A Mini Bar Kit To Up Your Camping Game

Whether you’re escaping to a national park with your pals, or spending a few nights under the stars with the family, sipping on a cold one while bonding with nature is one of the best parts of camping. Trust us when we say beer always tastes better after a day full of fun and adventure. 

There are few things in life we love more than the simple joy of dipping into a cooler full of the best tasting beer. However, drinking in the great outdoors doesn’t always have to be the same old, same old. How nice would it be to give your companions something new—apart from the usual straight-from-the-cooler drinking.

Enter the camp mini bar – a simple way to upgrade your outdoor drinking game. With just a few items, you can be a kickass bartender on your next outdoor adventure and impress the heck out of your camping buddies. 

So what should you include in your mini bar kit? Let’s have a look.

Portable Cooler 

Since you can’t haul your bar fridge along, a cooler is literally the most important camping bar gear you should pack. Choose a cooler that can stand up to just about any adventure or terrain, keeps your ice from leaking, and has the perfect size for comfortably keeping a weekend’s worth of bevvies chilled.

Table or Bar Station

Having a table makes it so much easier to grab your drink without having to hunch over on the ground. While you’ll find picnic tables at a lot of campsites, it’s always handy to have your own table that you can turn into a bar station. We recommend that you bring along a small folding camp table — the type that sets up and breaks down quickly.

Folding Chairs

If you’re going to emulate the experience of lounging at the bar, side-by-side with a companion, you’re going to need a couple of good folding chairs. Yes, cushioned back support matters but we feel like the only kind of bar stool you can really relax into is one that has a beer can holder and built-in cooler.

Beer Bucket/Tub

If there is a little too much of the booze, and your cooler is already full, your beer can be put inside these buckets, topped with ice, and displayed on your bar station. They will keep your cans at the perfect temperature, ready to be cracked open and enjoyed.  

Mini Keg

A chilled can is an awesome way to drink beer but there’s something about kicking back a draft in the wilderness that can’t be beaten. A tabletop keg is the ultimate mini bar accessory that delivers plenty of froth and fizziness to sip on. It’s easy to get one online. You just fill it up with lots of beer and toss it in a plastic tub with bagged ice to keep your beer frosty inside. Then, get your glasses ready for a fresh and tasty brew on tap. 

Travel Bar Set

A portable bar set will make the camping bar experience fun for everyone, including those who don’t drink beer. These kits contain a compact variety of utensils such as a shaker and strainer in a compartmentalized bag. You’ll be able to whip up everyone’s favorite cocktails without fuss, provided that you have the ingredients at hand. Pro tip: packing a couple lemons or oranges, which don’t need to be chilled, can help spice up simple cocktails

Here’s a fun beer cocktail recipe to kickstart happy hour around the campfire. Stir together 2 oz. bourbon, 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3/4 oz maple syrup, and 5 oz of Gilly’s Legendary Lager. ⁣

Swiss Army Knife

As humble as this little tool is, it’s also one of the most trustworthy things you can carry around with you. The Swiss army knife comes with blades, scissors, saws, can openers, and screwdrivers — basically everything you need to open and cut up things.

Don’t Forget The Bar Snacks

What’s the one thing you’ll find in every good pub besides an abundance of drinks? Lots of awesome snacks! Make sure there’s a good supply of crisps, dips, nuts, and pretzels for everyone to munch on. Serve these in small plastic bowls, which you can place on your table. It’ll be just like any other Saturday afternoon in your local watering hole.

CHECK OUT: Beer cooling hacks every hiker needs to know

You may be miles away from civilization but that doesn’t mean but you can’t have that bar scene vibe while out in the wild. So grab your Gilly’s, pack your gear, and get ready to turn your camp drinking experience from drab to fab.