Cavemen on the AT
With all the stove options available to today's hikers&stoveless meal ideas,are there still hikers who rely on a campfire for cooking?
Some hikers go cookless, that is, eat all cold food. Some recreational backpackers cook over a campfire. But I haven't yet met a long distance hiker who cooks all her meals over a campfire. At the end of a long day of hiking, building a fire takes too long, not to mention that most LD hiking meals don't require much more than boiling water.
I did hike with a guy for a couple of days who cooked all his meals over a Zip Stove, which burns wood. He was really cooking, too -- he carried fresh garlic and vegetables to mix in with his Rice-a-roni. He did the AT in two very long sections, cooking all his meals this way.
No, basically no one, I'm sure there's an exception out there, but basically the answer is no. I don't include hikers that use Zip-type stoves, because it's completely different than building an open fire. However, if you were to count Zip stoves as cooking over an open fire, the number of hikers would still be very low.
It's just a fact of life that even us hikers, despite how much we talk about, "getting back to nature", like technology and the safety/comfort it provides and stoves are just one way this fact is illustrated. Makes you wonder how hiking will change in the future with more and more advancements. It's already completely different than when I first hiked Maine in the early 80's. And every year since 2006 it seem connectivity to the outside world is getting easier by the year.
Well I guess the idiots cutting green trees at shelters don't cook on the fires they build...Originally Posted by john gault
Wood burning stoves are coming back - you can build them with soup cans or small coffee cans and nest cook-wear inside them in your pack. I've met people that cook on open flame fires the whole way, but they are very few - it's also wasteful and not too terribly good in the LNT department.
Here is a commercially available wood burner website:
www.littlbug.com
if you want to thru-hike living "low on the food chain" - skip out on commercial shuttles, slack-packs, cell phones, and stay on the trail as much as possible as opposed to a hostel every week.
Yes, this is correct.
There are plenty of campfires at shelters, especially in cold weather. But no one is cooking on them.
IMO lots of thru hikers either don't know what LNT is or they don't care.All some of them worry about is getting to Big K.I couldn't even think of thru hiking&leaving a path of litter&other stuff all along the way...
I'm sure it has happened, but of all the fires I've seen, I've never seen anyone cut down live trees. Not sure what you're trying to say with that statement.
I agree Papa D. Lots of options. I think the fold flat models make the most sense for the thru hiker. The Emberlit stove is another www.emberlit.com
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
Deleted by author..... Damn double post!
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
I just watched this video on the littlbug Jr. and that's basically openfire cooking, much more so than a zipstove. I don't see that catching on, but I haven't watched the other videos (stoves) yet, but the Jr. is basically just an open fire with sheilding around it and a pot support on top. Kind of iffy if you can even call it a stove.
I don't see that stove catching on either, but I like it. Too bad I'm not "manly enough" to lite a fire like him
I built a wood burning stove from a coffee can. My best time to boil 2c of water was 13min. That's fine, but the gunk left on my pot after was unfriendly to say the least. I couldn't imagine trying to cook on an open fire unless you have something wrapped in foil. That would be one heck of a food weight though.
Years back I have done the campfire thing. Now a days I view campfires anywhere but at established firepits to be nothing but messy, and against my leave no trace mindset.
yes there are
you're right. shelters, fire pits and areas around shelters are trashed. especially in georgia. by thru-hikers
Yeah, lot's of thrus I've met over the years on my section hikes are not really hikers, but rather people on a one time journey that primarily requires hiking to complete. I think they view all the areas they pass through as a place they won't likely ever pass through again, and thus may not be as attentive to keeping it clean. This isn't intended to stereo type thrus, but rather just my opinion from my personal observations.
Kelly Kettle is a good option if you only need to boil water. It's easier to work than a hobo stove and the mess stays inside the Kelly Kettle. Still, I like trying to perfect my own hobo stove. Needs to be bigger in colder weather. Working on canola oil and twine wick as backup. Good for simmering and slow cooking but very messy (soot) as you try and boil water faster. Kelly Kettle if in a hurry. Hobo stove if you want to take your time.
this applies to towns and donation-type hostels
A guy with the trail name of "Roy" always cooked with a small wood fire. Last time I saw or heard of him was when we dropped him off at Spivey Gap a few years ago.
I love the smell of esbit in the morning!
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