Cooking Gear

Deluxe Camp Kitchen Bag

I looked far and wide for something to carry all of my motorcycle cooking gear. I wanted a solution that would keep things organized and protected. This deluxe camp kitchen fits the bill perfectly. It’s just the right size to carry all of my kitchen essentials and it is extremely durable. I like the way that it can be hung from a tree or something similar. When it is completely full it takes up about ½ of a pannier on my motorcycle. If you plan on serious cooking in the backcountry you won’t regret having something like this to keep your kit organized and protected.

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze 16 Can Zipperless Cooler

A good cooler that fits inside of my large Touratech pannier. I like this cooler because there is no zipper to break. It holds up to 16 cans or less, depending on the amount of ice that you put in it. I carry cold drinks all day long and have nice deli food picnics on the side of the road – better than eating at a gas station! It can hold a couple of beverage cans, enough food for dinner and breakfast. Perfect!

THERMOS Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Food Jar

Useful for many things including cooking pasta inside of it (saves your fuel cartridge), keeping coffee hot in the morning and adult beverages cool in the evening. Threaded lid means contents won’t spill when you knock it over in the campsite.

GSI Folding Table

This little table helps me keep my food preparation off the ground. It elevates everything to be within easy reach while I am seated in my camping chair. It’s just big enough to prepare a simple meal and the metal surface means that I can use my Firebox Stove on top of it without fear of melting anything. It’s lightweight and packs up small enough to fit inside of one of my Touratech panniers, making it one of my favorite pieces of motorcycle cooking gear.

Firebox Stove

The Firebox stove is one of my favorite pieces of motorcycle cooking gear. Could you tell? I use it as much as I can when I am motorcycle camping in the backcountry. It’s super well-built, easy to set up, funnels the heat extremely well and provides a little bit of warmth and illumination for the campsite. When I use this stove I usually don’t feel the need to build a larger campfire which is better for the environment. The only negative things about the Firebox stove are that it isn’t usable whenever there is a burn-ban in the forest and it is a little bit dirty to use because of the smoke and soot that comes with fire. That’s why I recommend bringing a set of leather gloves along to help with the cooking.

Firestarter

Having a little bit of fire starter in your kit makes fire preparation so much easier. You just break off a little bit of this stuff and light it up. It will burn long enough to ignite your larger tinder and twigs in no time. This is especially useful if the materiel is a little bit damp.

OZERO Leather Work Gloves

I use these whenever I am working around a fire. They keep my hands safe from hot metal, flames and coals. They’re also useful when gathering and cutting firewood. Finally, they make a good backup pair of gloves in case I lose my motorcycling gloves.

Bahco Laplander Folding Saw

This folding saw is extremely useful to prepare wood for the firebox stove. Although the stove works great with whatever fuel (twigs and sticks) you use, it does burn longer with slightly thicker pieces of wood. This saw is perfect for cutting small branches of 1″ to 2″ diameter for the Firebox stove. Of course, it can be used for a variety of other tasks like cutting small trees that have fallen over the trail or making poles for tarps, etc.

GERBER StrongArm Fixed Blade Knife

A good fixed blade knife is an essential tool in the backcountry. I use this to prepare tinder for my Firebox stove and campfires in addition to other bushcraft tasks.

MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove

I carry a gas stove with me because of fire bans in the back country. There are a lot of situations when it is not permissible to build a campfire and this stove is a good back up for the Firebox stove. I also use it in the morning to boil water for coffee when I don’t want to build a fire. The flame can be regulated too, which makes it better for cooking than something like a Jetboil.

Expedition Research Bushcraft Grill

This little metal grill is simple and easy to use. It’s just big enough to cook a small steak or a piece of fish over the coals of a fire. When I’m not cooking with the Firebox and have a campfire, I use this.

Firebox Locking Bail Handle Camping Pot

This is a big metal pot – big enough to cook a meal for two people if necessary. It’s made of stainless steel and has a locking handle which makes it easier to pour hot water from the container. I’ve used it to make instant mashed potatoes, soup, pasta and many other things. It works great as a container to hold my GSI cup and Aeropress Go coffee maker inside of it. I use this with the Firebox stove and also over an open campfire.

TOAKS Titanium 1100ml Pot with Pan

This is my smaller, lightweight cooking pot which is an alternative to the larger one above. It is extremely lightweight and works well when I am traveling alone in the backcountry. I prefer to use this with my MSR camp stove.

Olicamp Aluminum Pot Lifter

This is a simple, essential piece of kit for working with hot pots and pans. Use this and a pair of leather gloves to keep your hands and fingers safe around the campfire.

GSI Stainless Steel Cup

This is a great stainless steel cup that also works as a pot for boiling water or heating up a can of soup. The wire handle folds flat to save space and the Backpacker Mug (below) nests perfectly inside of it.

GSI Infinity Backpacker Mug

This cup is insulated with a cloth-wrapped neoprene sleeve to keep your coffee hot and your beer cold. It has a non-slip footing and a sealable lid. It fits perfectly inside of the GSI stainless steel cup (above).

Aeropress Go Portable Travel Coffee Press

The Aeropress Go is all you need to brew a great cup of coffee in the backcountry (except for the coffee of course) ! The coffee mug and lid doubles as a carrying case as well. This is slightly smaller than the original Aeropress which makes it great for motorcycle travel.

Folding Kitchen Chef Knife

I looked all over to find a high-quality folding chef knife and this rose wood and stainless steel beauty from Herbertz in Germany works lovely. It’s fairly heavy and feels like a solid piece of motorcycle cooking gear. I enjoy using it immensely.

Opinel Knife Set

The Opinel Nomad camping kitchen utensil kit contains three tools – a No. 12 serrated folding knife, No. 10 folding corkscrew knife and a No. 6 pocket peeler. It also contains a small beechwood cutting board and microfiber cleaning cloth. This is a nice set, although quite often I just bring the knives and leave the cutting board at home.

Titanium Spork

This is just a basic fork and spoon for eating – with the benefit that they are two end of one lightweight utensil.

Wood Spatula

I’ve never been a fan of the folding plastic spatulas which break easily, melt and just aren’t a joy to use. This wooden spatula feels good in the hands and gets the job done perfectly.

Cuisipro Stainless Steel Mini Tongs

These are really useful when cooking meat on the Firebox stove or the bushcraft grill. They will allow you turn the meat without burning your hands or fingers in the process. Also useful for moving coals around or anything else that is hot.

P-38 Can Opener and P-51 Can Opener

A simple, military-style can opener that becomes essential when you need it most.

Gravity Water Filter System

Being able to purify your own water when you are traveling on a motorcycle in the backcountry is really beneficial. It means that you can carry less water with you if you know that there are sources of water in the environment. I use this all of the time and like the way it works.

Collapsible Outdoor Wash Basin

A collapsible wash basin like this one makes clean up a little bit easier after you’ve made a mess cooking in the backcountry. I don’t use it that often however as I live in the desert and don’t have a lot of water to spare when I am traveling in the backcountry. I would use it more when I am traveling near plentiful sources of water.

MSR Alpine Dish Brush

A simple pot and pan cleaner that has a brush on one end and a durable non-scratch scraper on the other end.

Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Soap

I like this natural soup because it can be used for so many things – dish soap, hand soap, shampoo, even toothpaste. If you need an all-in-one cleaner that is natural and safe Dr. Bronnners is a good way to go.

Compressed Towels

These little towels work like magic. They take up very little space but when you add a little bit of water to them they expand and become the most wonderful little towelettes. They are a good alternative to carrying around a normal cloth rag which gets extremely dirty and unsanitary after a couple of days.