Father’s Day Gifts for Camp Cooking
Our picks for the best grilling and cooking gear and accessories for the dad who loves to cook wild game and fish
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A great thing about Father’s Day is that the occasion falls right during peak grilling season. What setting could be better for telling your Pops how much he means to you (or hearing about how much you mean to your kids) than on the back porch, with a cold drink in hand, a ballgame on the radio, and the sound and smell of sizzling wild game in the air? If your old man enjoys cooking fish and wild game—or sipping a nice glass of whiskey—we’ve got you covered with this gift guide.
The Yukon Stove easily packs in the back of a truck, making it perfect for car camping. Camp Chef
The Yukon is a beast. With a 448-square-inch cooking surface and two 30,000-BTU burners, this stove can flat-out cook. It features a three-sided windscreen, so you can hold the heat in windy conditions, and the removable legs make this stove easy to transport during your next summer car-camping trip or at deer camp next fall.
Just about the only thing that could possibly make this glass cooler is if the bullet were one that your dad recovered from a deer or elk that he’d shot. Still, this is one awesome cocktail glass. And if you really want to win Father’s Day, complete the gift with a bottle of your dad’s favorite bourbon.
Hunters take pride in eating what they kill and providing for their families, and now they can wear that pride—in style. The Hunt to Eat collection is full of great designs—hats, hoodies, t-shirts, even belt buckles—but this Elk Sunset t-shirt is hard to beat. Your pops will be the hippest dad on the block in this shirt.
Montana Mex Variety Pack
Sometimes it’s just fun to experiment with new flavors in the kitchen, and this variety pack of Montana Mex seasonings and sauces, created by hunter-chef Eduardo Garcia, will let your dad do just that. Here is what’s included: avocado oil, ketchup, sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, sweet and spicy habanero sauce, jalapeño seasoning, sweet seasoning, and mild chile seasoning. I can already tell that my stash of the jalapeño seasoning won’t last me long. The stuff is incredible. I’m excited to cook with the rest of the products—and I’m betting your dad would be, too.
The do-it-all Processor guts, cuts, and scales your catch. Gerber
You can never go wrong with gifting your dad a cool new tool—and these shears are definitely cool. Features include: a gut hook, scaler, cutting shears, fin clipper, and cutting blade. The handle is pretty sharp, too. The oversize design is ergonomic and comfortable, and Gerber’s HydroTread Grip will ensure that no amount of fish slime will cause these shears to slip in your hands. The Processor also comes with a sturdy sheath to keep the tool close at hand.
When you have trouble starting a fire for a backcountry meal, bring these matches to the rescue. Amazon
Often, the best wild meals are the ones that are cooked and enjoyed in the wild. In the rare event where your dad struggles to get a fire started (because if anyone can start a fire, it’s Dad), this stash of survival matches is handy to keep in your pack. The water-resistant case holds 15 Typhoon matches, which, if you’ve never lit one, are just about the most bombproof matches ever. They light—and stay lit—in strong winds and rain and have a burn time of up to 30 seconds.
These salmon packs are perfect for a stream-side lunch, or a Father’s Day brunch. Patagonia
I enjoy fishing for salmon almost as much as I enjoy eating salmon. Trouble is, I don’t get many opportunities to catch them. (My last salmon outing was years ago, come to think of it.) If the same is true for your dad, you can give him the Wild Sockeye Gift Box from the newly launched Patagonia Provisions. The box comes with four packs of salmon sourced from sustainable runs. The fish is delicious and would make for a perfect centerpiece to a Father’s Day brunch.
If your dad’s grill is looking a little rusty, this [American-made workhorse](https://www.amazon.com/PK-Grills-PK360-BTBX-Smoker-Graphite/dp/B07GTC2PJJ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=PK+Grills+PK360+Outdoor+Charcoal+Grill&qid=1562949185&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=outdoorlife03-20&linkId=67e24dead4cb9ae4f40b39327668b692&language=en_US//} is a worthy investment. The grill’s two-piece capsule, made of hand-poured cast aluminum, offers superior heat conduction and is extremely durable and rust-proof. The grill features a four-point venting system, making it easier to maintain cooking temperature, and 360 square inches of cooking surface give you ample space for two-zone cooking.
If your dad is the kind of guy who doesn’t love it when others use his kitchen knives (I’m that guy, for what it’s worth), then a knife roll could be just what he needs. That way, his knives stay sharp and organized and—most importantly—out of sight when others invade the kitchen. This roll comes in four colors, but clearly your dad is going to want it in camo.
Give Dad a break from cooking duties, and prepare him a Father’s Day feast. Weldon Owen
Full disclosure: I am 100 percent stealing this idea from my colleague Natalie Krebs. It’s just too good not to include here. I had a small part in the editing of Field & Stream‘s cookbook, The Wild Chef, so I’m pretty familiar with the recipes in the collection. For a Father’s Day feast, I’d recommend a cast-and-blast meal—the grilled dove pizza and the grill-roasted redfish. But if that’s too ambitious—or simply not an option based on what’s in your freezer—there’s nothing wrong with venison burgers and corn on the cob. Just be sure to toast Dad before you dig in.
