Stoves & Grills

A good camping stove is probably one of the most important pieces of survival gear you’ll invest in. Camping stoves can be used for food preparation, water purification, sterilization of first aid supplies, and even heating in an emergency situation. Because of the wide variety of uses and importance of each, a reliable and easy to use stove is key. There are a wide variety of stove options available in a wide range of prices. When deciding on a survival or camping stove it’s important to consider how you plan to use your stove primarily. Some camp stoves are more efficient for boiling water making them ideal for freeze-dried meal preparation while other stoves can double as a contained heat source or can be folded for ultimate portability.

Fuel is another important consideration when choosing a stove. Some stoves, like the convenient Jetboil, require brand specific fuel. (as well as cooking gear) Other stoves burn generic fuel tablets or canned fuel, and others are wood burning.

Camping grills are ideal for use over an open fire or over multiple stoves, they can also provide a large flat surface for holding generic pots and pans over a camping stove. Grills tend to be space and time efficient as multiple cooking vessels can be set over the same fire but they do require more operational space than most stoves and aren’t particularly useful in the absence of a reasonably sized open flame.

Flameless Heaters

Rapidly becoming one of the most popular survival food options, MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) are both convenient and nutritionally balanced. First used by the United States Military as rations for troops in the field, MREs are heated using a flameless heat pack. Each single-use flameless heat pack requires just a tablespoon of water to produce a safe chemical reaction that immediately produces enough heat to warm your MRE pouch meal to 200° Fahrenheit.

Fire Starters

Matches, magnesium, lighters, fire paste… all of these are examples of fire starters. Regardless of the type of stove you choose, fire starters are always a good item to have on hand. You never know when you’ll need to make a fire for heat, safety, food preparation, or signaling. Some fire starters, like waterproof matches, are great for ensuring a flame in any weather conditions; other types, like fire paste, are unaffected by heat or cold. Whichever fire starters you choose to keep on hand it’s always a good idea to have more than you think you’ll need. They don’t take up much space but are absolutely indispensible. Since you never know what conditions you’ll be facing we recommend keeping a few different types of fire starter on hand as part of your preparedness plan. Don’t forget a waterproof match storage box for keeping a weekend supply of matches on hand and safe from the elements at all times.

Cooking Utensils

The type of emergency food you’ve opted to store will have a lot to do with the type of cooking utensils you’ll need or want. Many ready-made survival food options such as MRE’s and freeze-dried meals are packaged in an eat-in pouch eliminating the need for separate bowls or plates. Other freeze-dried meals are packed in larger multi-serving formats and will require a bowl or mug for individual servings preparations.

Regardless of the meal type and packaging there are a few must-have survival cooking and serving utensils that you won’t want to be without. Good quality can openers are always useful and can be purchased in 5-packs or as a component of a multi-use tool like a Ridge Runner Camp Tool. Whether you’re preparing a survival plan or heading into the backcountry you’ll get plenty of use out of a chow kit including collapsible flatware and cutlery and compact cookware. Functionality and portability are the key elements of camping and emergency preparedness cooking supplies.

Camp cooking stoves, grills, and utensils are ideal for emergency preparedness. Regardless of your survival food plan it is always prudent to have a camp stove and a collection of basic cooking supplies on hand. If MREs are part of your emergency food plan be sure you have a flameless heater for each individual meal as well as few extras just in case.

No matter what type of food you plan to prepare or how you’ve chosen to handle water storage or purification, you will always benefit from a variety of high quality fire starters. Whether it be for lighting a stove or candles, building a fire, or sterilizing supplies, including a variety of fire starters in your survival plan will ensure your ability to make fire regardless of weather conditions or situation.