20 Ways To Boil Water When Camping (Easy Methods)

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Boiling water while in the great outdoors might seem difficult.  But there are actually a lot of different ways to choose from when it comes to how to boil water when camping.  You can choose whichever method will be the easiest way for your camping conditions.

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Boiling Water At Your Campsite

Having hot water on your camping trip can come in handy in so many different ways.  Here is a list of options for you to choose from when deciding how to boil water when camping.

1. Campfire Grill Grate
2. Propane Camp Stove
3. Electric Kettle
4. Solar-Powered Kettle
5. Charcoal Grill
6. Jetboil
7. Portable Propane Stove
8. Campfire Tripod
9. Dutch Oven
10. Electric Stove
11. Tin Can
12. Internal Flame Kettle
13. Car Kettle
14. Alcohol Stove
15. Hot Rocks
16. Immersion Heater
17. Solar Heating Bag
18. Portable Water Heater
19. Bucket Heater
20. Microwave

There are a few options that are going to be the easiest way to boil water while camping, but knowing all of your options is going to help you in the long run.

Best Methods

It is hard to tell you what the best method is for boiling water while camping.  Really, it will depend on what you have access to and how comfortable you are with each method.

In our opinion, our three favorite methods for boiling water while camping are:

• Campfire (with grill grate)
• Jetboil
• Propane camp stove

Again, this will all depend on what you have available to you.

Why Boil Water?

Boiling water is the process of heating water over a heat source until it comes to a boiling point.  There are a few reasons that you might want to boil water while camping.

• Purifying Water For Drinking – You can boil water at a rolling boil for 1 minute to kill any disease causing bacteria.  This will make it safe for drinking.  Having clean water to drink while camping is so important.
• Cooking
• Personal Hygiene
• Sanitizing

Purifying Drinking Water

If you run out of clean water to drink, then you can boil water while you’re camping.  Boiling water at a rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes if at altitude over 5,000 feet) will kill any disease-causing bacteria.  This will make it safe for drinking.

Having clean water to drink while camping is so important.  It’s also nice to have the option to use natural sources, like rivers & lakes, around you to get your drinking water from.  

Cooking

There are many meals that require hot water while cooking.  Being able to boil water at your campsite will give you the option to make a variety of meals at your campsite.

You might also need boiling water to heat up your freeze-dried meals or other non-perishable food items while camping.

Plus, don’t forget that you’ll also need to boil water to make coffee!

Personal Hygiene

Having warm water can feel like such a luxury while camping.  This will give you the option to take a camp shower or even just wash your face and hands in warm water.

Sanitizing

Boiling water is also a way to sanitize.  If you need to sanitize utensils, dishes, toothbrushes, or other gear, then having a pot of boiling water will really come in handy.

Methods For Boiling Water When Camping

Now, let’s talk about all of the options you have for boiling (or heating) water while you’re out camping.

Not all of these methods will work for you, but at least you’ll have a better idea of what your options are based on your camping needs.

1. Campfire (Grill Grate)

One of the easiest ways to boil water while camping is over your fire pit.  Some campsites include a grill grate on their fire pits.  If your campsite doesn’t have a grill grate over the fire pit, then you might choose to bring your own for all of your cooking needs.

Placing a pot of water over the fire will be one of the easiest ways to boil water.  You usually have a fire going while you’re camping, so you really just need to bring a pot with you to boil your water.

If you don’t have a grill grate, you can still get away with boiling water on the campfire.  You might just place a pot directly on your wood or on some rocks right next to your fire.

2. Propane Camp Stove

Having a camping stove during your camping trip is an easy way to boil water while you’re camping.  You can choose to boil water in a pot on top of your stove, or you might even use a traditional kettle.

Boiling water on the propane stove is also going to be one of the quickest ways to boil water at your campsite.  This could be a great option for you because you’ll be able to boil water and cook all of your meals on the camp stove.

3. Electric Kettle

If you have a power source, like a portable generator, then an electric kettle is going to be a super easy way to boil water at your campsite.

The electric kettle can boil water in just a few minutes, which is way quicker than a lot of the methods mentioned in this post.

4. Solar-Powered Kettle

If you don’t have an outlet to plug into, then a solar powered kettle might be a better option for you.

Solar kettles use the rays from the sun as their power source. 

There are a couple of downsides to this method of boiling water. 

First, they’re not very wide, so I wouldn’t recommend using this method if you need to make larger meals in it.  This would be a good choice if you just need something to boil water for coffee or throw a few eggs in it for boiled eggs.

Also, they require good weather conditions since you need to use the sun to power it.

5. Charcoal Grill

Some people love to bring a grill with them while camping for BBQ and cookouts.  You can also throw a pot of water on a charcoal grill to boil your water while camping.

Having the lid down on your grill will help your pot of water boil faster than when you boil it over the open fire.

If you don’t have an actual grill, you could still use a mound of hot coals in your fire pit to boil your water.

6. Jetboil

The Jetboil system is our favorite way when it comes to heating water.  We love that the Jetboil is compact & allows you to boil water in just under a minute (depending on your altitude).

We use the Jetboil frequently while we’re camping & backpacking.  It is one of the best options to make a quick cup of coffee or to quickly boil water for a camping meal.

7. Portable Propane Stove (Mini Stove Kit)

This is a similar concept as the Jetboil.  It is a small propane fuel canister with a mini stove kit attachment to boil water with.

There are pros and cons to this version vs. the Jetboil.

Pro: The mini portable stove will allow you to use any pot that you want.  The Jetboil is only designed to use it’s designated pot because it attaches to the burner.

Con: There usually isn’t an instant starter on these stoves, so you’ll have to have a lighter or match with you to get it started.

8. Tripod (Campfire)

One common cooking method is using a cooking tripod over your campfire.  This is also a great way to boil water while using the open flame of your fire.

Just hang a pot of water over your campfire and allow it time to boil.

This method is nice because it keeps your campfire open for other uses while the water boils.

9. Dutch Oven (Campfire)

Using a dutch oven is a classic way to cook over a campfire.  Maybe people put their meals in the dutch oven and bury it in their fire to cook while they do other activities around their campsite.

You could use this same method for boiling water.  Just pour as much water as you need into your dutch oven and allow it to sit in the fire until it is nice and hot.

10. Electric Stove

Having an electric stove burner is another option to use while you’re camping.  Instead of a fuel source, you’ll need access to electrical outlets.

This option might be the best if you’re at a campsite with electricity or if you have a portable generator with you.

Using a pot or a kettle on your electric stove will be a quick way to have boiling water during your camping trip.

11. Tin Can

This is more of a survival technique when it comes to boiling water.  Using a tin can over a heat source is an option for boiling water while you’re camping.

You’ll want to make sure the can is cleaned out from previous food, & then fill it with water.  You can stick your tin can directly on the fire or on your camping stove to allow it to boil.

12. Internal Flame Kettle

Having an internal flame kettle (like this Ghille Kettle) might be a better option for you while camping.  It is a similar concept to a Jetboil stove, but it doesn’t require propane.

Instead, you’ll build a small fire inside the bottom of the kettle and allow it to heat the water that way.

This would be ideal to bring camping because it is small to pack and doesn’t require any extra fuel sources.  You can just use wood from around your campsite to heat the kettle.

13. Car Kettle

Did you know there was such a thing as a car kettle?  This kettle plugs into your car outlet (what used to be the cigarette lighter) and heats water to a boil.

This might be a better option for you if you don’t have an electrical source, like a generator, while you’re car camping.

It is also a really quick method to boil a small amount of water for coffee or small meals.

14. Alcohol Stove

Alcohol stoves aren’t quite as popular as other stoves in some areas, but they are still an option for you to bring camping.  Alcohol stoves might work the best for you because the fuel could be easier to obtain than propane canisters.

The alcohol stove is exactly as it sounds.  It uses alcohol as the source to heat your water to a boil.

15. Hot Rocks

This is a major survival skill to have.  You can heat rocks in a fire and then use them to boil water.

Using a handful of rocks in your water will soon bring it to a boiling temp, as long as you get the rocks hot enough.

This is a backup option if you’re ever in a pinch and need to boil water.

The hardest part of this method is figuring out how to transfer the rocks from the fire into your pot.  You’ll need tongs or some other device to help you move the rocks.

16. Immersion Heater

Immersion heaters are handheld coils that produce a lot of heat.  You’ll stick the coils into your water and allow it time to bring the water to a boil.

This method is compact to carry, but you’ll need an electrical source to use the immersion heater.  It could be the perfect option for you if you don’t want to pack a lot of gear to boil your water & also have access to a power outlet.

17. Solar Water Heating Bag

This method is mostly used for personal hygiene.  The solar water bag is a bag designed to use the sun to heat the water up inside of it.

You’ll have warm water for a shower and to wash dishes.  It is not likely that it will bring the water to a full boil every time you use it, unless you are always camping on a really hot day.

18. Portable Water Heater

This is another camping gadget designed to heat up water.  The portable water heater is exactly as it sounds.  It heats up water while you’re on the go.

This isn’t an ideal system to rely on if you need boiled water as it might not bring your water to a boiling temperature.

Also, it is a bulky system to pack and transport with you to your campsite.

19. Bucket Heater

If you need to heat a large quantity of water, then you might try a bucket heater.  This is a similar concept to an immersion heater, but it’s made for larger containers.

The bucket heater isn’t designed to bring water to a full boil, but it will get the water nice and hot for you.

20. Microwave

I’m listing the microwave here as a reminder that it is an option when it comes to boiling water. 

I don’t expect that you’ll pack up a microwave while you’re camping in remote areas.

But you might have a camping neighbor at your park campsite with an RV who would let you boil water in their microwave. 

You might also be at a campground with a microwave available in a common area.

Tips To Boil Water More Quickly

If you want to know how to boil water quickly, then here are a few tips for you:

• Only boil small quantities at a time.  If you have too much water, it will take longer.
• Using a wider container will allow the heat to penetrate more water more quickly.  A small pot will require the heat to penetrate more water at once.
• Use the hottest source of fuel that you can find
• Using a lid on your container will also speed up the process

Conclusion

Choosing the best way to have boiled water while camping will depend on your camping situation.  There are so many methods to choose from, but you have to decide what will be readily available for you while you’re in the great outdoors.

Whether you have access to electricity, propane, wood, charcoal, or other fuel sources will be a huge indicator of how you should boil water while you’re camping.

FAQ

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