bungee cords.  Another good way to keep them safe and handy is to store them on a magnetic knife rack.  Or you can put protect each one in its individual PVC pipe container.  Cut a section of PVC pipe  a bit longer than the knife from pipe with an inside diameter big enough to accommodate the widest part of the blade and/or handle.  Then cap it on both ends with PVC pipe caps, but don't glue them on!  Then mark the pipe using a permanent marker so you know exactly what is inside (3" paring knife, 5" butcher knife, etc.).  The only problem with this solution is it takes up more room in the drawer.

Make sure you have can and bottle openers.   I once arrived in camp many miles from home and didn't realize until I started to fix some canned chili for dinner that I didn't have a can opener on board.   Now I make sure I have manual can opener in my motorhome, in my truck camper, and in my tent camping tub.   And I carry a supply of Army "P-38" or "P-51"can openers.  They are small and sometimes difficult to use, but they are better than trying to open a can with a pocket knife.  P-38 and P-51 can openers are especially convenient for hiking and back packing but are a handy addition to any camp kit.  They take up almost no room.  P-38s are about 1 1/2" x 1/2".The P-51s are larger, giving  you a bit more leverage.  Either one can be carried on a key ring with your keys but I found the sharp edge sometimes cut my pockets.

Measuring cups have many uses in camp.  Most sets stack within themselves so they take up little room but collapsible measure cups are even more compact.  They can even be hung on the inside of an RV or chuck box cabinet door for convenient access without taking up much usable space.

An item I've seen promoted as the best kitchen utensil ever for RV use is a pot strainer.   This is a flat, crescent shaped strainer with a handle that you can use on just about any pot or pan, eliminating the need for a collander or bulky strainer.  Would be really handy if you cook a lot of pasta.

Having dedicated utensils for camping adds convenience and helps reduce the possibility of forgetting something you need.  I have a Class A motorhome, a truck camper, and a tent camping setup and I keep all three stocked separately so I'll have what I need when I need it without having to remember to transfer things for each outing.  My RV and camper stuff is conveniently stored in the galley cabinets and drawers.  Our sailboat has its own sliding galley made from a chuck box that we keep fully stocked.  Tent camping utensils reside in a translucent plastic tubs that are easy to transport to the campsite and keeps things clean and sanitary in camp and between trips.  I know for sure from experience that if I have to switch things around for each trip, I will forget something!

Don't let these recommendations keep you from camping with what you have on hand.  If dedicated utensils for camping aren't in your budget yet or you don't have time to get them before your trip, borrow from your kitchen and hit the road.   Just be careful that you don't destroy or lose your home utensils in camp.  When you are ready to buy a set of utensils dedicated to camping, check our your local dollar store or thrift store before spending lots of money in department or restaurant supply stores.   That way, if something does get lost or destroyed, you're not out a lot of money and can easily replace it.  Sometimes it makes sense to upgrade your home cookware and re-purpose the old stuff for camping.  Also, before you head to the store, be sure to check out what you have on hand.  If you have duplicates you can spare or some old stuff you were saving to give to charity, you may be able to fill your camping needs without spending any money.  If painted handles have worn you can easily sand them down and repaint them to give them new life in your camp kit.  That way you can even make a matching set out of a bunch of odds and ends.  Using a unique color will also help you keep track of your stuff in camp and avoid getting them confused with other people's stuff or with the stuff you use at home.

Camp cooking is fun!