Camping Cooking Equipment - Getting Started With Stoves

Unless you are just going on a short walk in the woods, you want to eat a meal during your camping experience. Once of the most important things you need to do before you leave is select your camping cooking equipment. This article will cover the core piece of equipment you need - your stove.

There are many types of stoves for camping, each match a different type of camping. There are two main types of stoves that match the two main styles of camping -- back packing and 'drag and drop'.

Back Packing

Back packing is the style of camping where everything you need is carried on your back in your pack. Thus you are very concerned with size and weight. Backpacking stoves are therefore small and light weight. Most are one burner with a small can of fuel. When back packing, you will be cooking smaller and simpler meals. Lots of dehydrated meals where you just need to add hot water. These stoves are great for boiling water for one or two campers.

Drag and Drop

My favorite style of camping is 'drag and drop'. Drag and drop camping is where you drive up to the campsite, drag your gear out and drop it off. Here we are not concerned with weight or size. Your Drag and drop stoves will be larger and better suited for cooking full meals for multiple people. Most stoves will have two burners and run on propane tanks or liquid fuel.

Before You Go

Whether you are back packing or drag and drop camping, you need to learn how to use your camping cooking equipment at home first. Get your stove out and learn all of its features, light it and test how long it takes to boil water. Then learn how to clean it and put it away. You want to test before you go in case you are missing a part or realize you need to bring something extra with you.

It's not hard to select your camping cooking equipment. Take your time, decide on what style camping you plan to do and then practice with your gear before you go.

Happy Trails!