A Bug Out Cooking Kit isn’t always straightforward to build. And pre-built ones can carry a lot of dead weight. What do you need in it? When I set out to answer this question I was hoping for a definitive list of the things you must have in your kit. Unfortunately, what I found is that it’s a pretty subjective decision. What’s right for one person may not be right for another.
So to answer this question I’ve got a few recommendations on styles and materials you should be looking for. And what you can do to ensure that the cooking tools you settle on are right for you.
The first thing you’ll want to be looking out for is weight. This is always important for anything that you are planning on moving or taking with you. Function is important. But, weight is the ever-present consideration that really defines what you can or can’t take with you. When you’re planning out your cooking kit, there are two ways to minimize weight.
Bug Out Cooking Kit Materials
The first is the materials your gear is made out of. Cast iron is (of course) right out. Stainless steel is too heavy for a full set of gear to be made out of. But, you can probably work in certain pieces for durability.
Titanium is an excellent lightweight metal, but it’s expensive. There are tons of titanium sporks out there for reasonable prices. You can get away with titanium silverware but going for a full titanium cook set will get costly. Aluminum is also an excellent choice for these metal cook pieces.
it’s cheap, very light, and pretty durable compared to plastic. Aluminum is a good metal to look for in your cookware as much as possible. It may not be the best for cooking directly over a fire, but aluminum cups and bowls will always be effective.
Bug Out Cooking Kit Pieces
The second big thing you can do to reduce your load is to reduce the number of pieces you have. You’re only going to want as many sets of things like bowls and cups as you have people that will be using them at the same time. Re-using and finding multiple uses for items is also important. In a survival situation, you really don’t need a plate and a bowl.
Anything that you want to put on a plate can go into a bowl. Likely, most of the meals you’re preparing in a survival situation are going to be one-pot. Separating your foods is a luxury, and not one worth carrying extra weight for.
Bug Out Cooking Kit: How To Hold Fire
One crucial part of your cook set is going to be the stove. It can take many forms. But, you’re going to want something that can contain fire for long enough for you to cook your food. There are some light-weight camping stoves that use gas.
In a survival scenario, this is probably not a good idea as you have no idea if or when you’ll be able to get more gas. For this purpose I certainly recommend finding a lightweight camping stove designed for taking wood. If it takes wood, you’ll never run out of fuel!
So in a nutshell, here’s what I think is the bare-minimum for your cooking kit:
> A Lightweight Wood-Burning Stove
> A Cup For Each Person
> A Bowl For Each Person
> A Set Of Silverware For Each Person (This could be a fork and a spoon, or a spork.)
> A Can Opener
> A Wooden Cooking Spoon (Can be cut short to save space.)
My cooking kit shopping list can be found here!
Practice Makes Perfect!
This brings us to the last point I want to make in this article: Use your equipment beforehand! The last thing you want to do is pull out your stove for the first time and realize you don’t even know how to get it lit. The best (and the only) way to truly know what you need for your cooking kit is to use it.
You don’t even have to go out to the woods to do this (although I recommend you do anyway). Try to make dinner for you and anyone else you’d be feeding, using only your bug out bag cooking kit. You may find that you’re missing something, you may find you’ve included something you didn’t really need. You just have to try it for yourself! I hope this article has given you a good grasp on what you need to be on the lookout for, but unfortunately, this one comes with some homework!