Cooking over a campfire is lovely. You can listen to the crackling of the fire and the crickets while you work on your meal.
However, this romantic idea can go down the drain if you don’t have the right gear. No one wants their scrambled eggs in a pan to start a fire instead of them. You can grill at the lake house or roast marshmallows next to your tent. Our reviews have the outdoor dining gear for solo adventures to make your outdoor trip fun and food-filled.
There are a lot of different ways to cook outside, but for this article, we’ll focus on lightweight outdoor dining gear for backpacking that are easy to carry when you’re car camping or setting up shop at a beach house. Portable outdoor dining gear for camping and picnics are very different, and yes, we know you wouldn’t bring a cast iron pot into the middle of nowhere. These are the best outdoor dining gears necessary for any outdoor enthusiast.
Poketo Bamboo Salad Plate Set
The Poketo Bamboo Salad Plate Set has pretty plates that are easy to carry and don’t weigh much. These plates will appeal to shoppers who care about the environment.
It’s possible to burn the plates. Poketo’s dinner plates aren’t bound with plastic or melamine like many other bamboo-blend plates (like Meri Meri’s). This means they can be used again and again and can be composted commercially (but always check your local trash rules first).
They come in trendy colours and pretty designs. In addition to being good for the environment, Poketo plates are fun to eat from. They can handle things that are hot. The Poketo plates don’t say directly that they shouldn’t be used for food that’s hotter than 158 degrees Fahrenheit like the Meri Meri plates do.
When we called Poketo, someone told us that the plates can handle up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than cooking and probably hotter than you’ll ever serve food. That means you don’t have to worry about how to serve a burger or pasta right from the grill.
Pillowfort Plastic Dinnerware
Children are the main focus of the Pillowfort Plastic Dinnerware line. We found the cheapest dishes, and this one is the cheapest—a single plate costs just 50¢. It’s colourful, light, and very cheap. We tested the 7-inch plates and split trays, and even though they were expensive, they worked well. Sauce didn’t stain them, but knives did.
A Pillowfort plate set has been used by senior staff writer Jackie Reeve for many years, not just for her daughter but for the whole family at cookouts too. Even after many trips through the dishwasher, she says they’re still holding up great.
Among many choices, these are the only ones that can be heated up in the microwave without getting hot. This makes them great for families with young children. So they might be
safer for little hands since they only got warm after being nuked for one minute, which is about how long it would take to reheat them.
Falcon Enamelware Plate Set
Dishes like this one from Falcon made of enamelware can resist actual heat or cold, unlike bamboo or plastic. It is possible to bake them at up to 530 degrees Fahrenheit, freeze them, or place them on an electric or gas hob; however, it is not recommended to microwave them.
Along with withstanding all of our stress tests, the Falcon Enamelware plates also did not chip or crack when dropped, nor did they discolour when we scraped a knife across them. To meet all of your baking requirements, Falcon even offers a bake and prep set for sale.
These dishes would appear equally at home in a modern flat or a rustic farmhouse due to their simple, white design with a thin coloured ring. There are occasionally colours available in limited edition.
Xenia Taler Terrazzo Side Plates
Someone who enjoys mixing and matching prints or sizes when placing an order, graphic patterns, and quirky table settings.
With several prints that span various colour palettes and moods, this bamboo tableware, This bamboo tableware is an art lover’s paradise, with dozens of prints that span various colour palettes and moods, all designed at Xenia Taler’s workshop in North York, Ontario.
Unlike other sets we looked at, the Xenia Taler plates have more print and colour options than any of our other choices, with over 40 available as of the time of writing. The dishes come in groups of four or six matching pieces, but you may mix and match patterns and even sizes to make your own set.
Meri Meri Reusable Bamboo Plates
Meri Meri is most recognised for their kid-friendly party products. However, any design from the collection of reusable bamboo plates, as well as the adorable floral pattern plates and the vibrantly coloured, striped ones we tested, are equally perfect for adult get-togethers, family picnics and even an unexpected PB&J served poolside.
The Meri Meri plates are lightweight, just like the Xenia Taler and Poketo bamboo plates, but they are more durable than those other options. They did not break during our drop testing, and they did not become scratched when we repeatedly ran knives over their surfaces (our Xenia Taler and Poketo picks, on the other hand, easily scratched). Like our other choices, the Meri Meri dishes were resistant to stains from sauce.
The scalloped sides or raised rims on Meri Meri’s bamboo plates help keep food on the plate while you eat while standing up, or they can be used as adaptive dinnerware. There are solid and speckled versions of these plates, as well as other colours and designs. The company also makes special plates, like Easter bunnies or Halloween ghosts, depending on the time of year.
So, here you have it. These Outdoor dining gears are essential for any outdoor enthusiast. These gears are best for almost all kinds of outdoor dining. It’s generally advised to never leave food alone when camping. It is crucial to prevent bears and other wild creatures from using your property as a pretext to investigate. Any food that isn’t being consumed right now should be kept in your car or cooler, even if you’re just hanging out in your tent. Trash and leftover food should be disposed of at the campground’s disposal area after cooking.
