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glessed
11-12-2009, 00:18
When it's raining or extremely cold is it reasonable to cook inside a tent? Is there a recommended stove that works well for this purpose or is it taboo (dangerous)?

Egads
11-12-2009, 00:21
Not a good idea :-?

Tents are flammable :eek:

Food spills and odors attract critters :mad:

Better to set up a tarp outside your tent

Feral Bill
11-12-2009, 00:36
I've done it and got away with it. Doesn't make it any smarter. Please don't.

Trailweaver
11-12-2009, 02:04
Better to have an uncooked meal than a burned tent.

Ramble~On
11-12-2009, 03:20
I've cooked inside my tent many times. A Jetboil works great.
There are risks....carbon monoxide is one.

Lone Wolf
11-12-2009, 07:24
When it's raining or extremely cold is it reasonable to cook inside a tent? Is there a recommended stove that works well for this purpose or is it taboo (dangerous)?

not in the tent but in the vestibule. i've done lots of times

Tipi Walter
11-12-2009, 08:38
I always cook in my tent vestibule, and when it's raining I prime the Simmerlite in the open and then scoot the works inside and zip up the vestibule. I've only actually moved the pad and cooked inside the tent one time due to truly crappy weather: friggin' cold temps.

There's too much that can go wrong with cooking inside the tent, the main one being an errant ember reaching the Thermarest or the sleeping bag. Burning down the tent? Naw, but then again, I had a Svea 123 blow off it's pressure valve once and "explode", thankfully away from the tent.

garlic08
11-12-2009, 10:54
I once saw a mountaineering tent designed for cooking. It was large, three or four person, had a removable floor panel so you could cook directly on the snow, and an extra ventilation chimney. This was for climbers who might die if they went outside to cook. For the typical three-season hiker, cooking in the tent is not a smart idea. Just think of what could go wrong and decide if the risk is worth the reward.

My solution has always been to bring along plenty of food that does not require cooking. Instant mashed potatoes and refried beans rehydrate OK with cold water. You can eat ramen without cooking (eat like a cracker or soak a while). Extra trail mix, tortillas, cheese, etc. can round out a cold dinner. That has worked so well, the last few years I haven't even brought a stove, but that's a different story.

Hikes in Rain
11-12-2009, 11:40
Cooking inside the usual backpacker's tent sounds like a great way to experience shrink-wrapping from the inside!

Spokes
11-12-2009, 11:46
Concur with Lone Wolf and Tipi Walter- carefully inside the vestibule. I use an alcohol stove.

Jester2000
11-12-2009, 11:53
Concur with Lone Wolf and Tipi Walter- carefully inside the vestibule. I use an alcohol stove.

I too will occasionally cook in my vestibule. If you're going to do so with an alcohol stove (which I don't really recommend), absolutely DO NOT EVER try to add fuel to your stove because it looks like the flame has gone out. If you need more cooking time, snuff the flame out entirely and restart the stove.

Spokes
11-12-2009, 12:53
I too will occasionally cook in my vestibule. If you're going to do so with an alcohol stove (which I don't really recommend), absolutely DO NOT EVER try to add fuel to your stove because it looks like the flame has gone out. If you need more cooking time, snuff the flame out entirely and restart the stove.

Yes! Only Jonathan Storm of the Fantastic Four is allowed to yell "FLAME ON".

Pedaling Fool
11-12-2009, 12:58
I also cook in the vestibule -- with appropriate care.

ShelterLeopard
11-12-2009, 13:06
Um, not so good an idea. I carry a small tarp to use to cover my cooking area in the rain. (Made from an emergency blanket)

Bags4266
11-12-2009, 23:37
Cooking inside the usual backpacker's tent sounds like a great way to experience shrink-wrapping from the inside!

LOL, that was pretty funny!!!

schnikel
11-12-2009, 23:55
Here is another vote for the vestibule. Check with the tent you have, my vestbule has 2 zippers so in foul weather I will unzip it from the top down to the middle or so. It has worked for me many times.
Schnikel

orangebug
11-13-2009, 00:28
I use a JetBoil, get her started but place it outside the vestibule until it boils. Cover and turn it off and wait for dinner.

The ballistic nylon we use for tents, quilts, bags and packs is extremely flammable. It will adhere to skin as it burns. It is a nasty way to start a very bad night.

Skyline
11-13-2009, 01:29
If you're gonna do it, you should have a tent with a decent sized vestibule. One that has plenty of room to keep flames away from silnylon. And be very careful even then.

Or . . . carry a 5x8 tarp with you. Put that up away from your tent and make it your kitchen and dining room. The whole set-up should weigh about 10-14 oz.

An even better idea: Carry some no-cook foods with you and eat those on the most miserable-weather nights. Summer sausage, cheese, tortillas, energy bars, fresh fruit if you can carry it—you get the idea. Your basic lunch menu. No, it won't be a hot meal but it will be good enough and you'll live another day to enjoy hot grub.

Tipi Walter
11-13-2009, 01:36
Um, not so good an idea. I carry a small tarp to use to cover my cooking area in the rain. (Made from an emergency blanket)

This reminds me of those little tiny tents Mt Hardwear or someone sold just for cooking inside. Weird, really, Sort of a mini-me camp with Ken and Barbie.

ShelterLeopard
11-13-2009, 01:42
Seriously? For hikers? How weird... And there's no liability involved with selling tents in which you cook?

ShelterLeopard
11-13-2009, 01:45
And Tipi- that would be a hilarious idea for Ken and Barbie- they could "go wilderness" and they could have a spray on "hiker smell" and ken could have a removable beard...

Of course Ken and Barbie would never survive a day hike...

MintakaCat
11-13-2009, 07:01
Some tents are designed for cooking in them. You can cook on this stove and it works real well. The stove pipe removes the smoke and carbon monoxide while at the same time creating a slight vacuum in the tent causing the tent to draw in outside air. The lack of a tent floor causes the fresh air to move in better, plus you wouldn't want a floor with that kind of stove anyway.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/9/3/7/7/solocamp7.jpg

But, unless your tent is designed for this, I wouldn't recommend cooking in a tent.

Marta
11-13-2009, 07:41
And Tipi- that would be a hilarious idea for Ken and Barbie- they could "go wilderness" and they could have a spray on "hiker smell" and ken could have a removable beard...

Of course Ken and Barbie would never survive a day hike...

Barbie would look adorable with some khaki shorts (extra short, of course), a safari shirts, a sparkly backpack, and some high-heeled hiking boots.

PS--I also cook in the vestibule. If the weather is really, really cold and foul, sometimes it's just too cold NOT to be inside your tent and sleeping bag. Even if I have an extra tarp with me, it's just too cold to sit under it. The main time I cook in the vestibule is in the morning. It's lovely to wake up and heat up water for Swiss Miss Pick-Me-Up and a few cups of tea before even getting out of bed, especially if I've set up the tent to have a good view of the breaking dawn.

Tipi Walter
11-13-2009, 09:15
The Ken and Barbie Basecamp Tent in Action! See fotog below.

Tipi tents are near perfect for cooking inside and heck, they can have a woodstove too which would offer a surface to cook on anyway.

BTW. DO NOT attempt to cook inside the Barbie Basecamp Tent with them inside! And Barbie can be touched but only thru the access sleeves located around the base of the mini-me tent.

sherrill
11-13-2009, 10:01
For all the effort to set that up, I'd rather chew on a pop tart. :D

Pedaling Fool
11-13-2009, 10:06
For all the effort to set that up, I'd rather chew on a pop tart. :D
...And a hot cup of joe:D

Manwich
11-13-2009, 10:23
You can atleast heat up a poptart mr. miagi style, by rubbing your hands together really fast and hard, then slapping them on the tart.

Tinker
11-13-2009, 10:26
Cooking just outside the tent works, too. Most stoves can't be put out by rain, it usually just runs down the outside of the pot and drips on the ground. If you cook with a narrow bottom pot (Heineken can or ti cup) you probably will have more trouble.
Cooking inside a tent isn't usually a good idea, especially if your tent is a silnylon one. That stuff would make a wonderful fire starter if it wasn't so expensive.

lazy river road
11-13-2009, 11:04
What about cooking inside a tarp for hammocking....such as the super fly from Warbonnet...this has no floor and you could hang it high enough to give you enough clearance from flames. Or would most still consider this pretty risky behavior?

ShelterLeopard
11-13-2009, 11:34
You can atleast heat up a poptart mr. miagi style, by rubbing your hands together really fast and hard, then slapping them on the tart.

From now on, I'm going to leave all my fuel, stoves, fire starter at home, and just cook Mr. Miagi style... That's hilarious Totem!

ShelterLeopard
11-13-2009, 11:35
The Ken and Barbie Basecamp Tent in Action! See fotog below.

Tipi tents are near perfect for cooking inside and heck, they can have a woodstove too which would offer a surface to cook on anyway.

BTW. DO NOT attempt to cook inside the Barbie Basecamp Tent with them inside! And Barbie can be touched but only thru the access sleeves located around the base of the mini-me tent.

:banana:banana:banana:banana:banana:banana:banana: banana

I believe the bananas say it all.

toegem
11-13-2009, 23:24
What about cooking inside a tarp for hammocking....such as the super fly from Warbonnet...this has no floor and you could hang it high enough to give you enough clearance from flames. Or would most still consider this pretty risky behavior?

I've never had a problem cooking under my tarp for my hammock. I even had a place to sit while dinner cooked.