Just because you’re traveling on your motorcycle and you’re far from the comfort of your home kitchen, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dine well.
You can bring with you some cooking items which will enable you to prepare your favorite meal or a cup of coffee away from home.
Even better, these cooking gear won’t overload your motorcycle.
In the following guide, we’ll let out the complete list of essential motorcycle kitchen gear to take with you on your next motorcycle camping trip.
The Complete Motorcycle Kitchen Gear Checklist:
We’ll categorize the cooking gear into various categories for a more organized list…
1. Food preparation and cooking gear
These are basically the items you’ll need to prepare and cook your food while out there. They include:
- Cooking stove (plus fuel): the first and most crucial kitchen gear you want to bring on board is a compact, lightweight, and easy to use stove. You’ll also need to bring enough fuel for the stove, depending on how long you plan to spend out there. A stove with multi-fuel capability is even better as it ensures you don’t run out of fuel when out there. While most riders might urge using open fire would be a cheaper alternative, it’s not practical for quick roadside meal stops. Plus, such fires are banned in some areas.
- Cooking pot(s) with lid: you’ll also need to bring along cooking pot(s), which will prepare adequate food for the number of people you’re traveling with. Don’t forget to bring a lid for the pot too.
- Frying pan: you might also want to carry a frying pan with you just in case you want to prepare some bacon, pancake, or other meals when on the go with your bike.
- Cutting board: a small cutting board, about the size of a small book, will also come in handy when you want to chop those veggies, meat, etc.
- Lighter/matches: do I need to explain this?
- Sharp knife: a durable, sharp knife is a must-have item on your motorcycle kitchen gear list. Though the knife will find many uses beyond your motorcycle kitchen, we urge you to stick to using it for cooking only. This way, you’ll know it’s always 100% clean and sanitary.
- Cooking utensils: you’ll also need to pack a set of cooking utensils for problem-free preparing of your favorite meal out there. These include the spatula, a large spoon, tongs, strainer, whisk, etc.
- Potholder/lifter: if your pot doesn’t come with its own insulated handles, you’d also want to ensure you bring along some pot holders or lifters.
- Bottle opener/can opener: if there are bottles or cans to pop open, then a bottle or can opener is a must-have. Alternatively, you can invest in a multi-tool which comes with all these tools, instead of investing in separate items.
- Small towel or hand sanitizer: a small towel is useful as it’ll help you easily clean your hands before you start cooking. And you can also use it to dry your dishes. Or you can carry a hand sanitizer to wash your hands before cooking.
Optional cooking and preparation you might also consider adding to your gear list include camp grill, grill rack, coffee maker, saw/ax, aluminum foil, measuring cups, mixing bowls, measuring spoons, camp tables, kitchen organizer unit, griddle, Dutch oven and lid lifter.
2. Serving and eating gear
After preparing your favorite meal by the roadside and it’s ready, you’ll need a set of times for serving and eating. These include:
- Eating utensils: these include the spoons, forks, and knives. You can stash all these in a small tote for easy carry.
- Plates and bowls: you’ll need some plates and bowls. Make sure you carry at least a bowl/plate per person. Most riders prefer carrying plastic ones as they’re lighter. You might also consider carrying an extra bowl and plate in case the one you have breaks, or a guest shows up.
TIP: Consider putting these bowls and plates in the cooking pot for easy carry.
- Mugs and cups: you’ll also need to bring along a couple of cups/mugs, at least for every person you’re traveling with, for taking your hot cup of coffee, tea, etc. Most riders are now investing in a motorcycle cup holder for conveniently carrying your hot cup of coffee. These holders aren’t expensive, so even a rider on a budget can get one.
- Water bottles: when taking long trips on your motorbike, you also want to ensure you bring along a refillable water bottle. Water is life, and you want to make sure you stay hydrated. Each person should have his/her own water bottle
- Collapsible water jug: while out there, you might run out of water for cooking, drinking, cleaning your dishes, etc. Packing a heavy water gallon will take up a ton of space. In this case, we advise you to look for a collapsible water jug that’s durable, easy to fill, BPA-free, has big capacity (3-4 liters) and folds up to a compact package.
3. Cleaning supplies
From preparing to enjoying your meal, you’ll have littered not only the spot you’re cooking on but also your dishes. For this reason, you’ll need some cleaning supplies to do your dishes and clean your surroundings.
- Sponge or dishcloth: you’ll need to bring a sponge or dishcloth for doing the dishes alongside some biodegradable dish soap. Instead of carrying the entire package of the soap, you can put a small amount in a plastic container to last your trip.
- Wash bin or camp sink: this will make it easy for you to clean your dishes.
- Quick-dry towels: for easily drying your dishes after cleaning them.
- Garbage bags: we all have the obligation of keeping our planet clean and healthy. And the best way to do this while on the travel is to bring with you a garbage bag. This can be as simple as your grocery bags, to pack all the garbage and leave your spot as clean as you found them.
4. Kitchen storage items
Lastly, you’ll need some storage gear to complete your motorcycle kitchen gear checklist.
Some of the most essential storage gear include:
- Small food containers: helpful for holding leftovers
- Resalable bag: helps you package foods that you want to maintain their freshness and prevent spillage. Reusable, resealable bags are more economical and safer for the environment
- Large bin/bag: these will help you conveniently transport and store all the kitchen gear you’re carrying.
Which food supplies Should You Bring for Motorcycle Trip?
Now that you’ve got the complete list of the essentials items to take with you on a long motorcycle trip, you’d be wondering what types of food supplies are ideal for motorcycle trips/camping.
Firstly, you should pack your food supplies depending on your travel plans.
Secondly, you should consider carrying foods that are slow to perish to ensure they last throughout your camping period. You can supplement these foods with some perishable ingredients as necessary.
Here’s our list of some essentials you might consider carrying:
- Salt
- Beverages: coffee/tea/chocolate
- Sweeteners: sugar/honey
- Peanut butter
- Oatmeal: most riders carry oatmeal for breakfast as it’s cheaper, packs compactly, and it’s easier and quicker to prepare.
- Canned foods such as soup, chili, etc.
- Cooking oil
- A handful of spices
- Energy foods such as gels, bars, trail mix, and so on
- Other dry items: rice, pancake mix, dried pasta, dry soup
NOTE: The above list of food is simply based on our suggestions. You can always tailor the list to remove/add food items of your liking.
Final Word
If you’ve been feeling confused about the right cooking items to bring you with to your upcoming long motorcycle trip, this guide will help solve your problem.
We have outlined an extensive list of motorcycle kitchen setup gear you need to take with you to allow you to prepare your favorite meal, a cup of coffee, etc., while away from home.
Note that we have divided the list into cooking and preparation gear, serving/eating items, cleanup gear, and storage gear to make it easy for you to comprehend.
We have also offered you a suggestion list of the suitable types of foods you can carry to your trips and the foods to avoid.
Note that this list isn’t limited. You can add more items that you feel you’ll need when traveling with your motorbike. You can also remove some items from the list that you feel if you don’t think you’ll need them.
Always remember to pack light and compact items to avoid overloading your motorcycle.
Enjoy your trip!