Top 5 Best Camping Kettles for Outdoor Use

The 5 Best Camping Kettles

The best camping kettle is one of the most important things you can have with you when camping. It’s crucial to be prepared when you want to stay hydrated on any camping trip. Having the right gear can mean the difference between a relaxing and enjoyable outdoor vacation or a miserable, regrettable one. One extremely useful item is a camping tea kettle. Hot or boiling water is essential for a wide range of things such as making hot drinks or sterilizing things, and a backpacking kettle can help achieve all of that. If you’re looking for a new travel kettle, keep reading for camping kettle reviews and ratings!

The 5 Top Camping Kettles

When out camping, having access to hot water is essential for both cooking and sterilizing water that you collect from nature. However, not all kettles are built equally, and it can be difficult to find the right travel kettle for your needs. We’ve compiled a list of our five favorite camping tea kettles to show you all the great types out there. Here are our top five best camping kettles.

* Ratings are determined using our specialized rating system.

Fire-Maple Tea Kettle, Camping Outdoor Hiking Picnic Coffee Pot

The Fire-Maple Tea Kettle is made from anodized aluminum and has a stainless steel handle. This kettle is very strong and easy to wash. It comes with a mesh bag for carrying, and it also has a tea filter. This travel kettle’s design helps it provide up to 40% better heat efficiency, and the design is sleek and modern with an orange handle and matte black surface. Due to its large size this kettle is perfect for families or solo campers.

Kelly Kettle Camp Stove With Camping Kettle

The Kelly Kettle looks unique compared to other kettles on the market with its upright design and bright green lid. This kettle can boil water within minutes, uses natural fuel, and can even re-hydrate or cook a meal. Like the travel kettle previously mentioned, the material is also anodized aluminum, making it durable and able to withstand a variety of cooking surfaces. Another uncommon yet beneficial feature is the Kelly Kettle’s ability to use natural fuel such as sticks or grass. Being able to use different types of fuel eliminates the need to buy fuel canisters which can take up more room and can be quite costly.

Docooler Camping Kettle

The Docooler Camping Kettle is a great pick if you want to bring a kettle along on your next camping trip but don’t want to spend too much money. The Docooler Camping Kettle is about half the price of other similar kettles, but it doesn’t skimp out on quality. This travel kettle is constructed of aluminum alloy, making it sturdy. The oxidation film coating on the outside and inside assists in increasing the strength and resistance to heat and abrasions. The design is standard for most camping kettles and features a rubber coated handle to prevent scalding.

Collapsible Camping Kettle

The Collapsible Camping Kettle is great for saving space due to its collapsible design made from BPA-free silicone. When collapsed, this kettle is only 2.2 in tall, so it’s sure to save space.  It’s made from food-grade silicone and features a stainless steel base. On top of using it while camping, this travel kettle can also be used on gas and induction stoves, so you can use it at home if you love it enough. The kettle is bright green, so it will be hard to lose while camping out in the woods. 

Travel Foldable Ultrathin Upgraded Electric Kettle

The Travel Foldable Ultrathin Upgraded Electric Kettle is a small kettle that is good for campers who don’t like being completely cut off from electricity. What differentiates this kettle from the rest is that its electrical. This electrical kettle is made from BPA-free silicone, features dual voltage controls, and can boil water in about four minutes. Plus, it can be collapsed to a height of about 3.5 in.

If you know that you will have access to electricity wherever you are traveling and need a travel kettle that is simple and quick, then you may want to purchase an electrical kettle such as the D & D. Electrical kettles simplify the process by eliminating the need for a heat source—no dangerous fire required.

Important Camping Kettle Features to Consider

As you’ve probably noticed after looking through our top five best camping tea kettles, there’s a wide variety of different kettles out there. If you’re still having difficulty deciding which backpacking kettle is best for you and your camping needs, try breaking down the kettles to their base parts and choosing from there. From the materials they are made from to the size to how they’re heated, each one is a bit different, and it can make choosing easier to consider these options separately. Here are some of the different things to consider when choosing a camping tea kettle.

Material

Like anything being used outdoors, camping kettles need to be durable. You should always the material it is made from into consideration because it can affect the kettle’s strength. One of the highest quality metals is anodized aluminum. Anodized equates to a much stronger aluminum that also conducts and holds heat effectively. However, some campers choose to forego strength for one that is light and small instead, so they prefer silicone instead of aluminum or another metal.

Handle

Some handles have a tendency to overheat when put over a campfire, and the last thing you want is a burn from the handle. Try to find a kettle that has a coated handle to shield against the heat to protect yourself and the other campers you’re with from injury.

Size

Take into consideration what it will be used for. Will you need it just for making coffee while camping? Or are you planning on using it for a wider variety of things, such as purifying water for drinking? How many people will you be camping with, and if so, how many of them will also have a camping tea kettle? The best camping kettle will have the capacity to fit your needs while you’re camping.

Heat Source

Camping tea kettles can use many different heat sources such as an open campfire or a propane camping stove, but the most common is fire. Check the details of the kettle to see what heat sources it’s compatible with, especially if you intend to use heat as a means of purifying water via boiling. Some use natural heat sources or butane, and others may require a source of electricity. If you foresee going to places with power sources, perhaps an electric kettle would be your best option. The best camping kettle in this regard would be one that fits your needs.

Benefits of Using a Camping Kettle

Using the best camping kettle has great benefits for people when they go camping. Campers will be able to boil collected water to ensure its cleanliness, make tea or coffee to pour into their camping travel mugs, or to provide hot water for cooking with a quality backpacking kettle.

There’s nothing quite like a hot drink on a chilly morning in the campsite, and finding the best camping kettle can make that a reality. Coupled with a water storage container, a camping kettle can help you make hot chocolate, tea, or coffee with ease. A camping kettle provides hot water campers can use in a number of ways to enjoy their camping trip.

Precautions When Using a Camping Kettle

Even the best camping kettle comes with a set of precautions to ensure safe use. Whether you’re heating your kettle over a campfire or on a stove, the metal is going to get hot, presenting the risk of burning yourself for anyone who touches or uses the kettle. If you have kids in your campsite, make sure to keep them away from the fire, and advise them in the use of potholders so they can safely handle the kettle.

In addition to the hot metal, boiling hot water can pose a hazard to campers as well. Make sure to cool water sufficiently before serving drinks prepared in a camping kettle, and be wary about what dishware you pour hot water in without letting it cool. While insulated camping water bottles or water canteens will be able to handle the heat, a hydration pack, hydration bladder, or other plastic water storage containers may melt if hot water is poured into the container. The best camping kettle practices center on allowing water to boil, then to cool to an acceptable drinking temperature before serving.

Conclusion

No one wants to be dehydrated. If you still don’t know which camping kettle is the best option for filling your camping mug and want one last recommendation, in our opinion, it’s the Fire Maple Tea Kettle, hands down. We love durable kettles, and the anodized aluminum and stainless steel this one features were big plusses. The extras it comes with like the carrying bag and tea filter were also very handy. Also, when you’re out camping, we’ve found that more space is almost always better, and this one holds 1.5l, so it’s great for just about everything. None of the others could quite stand up to the Fire-Maple Tea Kettle, so it gets our vote for best camping kettle.

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