who goes camping?

[lksdrinker]

So trying to plan a family camping trip.  Its been a number of years since I've been camping; and it turns out that while buying all your camping supplies with group(s) of friends in your late teens and early twenties helps save a few bucks then,  a decade plus later when you plan a family trip you realize you no longer have any gear and no longer speak with all those people from way back when!

So I'll bring along a kettle for sure.  But I'm thinking I might need/want something like a propane go anywhere or maybe something like a coleman camp stove.  Any thoughts or advice on which makes more sense for legit camping purposes?  Any other advice for things I should try to have with me when I go that I might be forgetting?

I feel dirty thinking about using propane for any cooking....its been so long!  But I figure the ability to fire something up instantly and maybe cook on cast iron will surely make the trip more enjoyable for my wife and 2 daughters...hopefully leading to more trips in the future!


....also realize this might not be the proper section for this...whoops

[Neil_VT00]

I used to camp all of the time before my little ones came along.  IMO get a little 1-burner Coleman portable stove and use that to supplement your grill.  Most of your cooking will be grilling, but you can boil a pot of water, cook something quick in a frying pan, make a pot of coffee, etc. on the stove.

The other cooking device that I love to take camping is a dutch oven directly on a campfire.

Here is the little stove I use:
https://www.coleman.com/perfectflow-1-burner-propane-stove/2000020950.html?cgid=coleman-stovesandgrills-stoves#start=22

[HoosierKettle]

That stove is nice if space is an issue but for the same price I would prefer the Coleman two burner stove. Better for making breakfast and the like. Burner for coffee and burner for eggs and bacon.

I also heat up large pots of water and take two plastic tubs to wash dishes.

I like to take an inexpensive tripod for cooking over the camp fire. That's a must in my book. A gas go anywhere would be handy as well.

Also, the griddle irons that clamp together to make sandwiches are awesome. Get the cast iron ones and not the cast aluminum ones. Those are junk.


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[chiku18]

May be this thread can give some inspirations and I do agree that at the minimum one 1 burner stove will help-  Coffee/Boiling/ quick frying etc?

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/who-says-you-can't-eat-well-while-camping-(pic-heavy)/msg253433/#msg253433

[lksdrinker]

there is actually a three burner coleman near me on CL right now; but its the older white gas style.  I have no problem with that; but do already have one propane lantern so it'd be nice to have to bring along one type of fuel (well two if you count charcoal!).  I think that three burner might be a bit too large too the more I think about it. 

What about brewing coffee?  I thought about grabbing a french press, boil water, pour, press repeat.  But saw coleman makes camping coffee pots (white gas and propane)....anyone have any thoughts there?

Keep the tips coming.  I need to keep the girls happy (happy wife, happy life) so I can keep doing these kinds of trips (happy dad, no-ones sad!) . 

[lksdrinker]

May be this thread can give some inspirations and I do agree that at the minimum one 1 burner stove will help-  Coffee/Boiling/ quick frying etc?

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/who-says-you-can't-eat-well-while-camping-(pic-heavy)/msg253433/#msg253433

wow....culinary camping at its finest! 

[james1787]

I'm old school and use white gas for camping / lighting. I have a two burner coleman stove and several single or dual mantle vintage coleman lanterns. I love that 'hiss' from the lanterns! I've never tried or thought about bringing a kettle with me for camping.. but if I did I would probably take along a SJ or an 18. Lot's of stuff I need to pack in th van.. especially with two young daughters.. so gotta keep it small. We were supposed to go camping earlier this year (work got in the way) but hoping to get a weekend out late summer / early fall.

[lksdrinker]

I'm old school and use white gas for camping / lighting. I have a two burner coleman stove and several single or dual mantle vintage coleman lanterns. I love that 'hiss' from the lanterns! I've never tried or thought about bringing a kettle with me for camping.. but if I did I would probably take along a SJ or an 18. Lot's of stuff I need to pack in th van.. especially with two young daughters.. so gotta keep it small. We were supposed to go camping earlier this year (work got in the way) but hoping to get a weekend out late summer / early fall.

I've got a double mantle coleman propane lantern so I'm already destined to bring cans of propane.  Otherwise I have no issue with the white gas....probably easier to find a non coleman alternative (naptha if I recall?)

I took a peak on CL for other coleman lanterns....the vintage ones seem to be speaking to me like older weber kettles.  There is one lantern near me that looks just like a brownie kettle!

The more I talk about it the more excited I get.  Keep the ideas coming! 

[chiku18]

May be this thread can give some inspirations and I do agree that at the minimum one 1 burner stove will help-  Coffee/Boiling/ quick frying etc?

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/who-says-you-can't-eat-well-while-camping-(pic-heavy)/msg253433/#msg253433

wow....culinary camping at its finest!

@Mr.CPHo is camping and cooking expert, and can talk more from experience.

[james1787]

I'm old school and use white gas for camping / lighting. I have a two burner coleman stove and several single or dual mantle vintage coleman lanterns. I love that 'hiss' from the lanterns! I've never tried or thought about bringing a kettle with me for camping.. but if I did I would probably take along a SJ or an 18. Lot's of stuff I need to pack in th van.. especially with two young daughters.. so gotta keep it small. We were supposed to go camping earlier this year (work got in the way) but hoping to get a weekend out late summer / early fall.

I've got a double mantle coleman propane lantern so I'm already destined to bring cans of propane.  Otherwise I have no issue with the white gas....probably easier to find a non coleman alternative (naptha if I recall?)

I took a peak on CL for other coleman lanterns....the vintage ones seem to be speaking to me like older weber kettles.  There is one lantern near me that looks just like a brownie kettle!

The more I talk about it the more excited I get.  Keep the ideas coming!

Coleman stuff can be just as addicting to collect as vintage collectors. Be warned.

My collection is pretty small compared to others... I'll post up a pic later when I get home of the Coleman 'family'.

[Mr.CPHo]

Thanks for this post; it reminded me I have to book our camping sites for the cooler weather. 

Just to clarify, we're car campers and we pack so much shit it's not even funny.  We definitely  are NOT "roughing it" when we go camping.  It's re-donk-ulous how much stuff we bring, but we've done it enough to be pretty proficient at setting up and breaking down.  It sounds like this may be the first time taking your wife and daughters camping and you want to make a positive impression to make way for future endeavors.  Kudos to you! 

I'd definitely plan all meals in advance, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks too.  Get input from your family on what they'd like to eat on their first camping experience.  Once you have your meals planned out, get down to the granular details like specific ingredients.  Try to do as much prep work and portioning in advance and package all the components of individual meals together so you're not constantly in-and-out of your cooler looking for random ingredients.  Freeze the meals that will be cooked towards the end of your stay and use them in place of ice.  I like to keep a copy of the meal plan in a ziplock taped to the cooler as a reminder of what to thaw next.   

Coffee is a big deal for us and we've tried different methods, in the end, we settled on a coffee press and an electric kettle to quickly boil water.  Our friends always bring a percolater to make coffee over the fire, and while there's no doubt campfire coffee is awesome, it also takes a long time.  I need coffee ASAP after waking up.  (When there's no electric hookup, I use the outlet in the back of my truck - no shame in my game)

As others have mentioned a gas stove is probably a good idea, especially for breakfast.  Grilling three squares a day sounds nice, but when people are hungry, they don't give a damn whether it was made on the grill or on the stove.  Given your circumstances, err on the side of caution.

My next comment isn't related to camp cooking, but it has saved me several times.  Practice setting up a ridgeline and hanging tarp(s) before you go, and practice doing it solo.  You never know what conditions will be like when you arrive to your site, so master a few useful knots and keep these shelter items easily accessible on top of all your other camping stuff.

[lksdrinker]

Thanks for this post; it reminded me I have to book our camping sites for the cooler weather. 

Just to clarify, we're car campers and we pack so much shit it's not even funny.  We definitely  are NOT "roughing it" when we go camping.  It's re-donk-ulous how much stuff we bring, but we've done it enough to be pretty proficient at setting up and breaking down.  It sounds like this may be the first time taking your wife and daughters camping and you want to make a positive impression to make way for future endeavors.  Kudos to you! 

I'd definitely plan all meals in advance, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks too.  Get input from your family on what they'd like to eat on their first camping experience.  Once you have your meals planned out, get down to the granular details like specific ingredients.  Try to do as much prep work and portioning in advance and package all the components of individual meals together so you're not constantly in-and-out of your cooler looking for random ingredients.  Freeze the meals that will be cooked towards the end of your stay and use them in place of ice.  I like to keep a copy of the meal plan in a ziplock taped to the cooler as a reminder of what to thaw next.   

Coffee is a big deal for us and we've tried different methods, in the end, we settled on a coffee press and an electric kettle to quickly boil water.  Our friends always bring a percolater to make coffee over the fire, and while there's no doubt campfire coffee is awesome, it also takes a long time.  I need coffee ASAP after waking up.  (When there's no electric hookup, I use the outlet in the back of my truck - no shame in my game)

As others have mentioned a gas stove is probably a good idea, especially for breakfast.  Grilling three squares a day sounds nice, but when people are hungry, they don't give a damn whether it was made on the grill or on the stove.  Given your circumstances, err on the side of caution.

My next comment isn't related to camp cooking, but it has saved me several times.  Practice setting up a ridgeline and hanging tarp(s) before you go, and practice doing it solo.  You never know what conditions will be like when you arrive to your site, so master a few useful knots and keep these shelter items easily accessible on top of all your other camping stuff.

Awesome and thank you!  Yes this is the first time taking the wife and daughters....hopefully first of many.  Good idea on planning the meals; and it sure seems like I'll need a gasser of some sort.  I definitely need to practice a few knots before we go! 

We're definitely not roughing it too bad.....found tentrr.com where a company comes onto someone's private land (farm, woods, meadow etc); they build a ~ 10x10 wood platform/deck and erect a really nice large tent with a bunkbed frame inside for an air mattress.  You can of course also pitch a tent right there as well and certain locations have other amenities (bunk house, cabin, etc). 

The really attractive part of this to me was the idea of privacy and not sharing a public campground with 908459045 other families!  The one we picked is right on the east branch delaware river....should be able to roll out of the tent in the morning and right into the river for swimming or fishing! 

Little pricey compared to typical campground sites (I was amazed to find out you cant find many sites for $12/night anymore!)  but I also dont have to incur the expense of buying a nice/large tent, air mattresses etc.  Figure I can slowly but surely start collecting more and more gear after this trip if all goes well!

The tent on our site and the view of the river right from the site below!  If anyone is interested they have a referral program of sorts....once I booked they ask you to refer friends via email and that friend will get 20% off their first trip; and then I (or whoever refers someone else) earns a 20% discount on any future trip once one of their referrals books a site.

[Appwsmsmkr1]

Hi there!

I also go camping every Memorial Day and Labor Day. We are a minimum of 7 adults and sometimes a maximum of 20. We do go to a park that has electricity so we take an electric percolator, a weber OTG 22" and a Colman 2 burner camp stove. We are a large group so we try not to be wasteful of food or supplies so this is my input.

My saving grace are my lists.
Plan your menu for all meals, include the meal after your set up. (That one should be simple because you'll be exhausted by the time you want to start dinner. Also try not to make an elaborate breakfast the day you pack up. (We just use whatever is leftover, big fan of steak and eggs lol)
I have a spreadsheet that I use every time i go and it helps me with inventory i have and what i need to buy. If you want i can sent it to you via email.

I enjoy camping and look forward to it every trip. Even though its a lot of prep i find it relaxing.

Enjoy your trip!!!


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[demosthenes9]

If you are drive up camping where space and weight isn't a concern, then get a Camp Chef 2 or 3 burner stove.  Can have coffee ready in about 5 mins.

We have an extended family camp out a couple of times per year.  We roll with at least 2 Camp Chef Big Gas Grills giving us 6 burners rated at 30K btu each.   



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[Jammato]

I absolutely love to camp. My wife and I started camping together when we were dating and love to go on vacations with camping involved. We do now have a lot more than we did in the beginning but we also have minimal setups.
One thing you must make sure of if you want to bring a kettle is what the fire restrictions are, during high fire risk times they will restrict charcoal cooking, and even sometimes I have seen propane cooking restricted to inside an RV. Kinda rough but they are just trying to protect from wild fires.

OK we have 3 set ups we use, If we are just in the jeep doing tent camping i bring along a 14 inch Smokey Joe and a Stok Tourist, The tourist is about the size of a 14 inch kettle and uses those disposable propane bottles. it is a great grill. This set up can cook a lot but is not going to feed a bunch of people.

Our next set up is if we are towing my trailer I designed for pulling behind the jeep down 4x4 trails. It is big enough to have a proper camp setup. I carry 2 easyups, some fold out shelving, camp chairs and tables along with a lot of kitchen gear, for cooking I have an 18 inch SJ and a Coleman stove that runs off those disposable propane bottles. I also carry 2 dutch ovens for cooking on the ground and a large one for setting up on a tripod over a fire. With this setup we can feed quite a few people. It has taken years to set up what is worth taking and what not to but this is how we love to go exploring down Jeep trails. I have pulled that trailer over the Rubicon Trail. from pots and pans to full spice rack the trailer is set up for making camping in the wilderness easy.

My final set up I do not really consider camping, it is our 20 foot travel trailer. What can I say, of course that means a 22 inch kettle comes along and the sky is the limit, but we mainly use this if we are going to a National Park and staying in one place for the week. I do have to admit having a shower and a flushing toilet is nice however, as well as a refrigerator.