Washing camping dishes are much more fun when you don’t end up standing in a mud puddle by the time you are finished.
Also, who wants to carry all their dishes over to a communal dish pit after every meal?
The best portable camping sinks will make one of the least desirable parts of camping cleaner and more manageable.
Even if you’re the kind of camper that prefers to save washing dishes for the morning, these sinks give you a dedicated place to toss all of your dirties.
That way, you can rest easy and then tackle them in the morning.
Portable sinks do the same job as their full-size counterparts without relying on plumbing or running water, making these dishwashing bucket ideal for camper, van lifer, or your trailer doesn’t have a kitchen.
Some units even even have faucet and pump which gives you even more flexibility to doing dishes wherever and whenever you need.
So, whatever you need a foldable wash wash basin for car camping trips or a free standing camping kitchen sink for week-long adventure, we found the best units that’ll work in a variety of situations.
So let’s spend some time reviewing the best models on the market today!
Why Do I Need A Portable Camping Sink?
Unless you plan to hike into your campsites, you will have the ability to bring a larger camping stove to make more delicious camping meals.
There’s no reason to rely on dehydrated meals when truck camping or living in a van full-time.
Cooking more involved meals may be a luxury, but it is a lot better than eating freeze-dried food.
If you want to cook while camping, you will need a place to do dishes. So if it can fit in your vehicle, you should bring a portable sink on your camping trips.
Also, truck camping or van life aren’t like backpacking. You don’t have to worry about carrying the weight of every little thing you pack on your back. Most of these dish pits are incredibly lightweight anyway.
Here are a few more benefits of having a dish pit wherever you go:
- Gives you a dedicated storage space for your dirty dishes
- Helps you use less water for washing dishes
- Can also be used for face washing or “camp baths”
- Provides a place for cleaning fish (if you’re into that kind of thing!)
So How Do You Choose The Best Portable Camping Sink For You?
When you begin your search, these are the most important factors to keep in mind before purchasing your next portable kitchen sinks.
5 Of The Best Portable Camping Sinks
The good news is that your options are far from limited on this front. There are a vast number of these kitchen camping sinks out there for you to choose from.
But after stirring the pot sufficiently, these eight designs are the cream that rose to the top.
From manual to electric and hand pump to foot pump options, these are the nine best portable camp sinks for cleaning dirty dishes while camping.
1. SAMMART B08BLBWXRC Foldable Washing Basin
The SAMMART 10L Collapsible Dishpan is BPA-free and dishwasher safe. So this foldable wash basin is a great choice for weekend family camping trips.
You’ll be able to toss it in the dishwasher when you get home and it’ll be ready for your next trip.
It has a built-in drain plug so that you don’t have to worry about carrying it and dumping it out.
That makes its relatively larger water capacity a bit more manageable.
You will just need to make sure you set it up over a spot where you are comfortable dumping dirty dish water.
It also collapses to less than three inches wide when you need to store it and is built with four sturdy legs to keep it from sliding once it is expanded.
2. Hike Crew B07LFN611T Outdoor Foot Pump Camping Sink
This is about as close as you will get to a regular sink when camping. The water container serves as the base and the sink stand screws right into it.
It even boasts a faucet and a dispenser that holds up to six pints of soap.
The faucet is operated by a foot pump and a drainage hose screws into the outlet at the bottom of the sink.
The sink holds up to a gallon of water and the drainage hose can even be re-routed back into the water tank for folks that want to recycle grey water for multiple washes.
There is also a small towel holder that swivels off to the side of the sink. You will get approximately 100 washes off of a full water tank.
So this model is ideal for longer camping trips or as a communal washing station when group camping.
It can even be a useful washing station for backyard parties or barbecues if you want to limit the number of visitors going in and out of your house.
3. Goplus B0778ZDLWH Folding Fish Table Sink
If fishing is your primary activity when camping, look no further than the Goplus Folding Fish Table.
It will give you the perfect sloped surface with raised edges to maintain a clean fish cleaning are for your whole trip.
When it says ‘folding’ in the title, I should be clear that only the legs fold up on this table.
The table itself doesn’t fold in half. But it still becomes pretty skinny when you need to load it into your RV, truck, trailer, or van.
The tabletop is built with high-density polyethylene and the legs are made of durable iron.
The drain hose that comes out of the bottom of the sink can be extended from 12 inches up to 34 inches in length to help you dispose of dirty dishwater where you want.
This table also comes with a quick-connect faucet that can be hooked up to a garden hose for pressure.
It also comes with an extending sprayer nozzle so that you can thoroughly clean the table down once you are done cleaning fish on it.
4. UST FlexWare 20-02735 Camping Wash Basin
The UST FlexWare Collapsible Sink is my personal favorite. I use it in conjunction with a small two-gallon water container and it works perfectly for my relatively minimalistic dishwashing needs.
This is a pretty basic sink, but it is super durable and flexible so you won’t be able to break it (without trying really hard).
It does have two rotating handles that make it super easy to carry when it is filled.
The thermoplastic rubber that it is made of is also BPA-free and dishwasher safe.
So if I rent an Airbnb with a dishwasher, I can just throw the sink in there and hit the reset button for more camping trips.
But it does have rigid plastic around the top lid and at the base to give it more structure.
5. GKSELLING B07S6ZHCHY 12L Collapsible Wash Basin
This is the best camping sink for minimalists. It can even suit your needs for backpacking trips because it collapses to the same size as a sleeping bag liner or inflatable camping pillow.
For its small size and minimal weight, it offers a sizeable carrying capacity.
This design is similar to the FlexWare sink because you will need some type of water storage container to pair with it to complete your dishwashing setup.
Whether you need something for washing dishes, storing extra water, or washing faces at the end of a long day, this basin is multi-faceted.
The outside is made of Oxford fabric and the inside is made of a waterproof PEVA fabric without stitching, which eliminates the possibility of busted seams causing leakage.
6. Coleman B01MDLN1PQ Double Wash Basin
This design is unique because it includes two basins. So you can use one for stacking dirty dishes and the other for doing the actual washing.
Or, you can use one for washing and the other for stacking dishes to dry. In other words, you have options!
It is a super lightweight design with a total of three handles so that it doesn’t collapse in the middle if you try to move it when full.
It is made of a clear plastic material that is easy to clean, but you will need to be careful not to puncture this basin if you go with it.
That lack of durability has been noted by several users, but it is one of the more affordable options out there if you only need something for camping a few times every year.
7. Deluxe Camp Sink B072M8N2S4 Handwashing Station
The Deluxe Camp Sink uses a foot-operated pump to supply water flow through the faucet.
Basically, it incorporates two 5-gallon buckets with a table and a foot pump.
One bucket serves as the sink while the other is the water holding container.
Rubber piping connects the holding container to the pump and then pushes water up and through the PVC faucet.
There is also a soap dispenser included and the entire set breaks down for easy transport and storage.
The buckets can be placed inside one another and the legs separate from the table.
The legs also fold up so that they require minimal space in your camping setup.
8. Water Boy 12V pressurized water supply Camp Sink
No, the name of this sink is not a reference to Adam Sandler’s infamous football movie.
But I will cite a quote from this movie in saying, “this is a high-quality camping sink!” It also happens to be one of the priciest models on our list.
One of the reasons why it is so expensive is because it provides a pressurized water supply.
Using a 12-volt electric pump, it can achieve water pressures similar to what you enjoy in your household sink.
It comes with everything to make it function like your sink at home, including a rechargeable AGM battery, marine grade water pump and faucet, carbon block water filter, voltage meter with USB port, battery charger, and quick-release fitments for all hoses and connectors. You will also have the option of adding a water heater.
The water pump includes an automatic switch that allows you to adjust the water flow and water pressure.
It also self primes for a vertical rise of up to six feet and a horizontal length of up to 25 feet.
On a full charge, the battery can handle pumping up to 100 gallons of water.
Plus, the battery system makes it easy to monitor the remaining charge and the charger is waterproof so you don’t have to worry about splashing it when it is plugged in.
If you already have a drawer system installed in your truck bed, this unit is compatible with systems from industry leaders like ARB, Decked, and TruckVault.
It also comes with an optional collapsible washbasin to complete your dishwashing setup.
So, Which Camping Sink Is Best For You?
Here are a few best-case scenarios I’ve imagined:
For fishing trips, we would recommend the Goplus Folding Fish Table.
As a truck camper, I love my UST FlexWare Collapsible Sink.
For van life, I can see how the Water Boy Camp Sink would make your kitchen operate as close to a normal household sink as possible.
As a former camp counselor and backpacking guide, I would’ve loved having the Deluxe Camp Sink (and Handwashing Station!) to teach campers and first-time backpackers the importance of backcountry hygiene.
A Note From The Environment About Doing Dishes While Camping
Proper dish cleaning etiquette when camping is different from how most of us do dishes at home.
That’s because the beautiful natural landscapes we camp in require our conscious consideration.
Please use these tips to minimize your environmental impact when doing dishes in camp:
Conclusion
Honestly, I don’t expect you to be overjoyed about cleaning dishes when camping.
But it is simply one of the necessities we must take care of if we want to have clean dishes ready the next time we go to make a meal.
Some get more pleasure out of keeping their campsite clean and organized than others. For full-time campers, it is more of a necessity than a luxury.
Fortunately, the right portable camping sink will help you accomplish the necessity of cleaning dishes much more easily.
Plus, the right model will hardly take up any space in your rig until you need it.
As always, we hope that you have found this article insightful. If you have any other sinks that you would highly recommend, please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
