Tips for Choosing Camping Cookware

The most desirable features in camping cookware often are quite different from those most appreciated in kitchen cookware. Here are 6 factors to consider when buying cookware for camping.

1. Think about what sort of camping you are most likely to do. Your camping cookware choices may vary depending on whether you plan to drive to the campground where you will be staying or intend to hike to a camp site carrying all your gear. You will have many more choices when driving to a campground, since you will be less constrained by size and weight concerns.

2. If you will be hiking to your campsite, you will want camping cookware that is light but sturdy, versatile (multi-purpose pieces are best), portable, compact, and easy to pack.

3. Essential camping cookware pieces include at least one skillet (or frying pan) and at least one basic cooking pot, both with lids (using a lid can help to speed up cooking and save fuel). Depending on how many people to be fed, you may want additional pieces. If so, look for sets of skillets and pots that fit into each other, making them easy to pack and carry.

4. Choosing the right material for camping cookware can be tricky, since none has the perfect combination of light weight, durability, low cost and excellent cooking capabilities. Most cookware for camping is made of aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, cast iron, or enamel. Your choice of material will probably depend on how often you camp, what your budget is and whether you will need to carry the cookware over long distances. For example, cast iron is a great choice for its durability and excellent cooking characteristics, but it is heavy, so you probably don't want to carry it much further than the distance from your SUV to the campground fireplace. On the other hand, titanium is very light and durable, making it a good choice if you are hiking to your camp site, but it is very expensive and does not conduct heat as well as cast iron.

5. Select cookware for camping that can withstand very high temperatures when cooking outdoors. You won't have the luxury of being able to adjust the flame of a camp fire the way you do at home, so your camping cookware may be exposed to temperature extremes it wouldn't endure in your kitchen.

6. Don't forget to purchase utensils. At a minimum you will need a spatula and a serving spoon, as well as a pot holder to protect your hands when grabbing a skillet handle superheated by a camp fire.

Sources:

www.dohiking.com, Practical Tips on Choosing Camping Cookware

Jana Puckett, www.articlesbase.com, What You Should Consider Before Buying Camping Cookware

Kathleen Roberts, camping.lovetoknow.com, Metal Camping Cookware - LoveToKnow Camping

www.allaboutcookware.info, All About Cookware - Choosing Camping Cookware