Homemade Car Camping Kit
Introduction
This article is going to be a little bit different because this is something that was made and designed as a one-off product and not a product that can be purchased on Amazon or a company website. In this write up, I'm simply going to highlight some cool features of the box, which I call the "Car Camping Kitchen" (CCK). Below is a quick video I made on the box, but a more detailed description will be done below, I hope you enjoy and that it inspires you to make one of your own!
This article is going to be a little bit different because this is something that was made and designed as a one-off product and not a product that can be purchased on Amazon or a company website. In this write up, I'm simply going to highlight some cool features of the box, which I call the "Car Camping Kitchen" (CCK). Below is a quick video I made on the box, but a more detailed description will be done below, I hope you enjoy and that it inspires you to make one of your own!
Debrief
First off, I call it the car camping kitchen for a few reasons it's catchy and it is a heavy (20.2 pounds) cumbersome box that works great if you are setting up a tent by your car or packing it with you in a trailer, this is clearly not something I would take on any walk longer than 20 feet. I would also like to state that I did not make this box, but a close family member of mine did, so I'm very lucky for all the hard work they put into it. Now, I'm going to show off some of the details that makes this box awesome/practical and hopefully it will help you decide what you want and don't want if you decide to make one for yourself!
First off, I call it the car camping kitchen for a few reasons it's catchy and it is a heavy (20.2 pounds) cumbersome box that works great if you are setting up a tent by your car or packing it with you in a trailer, this is clearly not something I would take on any walk longer than 20 feet. I would also like to state that I did not make this box, but a close family member of mine did, so I'm very lucky for all the hard work they put into it. Now, I'm going to show off some of the details that makes this box awesome/practical and hopefully it will help you decide what you want and don't want if you decide to make one for yourself!
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The Exterior
The CCK is about the size of a standard microwave, except a little more cubical. To be more specific it is 15.5 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and 13.5 inches tall. The green colored paint adds a nice finish to the wood, as well as, some protection against moisture damage when it is exposed to the elements, although I will try to keep it out of the rain as best as I can. The key exterior features I'd like to bring up are the door hinge and the bezelled lock, which I've left Amazon Links below the images for reference (they also can be found at local hardware stores I'm sure). The hinge door is a great feature because it allows the door to open 180 degrees so that accessing the kitchen utensils is hassle free and convenient. The buckle lock is great because it not only holds all your stuff together in one place when it is being moved around the campsite or your trunk, but it will keep critters from digging into a box that smells like food, but probably not bears :). 
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The Interior
The inside of the CCK is loaded with possibilities. With three cubbies and two drawers, all which differ in size give me lots of options of how I want to store my stuff. As you can see, when you first open the door, I've already stationed my stuff in the cubbies where they fit, but there is still a lot of room to add stuff and make adjustments. Obviously, each hole was made with some item in mind in terms of size. I've broken down the general spots and what is supposed to go there, but these things might change when I use it more and you might decide that you don't want so much complexity.
The inside of the CCK is loaded with possibilities. With three cubbies and two drawers, all which differ in size give me lots of options of how I want to store my stuff. As you can see, when you first open the door, I've already stationed my stuff in the cubbies where they fit, but there is still a lot of room to add stuff and make adjustments. Obviously, each hole was made with some item in mind in terms of size. I've broken down the general spots and what is supposed to go there, but these things might change when I use it more and you might decide that you don't want so much complexity.
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Cubbies:
Top left - Pots and pans stacked Middle - Utensils and silverware Bottom - Flat skillets Drawers: Top - Spices and Oil Containers Bottom - Utensils, Lighters, Knick Knacks |
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One neat feature that should be pointed out is the "handle" incorporated in these drawers. They are super practical because they are embedded into the wood of the drawer, so that you maximize your drawer size and don't compromise being able to shut the main door because they have a flat profile. This is a more unique item and I'm working on locating it on Amazon, so I apologize for not providing that information! These are awesome handles, but I'm sure there are other ways one could do it. Another key thing to notice, is all the drawers and cubbies have a plastic liner that have been cut to the right dimensions, this will be very important to the longevity and cleanliness of the CCK.
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Conclusion
This is a great piece of camping gear that I'm excited to use for many years to come. As you can see in this picture, it can hold a great deal of stuff and I would argue that I have it set up at ~65% capacity. I'll provide updates with the CCK when appropriate and hope to see some of you create your own. Feel free to ask any questions about it on my YouTube video. |
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