Creating the Perfect Camp Kitchen

From Soup to Storage

There’s nothing better than pulling into base camp from a long day on the road, grabbing a beer and preparing a delicious, hot meal with friends. Maybe it’s the smell of the food combined with the crisp evening air but for whatever reason, eating outside makes food taste even better.

It’s really important to plan how your camp kitchen will be set up. Think about it, you’ll be spending your days hiking, fishing, and adventuring so food and how you’ll prepare it should not be an afterthought.

Off Grid Pando and Expedition trailers feature well-equipped galleys that allow you to take all the comforts of home to the trail. You can always build a campfire for ambiance, but you’ll never need to use it for cooking unless you get hungry for smores.

Be sure to consider the following items for your camp kitchen setup:

Refrigerator/Freezer

Having the ability to keep food cold gives you more flexibility on what you can bring with you and what you can cook. Coolers are helpful but they don’t offer a consistent level of cold. These smaller fridges don’t use a lot of power and are built into the trailer saving space.

Storage

Storage space is sacred for any overlanding expedition but especially for your kitchen. Keep essentials such as spices, salt, condiments, and dry goods in your pantry. Areas for pots, pans, plates, and other cooking necessities are critical. Be sure to dedicate spaces near your galley so everything you need to prepare meals is organized and at arm’s length.

Workspace

Create a workspace where you can prepare food items. It will need to be a clean, washable, non-porous surface used solely for food preparation. You just took that beautiful sirloin out of the fridge, you need to have a place to work with it. Built-in stainless-steel workspaces, like the one featured on the Pando 2.0 teardrop camper, offers enough room to prepare an entire meal. Trailer bumpers also come in handy as kitchen prep workspaces.

Stovetop

Built-in stoves are the heart of your camp galley. The Expedition features a Dometic dropdown stove plugged into an onboard propane tank so you’re ready to cook immediately. If your trailer doesn’t have a stove already built-in, you’ll want to invest in a quality propane stove. There are many options available such as single burner, griddle-style, cube stove, triad stove, and more. Be sure to select a stove that’s large enough to accommodate the number of people you’re cooking for. Remember to calculate how much propane you’ll need for cooking during your overlanding trip and plan accordingly.

Cookware

While you don’t have to bring an entire set of pots and pans, you should have the necessities on hand such as a skillet, soup pot, and larger pot. There are many different types of cook sets available and many include plates, cups, and utensils in addition to cooking pans. You’ll want to look for a lightweight set that nests together to make storing easier. Non-stick pans are the way to go for cooking performance and easy cleanup.

Pack a spatula, large spoon, tongs, quality filet knife, and multi-purpose knife to have as basic tools. For more smart camping ideas, check the Camp Kitchen Checklist.

Fresh Water Tank

Having a freshwater tank onboard your trailer is an awesome convenience, especially when it’s already hooked up to your built-in sink. This makes getting the water you need for cooking easy and clean up a breeze. If your trailer is not equipped with an onboard tank, you can purchase large freshwater storage tanks. They will be more cumbersome but will still get the job done.

Don’t forget your garbage bags since we don’t want to leave anything behind when we head out. Once you have your camp kitchen set up, have everyone grab a folding chair and have a seat to keep you company as you prepare one of the greatest meals of your life!

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