No matter how many hacks or āpro tipsā the internet puts out there, eating and drinking well on a camping trip isnāt easy. The combination of no electricity, spotty running water, and a prep area thatās dirty is not a recipe for sure success. But great food and drinks can be enjoyed if you pack the right gear. For better cooking, weād recommend you take a look at our review of the best portable grills and collection of camping cooking gear, but for better drinking, you need a few additional things.
When we say ābetter drinking,ā weāre specifically talking about making camping cocktails. If you want to drink beer or seltzer on a car-camping trip, thatās easy enough. All you need is a cooler. Cocktails are harder to deal with because you have to measure and mix. Thatās why many suggestions for camp cocktails are pre-batched, and carried to the campsite in a flask or thermos. But even if you batch, say, a bunch of negronis, youāll still need to stir them over ice before drinking. Or you may just be someone who wants to toss a couple bottles in the trunk because you like a freshly made cocktail (maybe youāre even hard-core enough to squeeze limes from your camp chair). The nice thing about bringing the items we suggest here is that you have the option to do both of those things. We would recommend that you stick to fairly simple recipes, thoughānegronis, Manhattans, or daiquiris, for exampleābecause you donāt want to mess around muddling herbs or delicate fresh fruit out in the woods. No need to subject yourself to any extra messy steps. Read on for a rundown of what you need to be a stellar campfire bartender.
High Camp Highball Shaker
A good camping shaker is the foundation of your cocktail kit on the road. Whether theyāre shaken or stirred, every cocktail gets built in here. High Campās highball shaker has several smart design choices that make it an excellent pick for a camping shaker. Itās made of three pieces that screw together and form a tight seal. That means there is no chance of leakage during shaking (we shook it upside down and nothing escaped), but maybe more important, during transport. The shaker is vacuum insulated and keeps liquid inside at a fairly stable temperature. So if you do choose to batch, you can do it directly in the shaker and then add ice at the campsite (if you are using any citrus, though, just make sure not to juice and add it more than 12 hours before you plan to drink it). The middle piece of this shaker is divided in twoāhalf is a strainer and the other half is open for stirring. Itās also designed to double as a beer cooler, easily fitting the contents of a 16-ounce can.
Yeti Tundra 35
Ice is one of the most challenging cocktail ingredients to get while camping. But a cooler like the rotomolded Yeti Tundra series can keep it on hand when youāre nowhere near a freezer. We tested the ice retention of a Tundra and still had lots of solid ice left in it after 72 hours outside. The Tundra 35 is a midsize cooler thatās easy to get in and out of cars and walk over to a campsite, even when itās loaded with food. For more cooler recommendations, read our best cooler review here.
Vacuum-insulated cups
Youāre not going to be sipping from a coupe or a heavy-bottomed old-fashioned glass out in the woods, but you also might not want to drink a well-made cocktail out of a red plastic cup if you can help it. Vacuum-insulated lowball tumblers offer a rugged alternative to the disposable favorites of college keggers.
Oxo stainless-steel mini angled measuring cup
We are big fans of Oxoās tiny, angled two-ounce measuring cup as a jigger for cocktails. Itās exactly the right size, and the pouring spout makes it easy to avoid the spills that can come with more stylish-looking jiggers. The clear plastic cup would likely endure a camping trip just fine, but Oxo also makes a stainless-steel version that is just a little tougher and more appropriate for an outdoor adventure.
Final Touch telescopic bar spoon
If you plan to stir cocktails, while camping or otherwise, a long-handled bar spoon is the tool of choice. This bar spoon, though, comes with the benefit of telescoping. At its shortest itās just 5.7 inches and very easy to pack. At its longest itās 13.3 inches, long enough to easily reach the bottom of a shaker like High Campās.
