Having the right camping kitchen supplies makes a huge difference when it comes to making meals at your campsite. One frustrating night struggling to make supper for a hungry family can ruin your camping trip. There are tons of campsites around Lake Hartwell, and in the summer, they’re chock full of families enjoying camping season. You’re sure to make some new friends if you stay a few nights. But you don’t stand out as the family that came unprepared! Make sure you pack the right camping kitchen gear with this list.

Best Camping Kitchen Supplies

Portable Camp Kitchen

Regardless of whether you are camping in a park or boondocking at your favorite primitive campsite, everyone who loves to camp needs a portable kitchen station.

There isn’t usually a place to set up your stove and prep your ingredients, so you’ll at least need to bring a folding table. Portable kitchens fold up for easy packing and offer you conveniences like a place to hang utensils and sink for washing dishes. The Coleman Pack-Away Deluxe Portable Kitchen is one of my favorites because it has space for everything in one location! Prep your ingredients, cook on your table-top camp stove, and wash your dishes all in one place!

It keeps your campsite organized and helps you cook without being on the ground. Say goodbye to sandy hot cakes or questionably “clean” plates!

This portable kitchen features:

1. 39.4 x 19.7-inch food prep area ideal for chopping ingredients

2. 26.4 x 15-inch side table accommodates most Coleman stoves and coolers

3. Includes utensil hooks, paper-towel holder, removable sink, and mesh shelves for additional storage space.

4. Folding design fits into a compact case for easy carrying and storage

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens are an incredibly versatile cooking tool at camp. You may grow to love it so much that you will need more than one! Not only can you cook your main meals in your dutch oven, but you can bake in it too. If my fire is going, I am cooking something in my dutch oven!

You can make any meal of the day in your dutch oven. Even cakes and cobblers! If you’re new to Dutch oven cooking, make sure to grab this handy guide full of tips and simple recipes for your entire trip. Heavy duty cast iron Dutch ovens are the best choice. And make sure it has a cast iron lid and handle (like this one) if you want to use it with a tripod.

Finally, don’t forget that the oven will be very hot. So you’ll need some protection for your hands in order to handle the pot.

Portable Camping Grill

Most campsites have a basic charcoal grill, but if you prefer the ease of propane grilling at the campsite, pack a portable grill. Coleman makes a handy propane grill that collapses and rolls for easy packing and transport. If you like grilling over the campfire, the Camp Chef Mountain Man Grill is definitely worth the investment. Seriously. It’s amazing! Swivel the grill over the fire, swivel it back out when you’re done! Use one grill or all three at once. A quick wipe down and easy seasoning is all it needs when you’re finished using it at meal time. If you enjoy making hot cakes and eggs in the morning, handmade tortillas and fajitas, or grilling your freshly caught fish with veggies, THIS grill is a must for your camp kitchen!

Bear Proof Cooler

Even if you aren’t camping in an area that requires IGBC Certified Bear Resistant coolers, get it anyway! The US has bears in nearly every state and chances are good that if you want to camp in the great outdoors, a bear will be joining you (even if you don’t see them).

Another great reason:

Raccoons.

Raccoons are sneaky and they can get into unlatched coolers! We had a raccoon steal all of our raw meat for our camping trip on our first night while we were still setting up! We had taken everything out of the truck, sat it on the ground, and started setting up the campsite. Just as we were tossing the rainfly over the tent, I caught a HUGE raccoon plopping out of our cooler. He had taken everything in minutes! Instead of sitting by the fire that night, we had to do an emergency trip back into town to re-buy everything. It was a hard (and expensive) lesson!

So, if you ask me, it’s worth the splurge to get a cooler that will keep your food fresh AND safe.

Make sure you also pack these camping kitchen basics

Fragrance-Free Hand Sanitizer

Not only do I love to cook at camp, but I also like to do it safely! Many animals are attracted to fragrances, so choosing a fragrance-free sanitizer lets you stay clean and safe at your camp.

Before cooking and eating with your hands, make sure your hands are safe to handle food with a fragrance-free hand sanitizer.

Camping cooking utensils

There’s no cooking dinner without a knife and cutting board. It’s nice to have a set of utensils organized and ready to go in a dedicated camping utensil travel kit. This kit includes a knife, cutting board, scissors, spatula and lots more. It’s all packed into one neat little package and ready to go for the camping trips. The two things I would add are a can opener (trust me, you don’t want to get caught without one!) and a nice set of tongs. Kitchen tongs are incredibly useful at the campsite, and there’s nothing worse than getting to the campsite and realizing you have to struggle to open your canned goods!

Other camping kitchen necessities

1. Soap and sponge

2. Paper towels

3. Trash bags

4. Tupperware

5. Plates, cups, mugs, bowls

6. Aluminum foil

7. Forks, spoons, knives

8. Propane

9. Lights/lanterns

10. Matches/lighter

Get our free camping kitchen checklist

Feeling overwhelmed?

I totally get it! There’s a lot to remember. So we’ve got a free checklist you can download and print so you don’t forget anything.

Grab your copy right here.

Other suggestions for kitchen camping supplies?

Share your experience in the comments below!