Last Updated on 08/02/2024
What Is the Best Camping Spatula?
The best spatula for camp cooking is one that is lightweight, compact, and durable. in this guide to the best camping spatulas, we have gathered 6 of the most lightweight and compact spatulas to take camping or backpacking. We discuss the differences between wood, plastic, silicone, stainless steel, and titanium spatulas and share what to look out for when buying one.
If you are the kind of person who can’t doesn’t go camping without preparing a hot meal in the evening or a fried breakfast with filter coffee in the morning, you likely include a camping stove as part of your kit. This will most likely include a gas bottle, stove, and cooking pot, as well as any other accessories you have to block wind or stabilize the canister. What most people forget, though, is a camp spatula for cooking with.
Camping spatulas are used for frying food or turning/moving food about in a pan to make sure it cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. Most camping cookware is relatively narrow, and so you don’t need a massive handle or super-wide tip. You just need it to be able to flip and stir food in a relatively small pan. Titanium Sporks could be used, but they aren’t the best for flipping burgers or eggs.
For more details on the different types of spatula for campers and what to look for, keep reading to the bottom of the page.
6 Best Spatulas for Camping
GSI Outdoors Pivot Spatula

- WEIGHT: 1.4 oz / 40 g
- DIMENSIONS: 6.8″ x 2.3″ x 1.2″ (folded)
- MATERIAL: Heat-resistant nylon 66
The GSI Outdoors Pivot Spatula offers everything you need from a lightweight spatula for camping and more. The pivoting design makes this super easy to pack and ensures it won’t be damaged in your backpack. As well as being ultra-compact, it only weighs 40 grams making it easily packable for lightweight camping or hiking trips.
One of the edges is serrated for dividing food, and the other two edges are angled for chopping and stirring. The hook on the handle means that you never lose your spoon in a pot of food again, and it always comes in handy. This is by far the best camp spatula on the market right now, and I recommend it for all your mess tins.

Snow Peak Folding Cooking Turner

- WEIGHT: 0.67 oz / 19.1 g
- DIMENSIONS: 3.62″ x 2.32″ x 0.98″ (folded)
- MATERIAL: Nylon 66
The Snow Peak Folding Cooking Turner is the most lightweight camping spatula in existence at under 20 grams – it weighs less than a small bag of potato chips. It will fit neatly inside any Trangia pot or mess tin and is one of the most compact designs we have seen. The tapered edge is perfect for flipping eggs in the morning and is good for breaking big chunks down in the pan.
If you are a gram counter looking to pack only the most lightweight gear, then Snow Peak is somewhat of a specialist, and this could be the tool for you. Ideal for stirring your ration bag meals or making stir-fries and curries at camp, I even use mine to stir my teas and coffee. Because of its compact size, it doesn’t have the widest head, and the handle is very thin, but it does the job and saves you weight, so it’s a winner in our book.

MSR Alpine Utensils

- WEIGHT: 3 oz / 80 g (set of 3) | (Spatula only 0.7 oz / 20 g)
- DIMENSIONS: 6.6″ x 3″ x 3.3″ (set of 3) | (Spatula only 6″ x 2.5″ x 1.5″)
- MATERIAL: Heat-resistant nylon
The MSR Alpine Utensils offer everything you need to be a gourmet chef in the wild; however, it is highly unlikely you will ever need all three for the same trip unless you are in an RV/ camper van. The spatula on its own is very lightweight at just 20 g – you won’t even know you have it, and because it folds in half, you can literally pack it anywhere.
MSR is an excellent brand for outdoor cookware, and they really do think of everything. If you just pack the spatula and leave the other two at home, this is one of the best camping spatulas for cooking in the wild. In terms of value alone, the MSR Alpine Utensils are worth owning and are a steal compared to other single spatulas.

Ateco Ultra Offset Spatula 4.25″

- WEIGHT: 1.12 oz / 32 g
- DIMENSIONS: 10″ x 0.5″ x 0.75″
- MATERIAL: Stainless steel blade, polypropylene handle
The Ateco Ultra Offset Spatula 4.25″ is the only spatula on this list that is designed for a kitchen and not for camping. The reason it made a list is that it is super lightweight and compact, as well as being great for flipping and portioning food at a campsite kitchen. You can get slightly larger versions of this, but I find this does everything you need when cooking outdoors and for less than $10.
Unlike some of the folding camp spatulas, this one-piece is super easy to clean with no difficult joints to harbor bacteria. The offset blade makes resting this on the side of a pan easy, and the plastic handle ensures you never burn your hand. This is a super useful utensil for camp cooking and is great for spreading sandwiches at home.

Jili Online Stainless Steel Folding Spatula

- WEIGHT: 1.55 oz / 44 g
- DIMENSIONS: 5.12″ x 1.97″ (folded)
- MATERIAL: Stainless steel
The Jili Online Stainless Steel Folding Spatula is a solid utensil that is perfect for camping and cooking outdoors. It is fully stainless steel, so you don’t have to worry about leaving it in a hot pan and it melting. The fact that it doesn’t have any plastic also makes it great for BBQs and cooking on an open fire. The design is super sturdy and one of the best camp spatulas for cooking meat.
I like the size of the spatula head, which will fit inside all my compact cooking pots, and it is nice and compact when folded. At just 44 grams, this is hardly going to break your back if you add it to your stove bag, and it will come in handy whenever you are cooking. The top edge is almost sharp and great for cutting things up as they cook, and it feels durable enough to do so. Overall, a very solid choice.

AMG Titanium Tongs

- WEIGHT: 0.77 oz / 22 g
- DIMENSIONS: 7.87″ x 0.4″
- MATERIAL: Titanium
The AMG Titanium Tongs is not really a spatula, but they are great for campsite cooking and can be used as a stirrer or flipper in all but the sauciest dishes. These are super multipurpose and can be used like chopsticks to eat with, for serving salads, BBQs, and frying, and of all the spatulas on this list, these are the ones I use at home the most.
They weigh just 22 grams which is less than half the weight of some other camp spatulas, and they are super easy to pack if you use an elastic band or hair bobble to keep them closed. They are made from solid titanium, which is the reason they are so lightweight, but they are also incredibly durable and perfect for cooking at camp. I highly recommend these, even though they are tongs and not actually a spatula.

Different Types of Camping Spatulas
Whether you are looking for a mini camping spatula that weighs next to nothing or for a durable metal spatula that can be used on a BBQ or open fire, there is a spatula to suit your needs. Here are the different materials you will see camping spatulas made from and what we think about their performance.
Wood
Wooden spatulas are possibly some of the best for camping because they are so lightweight and durable, as well as being more sustainable. The reason we haven’t mentioned any here today is that we find that they are all the same, and there is no one brand that stands out as making the best in the industry. One of the best types of spatula for camping is one you made yourself from a piece of wood you found under a tree. If you can learn to carve a spatula, then you will never be short of one in the woods.
Plastic
Plastic spatulas are the nicest to use. They are lightweight and easy to clean, flexible and durable, cheap, and don’t scratch your nonstick pans. You commonly see something called Nylon 66, which has ” high mechanical strength, rigidity, good stability under heat and/or chemical resistance”. This makes it ideal for cooking and outdoor use where durability is a factor. One downside to plastic vs metal spatulas is that if you leave them over intense heat or naked flames too long, you do risk melting them.
Silicone
Silicone has incredible heat resistance properties that mean you will never melt them by accident like you could with a plastic spatula. The problem with silicone is that it isn’t very rigid, which means it is often used in conjunction with sturdier materials. One issue I have with silicone utensils is that they get grubby very quickly and don’t ever seem to stay clean. This might just be me, but I prefer metal or plastic, even though silicone has some amazing properties.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel camping spatulas are the most durable and often very good value for money. They hold up very well over time and will rarely let you down. They are one of the heavier materials used to make camp spatulas, although not by too much, and some might say that the durability is worth carrying a couple of extra grams. If you plan on cooking over an open fire or for BBQ-style cooking, then this is one to look for.
Titanium
Titanium is just as strong as steel but is 45% lighter and much more expensive. It transfers heat quite quickly, which means it can get quite hot if left in a pan, but the beauty of it is that it will cool down very rapidly too. The camping tongs we recommended above are made from titanium, and we rate them very highly. For more titanium camp gear, check out this article about titanium water bottles.
Why Do You Need a Spatula when Camping?
Can’t I just use my spork? Plastic sporks are not designed for heat, and if you aren’t careful, they will soon become brittle and snap. If you are cooking anything in a frying pan or on a grill, then a spatula or tongs are almost a necessity for cooking properly and safely. Spatulas help keep your spork clean and free from other tasks and minimize the risk of you burning your hand or fingers.
We hope you found this guide to the best camping spatula helpful today. Thanks for reading.
[…] far as cutlery goes, a spork is the only camping utensil I take camping anymore (along with my stove and kettle). I use it to cook with, eat with, and stir […]