Since 1990, the Cache Valley, Utah-based Camp Chef has been making camp stoves, cast-iron cookware, and more for outdoor lovers. Camp Chef is distinguished by its line of freestanding camp stoves with powerful, 30,000 BTU burners, which are designed for use with the company’s modular grill boxes or griddles. Stoves include the Explorer Two-Burner, the Explorer 2X Two-Burner, the Explorer 3X Three-Burner, the Expedition 3X Three-Burner (which comes with a griddle) and the Big Gas Grill Three-Burner (which comes with a Deluxe BBQ Grill Box 90). The grill boxes, which convert flame to infrared heat, instantly vaporize drippings and have pre-seasoned cast-iron cooking surfaces, also include the Deluxe Stainless BBQ Grill Box 90 and the BBQ Grill Box 100. For transport and storage, there’s a Carry Bag for the two-burner stoves.
Generations of campers have cooked on tabletop propane stoves. Camp Chef’s Rainier and Teton feature the traditional “briefcase” style with a latching lid, windscreens, and matchless ignition. The more basic Sierra Two-Burner omits the matchless lighting. The Ranger two- and three-burner camp stoves feature hot, 17,000-BTU burners.
For backcountry trips, the Stryker 100 and 150 propane stoves fit in a backpack, offer matchless ignition and put out enough heat to boil a pint of water in two minutes. Both models come with an insulated 44-oz cooking pot.
From cobblers and biscuits to chili and stew, many people consider meals cooked in a cast-iron Dutch oven to be the ultimate outdoor fare. Because you can place coals on top of the pot as well as below, a Dutch oven really does cook like an oven. Cast iron can withstand very high cooking temperatures and its excellent heat retention properties assure even cooking. Camp Chef offers 10", 4-quart and 12", 6-quart Dutch ovens (both branded for the famed Browning outdoor gear line) with legs and raised edges on the lids to keep the coals in place. The lid of the Deluxe 10", 6-quart and 12", 9 1/3-quart models can be used as a skillet. Then there is the 8-quart, 13" Square Dutch Oven, with a lid you can flip over and use as a ridged grill pan. The square DO is legless so you can use it in your oven at home.
Traditional Dutch oven cooking involves hot coals on top of the pot, which makes it tricky to remove the lid for stirring or serving food. Serious Dutch oven cooks will want one of Camp Chef’s 9" or 22" Lid Lifters—or the 14" version, which is also a stand that holds the lid off the ground while you tend to your cooking.
Of course, if you just want to cook up some eggs or burgers, or maybe a fresh-caught fish, you don’t need a Dutch oven. A 12" Cast Iron Skillet will work just fine. If you’re making pancakes or other fried food for a group of hungry campers, you’ll appreciate the cooking space on a griddle. Camp Chef makes a number of pre-seasoned, restaurant-style models that fit its 14 or 16" stoves. Camp Chef also carries cooking implements, such as the beveled-edged, stainless steel Professional Spatula Set.
You can enjoy a campfire just about anywhere with Camp Chef’s fire pits—the Del Rio, the Redwood, the Compact, and the Sequoia—because they run on propane rather than burning wood, with lava rocks to spread the flame and warmth. You can even use them in many jurisdictions where open fires are banned, but check the local rules first. The Triton Water Heater, which comes in 5-liter and 10-liter models, gives you hot water in your backyard for washing pets, filling a pool, or showering after a swim. It uses a standard LP gas tank to heat water from a garden hose.
Finally, there’s the cleverly designed and highly useful Sherpa Camp Table & Organizer, with a roll-out aluminum table top and four padded organizer bags, one of which is waterproof and can be used as a cooler. Furniture is at a premium in most campsites. This is one piece you’ll be glad you’ve brought along.
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