Camping Barbecues - How to Pick One

Camping barbecues need to be portable for obvious reasons. You might wonder why anyone would bother to bring a BBQ with them on a camping trip... but there's just no beating a fresh, charcoal-grilled meal when you're in the great outdoors! Here's some stuff to think about when you choosing a great outdoor grill.

• Size: small. Yeah, obvious, but might as well mention it. You don't want to be trying to lug a huge barbecue around in your car that's already stuffed to the brim with camping gear.

• Portable. A carrying handle would be nice... not necessary, but certainly convenient.

• Legs that fold down. Again, not a necessity, but sure is nice to be able to fold down the legs and save some space.

• Weather-resistant. A porcelain coating can help to resist the effects of weather as well as lots of use. A cover can be used if you're going to store it outside all the time, but it's easy enough to store small barbecues in the garage too.

• Easy to set up and clean up. You shouldn't have to assemble a bunch of parts, just pop it up and get grilling. And it's also handy to have a BBQ where you can close the vents to extinguish the coals and cool it off fast so that it's ready to be packed up. Finally, a barbecue that can be 'sealed up' can help you worry less about a mess in the car.
  
  Here's a quick tip for easy clean-up: place a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom to catch the ashes. When it's time to clean up, the foil and ashes can be lifted and then you just need to give the inside a quick wipe. Make sure you're not blocking any vents or cooking won't go as planned!

There are lots of cheap tabletop barbecues available... but if you plan to take it along whenever you travel, it's better to invest in a sturdier, high-quality BBQ. We bought a really cheap portable model for around $20 one year, because, well, because we just didn't feel like spending the money at the time. Eight months later, the bottom rusted out, and we'd barely used it!

Camping barbecues are great for camping trips, fishing tips, or just a day outdoors. If you normally only grill for a 2 or 3 people, they're also great for regular use at home - the smaller size means you use less charcoal and it cooks hotter and faster. Now if you're looking for another type of grill for the home, take a look at the Big Green Egg - our most favoritest outdoor cooker (but definitely not easily portable)! Also check out more of our BBQ tips or look through our beef, chicken, pork, salmon, and seafood recipes.