10 food storage essentials for traveling or camping

Keep drinks and food fresh with these storage options.  (iStock)

When you’re camping or traveling, storing food and drinks properly is vital. Without the right storage system, your food could go bad, your drinks could get warm and worse, a bear or other wild animal could take off with all the goods you packed. 

We’ve lined up 10 options that’ll help keep your food from spoiling and ensure it’s safe from anything you encounter in the woods.

You’ll find some of these items easily on Amazon, and you can get them to your door in 24 hours when you’re an Amazon Prime member. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to get started shopping.

Portable fridge

Easily run a small fridge with your car's battery.  (Amazon )

Do you have plenty of space in your car? If so, a portable refrigerator that plugs into your car will keep all of your food and beverages cold as long as you need them. Walmart sells a 58 quart fridge you can use in your car, camper or RV. Amazon has a slightly smaller 23 quart fridge.

Hard cooler

Make sure your drinks and food stays ice-cold your entire trip with a solid cooler.  (Ninja)

There are so many hard cooler options available, it can be difficult to choose between them. RTIC coolers are popular right now, and for good reason. They’re highly rated, lightweight and keep ice cold for days. Ninja — the well-known kitchen brand — also makes 30 quart coolers that keep ice frozen longer.

Find more cooler options in our article here.

Soft cooler

RTIC makes colorful, durable coolers.  (RTIC)

On day trips and shorter road trips, a soft cooler saves you space while still keeping things cold. RTIC also sells soft coolers that are just as good at keeping ice cold. Igloo also has a large selection of soft coolers.

Bear box

Make sure your food is safe from animals with the right canisters.  (Amazon )

A bear box keeps your food safe from bears and other animals you may encounter while camping. You can get a large bear box from Walmart that can hold everything you need for your trip. Amazon also has bear canisters in small, medium and large sizes.

Bear bags

Planning a trip into the deep woods? Bear bags will keep your food safe.  (Amazon)

Bear bags are similar to bear boxes, but they’re easier to store when you’re not using them. Simply put your goods in the bag and hoist them up into a tree to keep away from bears and animals. 

Amazon and Bass Pro Shops have bear bag kits with everything you need.

Hanging dry net food storage

Get easy access to your food with a hanging net storage system.  (Amazon )

Travelers planning to stay in one location for a few days will appreciate a hanging storage net. Unpack your food and drinks and put them in different compartments for easy access. Plus, the net hangs from a tree easily, creating an easy-to-reach food storage system.

Grab a hanging dry net food storage system from Amazon or Walmart.

Camping kitchen table with storage

Turn your campsite into a kitchen, complete with storage.  (Amazon )

Add extra storage and a prep space with a camping kitchen setup. Amazon and Camping World have foldout camping tables with canvas storage cubes that easily attach to the underside of the table.

Find 25 other camping essentials to talk on your next trip.

Collapsible food storage bins

Keep your food fresh but save on space with collapsible containers.  (Amazon )

After you cook or prep food, if you have leftovers, collapsible food storage bins help you keep your food fresh. Plus, you conserve packing space after you’re done using them. You can get a 16-pack of containers from Amazon or an eight-pack from Walmart.

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Water storage containers

Store large amounts of water while saving on space.  (Amazon )

Water is important whether you’re driving long distances or out in the wilderness camping. You want to be able to store large amounts of water without taking up a ton of space in the car. 

Get thin, military-style water jugs from either Cabela’s or Amazon in a variety of sizes.

Hot camp crock

Traveling with hot food? A Stanley hot crock will keep it as hot as you need. (Amazon )

Hot camp crocks are leakproof, vacuum-insulated pots that hold hot food and keep it hot. So, if you’re traveling to a party or just want a hot meal when you get where you’re going, pack a hot camp crock full of soup, pasta, BBQ or anything else hot. 

You can find Stanley hot camp crocks on Amazon or through Stanley’s site.