"Budget" Camp Kitchen (No Gear Tunnel)

[Outdoorsyish]

I originally pre-ordered my R1T with a camp kitchen, but with delays to its availability have instead begun to look at other options. I also find the gear tunnel to be a really nice place to store things, and don’t really want to give up the space for something I will likely use only 2 weekends per month, at most. There are other threads about making a custom kitchen for the gear tunnel or making a slide-out arrangement for the bed, but nothing that I could find for an option that can just be thrown together and moved wherever needed, even to another vehicle.

This post is intended to provide consolidated details about equipment I am choosing for a “budget” camp kitchen. I’m also hoping some other members will chime in and provide improved options or additional things to consider.

My use case is a family of four with a dog, dispersed camping in an R1T for up to 3 nights. Full disclosure, I am an REI and Costco member, and rely heavily on available REI dividends for purchasing decisions, which adds some bias to the decisions below. It’s also not really a budget version, but still comes in a lot cheaper than the camp kitchen. My estimates below totaled $2621 when also adding a powered Dometic cooler. Otherwise, it’s closer to $1641, assuming everything is purchased new and not on sale.

I didn’t include options for a toilet, shower, or sleeping (ground tents, rooftop tents, mattress for the bed, etc), but am happy to add sections if there is interest that isn’t otherwise covered in other threads.

I’ve broken sections into separate posts below, to help with organization:

• Storage and Large Items
• Cooking
• Eating
• Other (Meant to be a placeholder, to add additional things with edits if needed)

Please let me know what you think or if you have any other recommendations or additions!

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[Outdoorsyish]

Storage and Large Items:

Table: REI Camp Prep Table, REI, $150, I like that it has adjustable legs for uneven ground. It also was purchased preR1T. It is a lot more expensive than a simpler folding table that can be found at home improvement stores or Costco. But having uneven ground isn’t an issue.

Cooking Gear Storage: Greenmade 27 Gallon Bin, Costco and others, $15 (approximate, price varies, I think I got most of mine on sale at Costco for under $10). Reasonable size, hoping I can still squeeze all my stuff into it when the whole kit is complete (so far so good), fits under the tonneau cover.

Dry Food Storage: Greenmade 12 Gallon Bin, Costco and others, $12 (Costco sells in packs of 2, but I can’t find their pricing online). Same benefits as above.

Cooler: Undecided. I currently have a cheap, old plastic Coleman cooler. It works fine for a few days at a time, but needs an ice run prior to a 2-3 day trip. I also have a preR1T wheeled ROVR cooler, which is great and on par with a Yeti in terms of keeping food cool, but it doesn’t fit under the tonneau cover. I’m thinking about a powered 35L Dometic, $980, which is the largest one I can find with dimensions that fit under the tonneau cover, but this isn’t high on my list given the cost and my expectation/hope that larger refrigerated coolers will be available in the next year or so that also fit. Advice appreciated on this front, but for now my trusty Coleman will be perfectly adequate.

Water Storage: Dometic 2.9 Gallon Water Jug, REI, $70. $70 buys a lot of supermarket 2.5 gallon water jugs, but I like that this has an easy-to-use spout for kids, and it will sit securely on a table or the open liftgate of the R1T, and doesn’t add to wasted containers. This won’t be enough water for a longer trip, especially for a family of 4, but I’ll just supplement with additional containers, dromedary bags, or supermarket jugs if needed. If we were consistently doing longer trips or frequently getting water from questionable sources, I’d also consider adding a LIFESAVER Jerrycan, although it doesn’t seem to be available right now.

Handwashing Sink: Self-made out of 5-gallon buckets, tubing, and a primer bulb. Fun weekend activity for the kids. A little more expensive than advertised, but cheaper than store-bought options. I blame inflation. Works really well and it all compacts down to the size of a 5-gallon bucket. I’m estimating $70 for the whole thing, but maybe a bit less if you havesome of the items already, or a bit more if you are stuck buying more copper tubing than needed.

Tablecloth: Yourtablecloth, 60x84, Amazon, $26. I like the idea of cotton and machine washability, and one that covers the table above if doubled, but can also cover a standard picnic table if necessary, It can be used to wrap/protect the induction stove while in storage. I’ve added clamps for an additional $4.

Drying Rack: Sturdy Pine Dish Drying Bag, Sturdy Pine, $62. It’s great, fits under the table, and supports a small business. We also really like some of their other bags and totes. Can’t recommend them enough.

Organizer: Kelty Camp Galley Deluxe Bag, REI, $70. I’m hoping it helps keep some things organized for the kitchen. A lot cheaper than the custom cork portion of the camp kitchen it was meant to replace. Haven’t used yet, but seems to be nicely made and I’m sure I’ll end up incorporating it.

Total Cost: $479, plus the cost of a cooler/refrigerator. If one adds the 35L Dometic cooler, the cost jumps to $1459.

 

[Outdoorsyish]

Cooking:

Stove: Duxtop 2-burner Induction Stove, Amazon, $230. I bought this after reading NYT Wirecutter reviews. I haven’t taken it camping yet, but it boils water quickly at home. I thought the 2 burners would be helpful for adding the option of a little more complex camp cooking and match the official camp kitchen. But, if I were to do things again I’d probably shift to a single induction cooktop and add an electric kettle. I wanted an induction surface for the stove, to avoid having to deal with open flame in the event of camping in areas where fire is prohibited. It just seems safer. Honestly, if I were considering a gas stovetop, I also would have heavily considered something like Aioks.

Cookware: Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro Cookset, REI, $150. Stainless steel (works with an induction stovetop), reasonable size for a family of 4, machine washable for when you get home, nests well and saves space compared to just using cookware designed for home use, 3 cooking surfaces (frying pan and 2 pots), comes with nylon spoon and slotted spatula as well as some trivets and a “cutting board.” The cutting board is pretty useless. Overall I’m happy with the purchase.

Cooking Utensils: OXO Camp Cook Utensil Set, REI, $50. Did I mention I had an REI dividend? Honestly, I’d probably just consider some silicone coated utensils like we use at home, but this will function fine despite being a little pricey. These are a nice quality. I like having the silicone coating for the spatula and spoon, hence the reason I added this and didn’t just settle for the utensils included in the cookware set.

Wash/prep/cleaing sink: SOL 16L Collapsible Sink, REI, $22. Collapses flat, larger size to accommodate washing dishes or pans a bit better. Available in a smaller size if desired.

Can Opener: OXO Outdoor Can/Bottle Opener, REI, $16. Thank you REI Dividend. It was nicer than our home can opener. So now it’s the home can opener, and our old opener is for camping.

Cutting Board: Epicurean Cutting Board, Epicurean and others, $25. Variable price depending on size and what you want. Able to show some state pride with the one in the link. We’ve purchased some in the past from Costco, and I’m just repurposing an old one for our camping kit.

Prep Knife: Benchmade Station Knife, Benchmade, $280+. This was a splurge purchase, and will probably both be used when camping and at home. It’s great and comes with a streamlined sheath.

Coffee: Right now I’ll likely just do a pour-over style from a local coffee shop, but am considering a shift to a French press or percolator. Stanley makes some interesting options that aren’t as pricey as Snowpeak. But the Snowpeak one also looks really nice. Ideas/recommendations appreciated on this front, but I like the utility that the Stanley percolator adds. If I end up going with the Stanley percolator, it’s $41.

Total Cost: $814.

 

[Outdoorsyish]

Eating:

Plates: Hydroflask 10” Plate, REI, $100 for 4. Thank you REI Dividend. They’re insulated, which I thought might make it a little safer for kids over a simpler enamel/steel plate. But they’re also a bit bulkier and a lot more expensive.

Bowls: Stanley Insulated 18oz and 32oz Bowls, Sierra, preR1T purchase. I can’t find these online anymore, but the closest thing I can find is the Fifty/Fifty 24oz Insulated Food Bowl with Lid, Sportsmans Warehouse, $40 for 4.

Flatware: We’re just using standard sets from home, or may purchase a similar, cheap set just for camping. Here’s one, as an example and price estimate, $18 for 4 sets.

Drinkware: We have a variety of preR1T options, but if we got a dedicated set I’d probably get 2 insulated pint glasses and 2 smaller glasses, along with a set of 4 mugs for our family. As a cost estimate, I’m using the Hydroflask items I just referenced, $190 total. I’m also partial to Silipints, but find that they can hold onto odors a little bit (coffee in particular) and don’t insulate hot drinks as much as I’d like. But they are really useful for kids.

Total Cost: $348, but this can obviously be done a lot cheaper.

 

[Outdoorsyish]

Other:

Placeholder for future edits.

 

[MisterTea]

Thanks for this! Great write-up. Will definitely be purchasing a few of the options you listed.

 

[DJG]

Storage and Large Items:

Table: REI Camp Prep Table, REI, $150, I like that it has adjustable legs for uneven ground. It also was purchased preR1T. It is a lot more expensive than a simpler folding table that can be found at home improvement stores or Costco. But having uneven ground isn’t an issue.

Cooking Gear Storage: Greenmade 27 Gallon Bin, Costco and others, $15 (approximate, price varies, I think I got most of mine on sale at Costco for under $10). Reasonable size, hoping I can still squeeze all my stuff into it when the whole kit is complete (so far so good), fits under the tonneau cover.

Dry Food Storage: Greenmade 12 Gallon Bin, Costco and others, $12 (Costco sells in packs of 2, but I can’t find their pricing online). Same benefits as above.

Cooler: Undecided. I currently have a cheap, old plastic Coleman cooler. It works fine for a few days at a time, but needs an ice run prior to a 2-3 day trip. I also have a preR1T wheeled ROVR cooler, which is great and on par with a Yeti in terms of keeping food cool, but it doesn’t fit under the tonneau cover. I’m thinking about a powered 35L Dometic, $980, which is the largest one I can find with dimensions that fit under the tonneau cover, but this isn’t high on my list given the cost and my expectation/hope that larger refrigerated coolers will be available in the next year or so that also fit. Advice appreciated on this front, but for now my trusty Coleman will be perfectly adequate.

Water Storage: Dometic 2.9 Gallon Water Jug, REI, $70. $70 buys a lot of supermarket 2.5 gallon water jugs, but I like that this has an easy-to-use spout for kids, and it will sit securely on a table or the open liftgate of the R1T, and doesn’t add to wasted containers. This won’t be enough water for a longer trip, especially for a family of 4, but I’ll just supplement with additional containers, dromedary bags, or supermarket jugs if needed. If we were consistently doing longer trips or frequently getting water from questionable sources, I’d also consider adding a LIFESAVER Jerrycan, although it doesn’t seem to be available right now.

Handwashing Sink: Self-made out of 5-gallon buckets, tubing, and a primer bulb. Fun weekend activity for the kids. A little more expensive than advertised, but cheaper than store-bought options. I blame inflation. Works really well and it all compacts down to the size of a 5-gallon bucket. I’m estimating $70 for the whole thing, but maybe a bit less if you havesome of the items already, or a bit more if you are stuck buying more copper tubing than needed.

Tablecloth: Yourtablecloth, 60x84, Amazon, $26. I like the idea of cotton and machine washability, and one that covers the table above if doubled, but can also cover a standard picnic table if necessary, It can be used to wrap/protect the induction stove while in storage. I’ve added clamps for an additional $4.

Drying Rack: Sturdy Pine Dish Drying Bag, Sturdy Pine, $62. It’s great, fits under the table, and supports a small business. We also really like some of their other bags and totes. Can’t recommend them enough.

Organizer: Kelty Camp Galley Deluxe Bag, REI, $70. I’m hoping it helps keep some things organized for the kitchen. A lot cheaper than the custom cork portion of the camp kitchen it was meant to replace. Haven’t used yet, but seems to be nicely made and I’m sure I’ll end up incorporating it.

Total Cost: $479, plus the cost of a cooler/refrigerator. If one adds the 35L Dometic cooler, the cost jumps to $1459.

I'll suggest some alternatives

Storage: I'd highly recommend spending just a little more for some Plano trunks. They are far more rigid (can use as a stool/bench), have better latches, have tie down points, have wheels on larger ones, and you can even add your own seal (couple bucks in material) to the lid to make it dust/waterproof. The 108qt/27 gal HD Sportsman is only $40 and is 10x superior. It will last you 10 years vs. 10 weeks.

Water Storage: that's wildly expensive for the capacity and what you get. A 5gal Scepter (military grade) is about $50, and you can add a tap for a few bucks more. You can even rig it up with a hose and pump if you want to go all out.

 

[DJG]

I'll suggest some alternatives

Storage: I'd highly recommend spending just a little more for some Plano trunks. They are far more rigid (can use as a stool/bench), have better latches, have tie down points, have wheels on larger ones, and you can even add your own seal (couple bucks in material) to the lid to make it dust/waterproof. The 108qt/27 gal HD Sportsman is only $40 and is 10x superior. It will last you 10 years vs. 10 weeks.

Water Storage: that's wildly expensive for the capacity and what you get. A 5gal Scepter (military grade) is about $50, and you can add a tap for a few bucks more. You can even rig it up with a hose and pump if you want to go all out.

Also, if you want to keep going up market on the storage route, here's a tip: anything labeled "Overlanding" will come with a 50% markup. Take a look at gun cases (Plano does these too, Redfield another). Essentially the same case will be half the cost. They even come with pluck out foam for the OCD types.

 

[timesinks]

To me, the biggest value in the Rivian camp kitchen is the form factor and packaging. Slide it out and voila, there's all the galley systems. No need to unpack, set up tables, etc., etc..

I'm curious if you're going to assemble all this into some kind of integrated item or are just collecting a camping kit. If it's just collecting kit, I'm not sure how different it'll be than just going camping with pretty much any other vehicle (aside from the access to the 120V inverter). I fully support geeking out over kit, I just bring it up because when I read the original post in the thread, I kind of thought you were going to take on building a gear tunnel slide out on the cheap.

So going a little luxe on the kit, one of my favorite accessories for camping has been one of those propane ovens for having fresh cookies or cinnamon rolls on a campout. I'm imagining it would be fun to take a nice toaster oven to achieve the same from the electrical outlet.

 

[Outdoorsyish]

I'll suggest some alternatives

Storage: I'd highly recommend spending just a little more for some Plano trunks. They are far more rigid (can use as a stool/bench), have better latches, have tie down points, have wheels on larger ones, and you can even add your own seal (couple bucks in material) to the lid to make it dust/waterproof. The 108qt/27 gal HD Sportsman is only $40 and is 10x superior. It will last you 10 years vs. 10 weeks.

Water Storage: that's wildly expensive for the capacity and what you get. A 5gal Scepter (military grade) is about $50, and you can add a tap for a few bucks more. You can even rig it up with a hose and pump if you want to go all out.

Thanks for the feedback. Those Plano cases look a little more sturdy. If/when my storage option fails I will probably upgrade.

I’ll see if some more comments are added over the next few days and then will go back to my original posts and add those options in as edits.

 

[Outdoorsyish]

To me, the biggest value in the Rivian camp kitchen is the form factor and packaging. Slide it out and voila, there's all the galley systems. No need to unpack, set up tables, etc., etc..

I'm curious if you're going to assemble all this into some kind of integrated item or are just collecting a camping kit. If it's just collecting kit, I'm not sure how different it'll be than just going camping with pretty much any other vehicle (aside from the access to the 120V inverter). I fully support geeking out over kit, I just bring it up because when I read the original post in the thread, I kind of thought you were going to take on building a gear tunnel slide out on the cheap.

So going a little luxe on the kit, one of my favorite accessories for camping has been one of those propane ovens for having fresh cookies or cinnamon rolls on a campout. I'm imagining it would be fun to take a nice toaster oven to achieve the same from the electrical outlet.

Thanks for the feedback. I wasn’t trying to be misleading in the post, but felt my title had a better ring to it than “Bougie car camping setup with an induction stove.” Sorry if it just turned into click-bait for you.

I’m watching others work on their self-made shuttles in other posts, but have no desire to take on that kind of work myself. Like I mentioned, I’m also finding I don’t want to give up on the space the gear tunnel provides, I’m finding its useful for a lot of other random things.

I’ll look into some conventional oven options and will add an edit if I can find one that looks suitable for camping. I’m sure someone out there will probably add a microwave at some point, too. For some reason I’m more nostalgic for skillet-style cookies while camping, even if they often just get a bit burned.

 

[mgc0216]

How does the 1800w cooktop work with the 1500w limit of the R1T - does it mean it just can't go to 11?

ETA: Answering my own question

 

[C.R. Rivian]

Cooking:

Stove: Duxtop 2-burner Induction Stove, Amazon, $230. I bought this after reading NYT Wirecutter reviews. I haven’t taken it camping yet, but it boils water quickly at home. I thought the 2 burners would be helpful for adding the option of a little more complex camp cooking and match the official camp kitchen. But, if I were to do things again I’d probably shift to a single induction cooktop and add an electric kettle. I wanted an induction surface for the stove, to avoid having to deal with open flame in the event of camping in areas where fire is prohibited. It just seems safer. Honestly, if I were considering a gas stovetop, I also would have heavily considered something like Aioks.

Cookware: Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro Cookset, REI, $150. Stainless steel (works with an induction stovetop), reasonable size for a family of 4, machine washable for when you get home, nests well and saves space compared to just using cookware designed for home use, 3 cooking surfaces (frying pan and 2 pots), comes with nylon spoon and slotted spatula as well as some trivets and a “cutting board.” The cutting board is pretty useless. Overall I’m happy with the purchase.

Cooking Utensils: OXO Camp Cook Utensil Set, REI, $50. Did I mention I had an REI dividend? Honestly, I’d probably just consider some silicone coated utensils like we use at home, but this will function fine despite being a little pricey. These are a nice quality. I like having the silicone coating for the spatula and spoon, hence the reason I added this and didn’t just settle for the utensils included in the cookware set.

Wash/prep/cleaing sink: SOL 16L Collapsible Sink, REI, $22. Collapses flat, larger size to accommodate washing dishes or pans a bit better. Available in a smaller size if desired.

Can Opener: OXO Outdoor Can/Bottle Opener, REI, $16. Thank you REI Dividend. It was nicer than our home can opener. So now it’s the home can opener, and our old opener is for camping.

Cutting Board: Epicurean Cutting Board, Epicurean and others, $25. Variable price depending on size and what you want. Able to show some state pride with the one in the link. We’ve purchased some in the past from Costco, and I’m just repurposing an old one for our camping kit.

Prep Knife: Benchmade Station Knife, Benchmade, $280+. This was a splurge purchase, and will probably both be used when camping and at home. It’s great and comes with a streamlined sheath.

Coffee: Right now I’ll likely just do a pour-over style from a local coffee shop, but am considering a shift to a French press or percolator. Stanley makes some interesting options that aren’t as pricey as Snowpeak. But the Snowpeak one also looks really nice. Ideas/recommendations appreciated on this front, but I like the utility that the Stanley percolator adds. If I end up going with the Stanley percolator, it’s $41.

Total Cost: $814.

Tell us a bit about the Station Knife...not familiar with their stuff. Thanks!

 

[Outdoorsyish]

Tell us a bit about the Station Knife...not familiar with their stuff. Thanks!

Benchmade knives are made in Oregon, and they recently (last couple of years) came out with some cutlery options. I wanted a fixed blade knife to use as a dedicated camp kitchen knife (no folding mechanism to have to clean) with some decent corrosion resistance. Recently I had been eyeing their “table” knife as a dedicated camping knife for the kitchen, but it’s currently not available. Hence the station knife. I ended up picking CPM 154 for the blade, thinking it would offer better corrosion resistance.

Their station knife is very versatile. It’s been getting a lot of time in our kitchen. Seems to hold an edge well, but we also haven’t been abusing it. Comfortable for both me and my wife’s hands. It sort of feels and looks like a shortened chef knife. For the time being, I think it will be our go-to knife while camping, but it will still spend most of the time in our kitchen at home. Honestly, it’s the nicest kitchen knife I’ve owned and it’s too good to just put in the camping box and ignore during the week.

I’m still waiting for some of the other Benchmade cutlery knives to be available again, and then we’ll consider upgrading our entire set of knives at home.

 

[Outdoorsyish]

How does the 1800w cooktop work with the 1500w limit of the R1T - does it mean it just can't go to 11?

ETA: Answering my own question

1000W on the stovetop boils water really fast, and I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d go that high for anything else. I don’t think I’ll ever have a need to go above 1.5kw total for both burners at the same time, but honestly haven’t tested what happens if I were to try from the bed of the truck. My guess is that it might still put out 1800W for a while (probably longer than I would want/need to try). Or, maybe I’ll just get some error message from the burner if it doesn’t auto adjust. If it’s a big issue, I’ll just accept that boiling water may take 30 extra seconds.

Regardless, I should just test it out this weekend.

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