A Handbook for Outdoor Food Enthusiasts: 7 Must-Have Essentials

There are a lot of good things to be said about our current lifestyles and all the commodities we have at our disposal right now. Seriously, we don’t want to appear all doomy and gloomy – some of the previous generations would be thrilled with only a fraction of the things we have for granted.

Spending enough time outdoors in nature, unfortunately, is not one of them – especially if you see yourself as a food lover and like to invest a lot of time and effort into your culinary forays.

But, what if you could enjoy your favorite pastime while still listening to that Call of the Wild and spending some much-needed time in the nourishing natural surroundings? Yeah, these will be some of the best meals you ever had.

Well, if you dig the idea, let us take a look at a couple of essential outdoor culinary items that will make this adventure possible.

Outdoor grills and stoves

Grill just has to be the heart and soul of any outdoor kitchen set, so if you intend to spend more time outdoors and have a lot of culinary options at your disposal, we suggest you start with this one. As for the outdoor stoves, they are usually more complex, expensive, and take more space, so until you make outdoor weekends a habit and this item a necessity, we suggest you postpone the purchase and keep it on your shortlist. Also, make sure that the grill you are going to start with, make sure they are lightweight, portable, easy to clean, and, preferably, compatible with different types of fuel.

Sturdy outdoor cookware

In this case, you should look for items that can serve multiple purposes, and, preferably, be easy to clean. So, for example, shallow plates are a no-go since they take up a lot of space and have very little purpose in the outdoor setting. Other items you should keep on your radar are the classic things like pots, skillets, pans, and different types of cups to keep your coffee warm. Ideally, all the cookware items you are going to buy should feature non-stick surfaces and handles with good grip. Options with foldable construction will allow you to bring more items along so keep an eye on them as well.

Items for past-time activities

You really don’t want to make your camping trips entirely food-centric since these adventures are the best when enjoyed in good company, and there are only so many people you can fit around the grill. Board games, Bluetooth speakers, and similar distractions should make this problem go away. If you are bringing your kids along, educational wooden toys from Montessori or some sports items will be a much better option than letting them spend all that outdoor time stuck to their phones. Use these outdoor trips to encourage their love for nature, learning, and engaging physical activities.

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Beware of the beverage

Yes, while focusing too heavily on your cooking items, you may forget you, your friends, and your family will need something to drink as well. So, make sure everyone is well hydrated especially if you are going to engage in demanding physical activities like hiking or outdoor sports. Start cracking this problem by making sure every member of your party has a personal water bottle and hydration pack and you have plenty of beverage options packed in your mobile storage. If you are going on a longer trip or deeper into nature make sure you always have a water purifier or water filter. You never know if you will be forced to look for clean drinking water and if you can even find it in such remote locations.

Knives, blades, and cutting tools

This may sound surprising, but if you want to have good times outdoors, you will need to have quite a few of these items. So, start assembling your gear with multi-purpose items that like quality pocket knives can cover a whole range of duties from cutting branches to opening cans and slicing food. But, even if you have these blades, you should always make sure to have your standard set of can and bottle openers as well as sets of cleavers and knives for more demanding culinary projects. All these things should be made from stainless steel and feature reliable, non-slippery grips.

Lighting options for all occasions

Things can get pretty murky pretty fast if you decide to venture deeper into the forests. And when the sun sets, you will be faced with a genuine pitch-black scenario. In this case, even if you light a fire, you won’t be able to put your culinary skills on full display. Also, keep in mind that food attracts predators while strong lights keep them away. So, make sure that you have a lot of lighting options in the form of LED lights, candle lights, candles, and all other things that will make your camp light and bright. The more different options you cover, the safer and more secure you’ll be.

Eco-friendly cleaning items

Last but not least, we would like to remind you that, when you finally finish with your meals and the time comes to go home, all the things you used for cooking will need to be properly cleaned. Keeping that in mind, using toxic dish soaps and other dangerous pollutants is just about the worst thing you can do to cap things off. Instead, opt for more eco-friendly alternatives as well as biodegradable items that will keep your foray into the nature of a natural disaster. If you enjoy spending time outdoors, always remember that we need to preserve nature for future generations to come.

Wrapping-up

Well, we hope that this short round-up gives you a better idea about all the different items that will allow you to enjoy your culinary passion outdoors and make your outdoor adventures even more exciting and worthwhile. Spending more time outdoors is something we all need and deserve but seldom have enough time to truly enjoy. That is why we should make sure to make each such trip truly count. Making sure we always have quality food and well-prepared meals on our tables is a good place to start.