Packing the kitchen

Re: Baking pans, If you don't bake, why bother? If you do want to bake something you can get a foil pan.

If you don't normally cook at all, I'd suggest one medium sized deep fry pan or a saucepan you can also fry in, a stirring/serving spoon, a knife, and leave it at that. Heck, you could get by with your steak or pocket knife.

Oh, and one lid that fits everything, more or less :).

Last year I had two deep fry pans, large and small, and a crock pot. This year I am leaving the crock pot and bringing a lighter soup pot instead. I can also fry in it if I want.

I like to cook enough for 3-10 days at a time, so 2 large pans will be good. I schedule a cooking day when it's rainy or cold out. I have considered a small saucepan for reheating, but the small fry pan does the job and also works for eggs, etc.

The new ceramic-lined nonstick pans are AWESOME for the RV life!

I have 2 coffee cups in case I have a guest :). And paper and plastic dishes and cutlery for when it's too inconvenient to wash up.

For food prep, 4 bowls (3 was not enough), a bucket, large and small knife, measuring spoons, cutting board... that's all.

We part-time, full-time. We are in the RV from May until September. There are 4 of us, so our case is just a little different from you. I have a large stockpot for soups, a 10" skillet, an 8" skillet for eggs, etc. and a medium and small sauce pan. I have two crockpots that are in the RV, also. I have cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner for 10 in the RV several times with those items.

We use our grill most evenings for grilled chicken and vegetables or burgers and those type of foods.

I have enough silverware for 10, melamine plates for 4, melamine bowls for 6. I have two glass bowls for cooking stuff in the microwave. If I expect more people, it's paper products for us.

Hope this helps.

I agree with the corelle ware. I have been using the same set for about 25 years and the only pieces I have lost were when a cupboard popped open on a rough trip and most of them fell out. Only lost 3 plates.

I would suggest loading what kitchen items you know you will need, and putting the rest in a box in storage. Then, if you find you need it, you can pull it out of the box. After a year or so, anything left in the box goes away.

I think it all depends upon you and your individual needs. As a kid, my dad took me on a road trip once (in the car, and not really camping ... but almost). We stopped on a back graveled road. He made a little fire and opened a can of pork-n-beans and simply put the can in the fire. Cooked up real well. We shared the can together. The can was the cooking pot and the serving dish! We used sticks as forks.

But for all practical purposes, you need to think about "lack of" space. Get pots and and pans that easily nest into each other. If you are by yourself, you really only need 1 plate, 1 fork, 1 spoon, 1 butter knife, 1 steak knife, 1 bowl, 1 cup. When I was a bachelor I fixed everything in one pot (which I cooked). I think I had only 1 pot ... for 5 years! It served as a frying pan, a stewing pot, a steamer, everything.

Think smart, look for cookware that has multiple purposes, stores with little space, and doesn't cost a bunch.

One thing you DO have to learn when camping (full time or week-end warrior) .... you absolutely have to clean up after meals and put everything away, no matter how much or little you have. If not, your camper will be a jumbled aggravating mess and you'll hate it. One of the basic rules for camping and especially full timers is: When done with "it", put "it" up immediately!

Good luck and happy camping!