Camping tableware sets aren’t as fancy as what you’d find in a regular kitchen, but they can still make tasty, healthy meals. These lightweight camping tableware made from recycled plastic also last longer than plastic cookware and help keep campgrounds and roads clean and healthy.
I work as a mountain guide, so I don’t just use camping cooking sets for weekend trips. They’re what I use almost every day, and I like to bring flatware that is strong and can be used on a variety of trips.When cooking out in the woods or on the road, you need cookware that is strong and can be used in a variety of ways. Here are our top picks, as picked by a mountain guide.
Camping Tableware Made from Stainless Steel: GSI Outdoors Glacier 1-Person
The GSI Glacier 1-Person is a basic cook set that’s best for a backpacker who is going with only one person and wants something easy, reliable, and cheap. It is not even close to a full kitchen; it only has one pot (one-liter size), one pan, one bowl, and one cup.
As it is made of stainless steel, it is very strong and won’t dent or scratch. If you’re going on a long trip and need to feel confident on your way, this is the set to buy. This stove quickly boils water and makes enough food and water for one person. It’s best for camping. We also love how cheap it is, which makes it even better.
If you want everything, you should look somewhere else. The Glacier 1-Person cooking set is simple, but it will last a long time. We saw that the steel had changed color after a few camping trips, which made the set look a little older than we would have liked.
Additionally, it doesn’t cook as well as other stainless steel sets or single sets like the Snow Peak Ti-Mini single Combo 2.0. Taking everything into account, the Glacier kit is great for making simple meals and has the best price compared to other simple sets.
Best for Car Camping: Stanley Adventure Base Camp
Stanley’s Adventure Base Camp cook set is a great deal for a full set of cooking tools. Stanley worked on making this set as good for cooking as possible and as easy to pack as possible. It folds up flat to make it easy to store in the corner of your car trunk or boat duffel.
It can fit four people. It has plates, pots, pans, cooking and eating tools, and more. It’s hard to beat the price, and the fact that it’s made of tough stainless steel makes it even better value. After being tested for many years, the steel hasn’t changed color, and all of the parts still look brand new, which shows how well it was built.
This kit is way too heavy to bring on a camping trip, unless you break the pieces up into smaller sets. The pieces fit together well, though. The plates are pretty small, so they can only hold small amounts of food.
To get the most out of your “glamping” experience, you might want to bring plates from home. You might as well bring better pans, like the Lodge 3.2 Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker, if you’re already going this way. The Adventure Base Camp is best for campers on a budget who are coming by car, boat, or plane and need a fully equipped kitchen to cook for big groups.
Camping Tableware Set with Plates, Bowls, Cups, and Cutlery: GSI Pinnacle Camper
Our top choice for base camping is the GSI Pinnacle Camper because it is so flexible and can work for a lot of different people. Each part is a high-quality piece in its own right, and we would be happy to own them all separately. But their quality gets better when you put them all together.
The set can be stored and transported easily because it fits inside of a bicycle helmet. You can cook for and serve up to four people with this small cook set that doesn’t take up a lot of room. The best nonstick material from Teflon is used to coat the pots and pans, and this choice shows in how well they cook. Cleaning it is simple, and boiling water is quick. You can choose which parts to bring with you if you’re going on a trip by yourself, which makes it very flexible for groups of any size.
We really enjoy this set, but we had some problems while trying it. For example, the pot handle only works with GSI goods, so if you like to use a different piece of camp cookware, you’ll need to bring an extra handle that you can attach to it. To keep the Teflon covering from flaking off, we suggest using a wooden or plastic stirring stick instead of a metal one.
If you’re concerned about the health risks of PFOA-type coatings, you might want to look at the Stanley Adventure Base Camp, which is made of full-stainless steel and is similar. The GSI Pinnacle Camper is easy to use, has many modularized parts, and is our favorite lightweight choice for cooking for up to four people, even with these small problems.
Camping Tableware with Stackable Design for Space-saving Storage: Snow Peak Ti-Mini Solo Combo 2.0
It didn’t take long for our testers to decide that the Snow Peak Ti-Mini Solo Combo 2.0 was their best ultralight backpacking pack. As it is made of titanium, it is one of the lightest and most useful cookware sets we tried for traveling alone. The set comes with a 30 oz pot and a 16 oz mug.
The handles are strong and can be folded up, so they fit together nicely. The big mesh carry bag that comes with it has extra room for a 3.5-ounce fuel canister, a small backpacking stove, food that goes bad quickly, or cooking tools.
The only bad thing about this ultralight set is that it doesn’t have many functions because it’s not very fancy. This set has everything you need for a solo trip into the woods, but it can’t really cook a meal other than heating water for ramen or your morning coffee. It’s probably better to get the slightly bigger MSR Fusion Ceramic 2-Pot Set if you want to cook more than that.
If you like to cook more than just one-pot meals or are a car camper who doesn’t care about room, look for tableware that comes with a skillet or more pots. Some sets also include cutting boards, tools, and plates that are made to fit inside the pots. This makes it easier to pack and cook.
