The Camp Box 3000

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Quick links: Camp Box Box ,  Camp box wish list

Amazon decided I didn't sell enough gear so now all of the links are broken. I'll be updating at my leisure... SORRY

A camp box is the ultimate gem for car camping.  It has everything you need so when you want to get on the road quickly after work you can grab and go easily.  Plus, you never forget something stupid like a can opener or forks.  Below is a list of everything you need and a pre-populated Amazon Wish List so you can build your own.

You’ll still need gear to build your camp home ie. Tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, pillows.  See the “Car Camping Gear” tab for more info on these.  I keep sleeping gear together in a big old hockey bag with a couple knit hats and hoodies just in case.  So you can grab your camp box, your bed bag, and dutch oven and hit the road.

Our first box was metal and I believe it was originally some sort of mail organizer that Jon’s dad found at a garage sale.  I would kill for another one like it.  I found a similar metal box online once for like $600 – it's some sort of vintage.  The camp box is Jon’s dad’s brainchild – he's a pioneer.  Sadly, after 5-6 years, Camp Box 1.0 rusted out and we had to figure out something else.  Camp Box 2.0 was a Nema 4X industrial control enclosure from the panel shop I used to work for.  They are expensive but luckily I ran the returns department at the time and I just re-purposed a scrapped one.  4X is water and corrosion proof =) That worked alright but it was hard to transport and I prefer to have more sections to store trinkets.

First of all, these are all of the things we’ve accumulated over the years; depending on the things you like to do while camping, yours could be very different.  I think the whole thing costs ~$600 but that’s with EVERYTHING and you shouldn’t need everything.  For example, I put AA, AAA, and a battery pack in there – you probably don’t need all of these – configure it according to what you use.  I keep all three because I’m a prepper.  There’s plenty of opportunity to make it cheaper too, just sub out some of the premium items like the mess kit, saw, and hatchet.  If you always buy a bundle of wood and kindling, ditch the saw and hatchet altogether.

Also, a number of these things are common household items that you probably don’t need to buy on Amazon such as aluminum foil and sunscreen.  You can get a lot of things cheaper too, like the rope, bug spray, camp soap, cozis, battery packs, spatula, headlamps, etc.  I don’t mind paying extra for convenience of one-click because I’m a DINK.

I put everything (except fuel!) in there so you would have (A) a placeholder or (B) if you want to one-click everything you need, you’ll be set!

Camp Box box

Camp Box Wish List - Amazon

First, the box.  I like that this one has wheels since it can be pretty cumbersome to port from garage to car to site when it’s fully loaded.  We also might throw a bundle of firewood or the big cast iron dutch oven on top and roll it out to a campsite so those wheels are critical for me.  I also like the cantilever so I can store a bunch of little things on top and see everything all at once.  

You could choose the cheaper, non-cantilever box:

Cheaper Box Option - Amazon

Or the tiered approach:

Tiered Box Option - Amazon

I might try the tiered one on the next iteration so let me know how it goes!

The list (THE List ) has a cast iron pan and a kettle for fire cooking.  I put that kettle directly in the fire; I’m not sure it’s meant to be used that way but its worked for years and I’m set in my ways now.

Make sure you have some way to get the cast iron it in and out of the fire such as the fire gloves or the “Dutch Oven Lid Lifter”.  I keep both in there – the hook is nice for chili or slow-cooking recipes in a big dutch oven and the gloves are nice for a stir-fry in the pan.  A dutch oven is not on the Amazon list as it doesn’t fit in the camp box, but I highly recommend having one.  I like mine big and with a top lip in case I want to put coals on top.   The bamboo cooking utensils are for stirring. They are durable and don’t risk scraping your pan.

FYI my Dutch oven suggestion:  Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Next, the GSI bugaboo mess kit.  This is just a simple, all-in-one cup/bowls, plates, and some cooking containers.  You could easily put all of these items together individually for cheaper.  I chose this one because I just grab the whole kit once it’s eating time.  I keep the utensils and burner inside there too.  I bring it all inside to run through the dishwasher after a trip.  Typically, we like to cook over the fire so the Bugaboo pots/pans and small burner are for morning coffee when you haven't restarted your fire yet or something that needs fine control over heat, like eggs. Or if it’s too wet for a fire...

There are also some bigger propane burners you could possibly fit in the box:  One Burner Propane Stove - Amazon.  I can’t guarantee that will fit which is why it’s not on the official list but I bet you could make room. 

Don’t forget FUEL if you like the portable stove route!  It is ridiculously expensive on Amazon, likely because it's hard to ship, so it’s not included in the list.  Get some at your local outdoor or grocery store.  You’ll need Propane pounders (big burner) or IsoPro cannisters (backpacker stove) depending on which route you take.

Fire building is a game for us.  We have fire-starting races with a flint knife, we saw unreasonably thick logs, we cut unnecessarily perfect 12” logs, we spent a full day once trying to build a bow-type fire starter...Jon got some smoke but none of us were successful.  Most of our friends can start a fire with a flint knife within a minute.  It’s always an Alpha competition; what else do we have to do?  I highly recommend doing senseless things.  More on this later...

We have a Silky Big Boy saw and it’s excellent.  You can easily get a $15 saw that will get you a fire but they’re more prone to bending and breaking.  We broke several cheap ones before biting the bullet on the nice one.  Choose your destiny.

I like to have a slingshot around as well.  I like to shoot rocks at trees; it’s oddly rewarding.  Don’t shoot critters or people and don’t shoot trash into the woods.  Think before you shoot.

Rope is good for a lot of things – drying clothes, tying up your dog, making an anchor if you brought a float, hanging your food in a tree (in bear country, if applicable), etc.

I keep a pen in my box in case we need to keep score in a card game or I think of something missing from the box.  You could also just use your phone, but I prefer not to have to look at that thing when I’m camping.

Spices are nice to have too.  Take some Fire sauce from Taco Bell or add a whole bottle of a staple sauce of your choosing.  Olive oil is really nice to have in there.  Add whatever food items you’ll need; just make sure it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Everything else on the list is self-explanatory.  Enjoy!