The Top Ten Cooking Pans for Camping

When my family goes camping there are a few necessities for preparing food that I never leave behind.  I love cooking over an open fire and on a portable camping stove, but there are a few things I always bring to make life easier.  This is my list:

1.  Electric Fry Pan or Griddle - This is my most-used camping pan if I have electricity at our campsite.  I bring one or the other, depending on what I've planned for meals.  The electric fry pan is great for two people, because not only can you make an entire one-dish meal, you can make pancakes or French toast, as well.  If I know I’ll have a large group I take the griddle to cook pancakes and it's also handy for grilled sandwiches.
2. Aluminum Coffeepot (percolator that goes on the stove) - I never use an electric coffeepot while camping.  Just preference, but I have been without power a lot of times and I don’t want to sacrifice coffee!
3. Gas-powered crock-pot - I love this for putting a meal together even when there is no electricity.  Just be sure to use the lowest setting, as they can tend to have hot spots.
4. Toast maker for the campfire or stove - Easy and fun (these can be purchased at many outdoor and camping stores).  This is one thing my kids loved!
5. Tea Kettle - For heating water for any reason
6. One large cast iron fry pan with cover - I tend to make a lot of meals on the campfire and this pan is a must – makes great biscuits and is good for cooking bacon or sausage.
7. One medium or small camping frying pan to use on the portable stove (a lid is nice) - For whenever you don’t want to use the fire.
8. One 2-3 quart saucepan - I added this because I always seemed to need it for warming things up.
9. One camping Dutch oven (cast iron with cover) -  For great one-dish meals or baking – I have made pies and cakes over the campfire in this - it doubles as a great camping oven!
10. Portable gas camping grill - I include the stand-alone grill because my husband does over half of all our cooking outdoors on this.  Ours has a griddle on one side and grill on the other.  We can make bacon and pancakes at the same time, steaks and garlic bread – the choices are endless and it’s probably our most important cooking surface.  Ours is Teflon coated and easy to clean.

You may have other wants and needs, but these are the ten cooking utensils I use most and I keep them packed in the camping supplies so that they’re never left behind.  The only things that are interchangeable are the electric frying pan and griddle as I have noted above.

With these items I am able to cook anything outside on a portable gas camping stove or on the fire over a grate.  Good luck with your choices!