Portable Kitchens, do you use one, have you made one?

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by HK_User, Oct 7, 2015.


  1. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Just to start, consider the subject line a general question for all.

    For my part I have a couple of kitchen boxes and I have used more than one for years.

    From Motorcycle camping to family camping, so it can be as simple as what a motor cycle can handle to what you can stuff in a truck.

    For us the Portable Camp Kitchen culminated in its use as our source of food prep as we built our home!

    Pictures later as I dig things out, but don't let that stop anyone else from posting what they use.

    My two containers, for the portable kitchens, started life as Mil Surplus "Pressure Tite" aluminum boxes. This type mil box has the pressure relief valve so it can be opened when it is under pressure or vacuum, so you know it is water proof.

    One box was carried cross country on a Bike and served me well in Hawaii for Beach weekends.

    Add pictures of your box and its contents, or just let us know in a post in case pictures are not available with what your contents is.
     
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  2. UncleMorgan

    UncleMorgan I like peeling bananas and (occasionally) people.

    Everybody that camps should have a camp kitchen of some kind. It makes life soooooo much easier.

    Years ago I designed a portable (packflat) trestle table for my sweetie to cook on in our medieval pavilion. That worked so well that she had me build a packflat foldout shelving unit for the table.

    It opened out in one motion to give her three 8' long shelves. Worked like a charm. She loved it because it turned one table into a complete kitchen. And she had LOTS of storage space.

    I used to sell the trestle tables at Renn Faires and SCA events, and I sold plan sets with full-size patterns also. Each table was 2' X 8', 30" high, and looked really good. And they would hold a measured 1000 lbs of distributed weight. I had some blacksmith friends that routinely loaded them solid with their ironwork, and they held up for years.

    I also designed a packflat bench in the same Renn style to go with the tables, of course.

    Eventually I modified the design into a Renn-style camping bed by special request for a friend, and he's been using it at least twenty years. It got him and his wife (and the kids) up off the ground, and they are friends for life.

    Those were definitely some of my better designs.
     
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  3. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    [worthless]
     
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  4. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Show us your pics>
     
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  5. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++

    My camp kitchen is in a plastic bin. Plus one really large pot.

    One of our friends built one. It was wooden and had everything. Paper towel rack, spice rack, dish rack, two burner stove... He even brought the kitchen sink, although it was a separate item. It was a double sink on retractable legs, complete with water hook up and drain pipe. I would have to manually dig to find pictures. He hasn't camped with us in years.
     
  6. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    We used 'em in the boy scouts. They are quite pricey to buy them ready made. I would suggest finding what you like, and making your own.
     
  7. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    Nowadays my kitchen has 4 wheels under it and comes with a bed, bath and surround sound:D
    Years back I built a set of pack boxes that serve as a camp kitchen. Took A LOT of time, but worth it. I used 1/4" plywood. I soaked the plywood and wrapped the pieces around a couple of 55gal drums using ratchet straps to apply/keep the pressure on until they took the shape I needed to fit the horse's sides. I padded the backs with old horse blankets to help protect the horses. The rest of the parts I cut with a scroll saw mostly. Took a lot of studying and I laid out everything I took to cook with. That way everything had a place in the boxes. The fronts are hinged and swing down to from a small table. On the bottoms I screwed in 3/4" pipe sockets and use sections of black pipe for the legs.
    I have used these boxes for over 25 yrs and are still with my tack up in Colorado.
     
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  8. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    [​IMG]
    Big and fancy

    [​IMG]
    Smaller, less fancy,. still works

    [​IMG]
    Army surplus field desk, I have something very much like this, works great for just the two of us.
     
  9. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    HK_User likes this.
  10. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    [​IMG]
    surplus field desks come in several sizes and set ups....

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Some of the prices for these units on fleaBay are eye-watering.

    [​IMG]
    Some very nice foreign made units are starting to show up, ao at least a choice is possible.
     
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  11. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Thinking go box for hams. Hm.
     
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  12. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    Last edited: Oct 11, 2015
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  13. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    :cough cough: @DKR is that edible? [LMAO]
     
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  14. KAS

    KAS Monkey+++

    you can makem boxes pretty easy also...

    maybe start a deffert field office thread...
    People get upset around here .;)
     
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  15. Airborne Monkey

    Airborne Monkey Gorilla Survivalpithecus

    Interesting thread ... everyone who has every done much camping with the family, especially for any amount of time, has probably thought of doing a portable camp kitchen but few probably are dedicated enough or would use one enough to make it worth one's while.

    I readily admit to designing one in my head 100 different times though.
     
    Ganado likes this.
  16. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Most I see posted here are a bit heavier than mine. Ours are simple waterproof containers use to change with the time of year so no dividers, and weighing in at no more than 50 lbs total. Ice chest for the foods that need it and all else in the kitchen box. Water proof means no problems when it rains or snows and a simple put the lid on when required.

    If one person can't load it then we don't take it.
     
  17. Airborne Monkey

    Airborne Monkey Gorilla Survivalpithecus

    One thing I have learned over the decades is that when it comes to lightweight aesthetically pleasing - while still maintaining the versatility, ergonomics and usability of just about anything to do with camping ... the Europeans are waaaaay ahead of us here in The States.

    The Europeans have been doing more with less and doing it lighter (sic; less weight) for a long long time.

    If you really want to see bare essential yet functional portable kitchens, check out some of the European designs, especially from the Germans and Italians but to include the Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc. They've got it down to a science.

    Most of us Americans would find what they (Europeans) do far too skimpy when it comes to mobile portable camping. They are truly the masters of space saving though ... and we are headed that way in a hurry.
     
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  18. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    For myself, I'd rather do it by choice than by having a poor economy.
     
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  19. Airborne Monkey

    Airborne Monkey Gorilla Survivalpithecus

    That has absolutely zero to do with it ... absolutely zilch. FWIW, Germany's economy is better than ours.

    I'll try to explain it to you.

    Europeans are used to doing it with less - and often times better these days. European cars, European appliance designs, European styles and workmanship. It is what it is. I hate it because the U.S. used to lead in every category ... but we are where we are these days.
     
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  20. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    It has everything to do with it. Germany put herself in the dumps from two world wars and killed off and destroyed its economy. the US bailed them out. If you think other wise check the pictures from post WWll with all the women standing in long lines cleaning bricks and the starvation that happened and then the bicycles and micro cars they slowly built because that was all their economy could build.

    They just got use to doing with less because that was all they had.
     
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