I'm interested in ideas for a camp kitchen pack.

Meals are a big part of our trips, so we bring a lot of bulky camp kitchen stuff. Dutch oven, griddle, 4L pot, large coffee press, etc.

I've tried a few different approaches:
1) a medium-sized, dedicated "camp kitchen" pack
2) including kitchen gear in a larger pack with other stuff (tools, camp chairs, fishing gear, etc)
3) distributing kitchen gear into packs wherever there's room, including the food barrel

I like the idea of a dedicated camp kitchen pack, but haven't found one that's the right combination of size and portaging efficiency. I've seen some packs designed for this purpose, but to me they often seem "over organized", with too many pockets that aren't the ideal size for what I bring.

Curious what others use or have come up with.

Thanks,
TK

I use a Duluth Pack kitchen pack. Works great for hauling our food, pots, pans, dishes, fuel, stove, utensils in a removable pouch. I bought mine many years ago, going strong.

Depending how big your camp chairs are, I like the CCS Bushcrafter. I have Helinox chairs that pack small so they fit nicely. I use one outside pocket for fuel, and the other for my stove & spare stove.

we have a random pack that fits everything--stove,fuel,pots and pans, dinnerware, etc, perfectly. We go ultra-heavy and enjoy the food part of our vacations.

we have a random pack that fits everything--stove,fuel,pots and pans, dinnerware, etc, perfectly. We go ultra-heavy and enjoy the food part of our vacations.

We use 2 igloo water coolers (the orange and white ones with the spouts) with screw on tops to pack most of the dried food and cereal products in zip lock bags. We usually group meals together in each bag. They are pretty light and I feel like the food is somewhat protected at least from mice and critters. They fit side by side in a Duluth pack, then we put the rest of the kitchen items and less critical food around them, and a griddle down the back side. I guess a bear barrel would be safer, but these were a cheap solution. We usually have 3 Duluth packs altogether with compression bags and lightweight duffles to group gear.

5 gallon buckets with gamma lids would also work - cheap and light - but, I prefer Blue Barrels

Squishable food goes into a bear vault, all other into Ursacks. Stoves (Whipserlite and Dragonfly), fuel, fire kit and untensils (in a CCS untensil roll) into a CCS medium stuffsack. Cups and bowls in a small stuff sack. Plates nestle in frying pan with handle folded down. Pot kit came with its own stuff sack. All goes into a GG #3 pack.

I use a medium size duffel bag for my kitchen bag. Just big enough to hold my things. One pocket on each side with misc. items & fuel. Center storage for stove, coffee perk., mess kit that doubles as plates or frying pans & all utensils. Works well for me but I don't really portage a lot.

I use a medium size duffel bag for my kitchen bag. Just big enough to hold my things. One pocket on each side with misc. items & fuel. Center storage for stove, coffee perk., mess kit that doubles as plates or frying pans & all utensils. Works well for me but I don't really portage a lot.

Im not sure how big you need or what portage efficiency means to you, but here is what I do in case it is helpful.

A few years back I got tired of trying to stuff most or all my gear into my big Duluth pack for solo trips. It didn't fit in the canoe as well and was inconvenient in camp. I opted to go to two bags, and picked up a Duluth Food Bag as my "kitchen" bag and use my big old Duluth bag as my "tent" bag (not full). The tent bag has, of course, my tent, and all gear that goes in the tent - sleeping bag, pads, Luci light, extra cloths, etc. My "kitchen" bag has all my gear that goes by the fire ring - tarp, coffee pot, water filter, pots, stove, saw and hatchet if I bring, etc. The beauty for me is the tent bag goes straight from canoe to selected tent pad, and the kitchen bag straight to the fire ring. I chose the Duluth Food bag for my kitchen stuff for a couple reasons. 1- I didn't want as you say "an over-organized" bag - its just one big pocket. 2- Its small enough that I could wear it on my front when carrying both Duluth bags - my knees don't hit it while going uphill and its low enough that I can see over it or around it for navigating bad footing. Some day I may bring a lot less stuff and go back to one bag - but for now this works for me.

quote lundojam: "we have a random pack that fits everything--stove,fuel,pots and pans, dinnerware, etc, perfectly. We go ultra-heavy and enjoy the food part of our vacations."

What Lundojam said.
What Lundojam said

It's all in a #4 Duluth pack, Coffee pot, cast iron fry pan, large pot, smaller pot, plates, silverware, hot pads, some spices, reflector oven, and sometime the hatchet. We hand carry a suitcase stove and fuel.

Many old time campers used the Wannigan, Just a light weight box they carried with a Tump line. I would suggest shoulder straps as the tump needs some practice and building up of some muscles that we as modern humans don't even know we have. I have two one great big one with legs for car camping and a smaller one for tripping. Give it a good Google!
They make a great flat food prep area, some have wonderful wood burning on them as art or a checkerboard for rainy days under a tarp.
.........BB