Cooking Tools & Equipment
For families who camp and still prepare home cooked meals, you will have a number of the tools we talk about on this page….granted you are not completely reliant on electrically operated kitchen tools such as electric knives, hand mixers, food processors, microwaves, etc. There is nothing wrong with these great inventions for the modern age; but make sure you still have the hand tools required to get the job done while waiting on the power to be restored.
Fire Starters – No, I have yet to learn to start a fire by rubbing sticks together, but one day I will. Until then, here are some handy fire starters to keep on hand.
- Matches – tradition Diamond strike anywhere matches www.diamondbrands.com
- Waterproof matches – preferably in a case
- Bic Lighter – www.biclighter.com
- Butane Lighter – www.knifeworks.com/windmilldeltalightermatteblack
- Hot-Spark – www.scoutstuff.org/hot-spark-fire-starter
- 9 Volt battery and steel wool – Seriously! Learned this trick at Camp Geronimo. Touch the steel wool to the battery and you will have red hot steel wool very capable of getting a fire started. Just so long as the battery has a charge.
Camping/Backpacking Stoves – Many are gas powered or operate on a manufactured heat source, which allow for fast cooking at a controlled temperature. If this is the option you choose, make sure you have a safe, dry place to store the heat source in a certified container. We would also recommend having a small wood burning stove for back up.
- Coleman – www.coleman.com
- Mountain Safety Research – www.cascadedesigns.com/msr
- Bio Lite – www.biolitestove.com
- Kelly Kettle – http://www.kellykettleusa.com
Solar Cooking – This is our favorite way to make bread! We never have burnt crust or blackened bottoms and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen.
- Sun Oven – www.sunoven.com
Open Flame – Still our favorite form of cooking for the taste and flavor.
- Charcoal and or Gas/Propane Grill – www.weber.com
- Over Fire Grill – www.campchef.com/lumberjack-over-fire-grill-18-x36
- Cast Iron / Dutch Oven – www.lodgemfg.com
- Brick/Pizza Oven – There are great online resources for building your own, or you can order pre-fab units that are available on the market. www.belgard.com/belgard_brick_oven
Utensils – Any hand operated, stainless steel utensil you can get your hands on will be a well worth investment.
- Knives! – Steak, Butter, Butcher, Chopping, Chef, Fillet and yes, even paring knives! We also suggest a good quality sharpening stone. www.cutco.com
- Stir & Mix – Ladles, whisks, spatula, roux sticks, etc.
- Stew and Bake – Pots, pans, casserole dishes, etc.
Food Processing – Hand cranked processors have multiple uses, will last for generations and will always be there when you need them.
- Meat Processor – www.westonsupply.com
- Flour/Grain grinder – www.thewondermill.com
- Coffee Grinder – www.lehmans.com
- Salt & Pepper Grinder Mills
Cleaning – Not much to cover here, if you can heat water and pour it into the kitchen sink, you are pretty much set. Extra scrubbers and Biodegradable soap are a good idea to have on hand.
Retailers – Local and online retailers for the items listed on this page.
Retailer | Arizona Location(s) | Online Store |
BassPro Shop | Mesa | www.basspro.com |
Cabela’s | Glendale | www.cabelas.com |
Gear Up | ONLINE ONLY | www.gearupcenter.com |
Lehman’s | ONLINE ONLY | www.lehmans.com |
Sportsman’s Warehouse | Multiple Locations | www.sportsmanswarehouse.com |