Cooking inside tent?

[vaporjourney]

I've wondered about this often. Assuming rain isn't too terrible, is it safe to leave the vestibule partly open, and cook in that? This will be using an alcohol stove. I already worry about breathing in the denatured alcohol fumes when cooking outdoors, and not sure how much of these fumes escape the vestibule when you're halfway covered. Also, I guess that the wild flames of the alcohol stove could also be a concern, even when using a windshield.

[Footslogger]

It's something that is considered a NO-NO ...but just about everytime I'm out hiking and the weather comes in I see pretty much everyone doing, including myself.

Biggest risks are fumes, fuel spillage and the possibility of spreading a fire to you and your tent/gear and the damage that heat might cause to the tent material.

Know and accept the risks. Use caution and common sense and be sure there is adequate ventillation and clearance above the stove/cookpot for heat to escape without damaging your shelter.

'Slogger

[Smile]

I'd suggest having a few food items along that you don't have to cook, that way if you are in bad weather, you can skip cooking until you in a safe/dray place to do it. :-)

[Fiddler]

I don't like it because of the possibility (don't know if this is real or not) of food odors being absorbed into the tent material. Critter attractor, you know. This in addition to the dangers already mentioned by 'Slogger.

(Yeah, I'm guilty. Do as I say, not as I do.)

[Amigi'sLastStand]

Cook in tent with Denat stove...
Stop brushing teeth for five months.....
Pet the cute little bear cub.....
Wash dishes in the stream....
Crap behind the shelter....
Toss off this little bits of foil.....
Pull knife towards me when sharpening.....
Wash hands with Purell while smoking....

None of these are good ideas.

[Smile]

LOL, good list!

[Just Jeff]

I'd suggest having a few food items along that you don't have to cook, that way if you are in bad weather, you can skip cooking until you in a safe/dray place to do it. :-)

You mean like the sushi in your picture? (Now that I know what it is...)

You pack it in and I'll eat it!

[Skidsteer]

I don't like to do it but I admit I've done it before and will likely do it again.

[Lone Wolf]

I've cooked in my vestibule dozens of times.

[speedy]

I've never had the guts to cook inside my tarp in the winter time with an alky stove. (I use hammock with giant tarp most of the time so it's not a problem) There have been a few insane cold mornings when using my homemade sil shelter that I've cooked right outside the door at arm's length. It still kinda worries me with alky since I've seen so many of them shoot alky/flames everywhere before for no appearant reason. Flaming alky + silnylon or spinniker = bad!

Your best bet is to learn the joys of cannisterism. Now I cook wherever/whenever with no worries. REI even has the pocketrocket on sale for $30 right now.

Wash hands with Purell while smoking....

Thanks for bringin a smile to my face. Never even thought about that stuff being flamable. You could just put smoking on that list though. BTW Amigi, I'm the member formerly known as whiteagle (before I got a trail name). speedy

[SGT Rock]

I've cooked under my hammock tarp in the rain. With a nice low alcohol stove it is fine.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

This problem is what finally convinced me to go with the tiny 2 dino bivy tent and a large tarp rather than a larger tent with a vestibule. I have a lot of trouble getting up and down from the ground so I need more room than most to cook.

[TJ aka Teej]

...and light it up. See what happens?
Never cook inside a tent.

[Two Speed]

...and light it up. See what happens?
Never cook inside a tent.

Yeah, probably not smart, particularly if you're even slightly clumsy or absent minded, but I routinely cook in the vestibule of my shelter if it's raining. Of course, I have been known to run with scissors in my hand, too, so using me as a model may or may not be the best decision another hiker could make. HYOH and all that jazz.

[saimyoji]

...and light it up. See what happens?
Never cook inside a tent.

Pics? Vids?

[stumpknocker]

I set my cat-can stove out the tent door EVERY morning and brew my Starbuck's.

I don't get out of my sleeping bag until I've had my coffee.

Although........when I get back on the Trail later next week, I'm not carrying my stove, cookpot, Dunkin Donut's coffee mug, Mug-Mate filter, alcohol or my Starbuck's.

I've got some Jolt caffeine gum and will give that a try.

I don't like to cook meals on the Trail anyway, so if I can learn to live without my coffee for two to three mornings in a row, I will not have all that stuff to deal with everyday.

Time will tell.

[Blue Jay]

...and light it up. See what happens?
Never cook inside a tent.

This is important. You will be shocked at how fast it goes up. Then imagine how easy it will be to get burning nylon off your skin. There is a story that has been around up in the Adirondacks about a body wraped in a burning tent found in a stream. It could be a legend. Again, please touch a flame to a piece of nylon. Then feel free to cook just outside your tent, it's your skin.

[Tipi Walter]

I've cooked in my vestibule dozens of times.

Once my white gas stove gets going I gently slide it into the vestibule and cook away. I've only had one stove blow up on me(Svea 123)and luckily it was not near the tent. Would I cook inside a zipped up tent? Naw, there's no need for that even though some old tent floors had little zippered holes for that purpose. When the weather is so bad that everything has to be buttoned up, well, I just snack and wait it out.

[stumpknocker]

Hey Blue Jay.....life is risky, isn't it??

I probably won't go long without my coffee when I start walking again, so I'll go back to the way I've brewed my coffee all along.

I'll just be more stressed, that's all.

[speedy]

There's a new article on this (well, mainly CO and tents) on bpl I just saw. Was a pretty good read. speedy