KitchenOS — Boys Camp ’26

🔥

Smoker holds 4 shoulders — plan ~3 sessions

≈75 lb raw pork ≈ 9 shoulders. At 4 per batch that's 3 smoke sessions across the days before camp. Start early.

🧊

Cold space is the tight constraint

1 standard fridge/freezer + 3 coolers for the whole week. Shop close to departure, load coolers deliberately, and rotate ice daily.

🍚

No rice cooker at camp

Cook rice on the 2 stovetop burners in large pots, or pre-cook in the 10-cup home cooker and reheat. Sequence it around pasta/beans since burners are limited.

🧑‍🍳

3 griddles + 2 ranges feed 120

Batch-cook and hold in chafers/hotel pans rather than cooking to order. Start proteins early and keep the line moving.

❄️

Limited home freezer

Freeze pork/chicken flat and only what fits; transport the rest cold in coolers. Don't count on freezing everything ahead.

🍨

Buy ice cream day-of

A grocery store is near camp — pick up ice cream right before Monday dinner and Friday floats (it's on the Prep plan) instead of hauling/freezing ~5 gal all week.

🏕️ At camp

The kitchen you're cooking in

Blackstone griddle cooktop

Main line — burgers, pancakes, eggs, chicken, dogs, burrito fillings

×3

Oven/stovetop range

Stovetop: rice, pasta, beans, corn, chili. Only 2 — sequence big pots.

×2

Oven (in the ranges)

Bacon, garlic bread, brownies, parm bake — batch on sheet pans

×2

Fridge / freezer (standard)

Tight — reserve for eggs, dairy, and the next meal's proteins

×1

Large coolers

Bulk cold chain + ice. Rotate ice daily; keep a thermometer in each.

×3

Stainless prep counter + sink

Single wash/prep station — stage a clear cutting/plating flow

×1

🏠 Home — make-ahead prep

Smoke, marinate, pre-cook before you leave

Smoker

4 pork shoulders max per batch — plan multiple smoke sessions

×1

Rice cooker (10-cup dry)

Backup/pre-cook only — ~10 cups dry per batch

×1

Home oven

×1

Home stovetop

×1

Home freezer (limited)

Limited — freeze flat, only what fits; transport the rest cold

×1

Vacuum sealer (small)

Seal pork with juices + chicken in marinade; work in batches

×1

Fridge / freezer (standard) — camp

Eggs
Milk / butter
Shredded + sliced cheese
The NEXT meal's proteins
Ice cream (freezer, if it fits)

Smallest but coldest & most reliable — reserve for what needs it most.

Cooler 1 — Proteins (coldest, most ice)

Smoked pork (vac-sealed)
Marinated chicken
Bacon
Hot dogs
Deli meats
Hash browns

Pack with the most ice; open least often. Thaw pork/chicken on schedule.

Cooler 2 — Produce & prepared

Lettuce, tomatoes, onions
Cilantro, limes, corn
Mac salad (+ reserved dressing)
Marinara
Cotija / crema overflow

Cooler 3 — Drinks & ice

Root beer
Bottled water
Lemonade
Backup bagged ice

Keep drinks out of the food coolers so they're opened less.

Gear & Coolers

Capacity reality-checks

🏕️ At camp

🏠 Home — make-ahead prep

📦 Bring & pack

🧊 Cold-storage plan