Suggestions for camping/cooking gear please

[SDDiver5]

So, I made a mistake and was careless. The last trip I went on we had a downpour of hail and rain. I kept all of my cooking/camping gear in their totes. Sleeping bag and pillow I kept in the truck so luckily they escaped unscathed. I use the black and yellow totes from Home Depot and had no idea how cracked the bottom was on my cooking tote. When it stopped raining I opened it up and notice a little bit of water but nothing that concerned me. The mistake I made was leaving it closed and unattended in my garage for 2 weeks. ( I didn't have time to clean everything as we left for Hawaii 2 days later)

When I went to re organize/replace everything this weekend I opened the lid and there was literally mold on every single surface. The way I organize my stuff is usually in labeled bags of some type. I have one for pots/pans, utensils, fire stuff, etc. you get the picture. I had to throw every bag out. Everything was completely covered in mold. It was disgusting. So after the sting wore off a little, I started searching for new stuff. I want to be more organized and I think I'd enjoy using A. a different type of tote. Maybe like a used pelican or something mostly waterproof and B. I want to be better organized. Kind of thinking plastic tupperware or something similar to organize all of my stuff.

Anyways, I'm curious to see what this lovely forum thinks and what direction I should go.

Oh, and I could use a new stove if anyone wants to give suggestions to that as well.

 

[nwoods]

I go low tech, and storage my field kitchen in an Action Packer plastic storage box, made by Rubbermaid. This has worked for my family of 4 for over 20 years.

 

[SDDiver5]

Appreciate that! They definitely look like a better option than the ones I've been using.

 

[The_Squid]

We use a Camp Chef 2 burner stove. Also have the BBQ and cast iron griddle for it. That pretty much takes care of all our camp cooking needs! Love it!

(apologies for the quality of this photo)

 

[NatersXJ6]

I’m confused. You threw out all of your stuff, or just the bags? Presumably the bags were nylon of some sort?

I would have tried washing the bags in Lysol, rinsed and washed again, and back in service.

As far as storing kitchen gear, I’ve not been happier since building a proper wooden chuck box. It has gotten occasional issues with mold as the kids once left a wet dish towel inside without my awareness, but a good Lysol wipe-down and a trip through the dishwasher for all the stuff put the world back in order.

 

[SDDiver5]

I’m confused. You threw out all of your stuff, or just the bags? Presumably the bags were nylon of some sort?

I would have tried washing the bags in Lysol, rinsed and washed again, and back in service.

As far as storing kitchen gear, I’ve not been happier since building a proper wooden chuck box. It has gotten occasional issues with mold as the kids once left a wet dish towel inside without my awareness, but a good Lysol wipe-down and a trip through the dishwasher for all the stuff put the world back in order.

I threw out a few items like a plastic spatula from college that has a broken handle lol and a few very minor things but mainly the bags. I did soak one bag in soap and scrubbed it and all that but it was beyond saving. They were literally completely covered in mold inside and out. Every pocket every nook and cranny. I was also thoroughly disgusted so after realizing the one bag I actually liked was not worth saving I just purged the others. Plus, they were all old, had holes and not in good condition. Not entirely sure of the material but they were all random bags I had collected from various things over the years. You know the "Hey I could use this for something, somewhere at some point so I'm gonna put it in a box in the garage until I remember it" type of bag.

This has turned out to be somewhat of a good thing because I had be thinking of a reorganize and re doing my setup for quite a while but was never really that set on doing it and this made me do it. It definitely needed to be done since we've started camping with our one year old.

 

[SDDiver5]

After looking into it a little more a chuck box of some sort might work out well.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Ahh, that makes sense, I must have been misreading.

In my mind, Chuck box over Bins has won because:

The door folds down to make a working surface of sorts.
The top is a convenient place to set stuff.
The box can be carried to a table or used right in the back of my Jeep if I set up properly.
Inside the box are drawers and stuff is somewhat better organized than in bins / doesn’t all have to be hauled out to reach the bottom.
I like cooking, and haul a lot of cooking stuff… the ability to retrieve stuff quickly and easily is important to me.

I made my box by measuring out the available space in the back of my Jeep, taping that out on my kitchen table, and then stacking all of my kitchen stuff repeatedly while figuring out how it would be used. Then off to the table saw where I screwed up twice and the box got 1/4” smaller each time!

It was great fun.

 

[jbaucom]

I use a 56 qt Plano Sportsman's Trunk for cooking stuff and a Coleman bag for my stove. It was hard to beat $15.98 at Home Depot for the tote. It holds my Stanley pots and pans that nest together with their utensils, plus plates, bowls, cups, paper towels, etc. I consolidated everything so that it's smaller and lighter than my old tote.

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Primarily I use Plano bins. They're inexpensive and relatively tough, although they're not waterproof or dust proof. That can be addressed with a little foam tape on the lid. For the kitchen, i use a home built chuck box.
As far as cooking duties, I would suggest a Coleman dual fuel 2 burner stove. Mainly because you can't always get white gas and it runs on unleaded if needed. Also, they can be found used for cheap, and most of the time they just need cleaning to work perfectly. I got mine for $25, it needed a good cleaning and less than $20 in parts to be completely reliable.

 

[jmmaxus]

Items I have which allows me to cook over fire (stake grill or campground pit) and bake (lodge Dutch oven) or cook over propane (camp chef) and bake over propane (Omnia oven). CA with wildfires they shutdown campfire usage and only allow propane so I have ability to cook both ways pretty much anything.

1. Stanley Base Camp Cook Set for 4 | 21 Pcs Nesting Cookware Made from Stainless Steel & BPA Free Material | Incl Pot, lid, Cutting Board, Spatula, Plates, Spoons, Forks, Bowls, Dish Rack, Trivet https://a.co/3aI0kFq

2. Stromberg Carlson GR-1522 Stake and Grille by Stromberg Carlson https://a.co/aVXftOO

3. OMNIA Kit 1, Set of 5 Products - Camp Oven, Silicone Mold, Potholders, Baking Grid and Storage Bag - Ultimate Starter Kit Recreational Oven https://a.co/ahqKCjn

4. Camp Chef Everest 2X 2-Burner Cooking System https://a.co/0U4ENzr

5. Ignik Refillable Gas Growler Deluxe 5-Pound Propane Tank with Carry Case and Adapter Hose, Natural https://a.co/3lrOBAK

6. 4qt lodge camp Dutch oven and accessories.


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[Todd n Natalie]

Come on.... you know you wanna....

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[slomatt]

I've been using a Plano box with a DIY seal for a few years and am happy with it. Inside I have a wood tray to organize some of my smaller cooking implements.

More info at https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/kitchen-kit-chuck-box.21268/page-64#post-2809775

 

[pith helmet]

Chuck boxes are nice, but have their place. This one is made to fit a specific place in the Jeep. It has legs as well but I am thinking to make it hang from the roof rack as well.
For my truck I like the kitchen stuff in bags in the tool box.

 

[jgaz]

Another vote for the 56qt Plano box.
I too have added weather strip to the lid.
Im using the @Herbie coroplast divider idea in my boxes as well