Despite having always being intrigued by the idea of camping, I’ve never actually done it. I was raised by indoor people, and sometimes feel like I missed out on a quintessential family pastime. The thought of spending a long weekend sleeping under the stars and warming food over a fire sounds incredibly grand and romantic, but I wouldn’t know the first place to start. I have so many questions about the overall experience, but as a food lover, I’m most perplexed by how one cooks outdoors. To assuage my curiosity and learn a bit more about camping, I tapped a pair of experts to fill me in on camp kitchen life.

Freelance writer Nicole Kliest has been camping since she was five months old, making her the perfect person to explain the art of camping. The very act of existing in nature is a huge part of the appeal for her. “I really enjoy setting up camp, making food and being surrounded by trees and the sound of birds and all that good sensory stuff,” she told me.

Kliest grew up car camping, but has discovered backpacking in recent years, both of which require different kinds of gear, especially when it comes to cooking.

“If I’m car camping, I’ll usually bring a camp stove, pan, cutting board, knife, coffee mug and plate, cutlery set and tongs. I’ll also pack aluminum foil (great for campfire banana boats) and paper towels, plus stuff for cleanup like a sponge and biodegradable dish soap. I also have a utensil set with a Velcro-closure travel pouch that I love.” Kliest is also a sucker for classic blue-speckled dinnerware and prefers to drink water from her trusty Nalgene bottle.

It’s important to travel light while backpacking, so if you’re leaving your car behind, Kliest recommends bringing just a backpacking stove with a propane canister, a small pan (that often comes with the stove), a dehydrated backpacking dinner that just needs water to be added, and utensils.

Kliest usually only camps with one other person, but blogger and writer Erin Boyle heads out with her husband and three small children in tow. An avid car camper, she notes that “the packing element of camping is my least favorite part, so I try to keep things as pared down as possible.”

She and her family rely largely on things they already have at home and keep their camp kitchen super simple, “bringing one solid cutting board, a foldable Opinel knife, a favorite cast iron skillet, a saucepan, a kettle and our French press.” “If you’re going car camping, you really don’t need to invest in super lightweight camp-specific gear,” she added. “Pack up your favorite cast iron skillet and make the best pancakes of your life. (Everything tastes better outside!)”

The one exception to the rule, however, is her camp stove. “In the past, we’ve borrowed an old Coleman stove from my parents so we didn’t have to store one in our place, but this year we invested in our own.”

Like Kliest, Boyle also turns to enamelware while camping, both for its practicality and because “[it’s] sturdy and shatterproof but ... still genuinely enjoyable to use and pretty to look at.” Another practical camp kitchen item that adds to the overall aesthetic is a tablecloth. “I always bring a real cloth tabelcloth camping, too. It makes such a difference on those old campground picnic tables!”

Below, I’ve rounded up a few of these extremely handy items to pick up before heading out on a camping trip. If you’re a newbie like me, then this is a great place to start. Mix and match with what you’ve already got at home to keep things stress-free and enjoy the great outdoors.

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