Setting Up Your Camp Kitchen: Some How To's and a Few DIY's to Try

A great camp kitchen set up can obviously be as minimal or max as you desire. There are literally thousands of products available these days. Camping ain't what it was in the 70's or 80's. With that being said, the first question might be: Are you camping? Or are you glamping? One can be just as fun as the other BUT there is obviously a difference.

Camp dining on wood table with wood bowls and black striped linens — source

For the purposes of this post, I'll try to land somewhere between dig your own latrine to your own private sauna extremes of the 'Camp Experience' spectrum. Most campers just want something quick and simple - not caring too much if anything matches or not. As long as they can avoid the robber raccoons everything's good. There are others (myself included), who prefer to create a bit more ambiance with their camp set up - even if it still remains fairly simple and rustic.

Camp kitchen set up with wood shelf, basket and crate with pot hanger — source

Believe me, I've done the whole jump out of a jeep at 10,000 feet, no tent, boulders at the bottom of your sleeping bag so you don't roll down the mountain, up at dawn to summit the fourteen-er all before lunch. Been there, done it, signed the paper in the canister on the pinnacle. I've also discovered how nice the glamp is too, and I'm admittedly sold on a bit more campy comfort. This however is far from implying that everything has to be Yeti or equivalent to past muster. Another significant factor is whether you're camping out of your vehicle/camper versus remote camping where you have to pack everything in yourself.

So let's assume you're close to your site and you're able to conveniently access your vehicle for supplies. It's literally mind blowing the amount of amazing (and quite expensive) gear available today due to how trendy camping has actually become in recent years. It's impressive but it doesn't have to be expensive - I mean, isn't that the point of camping? So here are a few budget-friendly ideas on how to create an organized and simple yet aesthetically pleasing (dare I say civilized?) camp kitchen layout.

Camp kitchen set up using wood and metal shelves — source

The Mess Kit. Using a heavy duty storage bin with latching lid is a practical place to start. A cutting board can lay on top for food prep. And no, it doesn't have to be Yeti - Walmart has some respectable options too. Collapsable cookware with teapot is lightweight and takes up little space. Collapsable buckets and containers are also handy. Basic plastic dishpans are perfect if you tuck them at the bottom of your large cooler or put to double-duty for packing.

DIY wood mess kit with camp kitchen gear — source

DIY Camp mess kit with wooden drawers and fold down table — source

DIY IDEA: Retrofit a regular travel suitcase with its pouches in the lid to store hot pads, fireproof gloves, plates, utensils, etc. Hint: Take cues from the fancy camp products to see how you can best utilize the space inside your suitcase for cookware, thermos, coffee/tea items, small cookstove, towels, pads, knives, and storage food containers.

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Hard sided suitcase style camp mess kit with side pockets — source

The Cooler(s). Strategically packing your large cooler is important - 'strategic' being the operative word. A soft-sided cooler is also very handy for smaller sized items that you want to be able to grab quickly or for hard frozen items that can slowly be thawing on your drive.
DIY HACK: Use small grate-style racks (easily found at a Dollar Store) to divide up space inside your big cooler and reduces digging all through the cooler to find stuff. Divide ice up into medium and small plastic bags that can more easily slip between odd shaped items. Rather than just 2-3 big bags of ice dumped into a big cooler, divide it up into smaller bags of ice that can then be placed in a small cooler - that way the large one isn't opened as often and the ice doesn't just become a pool at the bottom.
Prep Space & Organizing. Using some sort of folding tray, table, or shelf unit provides extra prep space and allows you to unpack only the items you need for the meal you're making. If weight isn't an issue, it's nice to use cast iron cookware over an open fire. Wood and/or metal shelves that fold or disassemble for compact storage work (and look) great as well.

Simple camp kitchen set up on wood shelf unit — source

Camp kitchen stand with tray and hanging bar — source

Extended wood shelf unit on cross stands for camp kitchen set up — source

The Table. If you're using a plastic folding table, cover it with a gingham tablecloth, thin plaid throw or a canvas drop cloth. Bring a vase for wild flowers or branches and a combination of glass hurricane and kerosene lanterns to light up your table in the evening. Strings of solar lights strung between the trees or over your tent finish off the evening ambiance.

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Of course you can just leave your camp minimal, which is just as perfect. Hope this has inspired your next camp kitchen set up! You can check out our Pinterest Camp Guides Hacks & Tips for more info and inspo. Please comment below with your clever camp ideas. We're always excited to see how happy camp folks are enjoying the great outdoors!