What’s in your rig? - Cooking edition

[chriscosta416]

Starting this thread in hopes of helping myself and others have a more effective cooking setup.


So the question is, what’s cooking supplies and set up is in your rig?

Is your pieced together or do you buy the kitchen utensils kits? If so does it suit you?

I’m not looking for long expedition setups but maybe setups for those weekend camping outings up to a week or two long outings

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Let's get this out of the way immediately: we take everything including the kitchen sink and spare parts for the kitchen sink.
We had so much stuff for cooking from just what we already had in the household and what we formerly had in a travel trailer that we pieced it together ourselves. Except for the stove, we pack the cooking gear into Rubbermaid commercial stack-able boxes. Here's the list - I'm probably forgetting some things.

Stove:

• Coleman Guide Series Dual Fuel Stove -OR-
• Coleman 502-700 Sportster Dual Fuel
• Folding aluminum windscreen

Cookware:

• GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Frypan - 10 in.
• GSI Outdoors Stainless Troop Cookset
• Nordicware Two Burner Reversible Griddle
• GSI Outdoors Percolator Coffee Pot 14 Cup

Plates & Utensils:

• Paper plates & bowls of various sizes
• Heavy super high quality plastic knives, forks, spoons
  • Note we actually keep these and wash them LOL!
• Plastic cups & wine glasses
• Misc. mish mash of old kitchen knives, steak knives etc... with protective sheaths for all
• Misc. mish mash of plastic serving spoons, spatulas etc...

Misc - what we actually take varies:

• Blender for the frozen margaritas.
• Food tents for protection from bugs
• Various resealable containers/boxes/bags
• Lighters, waterproof matches
• Plastic cup measure
• Grill tongs
• Various scrubbinbg pads and brushes
• Bag clips
• Hot mits
• Coffee measure
• Aluminum foil
• Cling wrap
• Digital thermometer
• Folding table - seldom necessary

EDIT: found a picture of the Coleman 2 burner stove and the 2 GSI outdoors skillets mentioned above.
Stove can take 2 10" wide items such as skillets or large metal bowls; would be great for making a large batch of Chile.
Filet Mignon with green beans & garlic:

 

[LandLocked93]

Would love the slide out 30-second kitchen and pantry setup. But until then we keep it pretty mundane.

Basically using a primary and backup arrangement for heat source - main campfire for cooking, stainless grill that rests on rocks on either end, and cast iron skillets.
If a fire isn't possible, we keep a small butane 'stove' (backpackers special) that will at least heat one skillet at a time.

Picked up a silverware roll that keeps all the forks/knives/spoons/steak knives in a single place. (no plastic here!)

We have the twin-burner/oven combo from CampChef but haven't had the need to use it. It's just too much for only 2 people, so it remains in the storage room to this point. Water is onboard, 15 gallons/pump/faucet configuration. Far too convenient for camping and love it alot. lol

Otherwise, a cooler keeps the food and an ice maker keeps it cold and the cups full. A coffee maker too of course.

 

[JDM Journeys]

I've been attempting to fine tune this for years. I finally think I'm getting somewhere and then I sell the rig and start over. Usu the kitchen is the hub of my setup.

The current iteration is three years now, with small adjustments almost every trip. Lol

So I have a 70 series wagon, with split back doors. In the back are two drawers. Both drawers have sliding tops and slide out cutting boards. One drawer holds the food staples, and the other holds the pots/utensils/french press/plates/bowls AND the stove. This is only possible because I splurged on the jetboil genesis base camp.

On top of the drawers I have a 40L dometic on one side, and a set of Milwaukee packouts on the other. One of these is a cooler and is usually holding dry goods that could perish in direct sun, but don't need to be cold as such.

Off to the side of the drawers and under cover I have a 5 pound propane tank, and a water pump leading to a simple faucet on the back door. This is fed by a 60L front runner slant tank behind my back seat.

On the back doors I have a frontrunner drop down table on one side and an elastic grid on the other for odds and ends, as well as a fire extinguisher.

When I get to camp the first thing I do is unfold the base camp and set it on the drop down, on the right. After that all my things are within arms reach and I have plenty of horizontal surfaces to prep on.

270 awning covers the kitchen, led strip lighting on back door provides visibility, and the faucet gives me water.

This setup sounds more complicated than it is so let me dig up a pic.

 

[chriscosta416]

I've been attempting to find tune this for years. I finally think I'm getting somewhere and then I sell the rig and start over. Usu the kitchen is the hub of my setup.

The current iteration is three years now, with small adjustments almost every trip. Lol

So I have a 70 series wagon, with split back doors. In the back are two drawers. Both drawers have sliding tops and slide out cutting boards. One drawer holds the food staples, and the other holds the pots/utensils/french press/plates/bowls AND the stove. This is only possible because I splurged on the jetboil genesis base camp.

On top of the drawers I have a 40L dometic on one side, and a set of Milwaukee packouts on the other. One of these is a cooler and is usually holding dry goods that could perish in direct sun, but don't need to be cold as such.

Off to the side of the drawers and under cover I have a 5 pound propane tank, and a water pump leading to a simple faucet on the back door. This is fed by a 60L front runner slant tank behind my back seat.

On the back doors I have a frontrunner drop down table on one side and an elastic grid on the other for odds and ends, as well as a fire extinguisher.

When I get to camp the first thing I do is unfold the base camp and set it on the drop down, on the right. After that all my things are within arms reach and I have plenty of horizontal surfaces to prep on.

270 awning covers the kitchen, led strip lighting on back door provides visibility, and the faucet gives me water.

This setup sounds more complicated than it is so let me dig up a pic.View attachment 3396477

PHIL!!! great seeing you on here! - Jamie

 

[120mm]

I go somewhat the other direction.

I have two single burner butane stoves of the $20 Coleman and $15 Wal Mart variety.

I have a 6 inch cast iron pan, cowboy coffee pot and a couple plates and enameled coffee cups.

I can feed myself and my dog ad infinitum using pouch meals, self rising flour, lard, various dried and canned meats and plastic cups of fruits and veggies, as well as fish and small critters I can catch/kill along the way. No ice or refrigeration necessary.

All of it fits in a small knapsack which rides in my FJ40 quite tidily.

A country boy can survive.

 

[clrussell]

I’ll play. Simple but complex ?

5 Plate and silverware set as we are a crew Of 5.
Small black stone griddle (if I can’t cook it on this we don’t eat it)
Stainless steel French press (doubles as a hot water source)
One foldable mixing cup
Fillet knife
Buck knife
2 yeti cups (adults)
Kids have their own stainless water bottles
Small Coleman single burner (think poor boy jet boil)

Pretty much it..

The camp trailer does have some finer things in life like running water, but as far as cook setup that’s it.

 

[peesalot]

I too go the less is more, a sinlge bottle top burner, a small rectangular gas grill( holds 4 bottles under lid), 1 14" fry pan, a camp pan set that has 2 dishes, 2 bowl, a small fry pan, and a pot for bigger stuff, and a cabelas utensil kit cause it has wine opener, cut board, tongs, spatula, salt/pepper, forks, spoons , knives, plates & coffee cups. For packing I have 1 small actionpacker, the grill & the cabelas kit which is like a small briefcase. I have been using the disposable BBQ's and love them.

 

[clrussell]

I too go the less is more, a sinlge bottle top burner, a small rectangular gas grill( holds 4 bottles under lid), 1 14" fry pan, a camp pan set that has 2 dishes, 2 bowl, a small fry pan, and a pot for bigger stuff, and a cabelas utensil kit cause it has wine opener, cut board, tongs, spatula, salt/pepper, forks, spoons , knives, plates & coffee cups. For packing I have 1 small actionpacker, the grill & the cabelas kit which is like a small briefcase. I have been using the disposable BBQ's and love them.View attachment 3396912

Hmm that might be what I need to cook steaks one night.

 

[Comet]

Solo could be the kettle/whisperlite with boil in bag meals. Reality is the following for two people.

8” carbon steel fry pan
Spatula
Stove-currently MSR Whisperlite Universal
2 liter kettle (nests stove safely)
GSI French Press
Heavy duty tinfoil
Gallon freezer bags
Crazy Janes Mixed Up Salt
Nesting fork/spoon/knife
Pam canola spray
US Mtn Cookset (never use solo)
Bustelo espresso
Kleen Kanteen insulated mug
Mora Companion knife with sheath
Small cutting board
1 gallon Deer Park water (amount varies)
Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter (never use)
Aquatabs H2O purification tablets
Cotton hand towels.
Crystal Hot Sauce.
Thick mil black trash bags

Everything fits in a small water resistant orange plastic box that has room for dry and canned goods for a long weekend.

Looking for a metal table that could handle the output of the stove.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

I go somewhat the other direction.

I have two single burner butane stoves of the $20 Coleman and $15 Wal Mart variety.

I have a 6 inch cast iron pan, cowboy coffee pot and a couple plates and enameled coffee cups.

I can feed myself and my dog ad infinitum using pouch meals, self rising flour, lard, various dried and canned meats and plastic cups of fruits and veggies, as well as fish and small critters I can catch/kill along the way. No ice or refrigeration necessary.

All of it fits in a small knapsack which rides in my FJ40 quite tidily.

A country boy can survive.

It's an overused phrase, but I'll use it here. "This is the way."

 

[JohnVee]

Everything fits in a small water resistant orange plastic box

I know those orange boxes well. Small is one thing they are not!

This threads reminds me that I need to reorganize the 2 different cook sets and the kitchen drawer that I've been robbing from for the last 2 years without putting things back when finished. It's a mess, but I'll sort it out and report back. The small one is an M2 ammo can, and the large one is a Front Runner Wolf Pack box. There is always a Pocket Rocket-style stove and either a 2-burner Camp Chef Everest or a wide body Oklahoma Joe's chimney starter with a cast iron grill grate. A small folding table recently changed my life when I realized I had one that I'd never used.

Having camped with @Comet many times, I'll say that like him, I can probably cook whatever I want with whatever I find, but it often comes down to if I was able to prep food before departing and if I'm cooking for 1, 2, or more people. I'm never out for more than 4 days but that would really only affect my food storage instead of my cook gear.

 

[120mm]

Solo could be the kettle/whisperlite with boil in bag meals.

Boiling water is simply the most inefficient use of heat energy, ever. I buy the boil in bag meals sometimes, and will dump them into the cast iron pan with terrific results in a fraction of the time it takes to prepare them by boiling.

The small cast iron pan will heat nearly everything, except coffee, more efficiently and the clean up is stupid simple.

 

[Comet]

@120mm do you use the same amount of water? So we are on the same page: boil in bag meals are the dehydrated ones like Mountain House? Agreed on cast iron clean up, I have lots of that. Thanks for the tip.

 

[120mm]

@120mm do you use the same amount of water? So we are on the same page: boil in bag meals are the dehydrated ones like Mountain House? Agreed on cast iron clean up, I have lots of that. Thanks for the tip.

Ah. I get it now. I only use wet pack meals. Big difference.

 

[Comet]

@120mm I woke early and started down your wordpress path. Coffee is on.