• A great set of camping cookware brings the comfort of the kitchen to the campsite, allowing you to prepare quality meals no matter how far into the backcountry you might be.

    • The best camp cookware often consists of a set of pots and pans, reusable plates and bowls, durable cutlery and utensils, and food storage containers that are built for the long haul.

    • Our top pick, the GSI Bugaboo Camper Cookset, contains enough cooking gear to feed a family of four, is easy to clean up and wash when done, and even comes with a few mugs to wash down a hearty meal.

Trekking into the wilderness affords an escape from the hustle, clutter, and worries of our busy modern lives. But just because a camping trip means leaving behind whatever gadgets and appliances most of us use on a daily basis, it doesn’t mean your adventure has to be fraught with needless difficulties.

With the right gear, time spent out in the field can be rustic yet convenient when it comes to preparing food. In fact, with a good set of camping cookware, you can move beyond the basic need for nutrition and prepare meals that are truly tasty – and may even resemble what you’d whip up at home.

As happens with so many people who find themselves spending more time hiking and camping, I went through an evolutionary process with the gear I use. I started off with an older, heavier air mat and sleeping bag and my first tent was a cheap and flimsy model I found on eBay for the same price as a single tank of gas. My first boots were hand-me-downs.

Same goes for the cookware I used – I bought my first set for five or six dollars at an army surplus store. It was made of thin, stamped aluminum, and after only a few uses, the metal tarnished with exposure to moisture, the pot and pan discolored from the flame of the stove, and all the components became so warped and dented that the set no longer fit together properly.

How to shop for camp cookware

In retrospect, what was I to expect? You get what you pay for, to a degree. What might be a pleasant surprise to you, though, is how many high-quality camp cooking sets you can get for a modest price. There is plenty of great camp cookware available between $20 and $30 that are designed to last for years of use with proper care.

When shopping, it's important to keep in mind not only how you intend to use the cookware but also how many people you intend to cook for, how long you intend to camp, and whether you'll be backpacking, car camping, or a mix of both. The answers to those questions greatly influence the type of cookware set that's right for you.

To help with the decision process, I took on the task of trekking into the backcountry with a backpack full of cookware to find the best of what's currently available. With gear from brands like GSI and Snow Peak, I hiked, camped, and backpacked stocked with quality cookware that helped keep me (unsurprisingly) well-fed.

Here are our top picks for the best camping cookware:

Updated on 7/9/2020 by Rick Stella: Added a section on how to shop for camp cookware in the intro, updated the copy of each selected set, checked the availability of all products, and updated the pricing, formatting, and links throughout.

The best camping cookware set overall

The GSI Bugaboo Camper Cookset comes with just about everything you need to prepare and serve a fine meal for four, including a pot and pan, cups, and bowls.

I've taken the GSI Bugaboo far and wide and even keep it, along with a small stove, in my boat bag and car lest I end up on an island with fresh fish, or stranded on a dirt road, and have no way to toss together a meal.

This kit has exactly what you need to cook and serve a full three-course meal for four. It comes with a 3-liter pot, a 2-liter pot, a frying pan, and bowls, mugs, and plates for all. Despite use over several years and being dragged across several continents, this kit is still in flawless shape. Just make sure to keep any metal utensils away from the non-stick lining, and definitely don't try to place the pots or pan in the fire.

Drawbacks to consider with the Bugaboo are any issues you may have with the flimsiness of the plates, (though the little cups work great) the nonstick Teflon coating, and the fact that you can't place the dishes in the dishwasher after your camping trip. - Owen Burke

Pros: Has everything to serve four, lightweight, compact

Cons: Teflon coating, while nonstick, prevents metal utensil use, no utensils included, flimsy plates, not dishwasher-safe

The best low-cost camping cookware

Foto: Source: MalloMe

The MalloMe 10-Piece Cookware Mess Kit has all the lightweight but durable pot, pan, and cooking accessories you need for a great price.

There is a lot to like about the MalloMe 10-Piece Cookware Mess Kit, but let's be honest: The best part is the small price. At less than 22 bucks, this is one of the cheapest camp cooking sets you can buy that's not made of cheap, inferior materials.

The pot, pan, and lid are fabricated from FDA-approved anodized aluminum and have folding heat-insulated nonslip grips. You get two BPA-free bowls, a folding spork made out stainless steel, a wooden cooking spatula, and a soup spoon.

Why the kit comes with two bowls yet only one spoon and one spork, I have to admit I don't really understand. Two spoons and two forks or two sporks would have made more sense to me, but as those are really just bonus accessories, let's give them a pass here. What counts are the one-liter pot and the nonstick pan, both of which are well made and lightweight. In fact, the whole kit weighs only 1.2 pounds.

Oh, and when you use the included sponge, this nonstick cookware cleans up easily, which you'll appreciate as you probably have to stow your pot and pan in your backpack next to your clothing and sleeping bag.

Pros: Great low price, easy to clean, comes with multiple accessories

Cons: Pot and pan are too small for some meals/users

The best lightweight camping cookware

Foto: Source: Backcountry

Snow Peak's Titanium Multi Compact Cookset is everything we love about Snow Peak. It's lightweight, practical, ergonomic, and durable.

Snow Peak's Titanium Multi Compact Cook Set comes with one-liter and .75-liter pots, a lid that doubles as a 12-ounce saucepan, and a 17-ounce frying pan, which all pack into a storage bag at a manageable 6.2 x 4 inches, weighing only 11.6 ounces. It's pretty spartan and isn't the best at evenly distributing heat (at least not the way hard-anodized aluminum or steel are), but it gets you to and fro with ease. It's also a good option for boiling because of how thinly it can be made.

With two pots and two frying pans, you're pretty well set with this kit, and with a little imagination, there are very few things that you can't cook in it. Add in the fact that you can fit a 110-gram fuel canister? All you need is a lightweight burner and a trusty lighter and you're more or less set to go.

Now, this is an expensive kit. You could go wild with Snow Peak and get your burner, utensils, tableware, and all, and it wouldn't be the worst move, but it would, be forewarned, be pricey.

But all in all, we think it's worth the price. It's easy to destroy cheap cookware, especially when camping, and maybe occasionally placing it directly over a campfire. Titanium, however, happens to be one of the more durable materials. Give it a good soaking after a rough trip and it's just about good as new.

Pros: Lightweight, versatile, practical

Cons: Prone to hot spots, doesn't fit or include everything you'll need to dish up dinner

The best stainless steel camping cookware set

Foto: Source: Stansport

The Stansport 360 Stainless Steel Mess Kit is perfect for the needs of a single camper, providing both cookware and a dining dish.

At first glance, this Stansport 360 Stainless Steel Mess Kit looks almost exactly like that old aluminum cookware set I got from a surplus store a few years back. But while this cookware set is modeled after a classic army mess kit, it's a dramatic improvement thanks to the quality of the materials used.

Unlike my old stamped aluminum kit (which wasn't even anodized aluminum, for the record), this set is made using high-quality stainless steel. More impressive than that, though, are the copper bottoms that help the cookware heat quickly and distribute the warmth evenly. It's the same blend of metals you would find in many high-end Calphalon or All-Clad pots and pans.

You might notice that at just under $23, this is the least expensive set on the list, yet I'm not billing it as the lowest price choice. That's because many sets that cost only two or three dollars more come with multiple accessories, like bowls and spoons and such.

This kit is perfect for one person who needs to boil some water, cook a meal, and use a plate off of which to eat, though. Whereas many kits are notable for being comprehensive, this mess kit is elegantly simple.

While the 1.2-pound Stansport 360 Stainless Steel Mess Kit outweighs many camping cookware sets by a few ounces, it packs down into a narrow disc. The pot, pan, and dish will last for years if you clean and maintain them properly.

Pros: Great price for good quality, copper plating spreads heat, lasts for years

Cons: Too small for more than one person portions, knob too shallow on pot lid

The best versatile camping cookware

Foto: Source: Amazon

The Winterial 10-Piece Camping Set might be excessive for some, but we think it's got just the right amount of accessories for those who predominantly boil, be it rice, couscous, pasta, or water for tea, coffee, dehydrated foods, or simple purification.

A lot of camping kits don't come with kettles, which is ironic considering how much camp cooking is done added boiling water to dehydrated foods. Sure, you can use a pot, but it can get a little tricky, if not vaguely dangerous with spillage. A tea kettle, trust you me, is a very nice thing to have at the campsite, especially when it comes to administering that oh-so-precious first dose of caffeine in the morning. It's also a much more convenient way to boil off any bad stuff if you're drinking water from the stream (or pond).

This kit comes with a whole lot more, though: Apart from the saucepan, frying pan, and kettle, you'll get a ladle, a couple of handy (if somewhat flimsy) plastic bowls, a little spatula, a hot pad that also doubles as a cutting board, and a scrubbing pad. Fitting into a drawstring sack, the whole kit weighs just under two pounds (1.8 lbs) and measures 7.4 x 4.8 inches when all packed up.

Look, this isn't the best quality you're going to find in a cookware set, but it's affordable, portable, and gets the job done. If you want something that will last, look into titanium, stainless steel, or hard-anodized aluminum. Each material has its downside(s), but if your focus is on boiling without lugging a heavy-duty campfire-proof kettle into the woods, the Winterial 10-Piece is your go-to. - Owen Burke

Pros: Well-rounded, lightweight (for what it is), all you need except utensils

Cons: Not the sturdiest set (especially when it comes to the plastic components)