Step 5:
Assemble a mess kit
Your mess kit is simply the tools you'll need to prepare, serve, and clean up after meals in the wild. Basics include a can opener, frying pan, pot with a lid, coffee pot, sharp knife, cutlery, bowls, cups, and plates. Other useful items include dish soap and a dish rag, a griddle or grill, a spatula, a large fork and spoon, paper towels, and aluminum foil.
A stove? You don't actually have to cook anything when you camp if you don't like, and a well-built campfire will usually do the trick if you do. But if you need morning coffee fast, or if your firewood is damp or sparse, a camp stove is a godsend. They range in size from lightweight, collapsible backpacking models to elaborate portable ranges, and most types can be rented from camping supply stores.
Dealing with trash. One cardinal rule of camping is to leave the campsite as clean as you found it (or cleaner). Most established campgrounds have dumpsters or cans for trash disposal. In the backcountry, you'll have to pack out all your trash with you, disposing of it when you return to the land of sanitation services. Either way, you should have plenty of plastic bags with you to collect and carry your garbage in.
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