K.L.M.N. is an abbreviation common among tourists, which stands for mug, spoon, bowl, knife. This is a necessary set for meals on a hike and usually everyone takes it themselves as personal equipment.

Like any travel equipment, camping equipment has differences from those we use in the city. Therefore, in this article we will try to figure out which devices can be taken on a hike, and which ones are better left at home.

Option one, dishes and utensils for camping

If you are going out of town by car and do not plan to walk with a backpack, then the most convenient option- large universal sets of dishes. Such sets have existed for a very long time and you will probably remember interesting examples from the distant past, but now there are simply a huge number of them.

The convenience of sets is that you can assign one person responsible for the dishes, so that everyone else takes care of other things. In addition, they always have additional plates, spoons or glasses, which can be very useful in nature. In addition, usually these sets are placed in one convenient container, bag or basket and you no longer need to figure out where to put it all - this turns out to be a relatively compact and comfortable way to satisfy the need for cutlery and dishes for the whole company at once.

Expensive gift sets in large leather chests may look solid, but most often they are impractical. It is better to choose picnic sets that are less presentable, but much more functional and convenient. And for sophisticated camping lovers, it is better to choose expensive technological sets from well-known companies like MSR (we’ll talk about companies later), which are expensive not because of the leather suitcase and the shine of the plates, but due to the quality of all items, special coatings and unique ways layout.

Dishes and appliances for active tourism

A large set is clearly not suitable for hiking with backpacks. Firstly, those same additional items will add a lot to us excess weight, which will have to be carried on the shoulders, and secondly, it is unlikely that anyone alone will agree to carry the whole set, taking the rap for everyone.

Therefore, for active recreation, everyone takes a Ph.D. in medicine for themselves. Here compactness and weight play the main roles. That is, we immediately throw the option with glass and ceramic dishes out of our heads. The most simple solution There will be inexpensive aluminum cookware of any brands. Disposable tableware, as I already said in the article about caring for the environment, it is better not to take it: it is unreliable, inconvenient and flies away in all directions from any breeze. Plastic utensils - in general a good option, but choose it more carefully. The plastic must be food grade, that is, it must not emit harmful substances. Usually there is a special stamp on such products, but at a minimum you can just smell what you are about to take - the plastic should not have a pungent odor.

But in general, when choosing dishes for a hike, you can be guided by the following principles:

• Dishes must be unbreakable
• choose dishes and cutlery so that they fit into each other or into other equipment, such as a pot. At the same time, try not to make any noise while driving.
• remember that on hikes, as a rule, there is no table, which means you will have to eat holding a plate in your hands or on your knees, so think about handles and other devices that will help you hold the dishes and not get burned
• plastic dishes light, beautiful and convenient, but think about it: won’t you have to heat the food in a plate or mug? Sometimes this is necessary, which is why some experienced tourists still prefer metal utensils
• multifunctional sets of spoons, forks and knives look cool, but are of little use in practice. The knife in them is usually bad, the fork is not useful, and the spoon is inconvenient. Where it is placed or held together is usually difficult to clean and easy to lose. It’s better to take an ordinary spoon - it will be easier and more convenient. Still, a multi-tool should be a multi-tool, and not a transformer with spoons and forks.

Dishes and cutlery for light-duty vehicles

Over time, every experienced tourist becomes a light traveler, that is, a person who wants to lighten his equipment as much as possible. In this case, the dishes should not only be light, but also compact, since the backpack of a light vehicle is much smaller than usual.

In this case, you can think about materials such as silicone and titanium. Thanks to silicone, plates, mugs and even cauldrons (the bottom of the cauldron is made of metal) can be folded, so the dishes can easily fit into even the smallest backpack. Titanium cookware takes more volume, but has minimal weight; The placement problem can be solved by hanging such dishes outside the backpack.

Thermal mugs (with a double wall) are not suitable for light travel - they are at least twice as heavy as a regular one - and in general, thermal mugs are not the best option for hiking. In such a mug, even though it is metal, you cannot boil water or warm your hands on a frosty day. It won't burn your hands - that's true, but usually the mug has a handle, holding which you won't get burned either. Tea can also stay hot longer, especially if there is a lid, but how often do you boil tea, pour it into a mug and not drink it? If it happens often, then you should take a good thermos with you, not a thermal mug.

Also, lightweight travelers can take a minimum set using one item as several devices. For example, use one container as a mug and a bowl, although in order to drink tea after a meal you will have to wash the mug first. You can use a pot lid as a plate and so on, I think general principle generally understandable.

Brands and examples of interesting dishes

Of course, I won’t be able to list all the brands, since there are a lot of them, but I will try to describe those that can be found on the shelves more often than others.

is a Swedish company primarily known for its “spoon forks” (spork). Convenient simple form, high quality plastic, bright colors and the lightness of the spoon-fork-knife made it so popular. I myself have been using it for a long time as cutlery I've managed to break a couple of them over the years, but I still think that their plastic is quite reliable. There is a titanium catcher of the same shape, I plan to purchase and test it in the future. In addition, the company produces a number of other interesting items, such as half silicone glass, plates, bowls and the like.

MSR is an American company, an industry giant. It produces almost all equipment, including a variety of dishes. They have many interesting sets, from pots with mugs to small non-standard parts such as folding spatulas, graters and even cutting boards.

Snow Peak is a large Japanese company that also produces a wide range of tourism products. Snow Peak probably has the most interesting titanium dishes, with bright colors and good quality execution.

GSI outdoors– the company is highly specialized in the production of tableware, cutlery and other accessories for camp kitchens. Since this is their main specialization, gsi comes up with and efficiently executes many interesting items camp kitchen.

Sea To Summit – good company, which presented a number of innovative solutions for both cutlery and other interesting tourist items. The most interesting thing, perhaps, is collapsible silicone cookware, including a pot in which you can cook food on gas burners.

In addition to companies that specifically make a bunch of different dishes, there are those that produce only a few products under their own brand, however, sometimes such things can be very interesting. For example, a little-known company Fozzils produces a collapsible plastic plate, Fozzils Bowlz, which transforms into a convenient cutting board.

Also, almost every large company produces a variety of dishes under its own brand, sometimes these are openly copied products that simply have the logo of a familiar brand, but sometimes there are also quite good, and most importantly, high-quality devices. For example, a company Tatonka, famous for its backpacks, has a lot of good tableware in its assortment. Our companies (for example, Tramp or Nova Tour) are also not shy and, when ordering from the same factories in China and India, they put their logo on plates, mugs and cutlery - and there is nothing wrong with this, since this tableware is cheap and quite suitable for undemanding tourists.

In the end, everyone chooses for themselves what is more convenient for them: reliable metal utensils, lightweight plastic ones, or innovative super-folding and multifunctional ones. And if this is your first trip, take what you have, use it in the field and you will understand what you will be more comfortable with on future trips. The main thing is not to forget about the necessary set - KLMN. Speaking of “N”, about knives, I deliberately did not say: firstly, since it is not necessary for everyone to have their own knife when hiking with a group, and secondly, the choice of knife is good topic for a separate article that is sure to appear soon, stay tuned!

Have a comfortable travel and see you again!

The choice of cookware for a hike is no less important than the choice of all other equipment. After all, if the mug breaks or the pot burns out, then replacing them will not be so easy. Therefore, dishes for a camping trip must meet several criteria, which in everyday life may seem unimportant.

First you need to decide on the source of fire for cooking. It could be a fire or gas-burner. Campfire: Utensils for cooking over a campfire should not have plastic handles, only metal ones, since the heat of the fire is directed not only to the bottom of the dish. For the same reason, the walls and bottom of the dishes should be more dense, otherwise there is a high risk that they will burn.

Burner:

Cookware for cooking on a burner has fewer requirements, the main thing is that the material should not be flammable. Most often, such cookware is made from anodized aluminum. Important point. During the hike, you should monitor the layer of soot on the bottom of the cookware, as it increases gas consumption, creating protection from heat.

When the source of fire has been decided, you need to calculate the number of eaters.

Usually, each participant in the hike takes his own dishes with him. Now there are entire matryoshka sets, like army bowlers, which combine several elements. However, to understand what exactly should be in the set, here is a list of necessary utensils:

1. A pair of pots with lids - one for cooking, the other acts as a kettle. Lids will protect food from debris and insects, and will also speed up cooking time.

2. Bowl - it is better if it is metal, in extreme cases its role can be played by the lid of the pot.

3. Mugs - the best choice is a metal thermal mug, which is strong enough and won’t burn your hands.

4. Ladle - sounds strange, but it’s better to have one if you’re cooking for more than one person and you need to reach the bottom of the pot. And it’s much more convenient for them to pour food.

5. The handle is a special potholder, like for frying pans, which makes it easier to remove the pot from the fire.

6. A tablespoon is universal, it replaces both a fork and a teaspoon.

7. Knife - every tourist must have a knife with him, or better yet several, each for his own purposes. One of these knives should be dedicated exclusively to food.

This set is designed for one person, but it can be easily supplemented if a large group is going out. It is enough to replace the pots with larger ones and make sure that the others take their own plates, mugs and spoons with them.

Now let’s take a closer look at what exactly this dish should be made of.

Previously, aluminum, steel and cast iron were used to make camping utensils. The latter is no longer used on hikes because it weighs too much. Aluminum:

Dishes made from this metal weigh several times less, cool faster and have other pleasant additions, such as low cost and reduced burning.

Unfortunately, food-grade aluminum is not very durable, so today special anodized aluminum has been developed. It is lighter, stronger, less susceptible to scratches and has a non-stick property. But it also costs almost twice as much.

It's worth mentioning that you shouldn't use aluminum cookware for cooking over a fire. It will burn out faster, and over time it may begin to emit when heated. harmful substances.

Stainless steel:

Stronger than aluminum, but heavier and has lower thermal conductivity. When cooked in such dishes, food may burn due to uneven heating, but there are also advantages. In steel dishes, food cools longer, which means you don’t have to eat it cold.

In addition, steel cookware can be used both on the burner and on the fire.

Steel cookware costs no more than its anodized aluminum counterpart.

Very light, durable and expensive dishes. It can be used both on a fire and on a burner. It retains the heat of cooked food longer, does not burn your lips and is easy to clean without scratching, but cooking in it will take longer due to its low thermal conductivity.

Zconclusion

When choosing cookware, you shouldn’t chase price and brand; each company that produces camping cookware has its own pros and cons, so it’s better to first buy a simpler set of cookware and then understand from your own experience what exactly the chosen option is missing and how to fix it. All of the above should make it easier to choose among the many models and brands currently available on the market. hiking equipment and give general idea about what kind of cookware should be, the main criteria of which are its strength, lightness and thermal conductivity.

The question arises, what kind of dishes to take on a camping trip? Will you need cutlery and deep plates? How to choose dishes for a camping trip - based on weight, material, volume? Can I take regular dishes or is it better to use special travel sets? Is it better to take stainless steel, titanium, plastic or aluminum?

Mug, spoon, bowl, knife– this particular set of dishes for rafting, rafting or any other similar trip will be most optimal. The fork will only add weight, but, in essence, you can do without it, of course, if you do not suffer from an overabundance of culture. General Tips Experienced tourists on the Internet boil down to the following.

Dishes for tourists

So, plate. Often stores offer metal or plastic ones. The first option is better for extreme tourism, in the sense that if something happens you can put it on a fire for cooking. This plate is more durable and reliable. Eat different variants configurations of similar items, ranging from ordinary shapes to plates with one handle or with a removable one - then you can assemble a mini-frying pan from a removable handle and a plate. The latter are more convenient, since you can hold them and not feel the temperature.

Plastic plates are lighter and don't get as hot. But they are fragile and can break in a backpack. Again, you can’t put them on fire. IN Lately Collapsible silicone bowls have become popular. Their advantages are that they are compact, but their disadvantages are that such plates are not stable. They taper slightly towards the base, and due to the fragile material they easily turn over.

Aluminum plates are also convenient to use - they are light weight and low price. The choice is yours.

Spoons You can use any at all - in general there are no special requirements for them. Both metal and wooden ones are taken on hikes. Very popular are plastic ones that look like a spoon on one side and a fork on the other (often cheap versions of such forks are given as a gift upon delivery over expensive purchases– pots, teapots or plates). But, it is better to buy such devices either expensive and high-quality, or not to buy them at all. They break very easily and are difficult to repair in field conditions.

Cups tourist tableware catalogs also offer different ones. It is quite possible to take plastic or metal ones. Thermal mugs are especially popular. They do not let heat out and are easy to use. There are also folding or regular silicone cups. What you shouldn’t take on a camping trip are porcelain plates or mugs. They break easily and weigh decently. Leave them at home - for relaxing on the sofaJ

Choose a knife depending on your needs. It is best that it is sharp and durable. Often, one device combines not only the knife itself, but also scissors, screwdrivers, corkscrews, etc. Of course, you can take one, but to do this you need to be sure that all of the above will be needed and will not be extra weight.

You should also not take spare devices, this is also extra weight.

An ax bought in a store needs to be modified - adapted to camping conditions. If the ax is not secure, it can cause a lot of inconvenience and even injury.

Typically, axes sold are designed for carpentry work. For many years now we have been using an ax of the “Canadian” type with a narrow blade. Such an ax produces a deep cut because the blow falls on a smaller surface.

To make a good camping axe, you need to saw off the top part of the blade and drill a hole in the back for a screw with a countersunk head. The ax handle can be standard, made of birch. After adjustment, before attachment, the upper part of the ax is wrapped with cloth and coated with modified epoxy resin. When the ax is mounted, a screw is screwed into the hole in the butt. The cracks and the upper part at the nozzle site are filled with the mixture. epoxy resin with sawdust. After it hardens, it is processed with a file.

The blade of such an ax will not fly off, and the ax handle will not dry out.

Saw

How many times has she helped us out on a hike? good saw. With its help, you can quickly prepare firewood, cut comfortable logs for sitting by the fire, and perfectly equip and landscape your base camp. And in winter time it is indispensable for cutting snow blocks when installing a windproof wall or building a snow hut - an igloo.

For a small group of 6-8 people, a regular hacksaw with good wiring, packed for carrying in a case or piece of tarpaulin, is suitable. In 1-3 minutes it can be used to cut down dried trunks and branches with a diameter of 15-25 cm. Cutting such trunks with an ax requires much more effort.

If the group is large, 10-14 people, it is advisable to take a small two-handed saw with you. It is transported with the handles removed in a case made of thick tarpaulin and tied in a bent position under the bottom of the backpack.

Exist various options improvements and simplification of the two-handed saw. You can reduce its dimensions by cutting off excess metal in height and length; cut larger or smaller teeth on the opposite side; rivet the hacksaw handles on one or both sides.

Recently, military equipment has increasingly begun to appear on sale. Landing saw-string- a good purchase for a hike, especially when radial exits from the base camp of part of the group are expected. The string saw is compact and weighs only 30 grams. Once you get the hang of it, you can use it to quickly cut down a dry tree with a diameter of up to 25-30 centimeters.

Boilers

A (normal) person eats approximately 0.4 to 0.7 liters of porridge or soup at one time. And he drinks 0.2-0.5 liters of tea or compote at a time. The maximum numbers should be used to select boilers. But it should be taken into account that when cooking food over a fire, water evaporates more intensely. Therefore, it is necessary to add another 10-15% capacity.

If the group is small, three or four people, then two three- and four-liter aluminum saucepans will do instead of boilers. Their handles are cut off and a cable half the perimeter of the pan is attached to the holes. Such boilers can be transported by inserting them into each other.

For groups of 6-8 people, it is advisable to take oval-shaped boilers of 5 and 7 liters. They are compact and pack well into a backpack.

If 12-16 people are going on a hike, then the boilers can be made from ten-liter canisters. It is only important that they are made of food grade aluminum. Upper part the containers are cut off, and a cable or metal handle is attached to the holes drilled on the sides. Boilers made of fine fiber have proven themselves well in field conditions. of stainless steel.

For boilers, it is necessary to sew covers from tarpaulin or other suitable material dark color.

Pan

If you take a frying pan on a hike, then you can use it to create miracles of culinary art: bake bread, pancakes and cakes; season soups with fried wild onions, prepare pies with wild berries and excellent pizza with mushrooms (see recipes).

To prevent a frying pan or baking dish from staining things carried in a backpack, you need to sew a cover for it. When traveling, a frying pan with a removable or foldable handle is most convenient.

A Teflon-coated frying pan will last a long time if you turn pancakes and pies with a planed wooden spatula while frying. You cannot cut baked crust or pie in such a frying pan.

Fire tops (potholders)

Used to protect hands from burns when hanging and removing hot cauldrons over a fire, for taking samples and stirring food with a ladle during cooking, as well as when cooking in a frying pan without a handle.

The tops should be made from thick fabric with additional padding on the palm.

Cups

On simple trips, it is better to take the same cups so that they fit into each other. Their capacity should be 0.6-0.8 liters.

In a group of more than eight people, it is advisable to have one large cup. It can be useful for preparing salads, kneading dough and as a bread box for bread or crackers. You can cook common meals in it.

Spoons

The most comfortable spoons for hiking are aluminum. But for this set you need to take 1-2 steel spoons. They are stronger than aluminum and will not bend when kneading dough or scraping burnt porridge from the boiler.

Mugs

It is also better to take mugs as a set for compact styling. On simple trips, you can carry them together, like all the dishes. At the beginning of a trip, beginners often lose their spoons and mugs and find them only after disassembling the entire backpack. But for complex trips, such a rule is unacceptable, because with the loss of one backpack you can lose all your dishes.

Mugs made of food-grade plastic (not fragile), unlike metal ones, are much lighter and do not burn your hands. The cups have a narrow bottom, so they are unstable and often tip over.

Ladle

If your group has more than three people, take a ladle with you. It will allow you to taste the readiness of food, stir it, remove scale and debris that has flown from the fire without burning your hands. But you will appreciate all its advantages when you start pouring soup or laying out porridge.

The ladle capacity is standard - 0.14 l. A serving of soup is 3-5 ladlefuls, approximately 0.4-0.7 liters.

Fire hooks

Hooks are essential for safely regulating the heating of boilers. They allow you to conveniently hang, move and remove boilers from the fire in time. At stationary device With hooks, you can adjust the height of the suspension by hooking them one after the other. Making fire pitons steel wire with a diameter of 4-6 mm, sheet aluminum or titanium alloy.

Fire rope

The fire rope is made from a 1.5-2 mm core, which is separated (braided) from a thick tow rope.

A movable hook is put on the cable, which is fixed in the right place under the weight of the boiler. At the ends of the cable, fastening loops are made by crimping them into a tube. For convenience, small carabiners can be built into these loops.

The recommended cable length is 6-7 meters. The fire system kit includes two cords 4 and 10 meters long. If necessary, by extending the fire rope with them, you can organize a fireplace between trees spaced up to 20 meters from each other. This length will allow you to preserve the root system.

The fire system can withstand a load of up to 200 kg. But when the cable is heated in a strong flame, its strength decreases significantly. Therefore, after cooking, the system must be removed or raised.

How and, most importantly, how to cook delicious, hearty hot porridge or rich soup in nature? For experienced tourists this question is not worth it, but for beginners, camping dishes and their right choice– the question is very relevant.

The set for a solo trip is quite simple: a pot with a lid that can serve as a plate or even a frying pan, a smaller pot for tea, a fork-spoon-knife, often in one case. The main thing is that it is all light and compact, does not dangle or rattle when carried, and lasts a long time.

The set of dishes for a group hike is basically the same, only slightly larger and in different quantities. To be more precise, everyone can take cutlery, including plates and mugs, individually, but a common pot, kettle and frying pan must meet certain requirements:

• Firstly, volume. It depends on the number of tourists. It is calculated quite simply. The pot in which food for the whole group will be cooked should be purchased at the rate of 0.5 liters. for everyone. If the group is large and you end up with a huge, almost impossible-to-lift pan, it is better to take two or even more pots.
• Secondly, the same lightness. Someone alone will have to carry the dishes on a hike, which means an extra couple of kilograms, or even more.
• Thirdly, compactness. Manufacturers who make tourist dishes have taken this fact into account, and most sets are produced not only with prefabricated comfortable handles, but also have the matryoshka principle. In the stowed position, such sets are the size of the largest vessel, since all other accessories are designed in such a way that they fit easily and comfortably in it.
• Fourthly, the material from which camping utensils are made must not only be light, but also strong, durable and environmentally friendly.

Basic set of cookware for camping

All the points listed above indicate that a set of tourist dishes should include items that you simply cannot do without, without unnecessary frills, decorations and non-functional additions.

• A kettle or saucepan. The same container in which the main dish for all members of the group will be prepared over a fire or burner. Ideal option There will be one when the pot has a universal lid, used as a frying pan. It is not forbidden to take a small frying pan. It is unpretentious to carry, and fried fish will always be greeted with joy and gratitude.
• A container into which soup or porridge will be served or tea will be poured. Mugs, plates.
• Cutlery.
• A couple or more thermoses would be a good idea.

The rest, such as herring containers, decanters for water and vases for fruits and flowers, can be taken individually by everyone, but in this case he risks making everyone else so happy that they can safely forget about any type of tourism.

Which material to choose

Another important question, to which there may be several answers. Travel utensils can be made of four materials: plastic, aluminum, titanium and stainless steel. It is worth considering each option in more detail.

Plastic

Naturally, you shouldn’t put it on fire and try to cook something in it. But eating from plastic dishes is quite convenient. It does not get very hot and therefore is comfortable to hold in your hands. Cleans well and easily. And it's quite light. By this we do not mean disposable plates, which can be purchased at any store. This option is only suitable for a one-day picnic, and then only if people are responsible and take all the garbage with them. Modern manufacturers They produce plastic travel tableware that can last for years.

Aluminum

It has undoubted advantages. Aluminum cauldrons and pans are lightweight, practical and inexpensive. Ideal for cooking over a fire. Easy to wash and remove soot. There are also disadvantages. Cleaning too vigorously with abrasive cleaners can damage the special coating and release harmful substances into your food. Also, over time, aluminum can lose not only its shine, but also its shape. However, if you handle such utensils carefully, they will last quite a long time.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel cookware is heavier and more expensive than aluminum. But it is less susceptible to mechanical damage. To cook in such a cookware, you need some skills. Due to the slower distribution of heat, food burns quite easily, so it is necessary to stir it constantly. But you quickly get used to it. Otherwise, this version of camping utensils can go with you on hikes for decades.

Titanium

The most expensive option for tourist metal utensils. But it is the lightest and at the same time durable. Even a world weightlifting champion cannot bend a fork or spoon. In addition to the high cost, there is another very significant drawback: the porridge in a titanium pot burns almost instantly, which means you have to scrape it off almost every day.

Cookware for burners

If you are going on a hiking trip to an area where lighting a fire will be problematic, it is worth taking with you tourist burner and a matching set of dishes. In specialized stores you can easily find a set for two people, which does not take up much space, as it fits into the most large capacity and designed specifically for the burner. It is stable, equipped with removable handles and non-spill lids. It is usually made of anodized aluminum with a non-stick coating. With such a set of problems, there should be no problems in preparing the most complex dishes.

Eating food on a hiking trip is not just about replenishing the body with the necessary calories. This is, if you like, a mandatory daily ritual, accompanied by jokes, gags and raising not only strength, but good mood. And the right dishes play a significant role in this.