How to Make Camp Cook Stand

Going camping this fall or winter? Wonder how you can do all that cooking over a campfire or a Coleman Stove and handle all the prep and cleanup? Those flimsy store bought tables that fold up never seem to be strong enough or have what you really need. Why not build a Camp Cook Stand that you can take with you in a compact bundle and put together next to a tree and serve as your cooking center? You can do this project in a short time, put it together, take it apart, and bundle it up with Bungee cords until you’re ready to go on your camping trip. Grab your tools and let’s get started!

• Six 1x4s 48” long, 1 1x8 46” long, can be recycled wood, cedar best
• Drill with bits to pre-drill holes
• Battery operated screwdriver and extra batteries to take with you on your camping trip
• Galvanized screws, 2” long
• Hatchet with nail pull slot
• 16d galvanized nails
• Saw
• Measuring tape
• Bungee cords, long and medium and short sizes

Step 1 ASSEMBLE THE THINGS YOU'LL NEED. First scrounge at home for leftover wood from another job. Look in your garage or workshop for old 1x4 scrap and a larger size for cook shelf. A 1x8 will work, a 1x10 is probably better. Go to a Home Depot Store for the wood you don’t have and look in their recycled wood bin. Try to find cedar from the fence and decking material. Its lighter and easier to cut and screw. Ask them to cut some pieces if you find what you want. The wood there is pennies on the dollar! . Make a sketch of your camp cook stand before you go. Bring the sketch with you. You can get nails and screws there too.

Step 2 MEASURE ALL PIECES AND CUT AT SAME TIME. If the home store doesn’t cut your materials, cut it all at the same time. Check your measurements. You camp cook stand will be about 48” tall by 48” wide and the depth of your larger piece, the 1x8 or the 1x10. You will have two sides with two back pieces secured to side, a shelf near top (about 12” down) and a front cross horizontal brace about 8” off ground. All pieces will be pre-drilled for screw holes and screwed together and disassembled to pack in a bundle with the bungee cords. The Author’s sketch should help you see what you are making.

Step 3 FASTEN SIDE PIECES TO TOP HORIZONAL PIECE AT BACK. One horizontal goes at top edge of side pieces, other goes about 8” off bottom of side pieces. Pre-drill holes and screw together

Step 4 FASTEN BOTTOM HORIZONTAL PIECE ABOUT 8" OFF GROUND TO FRONT EDGES OF BOTH SIDE PIECES. It will be at about same height as the back horizontal piece you fastened. Pre-drill holes and screw together.

Step 5 FASTEN HORIZONTAL SHELF TO BOTH SIDE PIECES ABOUT 12" DOWN FROM TOP OF SIDES AND HORIZONTAL TOP PIECE. Measure so it will be level. Pre-drill holes and screw together. Your horizontal shelf edge should be flush with the edges of each side piece and project out beyond each side at the front about 7-8 inches or so. Use a level if you need to check shelf before screwing. Remember, this is for camping and is not meant to win a woodworking contest! Practice assembling and disassembling you Cook Camp Stand at home before taking on camping trip.

Step 6 YOUR CAMP COOK STAND SHOULD STAND UPRIGHT BUT WILL BE A LITTLE TOP-HEAVY DUE TO THE PROJECTING SHELF. It will need to be secured in the field to make it rigid. The bungee cords are to be wrapped around a tree and hooked on nails that you drive into the top back edge of the horizontal support in the field, at diameter points of the tree. You simply wrap a bungee cord or two, depending on tree diameter, around the tree hooking onto nails on the cook stand top edge piece.

Step 7 DO SAME FOR BOTTOM HORIZONTAL PIECE, NAIL AND HOOK BUNGEE CORDS AROUND TREE. You should have a secure, tight fit against the tree that make your camp cook stand upright and solid. When both top and bottom horizontal pieces are secured with bungees , you are ready to make some utensil hanger sin the field.

Step 8 MAKE SOME UTENSIL HANGERS BY USING HATCHET TO NAIL PART WAY INTO HORIZONTAL BACK SUPPORT AND FRONT EDGE OF HORIZONTAL SHELF. Hang utensils on the nails as needed. You can also hammer a few nails as needed to the sides of the units. Note: Only do this in the field after unit has been secured by bungees to the tree! Remember to remove nails when you disassemble unit and bundle to go home.

Step 9 DIS-ASSEMBLE UNIT, LAY ON FLOOR OR GROUND AND TIGHTLY PUT ALL PIECES TOGETHER. Wrap bungee cords around unit, securing at each end so it can be carried and packed. Use a third set of bungee cords if needed. You can always find a use for them in the field. Congratulations you are ready to take your Camp Cook Stand with you on your next camping trip!

Tip:

• Find a nice flat table or workbench to work on while making your Camp Cook Stand. If you don’t have one , see Author’s article on How to Make a Recycled Door Workbench/table.
• Make a nice sketch of what you want on graph paper to scale before you try to find your wood.
• Use new “no knot” cedar if you want a nice unit and use brass screws.
• Don’t stain or paint cedar.

Warnings:

• Check your measurements twice so you don’t cut wood wrong!.
• Be careful with power tools!
• Use grounded outlets!

For more information on camping see:

How to Make a Cane Bamboo Fishing Pole

How to Make a Camping Coffee Can Casserole Cooker

How to Make A Firestarter From A Recycled Toilet Tissue Round Tube