If you’re cooking in the woods, chances are you fall into one of two camps (pun intended). Either you’re packed with car camping gear (including everything and the kitchen sink) or you’re backpacking with lightweight camping cookware. Whichever mode of camping you’re into, you need the right gear for the job. Nobody wants to carry a twenty-pound, two-burner propane grill up a mountain or feed a family of four with a single coffee mug.
So, we did the legwork to research and compare the best camping cookware and portable outdoor kitchen supplies for both the car-
Best full-featured camping cookware set
GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper Cookset
GSI has been developing modular camping cookware for a long time, and its Bugaboo Camper Cookset is the best we’ve seen thus far. It’s our favorite full-featured, soup-to-nuts set with everything to feed four people, including color-coded plates, bowls, and mugs (with sipping lids), as well as two cooking pots and a nonstick frying pan. Each pot includes a slotted lid that doubles as a strainer, making boiled foods like eggs and pasta a breeze to whip up.
What makes the Bugaboo kit even more impressive is that all of these items nest neatly inside one another and pack down into a single carrying kit that doubles as a dishwashing bin. Talk about convenience!
Best solo camping cookware set
GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Soloist II Cookset
Think of the GSI Pinnacle Soloist II as the Bugaboo’s little brother. This set was made for ultralight backpacking setups where minimalist camping cookware is essential, so it’s got everything you need in a super-compact package. The 1.1-liter cookpot includes common measurements conveniently stamped on the inside, and it’s been treated inside and out to resist scratching (which means no more worrying about damaging it with metal utensils). The 14-ounce insulated mug/bowl nests down neatly inside the cookpot, as well as the included folding spork.
And because all the best backpacking gear should serve two purposes, the strainer lid for the cookpot even doubles as a sipping lid for the food bowl when you flip it over.
Best lightweight camping utensil
Full Windsor The Splitter Titanium Multi-Utensil
Yes, “The Splitter” is an exorbitantly priced piece of gear where a simple plastic or titanium spork will (mostly) do, but it’s just too cool to leave off our list. The Splitter is a superlight titanium utensil set that features a long-handled spork (which is perfect for digging into backpacker-friendly dehydrated meals) and a spatula with a serrated end that doubles as a cutting tool.
Lock the two together with the pin and keyhole system and ta-da! You’ve got a pair of tongs. The whole kit weighs in at a scant 1.8 ounces, but you can always leave the spatula at home and take the spork by itself if you’re looking at packing ultralight.
Best backcountry camping stove
MSR Whisperlite International Backpacking Stove
The one stove to rule them all. While the outright convenience of canister stoves makes them an essential piece of camping cookware in their own right, the MSR Whisperlite liquid fuel stove is our pick for the best backpacking stove. That’s because it runs off of white gas, kerosene, gasoline, or even jet fuel (if you’ve got some of that handy).
It also doesn’t struggle at high elevations like canister stoves, which makes the Whisperlite the go-to stove for mountaineering and other high-altitude adventures. The latest version of the Whisperlite weighs just 11 ounces as well, which makes it more backpack-friendly than ever.
Best cutlery set for car camping
GSI Outdoors Pioneer Cutlery Set
Many hikers and campers put a lot of time and effort into every aspect of their equipment, except when it comes to utensils. Don’t leave a handy set like the GSI Outdoors Pioneer Cutlery set out in the dust, because they are simple, effective, inexpensive, and pretty cool aesthetically. Each kit includes four full sets of knives, spoons, and forks, all of which feature full-tang stainless steel construction and rugged kiln-hardened enamel handles.
Best ultra minimalist camp kitchen tool
Gerber Gear Devour Titanium
Gerber’s latest Devour Titanium gives the lowly spork a serious upgrade. This deceptively simple tool is actually nine tools in one, including a deep basin spoon and an offset long-tine fork, plus a flat-edge for cutting and scraping.
A separate tool clips to the backside with six additional tools, including bottle and can openers, flathead drivers, and a pry bar. The entire setup measures barely larger than an old-school spork, making it perfect for minimalist backpackers.
Best front-country camping stove
Camp Chef Teton 2X Camp Stove
The Camp Chef brand knows its way around cooking outdoors. We’ve been enjoying more than our fair share of ribs from one of their best pellet grills for years, and their compact outdoor stoves are just as good!
The latest Mountain Series Teton 2X comes with dual 10,000 BTU burners that run off standard one-pound. propane cylinder tanks (like a classic Coleman camp stove), but it can also be adapted to a standard bulk tank, like a home propane grill, if you’ll be camping out all week. The three-sided windscreen and matchless ignition mean you’ll have no trouble cooking when the wind is blowing, especially since the fully adjustable heat controls work just like your range at home.
No matter your preferred camping style, everyone’s gotta eat! At a minimum, that means having some sort of vessel in which to place your food, an open flame with which to cook it, and a utensil to get it into your mouth. Whether you’re car
