wilderness survival kitchen

white_feather

white_feather

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Nov 25, 2005
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You have $500 to spend on anything you need to get for a survival kitchen. This is for my wife and I with two kids age 12 and 9 in tow. What would you include for anywhere between one week and one month of camping. This doesn't include perishables such as food and spices, mainly just the equipment to cook.
 
Man, 500? You could do it for 1 or 200$
A cheap set of pots, a few cast iron frying pans, a cast iron dutch oven, plastic bowls, cups and plates, cutting board, lots of the stuff you can just take from your own kitchen.
Forgot to add, I do all my camping on a metal grate over open fire, never use the coleman stuff, but a cheap simple burner might be nice to make some tea or do something that requires a regulated heat.
 
That's what I am talking about! Bring it on! I need some more input. What about the jetboil stuff? GSI stuff?
 
With a family, I'd recommend a coleman, propane, double burner model. Great for car camping. I'd also have a multi-fuel single burner for the odd trail hike, something like the MSR dragonfly (which is better) or the whisperlite (which I have). The whisperlite is a bit of a pain to get it going, but it is a solid little stove that is great for backpack duty. With the two stoves, you have a lot of options and can even use them together for 3 burner set-up on the family BBQ. Buy two fuel canisters with the MSR and stick with white gas when you can.

Pots don't need to be a lot of money. Simple aluminum besides pretty much every restaurant you eat it is cooking with alumninum anyhow). No need to spend a tonne of cash on titanium. A basic set of the camp pots that all fit in each other can be had at most hardware/surplus stores. Then get a bigger pot that you can boil at least 2 L of water with a lid. Investing in a bottle pot is a good idea - for the times when you hit the trail and maybe only have your pack and the MSR will build a fire.

The iron grates do work really well and I like cooking like that at dinner. But I hate making a fire to cook for breakfast. By the time you get the fire just right for cooking, half your morning is gone. Then you are spending all this time putting the darn fire out.

I'd say you'd be covered at about $230 for the above.
 
Have you considered looking for Cast iron cookware at sqapmeets ofr flea markets? Went to a friends bonfire last weekend and they had a coleman lamp and 2 burner camp stove set up that worked off of a 20 pound propane bottle. Wood fires are great but sometimes this could might handy. just a thought.



Pat
 
build yourself a plywood chuck box, varnish it, then stock it with a cast iron cook set, utentsils, Coleman white gas stove (burns MUCH hotter than propane), cutting board, bleach and paper towels for cleanup ( and safe food prep! ). make the box big enough that you can prep food ont he lid (fold down lid) .
 
Way to go Bushman. I wanted someone to post a list. Do you know where I can get some designs for the Chuckbox?
 
Another vote for cast iron cookware. Also the enamel mugs, plates, bowls and coffee pot that Wal-Mart and most hardware stores have are great. A small cast iron skillet and Dutch oven, while heavier, just can't be beat for flavor.
 
One or two Camp (Dutch) Ovens. Cast Iron only. You can turn the lid upside down and have a frying pan. You can cook all sorts of meals in the DO. from the simplest chili to roasting turkeys and good sized beef and pork. For more info try LodgeMfg.com and idos.org.
 
If you're hiking distances, you need light gear. Jet boil is great. MSR makes fine stoves as well. I also use small alcohol (White Box) stove for boiling water and re-hydrating food.

Couple these with steel/aluminum/titanium kettles, pots, etc. There are also great plastic folding plates, bowls etc. Check any camping store - campmor, rei, backcountry gear. There is great selection these days - and easy to hump.

B
 
I would start with:

coleman stove (the one that uses coleman fuel/white gas/gasoline)
Fuel
Oven box for coleman stove
Assorted pots pans (cast iron is nice, but I suggest one or two regualr skillets)
Griddle
Dutch oven
Grill grate (for over the fire)
Camp plates, bowl, mugs
Knives(large chef, medium carving/boneing, paring)
Cutting boards
Folding table (metal topped one so your can set the stove one it)
Footlocker (one to store gear, one to store food/perishables)
Recipes (can't hurt but not a neccessity)
Coleman lantern
Tripod for lantern

thats all I can think of for now
 
white_feather said:
That's what I am talking about! Bring it on! I need some more input. What about the jetboil stuff? GSI stuff?
Click to expand...

Jetboil kicks butt! I'm a bit of a coffee-junkie/snob. Jetboil makes a french-press for use with their system that works great. Water boils in no time, let it steep a bit, and whamo! Kick-*ss coffee in the middle of nowhere. It does help to pre grind your beans (not too fine, though).

They also make pans, etc... for the jetboil, but I find them a bit too pricey. The good thing about jetboil for backpacking is that it works so efficiently you don't waste much fuel and it lasts a long time compared to other systems. :thumbup:
 
I've always backpacked with a MSR Whisperlite stove and GSI pots. Good lightweight combo. I recently bought the new model Coleman double burner propane stove for car camping - big heavy and bulky compared to a little Whisperlite but it sure is convenient. I can whip it out and have it up and running in no time. Not much different than cooking on my kitchen stove at home - it can simmer unlike the Whisperlite.

IMHO the most important part of a wilderness survival kitchen is a water purifier - I'd recommend the MSR Miniworks. Yes you can boil water but that requires fuel which you either have to bring (gas, propane) or you have to cut (wood). Being able to purify water by just pumping a handle makes a big difference. If you got fuel to spare, boiling is a great option - but that's not always going to be the case.
 
Hold on hold on guys... Things seem to be getting a bit off hand here.

The JetBoil is a neat piece of gear but has its limitations. Indeed, it has A LOT of limitations. First we have to keep in mind that the uber efficient and original JetBoil is the small one (the so called Personal Cooking System). This gizmo is great for boiling water for freeze dried packages, maybe cooking noodles for two people as well, but that's about it. It has a deep narrow pot not suited for real cooking where you need to stirr contents. You will scorch the bottom of the pot while the top contents are still cold. It is great for alpine climbs where you have plenty of time to melt water (about 1l at a time) and even big wall climbing, but not for base camp cooking. The bigger one (can't remember how they call it, Group Cooking System?) is better suited for real cooking but is not better than any other stove with pot fitted with heat interchangers (like MSR).

Also keep in mind that LPG is way more expensive than white gas.

That said my vote for a cooking system for up to four people would be a Primus Omnifuel or MSR Dragonfly. Both feature double valvles so you can simmer with great controll. As far as pots are concerned, if durability is an issue, stick to steel. MSR Gourmet series is great and light.

If you don't need to haul the kit often, a double burner from Coleman and heavier duty pans and pots might be a better choice.

Mikel
 
For car camping:
-2 burner Coleman stove, white gas or propane.
-1qt., 2qt. and 4 qt. pots
-1 or 2 frying pans
-plastic mixing bowl
-butcher knife, paring knife
-plastic cutting board
-salt, pepper, "Montreal Steak Seasoning", ketchup, hotsauce
-water "cube" with faucet sticking out.
-1 or 2 propane lanterns
-a few comfy folding chairs
-chainsaw, axe, bowsaw (something to cut firewood with)
-biggish icechest
-plenty of steaks, salad, bread, beans and beer...
-fishing pole
-aluminum foil (for wrapping trouts in)
-cups, stiff paper plates, forks, spoons.

That's a good start, anyhow.
 
white_feather said:
You have $500 to spend on anything you need to get for a survival kitchen. This is for my wife and I with two kids age 12 and 9 in tow. What would you include for anywhere between one week and one month of camping. This doesn't include perishables such as food and spices, mainly just the equipment to cook.
Click to expand...

Where is the survival dimension in a one month camp-out? Oh, your wife does
not know about it yet?

For an extended stay, I would want a small wood burning sheepherders stove,
which has a stove-pipe. This would be used not only for cooking but warming
a tent and thus allowing clothes/sleeping-bags to dry. Uncoated metal would
be preferred. A mica or glass window in the stove would be a luxury.

I am not against petrol-stoves and lanterns; they are handy.

One very large canning boiler can be handy for heating water: washing
dishes, clothing, or yourself.
 
Like a lot of the rest if you are car camping I'd go for some cast iron and a fire grate. I have got same from www.sportsmansguide.com and it was reasonable. Will be a lot of fun for your family to learn to cook over the grate.

For rain and fast breakfast I'd get a Coleman Peak 1 single burner.
 
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