Top Outdoor Cooking Equipment
One common mistake that newbie campers and amateur adventurers tend to make is believing that they can rely on freeze-dried meals and energy bars while they are out on a trip. It’s a matter of few days into camping or trekking before they realize how wrong they are.
Refueling your body properly at least once a day is extremely important if you want to make the best out of your camping experience. It not only helps you function better physically but also improves your thinking ability by keeping you active throughout the day. Needless to say, good food also makes camping with others and enjoying a view more fun.
Carrying the right kitchen equipment on your camping trip will ensure you get a healthy, well-cooked meal every once in a while. If you choose the right camping cookware, you won’t have to worry about things like how much of a hassle the whole process will be because they are designed to make it easy for you to cook out in the open.
You might want to carry an iron skillet with you to enjoy bacon each day for breakfast. However, that would be a bit impractical from a camper’s point of view. You will need lighter and smaller cookware that’s easy to carry. To help you choose the right cookware, here are some of the things that you should consider.
Features to Look for in a Camping Cookware
Type of Material
There is an array of materials to choose from in backpacking and camping cookware. The right one will reduce the effort you will need to carry it and cook with it.
Anodized Aluminum
Anodized Aluminum is a very hard material, and the cookware pieces made out of it are scratch-resistant and long lasting. The weight is tolerable, and they are the perfect pieces for avid campers. The price point is a little higher, but you’re getting something that will last.
Aluminum
Apart from being lightweight and easy to carry, aluminum is also an excellent heat conductor, ensuring that your food is cooked quickly and that you can carry the cookware without finding it heavy. It is worth nothing that, it is quite soft a material and is prone to dents and scratches.
Additionally, you might need to ensure that you only cook food that does not react to aluminum, or else the flavor might be affected.
Stainless Steel
Although stainless steel is the heaviest of all camp cookware materials, it’s is a great option if you want to cook almost every day while you’re out on a trip. It’s very durable and doesn’t get dented or scratched. Carrying it around can be a real task, but you can go for smaller sizes to lighten the load.
Titanium
If you don’t mind an expensive option for your vessels, you can go for titanium cookware. It’s the most lightweight of all metals and has really thin walls. Cooking time is expedited with titanium, and the food will be throughly prepared every time. If you are backpacking regularly, titanium cookware can prove to be a great one-time investment.
Weight and Size
The weight of your camping and backpacking cookware should be as little as possible because you will have to carry it each time you move. For car campers, it might not be a big deal, but for the backpackers, it can be a task to carry these instruments on your back all day.
The right size is also crucial. If you are traveling in a group, you might want to consider carrying a single vessel for all rather than separate ones. That way, each person can take turns carrying the cookware. If you are alone or traveling with one or two people only, go for small vessels.
They will save you from carrying excessive weight and save space, as well as reduce the cooking time. There are cookware sets that have a midsize, three-person cooking pan, while others come with additional plates and cups.
Care Instructions 
When heading into the wild, the easier you keep things for yourself, the better. While aluminum utensils and pans often come with an easy-to-clean, nonstick coating, steel and titanium pots have the tendency to get food stuck to them. Know your priorities and choose your cookware accordingly.
Handling
With camping cookware, you have the option of a handle or a grabber. The only trouble with handles is that they take up some additional space. Apart from that, they are pretty comfortable to use and cook with.
With grabbers, you can save space and reduce some weight, but you stand the chance of losing your grip and spilling your food because it needs constant griping.
Top 5 Camping Cookware Essentials
Keeping these factors in mind, here is a list of the ten most ergonomic camping cookware available on the market. You can choose according to your comfort and requirements.
Texsport Trailblazer Quantanium 
The Texsport Trailblazer Quantanium is the perfect blend of right pricing and sturdy quality. It has all the features that you should look for in camping cookware for regular use. It has a durable construction with a hard-anodized aluminum body.
It heats up quickly, and there is ample space in the pots and pans that come with it.
Construction
Hard-anodized aluminum is the best quality metal that offers easy cleaning options while you are camping. It comes with a QT quantanium nonstick coating, which makes your food taste good while keeping cleaning hassle-free.
Supports multiple cooking options
The size of the vessel is enough to serve a group of four. There are two deep saucepans along with an 8.5 in. frying pan for the days when you want to enjoy crisp meat. There are lids to ensure your vapor worked on the food, and covered cooking speeds up your cooking time. 
All these cooking vessels come with a rubberized handle to make sure your grip stays firm. However, make sure that the handle stays away from the flames if you are cooking over a campfire. Weighing a total of 2.8 lb., this suitable for backpackers and campers.
Overall quality
On the whole, the Texsport Trailblazer Quantanium is an amalgamation of some of the finest features that you should look for in camping cookware. It is easy to clean, lightweight, extremely sturdy and durable, and has a medium serving size.
It offers great value for the money you pay for it, and whether you are camping with your car or backpacking on a trail, it’s suitable for all your needs. Because it can be used on campfires as well as on stoves, it is easily the best pick for you on this list.
Jetboil Flash Personal Cooking System 
If you have been camping now and then, you know how crucial it is to have some hot water handy. The Jetboil Flash Cooking System is your savior with a short boiling time and little fuel consumption. It has an innovative new system with an attached boiler that allows you to have food ready literally in an instant.
It’s capable of boiling two cups of water within three minutes. Designed especially for people who go camping in areas with cold weather or during the winter months, the Jetboil Flash is the perfect cooking system for when you want to have a light meal.
Construction
The design of the JetBoil has been engineered in a way that it works even in the most adverse climatic conditions without the hassle of lighting a stove or fire. The entire system comes complete with an insulated bottle-like top and a built-in flame for heating that is easy to set up.
There is an indicator button that changes color once the meal is ready. The whole system is extremely safe and quite reliable regardless of where you are and what equipment you have with you.
Highly efficient
When it comes to the performance, it’s the most fuel-efficient system ever. For boiling 12 liters of water, all you need is 100 grams of Jetpower fuel. The construction is super space-saving and lightweight, making it the best pick for backpackers.
Plenty of ready-to-eat meals and foods can be cooked without using a stove and pan by simply pouring some boiling water over them. JetBoil saves you from using a stove and pans for a mere cup of water, cuts down on fuel consumption, and most importantly, does your job within a few minutes.
Lightweight and transportable
Weighing just 0.953 lb., the JetBoil is a must have for any backpacker who is headed out on a solo trip. Its portable and easy-to-use features make it a piece of safety cookware that can be used anytime anywhere for a one-time meal. It is safe to use and lasts a long time.
Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Camp Dutch Oven 
If you are headed out on a camping trip with a group, a Dutch oven is the perfect piece of cookware to use on campfire without any damage or dents. This Dutch oven from Lodge Logic is one of the finest pieces of cookware in this list and can serve 3–20 people depending on the size of the pot you buy.
It has an evenly spread base that makes maximum use of heat energy to cook your food in little time. However, it is a bit heavy to carry around, and if you have a small group, it would be advisable to stick with regular cookware.
Construction
The Lodge Logic Dutch Oven has a heavy iron build that conducts heat fast and conserves energy, resulting in well-cooked food. It keeps the temperature high for a long time, keeping your food warm up to 30 minutes after you take it off the fire. 
This pot has been pre-seasoned and has a nonstick surface that makes the cleaning process hassle-free. The name “Dutch oven” has been inspired by the common kitchen oven, which offers the same benefits as this one does, giving you delicious, a well-cooked meal even when you are far away from home.
Strong and sturdy
The bare cast-iron body has a smooth finish, and this pot is one of the sturdiest pieces of camping cookware you will come across. It has a three legs to keep it stable when placed on hot coals. There is also a bail handle that can be used to hang the pot when cooking on a campfire if the flames are high enough.
On the whole, the Lodge Logic Dutch Camp Oven is just the right tool for cooking during bonfires and countryside camping trips. However, the heavyweight and exceptionally large construction make it a bit tough to carry around if you are not taking a vehicle with you.
G4 Free Outdoor Camping Pan 13 Piece Set 
If you are looking for a cookware set that doesn’t overload you with extra utensils but provides you with enough pots and pans to cook while you are on the trip, the G4 Free Outdoor Camping Pan Hiking Cookware Backpacking is the ideal pick for you.
Although it has a small, nested-appearance, it has ample space to fit in all the essentials such as spices, camp stove, teas, and other basics. It saves plenty of space while providing a compact storage solution for your everyday meal.
Construction
The G4 Hiking Cookware is made entirely out of hard-anodized aluminum, which makes it a reliable solution for your storage and cooking needs. It also has additional Teflon coating for added protection. Heat is evenly distributed in the anodized aluminum vessels, and there are small wire handles coated with silicone to ensure there are no burns or accidents while you cook. However, there is the possibility of the silicone melting, so you might need to keep it away from the flames.
Easy clean non stick surfaces 
The complete box houses a set of two nonstick pots and two nonstick frying pans. They are easy to wash, and the food does not burn or stick to the surface while cooking. There is also a mesh bag to hold the pieces together. Each pot can serve up to two people, and if you are in a company of more than four, you can extend your serving size to four too.
Convienant Storage and multi functionality
All the utensils are multi-purpose. The frying pans serve as the lids for the pots by just folding in the handle. They can also act as plates or bowls if needed.
Overall, the G4 Hiking Cookware is designed to combine multi-functionality with sturdiness. It is the perfect cookware for backpacking and camping in small groups. It takes up little space and weighs a mere 1.5 lb.
Sea to Summit X Set 31 
Made of a hybrid material, the Sea to Summit X Set 31 is a uniquely designed camping cookware that has a base of anodized aluminum while the body is made entirely out of silicone.
Although that makeup is a bit tough to adapt to, once you get used to using these pieces, you will find that it’s the most user-friendly and comfortable set of cookware for camping trips.
Construction
The Sea to Summit X Set 31 has a space-saving, lightweight design that has been designed primarily to make it easier for backpackers to carry the cookware set. It can be folded down to just inches because the body is made entirely out of silicone. The pieces are even easier to wash because the body is entirely silicone. However, the sooner you wash them, the better your cookware set will be because the smell won’t settle in the silicone.
The only trouble with cooking in these utensils is that the sides need to be protected from the flame to prevent the body from melting. The problem of heating is another issue in this set—the heat from the aluminum can make it tough to hold the utensils.
Easy of use
The set can serve two people with ease. It’s ideal for newbies or first-timers who won’t be using the cookware consistently. There are additional mugs, bowls, and a strainer cum lid that comes along with this cookware set.
The Sea to Summit X Set 31 wins at conserving space and cutting down on weight. It can be used either by the pros who can carry out all the careful handling that silicone vessels require or by campers who need these as an emergency backup option for their cookware. Getting used to it might take a bit time, but once you become used to it, these pieces are the easiest to carry.
Which cookware should you add to your kit? 
There are plenty of other products with similar builds and features, but these are the five best camping cookware in their respective segments.
Narrow down your options depending on what your priorities are—whether you want something lightweight and comfortable to carry or a sturdy build and quick cooking.
No Comments found