Camping is a great opportunity to escape the city jungles and relax, enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of nature. However, most citizens find it somewhat difficult to get used to a camping lifestyle and rules, especially when it comes to certain conveniences that are normal in the civilized world.
One of the most common issues is how to heat water while camping. Of course, everyone knows a good old campfire, but is this the only method?
In this article, you will learn a few more. We are going to tell you about boiling water while camping and what water-boiling options you can have. Also, you will learn a couple of additional methods that you might find handy as well.
With all this information, boiling water on a campsite (or even when camping in the wild!) will hardly ever become a problem for you.
How to Boil Water When Camping?
When you go camping, having a source of clean and drinkable water is an absolute necessity. Especially if you are going to camp outside a managed campsite. Most of those who go camping for a weekend simply bring several gallons of clean water with them in the car.
However, if you are one of those hardcore campers who are headed into the wilderness with a tent, you need to be resourceful. That means utilizing a source of water, for example, a running stream, that you will be using.
However, since streams and other “wild” sources of water may often contain bad bacteria, it is crucial to make sure in advance that there are no bacteria in the water you are going to drink. And in order to make it safe for drinking, you need to boil that water, of course.
Most rookie campers think that using a campfire is the only way to boil water. However, this is not like that!
Luckily, there are many different options for boiling water while staying in a camp, and below, you can find all of them. Like that, you will have several alternative options to choose from depending on what resources you have.
Use Kettle Over a Campfire to Heat Water When Camping
The most widespread way campers boil water while staying outdoors is by using a kettle over a campfire. Yes, we mean a regular kettle! Since the capacity of the majority of camping kettles is about one liter, it means that it is going to take about 5 minutes to boil a kettle full of water.
This is the time needed when you filled your kettle to the top and placed over high heat. If you have a larger kettle, note that it will obviously take a little more time to boil.
We would say that the kettle is a preferred option because it is easy to boil (you just need to hang it over the campfire) and it is easy to pour boiled water to make some coffee. Also, using a kettle is very easy if you need to cook things like oatmeal and rice.
The only downside of a kettle is that its handle will become very hot as well. This is why you need to make sure you are wearing a protective glove when using it. It will help you avoid burning your hand on the handle when pouring.
Also, it is a good idea to have a cast iron grill plate with you when going to a campsite. Like this, you will be able to put the plate over the campfire ring and provide your kettle with a stable platform to heat up on.
Jetboil Stove System
If you need to boil water extremely quickly, we highly recommend checking out a cooking system by Jetboil. This stove system comes in a wide variety of models that promise to boil your water in about 1.5 minutes!
The more expensive stoves include additional features that can be very helpful for cooking, for example, precision temperature control.
Of course, Jetboil systems certainly aren’t the cheapest. However, they are a great investment if you are a regular camper. Besides, they are very easy to use: you just need to hook it up to a fuel source and use a very concentrated heat area to boil your water extremely quickly.
Use Internal Flame Kettle
With the help of this appliance, you will be able to boil water in just 2 minutes. What is the Ghillie Kettle exactly, some of you may wonder?
See, there are a number of kettles you can buy that come with a spot inside the kettle where you can light a flame. So, this is what an internal flame kettle is.
Because the flame is located inside the kettle, water heats up and ultimately boils faster than in a traditional kettle. The big advantage of this type of kettle is its size and weight. And since it doesn’t require a fuel canister, like a Jetboil system, it is a good option for backpacking camping.
Use a Pot
A good old pot will boil water for you in 5-10 minutes. This is not too long, so if you don’t mind waiting a bit, and you are not ready to invest big money into modern water-boiling systems, consider this old-fashioned solution.
Simply fill up a pot and let it heat up and ultimately boil over a campfire.
While it is boiling, you can prepare everything else you need for cooking or tea/coffee making. Of you can just sit by the fire and relax. Why not?
It is slower than some of the tech options out there, of course. A Jet boil or even a kettle with an internal flame will boil water much faster. In addition, pots are relatively bulky and they take quite a lot of space in a car (especially if you need a big pot), which is why quite many campers find them potentially annoying.
However, if you enjoy old-style camping gear and an atmosphere of a camp, a pot for camping is a cheap and relatively easy option to use to boil water in.
If you can, try and find a pot that has a pointed opening. It will make it easier for you to pour out the water into a specific container.
Flameless Ration Heater
Well, we need to say at once that this is not the most effective method of boiling water!
However, it can get the job done, so take it into consideration as an additional variant, for example. With the help of a flameless ration heater, you can boil water in 5 to 7 minutes which is pretty quick.
You just need to keep one nuance in mind when using flameless ration heaters. See, these heater packs can actually get quite hot! Some of the cooking-specific ones are able to hit 203ºF, which is just slightly under the boiling point!
Because of this feature, it may not be hot enough to purify the water, but it can certainly heat it up. This is why, if you need boiling to purify your water, you should have additional means to do this (for example, special water cleaning tablets).
Tin Can
Of course, using a tin can for boiling water while camping can be an option only in emergency situations. With its help, you will be able to boil water in 5 to 7 minutes over the campfire.
A tin can is not considered a good option for boiling water among the campers because there is no protective handle to pick up the can after the water is done boiling.
Moreover, there are probably bacteria and other germs in the can that will not make it the most appealing and safe to drink (unless you boil purified water).
This is why, as a precaution measure, make sure to put the tin can in the fire first before pouring water in it. Like this, you will be able to burn off any bacteria that might be on the walls of the can.
Well, these are the most common ways of boiling water when staying in a camp.
As you can see, we described both old-fashioned and modern alternatives for you. Like that, you will now be able to decide which option might be more suitable for you should you go camping.
How to Boil Water In a Camp Using Electrical Appliances?
Let’s be honest, when camping, not all of us like boiling water. It is mostly because this process often takes some time to wait. This is why those who go to a managed camp usually bring an electrical kettle with them.
We decided to investigate a bit more on this subject and find out what other electrical appliances can be used for boiling water in a camp.
Electric Pot
If you are a passionate car or RV camper, you definitely have an electric pot. Much like the electric kettle option, there are also a number of electric pots on the market that are popular among car and RV campers!
This device is most popular among this category of campers because they have easy access to electricity while camping.
Electric pots can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 and can carry about 1 to 1.5 liters of water. That means you can expect to boil water faster than 5 minutes.
Electric Kettle
If you know that you will have an access to an electrical hookup at your campsite, you can bring an electric kettle with you. Like this, you will be able to boil water for two or three minutes.
In addition, this type of kettle comes in a wide variety of sizes which means you can choose whether you need a big one or a small one.
And since more modern electric kettles include special settings that allow you to not only boil water but also keep it and other liquids warm longer, it will be helpful on cold camping days.
So, now you know more about how to boil water while camping. We provided you with a pool of options that include both electric and non-electric options, and we even shared a few alternative solutions with you (like a flameless ration heater).
With all this information, you will now be able to pick the most suitable water-boiling option for yourself should you go camping, and it doesn’t matter whether you choose a managed state-owned campsite or a tent in the woods.
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