After hours in the wind and water, hunger hits hard , and nothing warms you from the inside like a hot meal at the pitch. A little camp kitchen is set up in no time. Here’s everything: the right stove, cookware, cooling, and a few honest tips for relaxed cooking at the spot.
The stove
- Gas stove: the easy standard. Screw-on cartridges meter cleanly, a two-burner is worth its weight in gold for families.
- Windshield: a must on the Baltic , without one nothing cooks outside and you burn through half the cartridge.
- Self-sufficient: spirit or petrol stoves need no gas but are fiddlier , more for tinkerers and long trips.
- Safety: never cook in a closed tent or porch (fire and CO risk), always at a distance and with ventilation.
Mum says: A windshield and a spare cartridge always come along. Both weigh almost nothing and save dinner when the gust arrives.
Cookware & cutlery
- Pot set: nesting pots save space, one pan on top covers most dishes.
- Tableware: unbreakable (enamel or plastic), a plate, mug and cutlery per person, a good knife and a small cutting board.
- Washing up: a collapsible bowl, biodegradable washing-up liquid, a cloth and a tea towel.
Cooling
- Passive cool box: cheap and silent, lives off pre-frozen ice packs , lasts a day or two if kept in the shade.
- Electric cool box (12 V): cools continuously but needs power (car, power station) , great for the van, less so for the tent.
- Trick: pre-freeze the packs at home or in the site’s freezer, open the box only briefly in the morning, keep it shaded and insulated.
Food & supplies
Simple beats complicated: one-pot dishes (pasta, stew, chilli) need just one pot and little washing up. Keep staples like rice, pasta, tins and muesli that need no cooling. Plan a bit more water, you need it for cooking and washing up too. Collect and seal your rubbish, or the gulls and mice will be delighted.
Mum says: Pack an extra packet of soup or tea. After a cold session, something hot in your hands is worth more than any fancy meal.
In short: the camp kitchen
- Gas stove with a windshield and a spare cartridge, never cook in the tent.
- Nesting pot set, unbreakable tableware, a good knife.
- Passive cool box with pre-frozen packs, or electric in the van.
- Simple one-pot dishes, no-cooling staples, enough water.
- Seal your rubbish, keep something hot for after the session.
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