Utensils

A short list of cooking utensils:

For each person:

• A fork, knife, spoon
• Cup, bowl, and perhaps plate. Insulated cups are good - they keep the coffee hot on cold mornings.

Some campers like to put every meal into a big bowl, while others prefer a plate for more civilized dining. Use unbreakable dishes. There are many choices in various plastics - polycarbonate is pretty good.

For the kitchen kit:

• Mixing and serving spoons
• Spatula if you use a fry pan.
• A suitable knife for the kitchen (never use your rescue knife - it should remain sharp for emergencies)
• Cutting board to fillet fish, chop veggies etc. Small, thin, polyethylene cutting boards are available for campers. They are easy to clean and wear well. There are also roll-up cutting boards available in camping supply shops. Caution - see Safe food preparation.
• Oven mitts or heat resistant gloves. If you've ever seen your dinner end up on the ground because the wimpy little pot lifter let go, you'll appreciate having a pair of mitts or gloves to lift a pot. Some use heavy leather work gloves - they can also be used in tending the campfire and survive rough treatment better than poofy kitchen oven mitts. Silicone rubber oven mitts or, better still, the mini-gloves are perfect - they clean easily and don't get soaked.

There are complete kits with many of these items in them - MSR makes a nice version.

To complete your kitchen you'll need:

• spices (salt, pepper, chili, paprika, cinnamon, etc) to your tastes and menu.
• herbs (tarragon, oregano, basil etc).
• hot sauce or other that you like.

And of course:

• Biodegradable dish soap
• Folding kitchen sink (or use the largest pot)
• Dish rag, sponge or, better yet, plastic brush with a longish handle - the latter allows you to clean up with hot water and not need gloves.
• Dish towel

The Official Campers Kitchen Rule: The person who avoids cooking does the dishes!