How To Make a Camp Kitchen Box

Camping is an all-time favorite past time and usually, camping means cooking your meals on site, unless you are perfectly happy with protein bars and beef jerky. In order to make camping life a bit easier, you need to have your own kitchen box which can be used for storing your kitchen items as well as additional surface when preparing your meals on site.

The steps below should help you create your own kitchen box with just a few pieces of pre-cut wood and at most an hour and a half of your time. This series of steps for a kitchen box can also be used in making toy chests and other similar storage boxes for your home.

Materials that you will need

• 3 x 1 ½ feet 1/2 inch thick boards (plywood, precut, 2 pieces)
• 1 x 3 feet ½ inch thick boards (plywood, precut, also 2 pieces)
• 1 x 1 ½  inch thick boards (plywood, precut, also 2 pieces)
• 36 inch hinge
• Locking door clasp
• Big metal handles, 2 pieces
• 1 inch screws
• Paint for the exterior, varnish (optional)

Here’s how to make the box

Determining the size of your camping kitchen box

For this project, you must first need to know how big of a box you will need. The predetermined sizes above would typically store a couple of spices, medium-size pans and some utensils. Depending on your camping needs, you can scale your box as needed.

Sketching out the design

You must then sketch the design of your box on paper to make sure that you are attaching the right pieces to the right sides. Label each piece on the sketch so that you will not get confused midway into the project. For this project the box will be simply rectangular in shape so that it will be fairly easy to put together.

Sanding your pieces before putting them together

Sand the edges of the individual plywood pieces before you start screwing them together. Be especially careful in sanding the corners since this will probably contain the most splinters.

Screwing together the wood pieces

Start by screwing the pieces from the base of your box to the pieces that should go to the sides. Align your corners well before screwing them. Some people use wood glue to place the pieces together first and then finalizing the position with the 1 inch screws to secure the wood pieces.

Attaching the top of the box

When you are done with the rest of the body of the box, attach the top part of the box by placing the hinges first. Use the screws that are provided with the hinge so that it will definitely fit the holes of the hinge. Then attach the other side of the hinge to the last piece of the box that will serve as its cover.

Attaching the clasp

Close your box and mark where you want to place the locking clasp, typically at the center of your box. Attach the clasp again with the screws that it came with. Close your box and test the clasp if they are perfectly aligned.

Finishing your box

If you prefer to have metal handles to the sides, measure them of equal distance from the top and side of the box and screw them as well.

Once done, sand your entire project again and apply your paint or stain on your kitchen box. You can apply a layer of varnish to protect it from water, if you wish. Make sure that you let the stain or paint completely dry before adding another layer.