What kitchen essentials should you bring on a week-long trip? It could be tricky if your trip involves a plane ride, since you’d have to check specific airline/country rules on bringing electronics.
However, if you’re just going on a road-trip and would be staying either in your vehicle, camp out, or take a quick stay at the nearest inn, here are 10 of the kitchen essentials you should bring for your next week-long trip:
- Cooler
It doesn’t matter if your week-long road trip involves an RV or not, you’d likely need a cooler if you want to bring meat, your preferred drinks, and other goods that must be kept cold.
Every cooler is made for a specific purpose. The manufacturers indicate an estimated time, so you know how long a particular cooler model is able to keep your food cold. You can either refill ice to keep your cooler cool every other day, or invest in a higher-priced model that could keep food and drinks cool for up to a week.
- Compact camp stove
If you’re backpacking and do not have the comforts of an RV kitchen, make it easier to cook with a lightweight, portable stove. There are numerous brands (and designs) to choose from, but all of them keep the flame protected from the elements. This way, you can focus on cooking and not be worried about starting a forest fire.
- Charcoal and matches, or lighter
If you don’t have a camp stove yet, which I recommend you invest in, your next best choice is to use charcoal for cooking outdoors.
Cooking over coals yields better results than an open flame in most cooking situations, but you can’t readily find charcoal in the middle of a national park. You’d have to bring these along with you.
To light it up more quickly, use a match or lighter. You’ll understand that cooking on charcoal gives you more control over your fire than cooking in an open fire.
- Can opener
If you’re on a budgeted trip and you came prepared with several canned goods with you, don’t forget to bring your trusty can opener. Imagine hiking for hours, ready to eat lunch once you reach the peak of your climb, only to realize you won’t be able to open the can quickly.
It is extremely hard to open cans with a knife, so make sure you pack a can opener with you.
- An all-in-one pot
Bring a pot that you can fry food in, boil veggies into, and heat anything you want in it. If you’re camping, be sure that the pot you bring is able to take bonfire heat.
There’s a chance your multipurpose pot would be exposed to charcoal and open fire, so the pot you choose to bring should be built for heavy-duty camping and not your fancy pans and pots that you prefer not to be scratched.
- Utensils
Don’t forget to bring your utensils. If you’re camping, you can just remind everyone included in the trip to pack their personal spoon/fork. This way, you’d just be packing cooking utensils (such as tongs, big spoons, ladles, knives, and so on).
- Coffee or tea
If you’re a coffee person, you know that it is virtually impossible to function without a decent cup of your favorite coffee. Don’t expect to find coffee where you’re going. Instead, bring your coffee with you. This should also be the rule for your preferred creamer, tea and sugar (or sugar substitute).
- Herbs, Spices and Condiments
If you’re someone like me who is particular with flavor, make sure you pack your favorite herbs and spices. Don’t forget salt and pepper, which you’d most likely use whether you’re grilling or baking your dinner.
For some who can’t survive without their homegrown hot sauce, or go-to ketchup, mustard, mayo, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, vinaigrette, relish, and other condiments, I’m sure you can’t find these things in the middle of nowhere, so pack them with you as well.
- Microwave oven
Ideal for reheating your food anytime you want, this next must-have is exclusively for those traveling in an RV. With a microwave oven, you can defrost pre-packed frozen meals, reheat food, bake simple recipes, and even cook meals indoors from scratch.
- Food.
Of course, don’t forget the food! You’re lucky if you have an RV and you can bring unlimited amounts of food. But if you’re hiking and camping in the wild, you’d have to be really picky with the type of food you’re going to bring. After all, you’re going to be the ones carrying them to your spot, so it’s best to think and plan ahead.
If you’re traveling with kids, prepare snacks for them as well. Trail mix, granola bars, and beef jerky are lightweight, but can keep you fed, so stock up on them.
I hope this list of essentials will come handy for your week-long trip.
