How to Pack and Store Cast Iron Cookware for Camping?
Cast iron is the best cookware you can bring camping and the heaviest. Packed wrong, it rattles, chips and rusts. Packed right, it rides in the truck for years. Here is the routine.
Before you pack: clean, dry, oil
Wash it, dry it over heat, and wipe on a thin coat of oil. Never pack cast iron damp. If the surface looks dull or rusty, re-season it first with our step by step seasoning guide.
How to pack cast iron for the drive
- Pad the rim. Lay a paper towel or cloth between the oven and its lid so iron does not grind on iron.
- Nest what fits. Small tools ride inside the oven. The Lid Holder & Serving Stand stores inside a 12 inch or larger Dutch oven.
- Use a bag built for the weight. The Mega Carry Bag ($32.99) carries an 8, 10 or 12 inch Dutch oven plus your tools, with reinforced handles that hold up to 30 lbs and an inner pocket for the Flip Grill. For tools only, or an 8 or 10 inch oven, the Tool Bag ($18.99) is the compact option.
- Load it low and flat. Put it on the vehicle floor against something solid, never stacked on top of other gear.
How to store cast iron at camp
- Keep it off the ground overnight. Dew is enough to start rust.
- After washing, dry it over the last heat of the fire.
- Leave a paper towel under the lid so moisture can escape.
How to store cast iron at home
- Pick a dry spot. Skip the damp garage and the cabinet under the sink.
- Keep a paper towel between the oven and the lid.
- Store it in its bag so it is clean and ready to grab for the next trip.
- Check it every couple of months and re-season if it looks dull.
The short version
Clean, dry, oil, pad, bag. Five steps and your cast iron outlasts the truck.
Keep reading
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Cast iron is the best cookware you can bring camping and the heaviest. Packed wrong, it rattles, chips and rusts. Packed right, it rides in the truck for years. Here is the routine.
Before you pack: clean, dry, oil
Wash it, dry it over heat, and wipe on a thin coat of oil. Never pack cast iron damp. If the surface looks dull or rusty, re-season it first with our step by step seasoning guide.
How to pack cast iron for the drive
- Pad the rim. Lay a paper towel or cloth between the oven and its lid so iron does not grind on iron.
- Nest what fits. Small tools ride inside the oven. The Lid Holder & Serving Stand stores inside a 12 inch or larger Dutch oven.
- Use a bag built for the weight. The Mega Carry Bag ($32.99) carries an 8, 10 or 12 inch Dutch oven plus your tools, with reinforced handles that hold up to 30 lbs and an inner pocket for the Flip Grill. For tools only, or an 8 or 10 inch oven, the Tool Bag ($18.99) is the compact option.
- Load it low and flat. Put it on the vehicle floor against something solid, never stacked on top of other gear.
How to store cast iron at camp
- Keep it off the ground overnight. Dew is enough to start rust.
- After washing, dry it over the last heat of the fire.
- Leave a paper towel under the lid so moisture can escape.
How to store cast iron at home
- Pick a dry spot. Skip the damp garage and the cabinet under the sink.
- Keep a paper towel between the oven and the lid.
- Store it in its bag so it is clean and ready to grab for the next trip.
- Check it every couple of months and re-season if it looks dull.
The short version
Clean, dry, oil, pad, bag. Five steps and your cast iron outlasts the truck.
Keep reading
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Cast iron is the best cookware you can bring camping and the heaviest. Packed wrong, it rattles, chips and rusts. Packed right, it rides in the truck for years. Here is the routine.
Before you pack: clean, dry, oil
Wash it, dry it over heat, and wipe on a thin coat of oil. Never pack cast iron damp. If the surface looks dull or rusty, re-season it first with our step by step seasoning guide.
How to pack cast iron for the drive
- Pad the rim. Lay a paper towel or cloth between the oven and its lid so iron does not grind on iron.
- Nest what fits. Small tools ride inside the oven. The Lid Holder & Serving Stand stores inside a 12 inch or larger Dutch oven.
- Use a bag built for the weight. The Mega Carry Bag ($32.99) carries an 8, 10 or 12 inch Dutch oven plus your tools, with reinforced handles that hold up to 30 lbs and an inner pocket for the Flip Grill. For tools only, or an 8 or 10 inch oven, the Tool Bag ($18.99) is the compact option.
- Load it low and flat. Put it on the vehicle floor against something solid, never stacked on top of other gear.
How to store cast iron at camp
- Keep it off the ground overnight. Dew is enough to start rust.
- After washing, dry it over the last heat of the fire.
- Leave a paper towel under the lid so moisture can escape.
How to store cast iron at home
- Pick a dry spot. Skip the damp garage and the cabinet under the sink.
- Keep a paper towel between the oven and the lid.
- Store it in its bag so it is clean and ready to grab for the next trip.
- Check it every couple of months and re-season if it looks dull.
The short version
Clean, dry, oil, pad, bag. Five steps and your cast iron outlasts the truck.
Keep reading
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Cast iron is the best cookware you can bring camping and the heaviest. Packed wrong, it rattles, chips and rusts. Packed right, it rides in the truck for years. Here is the routine.
Before you pack: clean, dry, oil
Wash it, dry it over heat, and wipe on a thin coat of oil. Never pack cast iron damp. If the surface looks dull or rusty, re-season it first with our step by step seasoning guide.
How to pack cast iron for the drive
- Pad the rim. Lay a paper towel or cloth between the oven and its lid so iron does not grind on iron.
- Nest what fits. Small tools ride inside the oven. The Lid Holder & Serving Stand stores inside a 12 inch or larger Dutch oven.
- Use a bag built for the weight. The Mega Carry Bag ($32.99) carries an 8, 10 or 12 inch Dutch oven plus your tools, with reinforced handles that hold up to 30 lbs and an inner pocket for the Flip Grill. For tools only, or an 8 or 10 inch oven, the Tool Bag ($18.99) is the compact option.
- Load it low and flat. Put it on the vehicle floor against something solid, never stacked on top of other gear.
How to store cast iron at camp
- Keep it off the ground overnight. Dew is enough to start rust.
- After washing, dry it over the last heat of the fire.
- Leave a paper towel under the lid so moisture can escape.
How to store cast iron at home
- Pick a dry spot. Skip the damp garage and the cabinet under the sink.
- Keep a paper towel between the oven and the lid.
- Store it in its bag so it is clean and ready to grab for the next trip.
- Check it every couple of months and re-season if it looks dull.
The short version
Clean, dry, oil, pad, bag. Five steps and your cast iron outlasts the truck.
Keep reading
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