How To Grill When Camping

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When you go camping, you are going to want to eat hot food. And the best way to cook food while camping is a portable gas stove or grill. The next best way to cook is a portable charcoal grill. And the third way to grill while camping is with a campfire. If you’re surprised that campfires are last, then you should read the rest of the article to find out why.

Gas Stove Are The Most Convenient Way To Cook While Camping

Portable propane gas stoves are now synonymous with camping as tents and backpacks. They’re affordable, easy to use, and often can be lit when there’s a burn ban that prevents campfires.

Camping gas stoves come in many different forms. These include single burners that are intended for backpackers to multiple-burners that are ideal for Scout troops and families. We even have a complete article about how to choose a gas stove here.

Portable Charcoal Grill Bring Campfire Flavor Without The Mess

While gas stoves are convenient, they don’t have the same wood or smoke flavor of a campfire. Another option for grilling while camping is to bring along a portable grill like this Weber.

These types of grills are easy to transport and you can cook using your favorite charcoal. If you use lump charcoal it’s very similar to cooking over a campfire.

And in a burn ban, the government might still let you use a charcoal grill. But always double-check the rules.

Campfire Are The Classic Way Too Grill

“Some dude just threw a steak directly on the fire, I guess survival class has started”, my friend Joseph A said after I threw a steak on the fire during our survival class.

That’s how we met.

I was tired of waiting for someone to bring grates to cook on. And I knew cooking directly on ashes would be fine.

When you cook with a campfire, you cannot cook with giant flames. You need to wait for the flames to die down to coals. Then you can start cooking.

While this does take time, it’s a great way to grill. But remember to start your fire a couple of hours before you plan to start cooking.

As you can see there are multiple ways to grill while camping. I’m mostly a solo camper (though I often join groups) so I carry a JetBoil. Which is also a great way to quickly boil water on a campout.