The Best Camping Cookware That Will Make You Feel at Home
The best camping cookware will keep you fed without a fridge in sight. When you’re out camping, you can’t just subsist on freeze-dried foods. Some of the most fun cooking is done outdoors, where you can enjoy smoky flavors and cooking over a campfire.
But you can also make it a lot easier to cook outdoors with a good set of camping cookware. The right pots and pans for camping will turn what can be a daunting task into a fun activity.They can even provide you with hot meals when you’re on the trail and away from the campsite.
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The Best Camping Cookware You Can Take Outdoors
The best camping cookware always depends on what you need, although there are a few key pieces that you’ll want pretty much all the time.
As with any camping gear, weight is going to be a major consideration. For those of you who are going to be camping from a car, you can opt for a heavier kit. If you’re cooking in the backcountry, a lighter option is better.
Of course, also think about how many people you’ll be cooking for and how much you’ll be doing so.
To help you find the best camping cookware you need, we’ve broken down ten different sets of gear. We also have a brief intro to packing and using camping cookware.
How We Picked the Best Camping Cookware
When it comes to the best camping cookware, doing your research involves trusting people who have been there before. For this, we look to both experts and everyday users.
Often, professional reviewers have a distinct advantage over more casual users. For one is the difference in resources. Professional critics can purchase and test multiple camping cookware sets at once. On top of this, they have the time and experience to run each stove through a series of tests.
Because of this, we know that every piece of camping cookware has not just been tested, but tested against others like it. You can know for sure that these aren’t only suitable cookware kits, they’re the best camping cookware available.
But to make sure that expert opinions hold up to repeated use, we put a lot of weight on customer feedback. Customers can put their cookware kits through some severe punishment. If someone who took their cooking kit on the Appalachian Trail vouches for it, you know it’ll hold up to weekend hikes.
Our Choices for the
Camping Cookware You Need the Most
We’ve listed our choices for the best camping cookware below. They are in alphabetical order so you can find them easily.
Gold Armour Mess Kit
Gold Armour 17 Pieces Camping Cookware Mess Kit Backpacking…
- BUILT TO LAST! HIGHEST…
- BEST PRICE/BEST VALUE: 17pcs…
- PERFECT GIFT for FAMILY and…
- SPACE SAVING/EASY TO CARRY:…
- 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE…
GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper, 4 Person Camping Cook Set,…
- TOUGH IN ANY TERRAIN: The…
- COMPACT CAMPING: The set is…
- FEAST IN THE FOREST: The…
- CLEAN UP AND GO: Cleaning is…
- IT’S ALL ABOUT THE OUTDOORS:…
The Gold Armour 17Pcs Camping Cookware Mess Kit sets you up to handle any culinary situation that could arise out in the wild. With the standard pot and pan along for the ride, this hard-anodized aluminum cookware is ready for action.
It’s one of the few cookware kits that comes with its own burner. Attach a canister of fuel and use the included Piezo igniter to get the flame going. No fuel? Use the included firestarter to get a campfire the old-fashioned way.
Despite the large number of components, everything packs down into one tools.
The GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper is a large kit that fits four campers perfectly. It includes two cooking pots. One holds two liters, and the other holds three. Both have nylon strainer lids so you can easily extract pasta and other foods.
One of the main draws of the Bugaboo Camper set is the Teflon Classic coating. This Teflon coating makes sure that whatever you cook, it won’t stick to these pans.
You don’t want to waste valuable time scrubbing or bring extra tools to keep utensils clean, so nonstick can be invaluable in the backcountry.
GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper
GSI Outdoors – Pinnacle Camper Cooking Set for Camping and…
- COOKING & MESS KIT: The…
- ALL IN ONE: Includes 4 plates,…
- NON-STICK COOKWARE: The…
- DURABLE DISH SET: Plates,…
- SMART DESIGN: Folding,…
The GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Base Camper Large is, as its name suggests, perfect for a large crew of people. This kit weighs in at just over 3.6 pounds. Hard anodized aluminum keeps this kit light but sturdy, and your food will always cook evenly.
With this kit, you’re all set to cook anything you’d want to at home, at the campground. It comes with two pots, one two and one three liters, as well as a frying pan.
Even better, you can keep your whole group fed with four plates, mugs, and bowls in color-coded sets.
Honest Portable
Honest Portable Camping cookware Mess kit Folding Cookset…
- SAFE and High Quality…
- Folding&lightweight: portable…
- Honest cookware include 10…
- Easy to use, and easy to…
- Promise: The quality and…
Honest Outfitters’ Portable Camping Cookware Mess Kit is anodized aluminum, meaning it will withstand a lot of punishment. Since it only has a frying pan and pot to cook with, this is targeted more at a solo backpacker crowd.
One nice thing about this cookware kit is it comes with cooking and cleaning utensils as well.
A bamboo spoon and cleaning sponge make this kit worth considering if you’re heading out into the woods. It helps you keep everything together, so you don’t have to build the kit yourself.
MalloMe 10 Piece Camping Cookware
MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit Backpacking Gear & Hiking…
- BUILT TO LAST! BEWARE OF CHEAP…
- BEST MONEY EVER SPENT: The…
- WORRY FREE WILDERNESS: Finally…
- PERFECT GIFT for FAMILY and…
- 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE-…
The MalloMe 10 Piece Camping Cookware Mess Kit does its best not to leave anything out that you may need on the trail. While it doesn’t have the capacity to sustain a large group at a car camping site, you’ll be happy for its tools on your own.
One of the most remarkable features of this mess kit is the burner included with it. You can hook up a fuel canister to the burner for an even and controlled flame.
Other kits require you to buy your burner individually. Everything has its own carrying case, including the burner, and this kit also includes a paracord survival bracelet.
Odoland 10pcs Camping Cookware
Odoland 10pcs Camping Cookware Mess Kit, Lightweight Pot Pan…
- Best Money Ever Spent: The 10…
- Heat-Resistant Handles:…
- Non-Stick & Incredibly…
- Easy to Carry: Foldable…
- Enjoy Cooking Anywhere You Go:…
This nonstick aluminum camping cookware from Odoland has everything you need for cooking while hiking, plus one bonus piece. If boiling water is your main concern while camping, this kit has a camping-ready tea kettle.
The kettle comes alongside a frying pan and cooking pot and makes it easy to distribute water after you have boiled it. A folding set of silverware plus two cups complete the set. Teflon coating helps conduct heat and keeps food from sticking to any piece.
Overmont Ultralight
Overmont Camping Cookware Set Campfire Kettle Outdoor…
- Package Includes: 1x pot,…
- High strength- Made by anodic…
- Easy to store, equipped with a…
- Suitable for 1-3 people use
- Designed specially for camping…
This Overmont Ultralight Camping Cookware set combines some of the best pieces of other kits we recommend to create a comprehensive set. It includes a sponge and bamboo spoon for cooking and cleaning, as well as a tea kettle. And, if you don’t have a stove, Overmont included a firestarter as well.
All of this is stored in a single bag, packing away so that a solo backpacker can carry it comfortably.
At just under two pounds, you’ll be able to carry everything you need without getting bogged down. Three bowls will give you plenty of room to eat, too.
Terra Hiker
Terra Hiker Camping Cookware, Nonstick, Lightweight Pots,…
- Cooking Performance: The…
- Nonstick Pots & Pans: The…
- Heat-Resistant Handles:…
- Compact & Portable: This…
- Great for Outdoor Kitchen: The…
Terra Hiker’s Camping Cookware Set is one of the simplest kits that we recommend. It consists only of a pot, pan, and tea kettle, as well as a few utensils. Because of this, it’s an ideal kit for those of you who like to hike alone.
This anodized aluminum kit is sturdy and lightweight, while also offering the nonstick benefits that anodized aluminum brings. At just under two pounds, you won’t feel bad bringing this kit solo.
Still, if everyone brings their own dishes, this kit can cook for two or three people.
Yodo Anodized Aluminum
yodo Anodized Aluminum Camping Cookware Set Backpacking Pans…
- This camping cook set is…
- Quick heat transfer save time…
- All items put together into a…
- Made from Hard anodized…
- Perfect for hiking, camping…
Most of the kits we’ve recommended here have been made for a few people to take into the backcountry on a hike. But few have the capacity that the Yodo Anodized Aluminum Camping Cookware Set does.
This kit includes three different sizes of cooking pots and a large frying pan. Plus, it has five bowls and additional plates that can be used for serving or eating. On top of everything are serving utensils and a storage bag.
The Best Cooking Gear for Your Campfire
Ultimately, the best camping cookware will be the one that gives you the meal you want, every time. If you want a full meal that your whole camping crew will love, try something like the GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper set. It may be more expensive, but the quality is well worth it.
As long as you pick the right kit for the scenario, none of the products we recommended will let you down. Each is the best camping cookware in their own situations.
Do you cook when you go camping? What is your favorite campground recipe? Drop us a comment and let us know!
Paul Grove has been passionate about hunting for as long as he can remember. He recalls hunting squirrels with his dad’s trusty Winchester Model 63 as early as age 9. As he grew older, his hunting interests, tactics, and gear have refined. He was also fortunate enough to be born in Wisconsin, thus having unhindered access to some of the nation’s best whitetail deer hunting spots. When he’s not chasing deer or other large to massive game on public lands, he is field-testing various fishing gear in a never-ending quest to find that perfect fishing setup. Is his passion for hunting and fishing innate or acquired? Paul believes that it is more about passing down a family tradition.