Campfire Cooking Essential Tools

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When we go camping in our pop up camper, one of the things we enjoy the most is cooking over the campfire. Nothing tastes as good as a hamburger cooked over a wood fire, and it’s fun to try a different way of preparing food. It might seem a little scary if it’s something you’ve never done before. But with the right tools it’s pretty simple and very rewarding. Here’s a list of my must-have campfire cooking supplies:

1. Cast Iron Dutch Oven – You can make everything from soups and stews to cakes and breads in a dutch oven over your campfire. You can even use it as a skillet in a pinch. I love my cast iron dutch oven so much, I use it regularly in my kitchen at home too. This one is nice, because the lid has the flat top for placing hot coals on when you use it to bake with in the fire. Bringing one of these along on your camping trip gives your menu endless possibilities. Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven

2. Cast Iron Skillet – Bacon, omelets, scrambled eggs, potatoes, anything you can cook in a skillet on the stove you can cook on a skillet over the campfire. Cast iron is the best kind of cookware for cooking over an open fire, because it can hold up to the heat. This is another item I also use regularly in my home kitchen. Some of your camping cookware can be duel purpose.

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet – 12 inch

3. Cast Iron Griddle – Use your griddle for pancakes, hamburgers or chicken. It can also take the place of a skillet. It gives you a little more surface are to cook on than a skillet. Lodge Reversible Cast Iron Griddle

4. Campfire Tripod Grill – You can either grill directly on the tripod or use it as a base to hold pots and skillets over the fire. The height is adjustable which allows you to control the heat by moving your food closer to or father away from the fire. I really like this one, because it’s sturdy and less prone to tipping over than other styles. Tri-pod Camping Grill

5. Fire Starters – Usually you need a little help to get the campfire going. Fire starters are always a good thing to bring along. I like these, because they’re easy to use even if it’s damp, and they won’t add any odor or strange taste to your food. Zip Premium Fire Starter

6. Cooking Spray – When you’re cooking over a campfire, stuff gets baked onto your pots and pans easily. And cast iron isn’t non-stick. Use cooking spray and you’ll be able to flip your food over easily. Clean up will also be a lot easier if you coat everything with cooking spray. PAM Cooking Spray

7. Heavy Duty Grill Mitts – It gets hot cooking over a fire. You’ll need some heavy-duty grill mitts to protect your hands and arms from burns. I like these, because they’re extra long to protect your forearms. If you have them, welding gloves work well too. Extreme Heat Resistant Grill Mitts

8. Heavy Duty BBQ Utensils – You also need heavy-duty, extra-long cooking utensils like a spatula, tongs and a meat fork. Plastic won’t work, and you’ll get too close to the fire if they aren’t long enough. Heavy Duty Grilling Tools

9. Pie Iron – You can make hand pies with pie irons, but you can also make an endless combination of grilled sandwiches and even pizza pockets. There are even desserts like apple turnovers you can cook over the campfire in a pie iron. They’re kind of fun to use too. Kids love them! Cast Iron Sandwich Cooker/Pie Iron

10. Flexible Lighter – You’ll have no problem getting the fire going with a butane lighter. Use one with a flexible neck to make it easy to get the flame down into your wood stack where your fire starter is. I mean, you could try rubbing a couple sticks together, but this is way easier! Flexible Gas Lighter

11. Hot Dog Fork – You can, or course, cook hot dogs and sausage with hot dog forks. But more importantly, they double as marshmallow roasters for making those all important S’mores! Hot Dog Fork Set

A good cookbook will help you get started and give you ideas beyond the usual hamburgers and hot dogs. I like this one, because the recipes are family-friendly and it shows a few different ways of cooking over the campfire. Easy Campfire Cooking

Happy camping!

Do you cook over the campfire? What would you add to this list? Share your ideas!