A cast iron pan is durable, can go from the camp stove to the campfire, and is something that will easily last a lifetime and beyond with proper care.

There are a lot of reasons to love cooking with cast iron while camping.

Unfortunately, many people have no idea how to clean and care for their cast iron skillet, and as a result, they don’t end up using it very often.

But not anymore!

Washing your cast iron pan while camping is actually very easy and quick.

In this blog post, I’m going to show you exactly how to do it.

Cleaning Cast Iron Basics

Cast Iron Seasoning

A cast iron pan must be seasoned properly before it can be used.

The seasoning on your cast iron pan is the dark layer of carbonized oil that covers the raw iron.

It helps protect your pan from rust and also gives your pan a non-stick quality.

The seasoning on your pan will build up as you use it and cook with oil and butter. It just keeps getting better and better with use.

When we’re cleaning, we want to make sure we preserve this wonderful seasoning layer.

How to Easily Clean a Cast Iron Skillet While Camping

Cast Iron Dont’s

In order to preserve the seasoning, you never want to:

use harsh cleaning soaps or chemicals

use sharp or abrasive metal cleaning utensils (like steel wool)

soak your skillet in water

Supplies You’ll Need:

Here are the cleaning supplies you’ll need instead:

pot scraper – this pot scraper tool is awesome for getting those stuck-on food bits off your cast iron with or without water

sponge – I like to use the Scrub Daddy sponge while camping. It’s anti-microbial and designed to be firmer in cold water and softer in warm water. It also has a small loop that makes it easy to hang it up to dry when I’m done cleaning.

clean lint-free towel – used to dry the cast iron right after cleaning

camp soap (optional) – biodegradable camp soap

seasoning spray – used to preserve the seasoning and prevent rust

Camping cast iron cookware australia , so if you are interested, you can come and buy them!