Bring your own gear, your own food, and your own process.

Yes, but only if you treat camp cooking like a sterile lab.

Cross-contamination is the real enemy. That camping stove your buddy used? It might have residue from peanut butter packets. That cast iron skillet? Gluten particles can stick around, especially from burned-on oatmeal or pancake batter. You can’t trust shared equipment unless you know it was scrubbed with soap and hot water, and even then, porous materials hold onto stuff.

Your safest approach: own everything you cook with and everything you eat. Pack a dedicated cookset (pot, pan, spatula, spoon, plate, cup) that never touches anyone else’s allergens. Bring your own fuel stove or use a separate burner. Prep meals at home in sealed containers or freeze them in vacuum bags if you’re backpacking. For campfire cooking, use heavy-duty foil packets on the grate after you’ve scrubbed it down, or bring a small folding grate that’s yours alone.

Also, don’t trust bulk ingredients. Even “plain” oats or rice can have gluten or nut traces from the bulk bin scoop. Stick to sealed, labeled products from brands you already trust. If you’re going with a group, clearly mark your stuff and have a calm conversation before the trip: “I can’t eat off your spatula, and if you double-dip into my peanut butter substitute, we’re going to have a problem.”

This is not where you take shortcuts.