Cooking over the campfire is one of my favorite things to do at camp. Although I have a campfire stove and other cooking gear, there is something special about over the fire cooking. The smoky flavor and primitive feel fits the camping vibe so well.
See below for the best campfire kitchen setups to cook a delicious fire grilled meal:
Cooking Grate
Using a cooking grate is a great way to turn a campfire to a grill in seconds. A cooking grate is essentially a stand with a grill top that you place over the fire. They are portable and store great. Very simple to set up by just opening and putting over they fire. Now you have a grilling surface to cook a delicious meal.
I recommend the Redcamp Folding Campfire Grill.
Campfire Tripod
A camping tripod is another great way to turn your campfire into a fully functional kitchen. It allows you to simply hang a pot and cook your food above the fire. Simply adjust the length of the chain to bring your food closer or farther away from the fire.
Check out the Stansport Campfire Tripod.
Also try the Overmont Dutch Oven to pair with this setup.
Skewers
Skewers are a very simple way to cook over the fire. If you have skewers and have a fire you can cook a lot of different types of food. Take your meat or vegetables, stick them on the skewer, and set them over the fire. Rotate them periodically to ensure your food is completely cooked.
You can buy skewers at your local grocery store or check out these Telescopic Skewers for something more portable.
Wood Stove
Portable wood stoves are another option for primitive fire camping. They are metal boxes that you fill with sticks and light. The box contains the heat and allows you to cook your food on top of the stove. They are very portable and compact, which is great for a simple kitchen setup.
Check out the OneTrigris Camping Stove.
Primitive Kitchen
If you want to get real primitive, you can just gather sticks from your surroundings to make a primitive kitchen.
One option would be to make a rotisserie over the fire. Stake 2 sticks on each side of the fire and use a center stick to stick through your meat and vegetables. Set up the center stick on the two staked sticks over the fire. Slowly rotate the food until its done.
For more of these techniques and other bushcraft skills check out this book Bushcraft 101.
