By ANNIE RITCHIE / October 25, 2022
If you’ve ever been on a camping trip, then you know that one of the most challenging things can be keeping your camp kitchen organized. Between trying to fit everything into your car and then trying to find a place for everything once you’re at the campsite, it can be a real headache! But we’re here to help.
We’ve come up with 10 game-changing hacks for organizing your camp kitchen, so you can spend less time searching for that spatula and more time enjoying the great outdoors.
1. Keep a separate box or bin just for non-perishable food items. Pack essential cooking tools – pots, pans, utensils, etc. in one bin or bag so you don’t have to hunt for them when you need them. And you can quickly grab what you need when it’s time to pack up and hit the road.
2. Keep your cups and plates stacked neatly inside of an empty cooler. This will protect them from breaking and save space in your vehicle.
3. Use shoe holders to organize your pantry items. Hang it on a nail or screw in your campsite’s cook area, and fill each pocket with a different item. You can put foil and plastic wrap in one pocket, dry goods in another, spices in another again etc. This will keep everything tidy and within reach.
4. Invest in a cooler that’s the right size for your needs . . . no bigger (or smaller). That way, you won’t have any wasted space (which means more room for food and drinks!), and it will be easier to carry since it won’t be too heavy or bulky. Keep your cooler organized by packing heavier items on the bottom and lighter items on top. This will help prevent things from getting squished. Don’t waste valuable cooler space on ice packs that will just melt – fill empty soda bottles with water and freeze them overnight instead. In the morning, put them in the bottom of your cooler to keep things chilled all day long.
5. Put all of your spices in one place by recycling small containers like pill bottles or old film canisters. This way, you won’t have to go rummaging through your entire camp kitchen every time you need a particular spice. Plus, it’ll save valuable space too.
6. Avoid campsite critters getting into your food by storing everything in airtight containers or zip-top bags. This hack also keeps your food fresher longer. Purchase some stackable storage containers for food storage while you’re camping. This will allow you to save space in your cooler by stacking things on top of each other, and you won’t have to worry about losing any lids because they’ll all be attached!
7. Take some time before your trip to plan out all of your meals. This way , you’ll know exactly what ingredients you need to bring with you, and you won’t have any surprises when it comes time to cook. Make meals simpler by pre-measuring ingredients and storing them in Ziploc bags or other storage containers. That way, all you have to do is add water and heat – no measuring required.
8. Keep your camp kitchen tidy with regular cleaning and organization. A little bit of effort now will pay off handsomely when you’re trying to find that can opener in the middle of dinner rush later.
9. You could keep clean dishes separate from dirty ones by creating an improvised dishwashing station. Store dishwashing soap, scrubbers and dishtowels together, so you can delegate dish washing duties.
10. Invest in a specialist camp kitchen with the features that work best for you.
These are just a few ideas to get you started on the perfect organization system for YOUR camp kitchen. What works for one set-up may not work as well for another, so adapt these camp kitchen organization tips to fit YOUR needs.