Be it hiking, camping, in the motorhome or on train and car trips- for many outdoor activities and excursions you need camping dishes. Compared to household dishes, it is usually easier, more robust and therefore more practical. But what is camping dishes made of and how healthy and sustainable are these materials? What ecological balance are the utensils and what are the best alternatives?
Camping dishes are designed to be particularly light and durable. The plates, cups, cups, bowls, bottles, bottles, pots and Co are made from a variety of materials that bring these properties. The most common materials for outdoor kitchens include plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, titanium and melamine resin.
Which material is suitable?
In addition to lightness and robustness, some materials used for camping utensils also bring extra advantages: for example, aluminum forwards warmth very well and thus rarely ensures burned food. Plastics are particularly cheap, melamine particularly shatterproof, stainless steel is corrosion -resistant, titanium is particularly light. However, these advantages sometimes have a cut in other properties: Titan is comparatively expensive and stainless steel is rather difficult.
Which outdoor harness is the right one depends on the purpose: Should it only contribute to outdoor feeling in the garden or park or does it have to go on a backpack tour to distant countries? With the latter, it is more easy, robust and space -saving packable dishes, for the garden or park it can also be a little bigger and heavier. In addition to these practical aspects, there are other aspects to consider.
Chemicals: What is in the outdoor tableware?
Not all materials from camping dishes are equally harmless. Whether the cup, plate and Co release harmful chemicals when the outdoor coarkochen is also dependent on the purpose. For example, many plastic plates and cups contain potentially harmful additives such as Bisphenol A (BPA) or Phthalat soft maker, which can pass from the dishes to food in heat. This is particularly problematic for hot food or drinks. These chemicals intervene in the metabolism and our organs, can disturb the development and fertility, and cause cancer and asthma. From the concentrations the substances are harmful is not yet researched, but it is recommended to avoid phthalate and BPA sources.
Outdoor harness from melamine connections is also susceptible to heat. At temperatures above 70 degrees you can hand in chemicals such as melamine and formaldehyde, as well as contact with acids. These chemicals are carcinogenic, damage the kidneys and irritate skin and respiratory tract. Melaming harnesses should therefore not be placed in the microwave of the camper and should not be used for hot coffee or soup. Even hot foods should not be eaten by melamine resin dishes.
What about outdoor dishes made of aluminum and stainless steel?
Camping dishes made of metals such as aluminum or stainless steel is heat -resistant. Plates, cups or pots made of these materials can therefore easily tolerate boiling water or even stand directly on the camping stove. However, the weak points of aluminum are acid and salt: When uncoated aluminum dishes react with acid or salt -containing food, traces of aluminum can go into the food. This can be the case with acid fruit, marinated meat or salted fish.
Studies indicate that too much aluminum in the body can cause damage to nerves, bones and kidneys. However, we would have to eat regularly from uncoated aluminum camping dishes to achieve questionable values in aluminum intake. In addition, many aluminum product for the outdoor area is coated with ceramics, Teflon or stainless steel in order to avoid contamination.
If you want to be on the safe side when it comes to health and don’t always want to think about what you eat or drink there, you should choose such coated aluminum products or fall back on the titanium and stainless steel dishes. These are considered harmless to health because they do not hand over any harmful substances and do not react with the food.
The camping products ecological cycle assessment
But what about the sustainability of the outdoor cooking utensils? Are you reasonably environmentally friendly? At least as far as the materials are concerned, the answer here is: rather no. Because many materials from which camping dishes are made have a poor ecological balance. For example, plastic and melaming dishes are not biodegradable. Many plastic products are made from fossil fuels and strain the environment through CO₂ emissions in the manufacture and burn. The production and disposal of melamine resin are neither sustainable nor environmentally friendly. The plastics or the abrasion of it often get into the environment and contribute to global plastic pollution.
A lot of energy and the raw material BauXit are required for the production of aluminum. When reducing this aluminum ore, forests are destroyed and floors are eroded. A toxic red sludge is also created in aluminum production. But at least aluminum is recyclable. The production of titanium and stainless steel are also energy -intensive and not completely sustainable. These two materials still perform better ecologically because they are even more durable and can be recycled well.
Healthy and sustainable alternatives
For mindful outdoor enthusiasts, however, there are also healthier and/or ecologically sustainable alternatives that have more and more manufacturers on offer. These include, for example, BPA-free plastics that are at least safer for health. In this case, however, the problematic environmental pollution from plastic remains.
Outdoor dishes made of wood and bamboo is healthier and sustainable, because it does not require harmful chemicals, is biodegradable and thus protects the environment. However, when buying the dishes, you should make sure that the bamboo was not added to the bamboo such as melamine as a binder. If you stay in fixed campsites anyway and do not have to carry your dishes with you, the much more difficult, “normal” ceramic or glass dishes can be an environmentally friendly and harmful choice for you.
Weighing matter
The choice of the “right” camping dishes is ultimately a balance between practical and financial demands and personal risk. While plastic and melamine can have health and ecological problems in the long run, stainless steel, titanium, wood and bamboo represent healthy and sustainable alternatives. With these options, outdoor fans can ensure that their adventure is not only comfortable, but also responsible-both towards one’s own health and the environment.
