I Can't Go Camping Without These Insulated Bowls That Keep Food at the Perfect Temperature

My family does a lot of camping and eating outdoors—and this past year, because the pandemic kept us from traveling out-of-state, we spent even more time than ever exploring the outdoors in our beautiful home state of Vermont. When you're spending the day or weekend outside with kids, it helps to plan your meals ahead of time (here are 30+ healthy camping recipes perfect for your outdoor adventure). We got really good at packing portable meals to go—and figuring out the best coolers and food containers to bring camping, to keep food cool at the beach or on a hike—and the best ones to keep food and drinks warm for a day of snowboarding.

I was thrilled to get the chance to test out Hydro Flask's new outdoor kitchen line, that includes utensils, serving spoons and a number of insulated tumblers, plates and lidded bowls. And I really put them to the test. We took the set to a snowy yurt in the winter; we packed them up in our old VW van and brought them camping. We've also used them to tote cold salads and sides to outdoor BBQs and get-togethers.

The insulated bowls are the real winners here. They come in three different sizes (1-quart bowl, 3-quart serving bowl and 5-quart serving bowl)—and have press-in lids that keep cold food cool, hot food warm and messes to a minimum. The lids also help keep bugs out of cut fruit and potato salads—and make it easy to stack when you're on the move. When you're camping or grilling, you can put food straight from the grill into the bowl or on the plate and directly on the table. Since they're insulated, you don't need a trivet and you don't need to worry about burning your hands on a hot plate.

I also love the insulated tumblers, which are great for sipping hot cocoa, coffee or iced tea and keep drinks hot or cold. But, they're also the perfect shape for stacking and have cup measurements embossed on the inside of the tumbler, which is really helpful for measuring ingredients at the campsite or away from your home kitchen.

The outdoor kitchen pieces are made from high-quality stainless steal on the inside and a durable powder coating on the outside—and they are dishwasher safe. They're sold individually in olive green, pineapple yellow or birch gray so you can mix and match. They also come in a bundled set that would make a great gift for outdoor loving cooks.

As for coolers, I love Hydro Flask's soft coolers ($149.95-199.95) for day trips. The totes are the perfect size and weight for carrying lunch, snacks and drinks for a family of four. I'm partial to the cooler pack, which has backpack straps for easy carrying and a taller shape that fits wine bottles nicely upright.

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