When the opportunity to go camping arises, I like to be able to throw everything in my car in minutes and be confident that I won’t have forgotten anything when I get to my amazing campsite. One way I do this is by keeping everything I need for certain activities together in one box. I have one Rubbermaid bin for all of my cookware needs — my camping mess kit.
First off, what even is a mess kit? Originally, a mess kit was made up of items that military personnel would carry to cook and eat in the field. A camping mess kit is the same idea; it is the cookware that you carry when you go camping. You can buy pre-made kits but I think the best camping mess kit is homemade. It is often cheaper and it’ll be customized to your unique needs.
The Camping Mess Kit
I hope by showing you what is in my mess kit, that it will inspire you to build your own so you can also be ready whenever nature calls!
Dishes – (plates, utensils, knife, cup)
I went to the Dollar Store and picked up a set of three plastic plates. They have lips around the edges that are about an inch high, which is handy for eating things like yogurt and granola (or other things that would be awkward to eat off a normal plate). The plates double as cutting boards, and because of the lips, they also work as bowls (kind of).
I have two sets of utensils – fork, spoon, knife. I also have a single steak knife, which I can use for all of my cutting needs — from cutting buns to dicing vegetables.
For drinks, I have a single mug. It’s perfect because you can drink both hot drinks and cold drinks. I find that there really is no need to have any other cups.
Pot and pan
I have a small pot that is big enough for a can of soup and a small frying pan that is big enough for grilled cheese (or a bacon sandwich…). Pots and pans always suck to clean regardless of where you are, although they are particularly difficult when you are out in nature. Because of this, I try to be thoughtful about what I’m going to cook and prep as much as I can at home beforehand — especially meats, if possible.
In my opinion, these two items are best sourced from a secondhand shop. That way, you won’t be sad if they get damaged (e.g., scald marks from your camping stove).
Can opener
When I am camping by myself, I like to have easy options. It’s nice to come back from a long day of hiking and just heat up a can of soup. Canned food is great for camping because it doesn’t require refrigeration, so it is one less thing you need to worry about.
Roasting stick
Marshmallows, hotdogs, whatever. Pick one that is telescopic so it can easily fit in your kit. You can also find wooden roasting sticks. My dad would always pull apart old wire hangers; not everyone is going to love that idea (be careful with the coating on the hangers) but it’s better than not having hotdogs.
* I remember camping with my dad as a kid and him roasting a hotdog on the fire for me. I was horrified as little “bugs” seemed to be growing on it. (They were not bugs — just that perfectly charred, flame-kissed look that you actually want on a campfire hotdog). I was traumatized and refused to eat the “bug hotdogs” for the entire trip.
I am also in the market for a pie iron that will fit into my cooking kit. If you know where I can find one, let me know in the comments! **Update: I found one!**
Spices
I have a little jar that holds a few different spices. It is nice to have a singular jar for all my basic spicing needs, otherwise I would probably just bring salt and pepper and call it a day.
Coffee packets
This is my must have. I really like the Nescafé instant coffee mixes. I prefer the ones in the red box over the other kinds, but all the flavours are good and they all do the trick first thing in the morning. If you are like me and drink caffeine at all hours, they are nice around the campfire at the end of the night too (or you could bring tea bags).
Something to clean your dishes with
I keep a spray bottle with a soap mixture in my camping mess kit. Fill the spray bottle with water, add a few drops of a concentrated biodegradable soap like Dr. Bronner’s, and you are set. I scrape any leftover food crud into a baggie to throw out later, and then spray the dish a few times with the soap mix and wipe it off.
I have thought about buying a collapsible wash bin, but then you have the added chore of digging a small hole (60m/200ft away from camp and water sources!) to pour the grey water in after you finish washing. Just spritz, wipe, and put your camping cookware back into the mess kit.
When I get home, I take everything out of the kit, wash it in the sink, wash the bin, and then immediately repack everything so that nothing gets forgotten next time.
- Pro-tip: Make sure everything is really dry when you put it back, or leave the lid off. Even though I take out everything and repack it each time, I was sad to see that it only took a few days before my can opener had rusted from the moisture.
Dish cloth
I only bring one cloth for the soap mix; you can rinse it and leave it out to dry between meals. The cloth also comes in handy for other random things, such as doubling as a potholder.
I try not to use paper towel. First, they aren’t great for the environment and I’d rather spend time in the trees than use them to clean. Second, they are just another piece of garbage to pack out. I save all of my extra napkins from fast food runs and keep them in my glove box. In the event of something really grimy, I’ll use a napkin first instead of my dish cloth. Leftover fast food napkins also work as emergency toilet paper if you are in a pinch.
Bag of bags
I have a Ziploc bag full of other bags. I like to have garbage bags, plastic shopping bags, and Ziploc bags. You’d be surprised what you end up using them for and how often you find yourself looking for them.
Extra butane
Finally, I keep two canisters of butane for my camp stove. I drew a circle in black permanent marker on the lid of one of the canisters — that is the canister that is currently in use. When I finish one, I will move the lid with the marker on to the next canister. It is important to find a way to differentiate between the two because it sucks to run out. This way, you know that when you switch to your second canister it is still full (as opposed to finding out that it is also almost empty).
- Pro-tip: If you want to take this a step further, you can label the day you started using the new canister and it’ll give you an idea of how quickly you are burning through it (see what I did there).
Camping Mess Kit — Honorary Members
The next two items are part of my camping cook kit, although they don’t live within the Rubbermaid box (simply because they would not fit). Don’t forget to pack these two things though — they might be some of the most important parts of your mess kit.
Camping stove
I have a single burner camp stove. It is very easy to use and works pretty well — my only gripe is the temperature control, but what can you expect from a $60 stove. The butane canisters are really easy to find; I usually buy mine at Walmart. If you are buying a camping stove, be sure to shop around because the prices seem to really vary between retailers.
Water jug
I used to have a square water tote with a spigot and I can confidently say that a 5 gallon water jug (the classic water cooler jug) is much better. I got a little hand pump for my jug which can spit out a lot of water with only a few pumps (which I found at a hardware store).
The pump works nicely for rinsing your toothbrush or dishes under. It also works well for washing your hands — a nice break from hand sanitizer. Remember to use biodegradable soap, and to capture your grey water and pour it in a hole (60m/200ft away from camp and water sources).
Camping mess kit checklist:
* Screenshot this to take with you to the Dollar Store!
- Dishes (plates, bowls, utensils, knives, cups)
- Pots and pans
- Can opener
- Roasting stick (just avoid the flame-charred hotdog “bugs”) and pie iron
- Spices
- Coffee packets or tea bags
- Dishwashing supplies (see: How to clean camping cookware)
- Dish cloths
- Extra bags (Ziplocs, trash bags, etc.)
- Camping stove
- Extra butane
- Water jug
- Rubbermaid tote (or other storage box)
Ta-da — this is what I pack to cook with while I’m camping! It is so much easier to keep all of your cooking gear in a box that you can just throw in the vehicle, and you can set up a box like this using mostly items from the Dollar Store. Want more adventure delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for my newsletter, The Trail Report, and join in on the fun.
