DIY Kitchen Boxes for Camping
I’ve seen lots of chuck / kitchen boxes over the years and they all seemed lacking and terribly expensive. So, I designed my own DIY kitchen boxes for camping to fulfill my needs and wants at much less expense. Here’s how it came together and how YOU can build your own as well!
Top Requirements for the DIY Kitchen Boxes for Camping :
1 – The boxes had to Store inside the trailer while in motion
In my opinion boxes that are permanently fixed to the sides of trailers are hazardous. I don’t want anything obstructing my rear view when driving. And I just may need that extra few inches when I pull into a parking area.
I wanted the boxes to be safely secured when in motion and I wanted them out of the LQ area.
To accommodate this need I mounted hangers to the back of the boxes that allows them to easy be moved from the interior stock gate to the matching hanger that is mounted over the fenders, under the awning.
This is where the kitchen boxes will live in transit and in the event that I want to cook in inclement weather. Forward of the gate is “dirty” storage where coolers, saddles, and tack live. Aft of the gate is home to Ruger and the girls.
An added benefit to having the boxes inside the trailer is that I have a protected cooking area during foul weather.
2 – Versatility in camp
My main kitchen area when camping is under the awning, but I wanted to be able to set up the kitchen anywhere I wanted. Extendable legs make this doable. My kitchen can go anywhere I want. Others can’t do that.
I also wanted to be able to load the kitchen boxes on a pack animal and use them as hard sided panniers. The idea of having my camp kitchen in the backcountry is very appealing!
3 – Organized storage
For me an organized kitchen is the secret to a happy camping trip. That means dedicated shelves so that everything has a home.
4 – Lightweight and durable
I’ve seen many boxes that were too heavy and cumbersome to be easily moved. Aircraft grade aluminum and stainless steel keep my kitchen much lighter than a wooden box and able to withstand years of use.
To fulfill all my requirements, I came up with the following dimensions for the boxes: 12” deep, 24” tall, 24” wide, legs extend to 30” high. An organized kitchen is the secret to a happy camping trip.
The front flips down and creates a sturdy horizontal table and is covered with food grade High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Sheets to provide an easy to clean food prep and cooking surface.
The interior shelves vary in height and can easily accommodate my stove, fuel, and kitchen supplies. NOTE: In hindsight I should have made the shelves adjustable.
With these kitchen boxes it’s easy to keep all your camp cooking gear and ingredients readily accessible when you’re at the campsite.
Well there you go, my DIY kitchen boxes for camping. Designing the boxes was surprisingly forward and any competent metal fabricator can build them with little trouble. These boxes will take a lot of the guesswork out of packing and unpacking and will save me a lot of time in the cooking process.
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