View Full Version : Fire Pit Cooking
rgardn12
09-07-2012, 22:15
I am new here and have been discussing some prep for through hikes for the spring of 2013 with friends when I found this board.
I've been using a JetBoil for a while now on my weekend treks where dehydrated meals have been my primary food source. However as I am preparing for spring '13 I want to step away from fuel/alcohol stoves and use fires for cooking.... for two reasons:
1) less room/weight taken up in my 45L pack
2) simplicity sake... I've been trying to find a comfortable middle ground between bushcraft and lightweight hiking.
(Note: I don't say ultralight because while I will consider weight a major factor I do not go to "extremes".)
Unfortunately I do not have a lot of experience fire pit cooking without carrying coolers to keep meat cool (boy scout camping was more like car camping for my troop.) As a result I was hoping you guys could give me some pointers on a few things... How do I keep the impact of a fire to a minimum? Do the majority of "camp" locations have established rings or pits? For those of you that cook on fires, what type of meals do you typically pack?
Any suggestions or info will be helpful as again I've never cooked solely with fires. Thank you all! And as a side note I will be taking a few trips to test out techniques before making any extended section hikes in the spring, I don't want anyone to think I will blast into the woods untested and end up in trouble.
kayak karl
09-07-2012, 22:24
most just boil water. there are wood burning stoves out there.
Hairbear
09-08-2012, 04:36
most just boil water. there are wood burning stoves out there.+1 on the boiling water for meals and coffee
peakbagger
09-08-2012, 06:21
The wood option is great in dry weather but is a bear in cold damp weather that the AT in infamous for. Its a good skill to work on to save fuel but you really need a backup (alcohol stove). The fastest easiest method is boil water and do freezer bag cooking. Baking and frying both require a lot more skill and time. The hice thing with freezer bag cooking is that the skills you learn are applicable to either wood fires or any other method of heating. Realistically for many folks food becomes "fuel" after a few weeks on the trail and all they want to do is heat it up as quick as possible and eat it.
Do note that many sections of the trail ban wood fires in general. In those areas not having a stove is not an option. In a dry year many other sections will ahve intermittent buring bans.
Hairbear
09-08-2012, 06:52
when you cook with wood it leaves a tar on you cook pot that is harder to clean,and can be spread to your pack and other gear if not cleaned well or kept seperate from other things
Drybones
09-08-2012, 08:19
I'd hate to think I had to scrap up wood and build a fire, wait for it to get hot, cook, eat, clean pots after walking 20+ miles, not to mention the rain and wet, which there was plenty of this spring. I would try going stoveless before building a fire. For me it would not be worth the weight savings, my stove and cook pot weighed 3 oz, maximum fuel I would start with is 12 oz., used freezer bags to cook in so there's no clean up....you'll get lots of opinions but you'll need to experiment to determine what works best for you.
HikerMom58
09-08-2012, 08:43
^Great advice^
You said "...prep for through hikes for the spring of 2013."
Since most people don't prep for multiple thru's I'm wondering if your not doing some section hikes.
However if you're thru-hiking (doing the entire trail in one season) you will not feel like:
Fooling around with finding wood in camping areas that are picked clean
Trying to get a fire started on wet, rainy days
Waiting until you've got a coal bed to cook on
Carrying extra water miles (usually uphill) so you can put the fire out when you dry camping
Mostly what you'll feel like doing after 20 miles of hiking is fix dinner, eat, and go to sleep!
Some areas do not permit fires (like the entire state of CT) so you would should have a stove if you plan on cooking.
Also sometimes fire bans are in place due to dry conditions
Most established campsites have fire rings if fires are allowed
I like my little Antig wood gas stove. Cat stove and a few ounces of alcohol for backup.
Smooth & Wasabi
09-08-2012, 09:15
I have definately met a couple folks who did a significant amount of their cooking over wood. I agree however that there will be plenty of times it is inconvenient on a long distance hike. I would carry either a cat can stove (cheaper option) or a wood/alcohol stove($$) and at least a couple ounces of alcohol. The weight and fuss factor are minimal and on the inevitable days you don't want to deal with fire due to rain or fatique you will have another option. It definately helps to be on the lookout for dry wood and tinder during the hiking day to make fire building easier once you arrive especially if it is wet. Also consider how you will cook if you are using small cook fires. Having a bail handle will allow you to cook with a tripod in Ray Jardine style, a couple skewer stakes or evenly sized rocks can also work (as do many other techniques). I have seen several lost meals when folks put their pots directly on the fire. As you are talking bushcraft I am sure you have considered it, when I am planning on fires I like the convenience of a light but sturdy knife and a small supply of emergency tinder. As was said a decent stuff sack for your pot will be indispensible to keep things relatively clean. Have fun.
rgardn12
09-08-2012, 12:07
Do note that many sections of the trail ban wood fires in general. In those areas not having a stove is not an option. In a dry year many other sections will ahve intermittent buring bans.
Some areas do not permit fires (like the entire state of CT) so you would should have a stove if you plan on cooking.
Also sometimes fire bans are in place due to dry conditions
Most established campsites have fire rings if fires are allowed
This is something I was completely unaware of. I knew of the intermittent burn bans, just not outright all the time bans.
You said "...prep for through hikes for the spring of 2013."
Since most people don't prep for multiple thru's I'm wondering if your not doing some section hikes.
I am doing section hikes not a thru, but they will be longer in duration than a weekend in most cases.
when you cook with wood it leaves a tar on you cook pot that is harder to clean,and can be spread to your pack and other gear if not cleaned well or kept seperate from other things
This was something that I was aware of and was using a simple modified pillow case for cleanliness inside the pack.
I appreciate the information provided by you all and it seems that since so little cook food in methods other than boiling water I'd have no need to use anything other than my JetBoil. Also as I was unaware of how frequently fires were not permitted it seems that fires are not a "reliable" cooking method. I am going to do some searches here about freezer bag cooking (since most everything I've cooked was MH meals) and see if I can't find some recipes floating about.
Thanks again.
rgardn12
09-08-2012, 12:08
I am sure freezer bag cooking is much cheaper than Mountain House as well... better for my gear budget haha.
If you're just loafin' in the woods fire pit is fine. But it takes time out of walkin' ,rain, etc. -some of which can be mitigated with experience and prep.
That said, nothin' beats cookin' on a stick.
17365
Moose2001
09-08-2012, 15:34
just use a stove. Alcohol stoves weigh almost nothing. Most shelter areas are abused enough without stripping any remaining wood to cook with.
If you cook with wood at a shelter with other hikers you won't make a lot of friends. Most folks who cook with wood, in the open or with a stove, create a lot of smoke that anoys a lot of folks. This has been my experience.
This is pure thread drift here because I rarely build a fire and rarely cook on one - I almost always use a pocket rocket, alcohol stove, or may use my whisperlite in winter. I do know how to cook on a fire though and this used to be one of my favorite things to do - - more a "camping" thing but when you can pull it off in the backcountry, it's pretty cool:
Carrot Cake: Divide food ingredients among a few backpackers (party of 3 or more) - plan on eating in the first couple of days to save weight
The first thing you need is a Banks Fry Bake - this is pretty much a lightweight iron skillet with a lid. Here is a link:
www.frybake.com
this sounds crazy, but go ahead and get the 10" one - you can cook amazing things in it. It's certainly not a tool for
a thru-hiker but can be a legitimate luxury item in a more or less light weekend (or even week long) pack
Other ingredients:
Cooking Oil: I suggest filling a small water bottle
Carrot Cake Mix (from the grocery store)
Powdered milk packet (optional depending on mix)
Skip mixes that require egg or just skip the egg - it'll be fine
Raisins or Cran-Raisins or Chocolate Chips (or both)
Cream Cheese Frosting - yep, just toss the whole can in your pack
Build a nice campfire and get down to a nice bed of glowing coals.
Make the cake mix in your cookpot with water and powdered milk and a little oil
Add raisins or chocolate chips
Grease the fry bake really good with oil and add the mix
Set the pan down into the coals and place the top on it tightly, Shovel hot coals on top of the lid with a couple of sticks
The cake will probably need to cook about 30-40 minutes depending on the heat of the coals - don't worry, it is cooking
Usually, when we've done this, by the time we've eaten dinner, made a fire and baked the cake, everyone is asleep so
what I've done is set the cooled cake aside with some rocks on top of the pan to protect from animals and let it sit till morning.
Empty the cake onto the lid, frost, and eat - - it's a really great trick - - especially backpacking with kids.
Hairbear
09-08-2012, 20:53
This is pure thread drift here because I rarely build a fire and rarely cook on one - I almost always use a pocket rocket, alcohol stove, or may use my whisperlite in winter. I do know how to cook on a fire though and this used to be one of my favorite things to do - - more a "camping" thing but when you can pull it off in the backcountry, it's pretty cool:
Carrot Cake: Divide food ingredients among a few backpackers (party of 3 or more) - plan on eating in the first couple of days to save weight
The first thing you need is a Banks Fry Bake - this is pretty much a lightweight iron skillet with a lid. Here is a link:
www.frybake.com (http://www.frybake.com)
this sounds crazy, but go ahead and get the 10" one - you can cook amazing things in it. It's certainly not a tool for
a thru-hiker but can be a legitimate luxury item in a more or less light weekend (or even week long) pack
Other ingredients:
Cooking Oil: I suggest filling a small water bottle
Carrot Cake Mix (from the grocery store)
Powdered milk packet (optional depending on mix)
Skip mixes that require egg or just skip the egg - it'll be fine
Raisins or Cran-Raisins or Chocolate Chips (or both)
Cream Cheese Frosting - yep, just toss the whole can in your pack
Build a nice campfire and get down to a nice bed of glowing coals.
Make the cake mix in your cookpot with water and powdered milk and a little oil
Add raisins or chocolate chips
Grease the fry bake really good with oil and add the mix
Set the pan down into the coals and place the top on it tightly, Shovel hot coals on top of the lid with a couple of sticks
The cake will probably need to cook about 30-40 minutes depending on the heat of the coals - don't worry, it is cooking
Usually, when we've done this, by the time we've eaten dinner, made a fire and baked the cake, everyone is asleep so
what I've done is set the cooled cake aside with some rocks on top of the pan to protect from animals and let it sit till morning.
Empty the cake onto the lid, frost, and eat - - it's a really great trick - - especially backpacking with kids.you have me droolin.......
HikerMom58
09-08-2012, 21:02
^ Me 2... droolin ^ Thanks for sharing this Papa D- It sounds delish and fairly easy.
kayak karl
09-08-2012, 21:25
i made this stove. its a copy of somebody's. please link if you know.
its 4 oz. (w/windscreen)
3.5"-3.5"-6"
i took it on two trips and found out I hate cooking with wood.
stove was great. folded up. light. fit in zip lock. :)
give a DIY stove a try before u plan to use it on a thru.
KK
RangerPhil
09-08-2012, 21:43
Papa D's recipe sounds amazing!
Drybones
09-08-2012, 22:01
This is pure thread drift here because I rarely build a fire and rarely cook on one - I almost always use a pocket rocket, alcohol stove, or may use my whisperlite in winter. I do know how to cook on a fire though and this used to be one of my favorite things to do - - more a "camping" thing but when you can pull it off in the backcountry, it's pretty cool:
Carrot Cake: Divide food ingredients among a few backpackers (party of 3 or more) - plan on eating in the first couple of days to save weight
The first thing you need is a Banks Fry Bake - this is pretty much a lightweight iron skillet with a lid. Here is a link:
www.frybake.com (http://www.frybake.com)
this sounds crazy, but go ahead and get the 10" one - you can cook amazing things in it. It's certainly not a tool for
a thru-hiker but can be a legitimate luxury item in a more or less light weekend (or even week long) pack
Other ingredients:
Cooking Oil: I suggest filling a small water bottle
Carrot Cake Mix (from the grocery store)
Powdered milk packet (optional depending on mix)
Skip mixes that require egg or just skip the egg - it'll be fine
Raisins or Cran-Raisins or Chocolate Chips (or both)
Cream Cheese Frosting - yep, just toss the whole can in your pack
Build a nice campfire and get down to a nice bed of glowing coals.
Make the cake mix in your cookpot with water and powdered milk and a little oil
Add raisins or chocolate chips
Grease the fry bake really good with oil and add the mix
Set the pan down into the coals and place the top on it tightly, Shovel hot coals on top of the lid with a couple of sticks
The cake will probably need to cook about 30-40 minutes depending on the heat of the coals - don't worry, it is cooking
Usually, when we've done this, by the time we've eaten dinner, made a fire and baked the cake, everyone is asleep so
what I've done is set the cooled cake aside with some rocks on top of the pan to protect from animals and let it sit till morning.
Empty the cake onto the lid, frost, and eat - - it's a really great trick - - especially backpacking with kids.
This sounds great for car camping but I doubt I'd have the horsepower to tote a cast iron skillet very far...saw one sitting on a stump on the Pinhoti a while back in the middle of nowhere, guess it took the hiker a while to figure out that thing was heavy.
Hikes in Rain
09-09-2012, 08:56
Cooking with wood is a fun, easy thing to do, and done right imparts flavors that just can't be duplicated any other way. It's true, for a long distance hike it's not very practical, and fuel around shelters and established campsites is pretty scarce, but then for a simple cooking fire, you don't need a huge conflagration, or big chunks of wood. Think for a second about the diameter of your pot; your fire shouldn't be much larger than that. In fact, assuming an asbestos glove, you should be able to hold it in your hand. That means pencil sized sticks and twigs, and not really too many of those.
To learn how, check eBay for older Scout manuals, or the old Fieldbooks. One of my better finds was "Jackknife Cookery" from back in the 20's, where the author teaches boys how to cook good food with nothing more than a good pocketknife. Highly recommend that book! Also, the original Roughing it Easy. Actually, I have a couple of shelves in the library devoted to camp cooking over fires.
Breads can be baked by wrapping a coil of dough around a stick and baking over the coals. It can also be baked right on the ashes on a leaf, which is how my bread on a stick often ended up. Then, it's called ash cake. (Never give the thing a name until it's done. Horace Kephart! That way, no one has any expectations of what it was supposed to be.)
Love the cake idea. I've baked cakes in an orange peel. Slice the orange about a third of the way down from one of the "poles", and scoop the pulp out of the larger section. Pour some cake batter (Jiffy makes a good "add water only" dry mix) about 2/3 of the way up to allow for rising, put the cap back on (with the orange pulp still in it) and wrap in foil. Drop it in the fire (cap side up) and heap coals around it. As it bakes, the orange juice drips down into the cake and gives it a nice flavor. Fifteen or twenty minutes later, pull it out, unwrap and eat right out of the orange peal. Be sure to pack the peel out....they petrify and never decompose. As a kid, I used to steal corn from the cornfields and roast it right in a fire inside the husks. After the first time, I learned to go deep inside the field and not take the stuff right by the dirt road. WAY too much dust!
Soap spread on the outside of your pot will (mostly) keep it from getting blackened. I used to do that all the time. The result was a fascinating pattern of blackened marks as I missed little parts here and there every time. Makes my old Mirro aluminum pot look like a work of art, sort of. That and the dents from a long, useful life. It's certainly got character, and I'll never get rid of it, even though I've since "graduated" to a sexy new Titanium pot that's just way too pretty to put in a fire.
So as it's been said, sure, use a fire as much as you like. The possibilities are endless. But take a little stove as a backup. You'll thank yourself one cold wet night.
Hikes in Rain
09-09-2012, 08:58
If you cook with wood at a shelter with other hikers you won't make a lot of friends. Most folks who cook with wood, in the open or with a stove, create a lot of smoke that anoys a lot of folks. This has been my experience.
I've noticed that too, and then the same folks will build a huge camp fire. Hmm......
Cooking with wood is a fun, easy thing to do, and done right imparts flavors that just can't be duplicated any other way....
Love the cake idea. I've baked cakes in an orange peel. Slice the orange about a third of the way down from one of the "poles", and scoop the pulp out of the larger section. Pour some cake batter (Jiffy makes a good "add water only" dry mix) about 2/3 of the way up to allow for rising, put the cap back on (with the orange pulp still in it) and wrap in foil. Drop it in the fire (cap side up) and heap coals around it. As it bakes, the orange juice drips down into the cake and gives it a nice flavor. Fifteen or twenty minutes later, pull it out, unwrap and eat right out of the orange peal. Be sure to pack the peel out.......
Quite clever!
Drybones
09-09-2012, 09:19
I was bow hunting in VA one day and decided I'd "rough it" for lunch. Got me a big flat river rock to fry bacon and eggs on. Bacon was almost ready to take up when the rock exploded. The tree I was sitting against looked like a Chrismas tree with bacon orniments. This probably should have been in the stupid things I've done thread...could have killed me.
Wise Old Owl
09-09-2012, 10:45
Drybones there was water or moisture in the rock. I remember a boy scout getting a splinter of slate because slate had been used in the fire ring of rocks. He was airlifted out of camp.
There are lots of good posts here, but folks I love old school bushcraft and cooking dirty steak and fish on coals is a fun way to inspire others and I love doing it, I eat pretty good. I really recommend doing some home cooking out back and practice a lot. A six ounce frozen steak vac packed spice pack and hot coal fire (little flame) is an enjoyable moment on the trail, Half a corn on cob wrapped in butter and foil on the grate is a great side. A micro grate scavanged from a hibachi, a UL camp saw and sharp knife (not stainless) for making tinder and fuzz stick is important. Learning to gather wet wood and converting it into a useable fire is very important. I have seen a lot of boys do poorly in that area.
i made this stove. its a copy of somebody's. please link if you know.
its 4 oz. (w/windscreen)
3.5"-3.5"-6"
i took it on two trips and found out I hate cooking with wood.
stove was great. folded up. light. fit in zip lock. :)
give a DIY stove a try before u plan to use it on a thru.
KK
Wood is my goto fuel. Alcohol is my backup using a "Companion Burner".
Zelph makes a folding stove that looks like yours. Made of stainless steel:
http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/woodgaz-folding-backpacking-stove.php
He makes an alcohol burner that works well with it. Holds the fuel in suspension for a great safety factor.
http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/companion-burner-for-woodgaz-and-bushbuddy.php
.
You don't need a cast iron skillet to make a cake...you can do it in even a very small cook pot. Get those Jiffy mixes of cake mix or cornbread (or any cake or muffin mix really) and instead of adding the vegetable oil to the mix pour about 1 inch deep of vegetable oil in the bottom of your pot...let the oil heat up for a few minutes and then pour the batter in there and fry it...the result will be a very moist cake. I've done this with an alcohol stove.
Another thing I like to do is bring some hot dogs or brats and cook them on a stick with some biscuit dough or croissant dough wrapped around them.
just use a stove. Alcohol stoves weigh almost nothing. Most shelter areas are abused enough without stripping any remaining wood to cook with.
+1 It's just too wet on the AT for sustained fire cooking. However I have now started carrying a collapsible wood stove to supplement my little alchy stove.
Check out the line of Emberlit stoves. I got the Mini UL model
http://www.emberlit.com/
Hairbear
09-21-2012, 07:01
one of the worst things that can happen while using a wood fire to cook is wind gusts carrying hot embers to your shelter mates gear.imagine an irish bar brawler coming at you with that look in his eyes,because he just noticed a huge hole melted in his new cuban fiber tarp,and you dont have the money to replace it.now hes sleeping wet and you are drven into the ground like a circus tent stake.
Hairbear
09-21-2012, 07:11
i do have a never used combination alch/wood stove id sell i think the brand name on it was little giant or something like that.it cost me like 60 bucks with the pouch it goes in.id sell for 35 you pay shipping it doesnt weigh much and is in new condition.
treesloth
09-21-2012, 07:31
Wood is my goto fuel. Alcohol is my backup using a "Companion Burner".
Zelph makes a folding stove that looks like yours. Made of stainless steel:
http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/woodgaz-folding-backpacking-stove.php
He makes an alcohol burner that works well with it. Holds the fuel in suspension for a great safety factor.
http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/companion-burner-for-woodgaz-and-bushbuddy.php
.
Zelph are you referring to yourself in the 3rd person? ;-) I like several of your designs. Keep up the good work.
Hairbear
09-21-2012, 07:33
Cooking with wood is a fun, easy thing to do, and done right imparts flavors that just can't be duplicated any other way. It's true, for a long distance hike it's not very practical, and fuel around shelters and established campsites is pretty scarce, but then for a simple cooking fire, you don't need a huge conflagration, or big chunks of wood. Think for a second about the diameter of your pot; your fire shouldn't be much larger than that. In fact, assuming an asbestos glove, you should be able to hold it in your hand. That means pencil sized sticks and twigs, and not really too many of those.
To learn how, check eBay for older Scout manuals, or the old Fieldbooks. One of my better finds was "Jackknife Cookery" from back in the 20's, where the author teaches boys how to cook good food with nothing more than a good pocketknife. Highly recommend that book! Also, the original Roughing it Easy. Actually, I have a couple of shelves in the library devoted to camp cooking over fires.
Breads can be baked by wrapping a coil of dough around a stick and baking over the coals. It can also be baked right on the ashes on a leaf, which is how my bread on a stick often ended up. Then, it's called ash cake. (Never give the thing a name until it's done. Horace Kephart! That way, no one has any expectations of what it was supposed to be.)
Love the cake idea. I've baked cakes in an orange peel. Slice the orange about a third of the way down from one of the "poles", and scoop the pulp out of the larger section. Pour some cake batter (Jiffy makes a good "add water only" dry mix) about 2/3 of the way up to allow for rising, put the cap back on (with the orange pulp still in it) and wrap in foil. Drop it in the fire (cap side up) and heap coals around it. As it bakes, the orange juice drips down into the cake and gives it a nice flavor. Fifteen or twenty minutes later, pull it out, unwrap and eat right out of the orange peal. Be sure to pack the peel out....they petrify and never decompose. As a kid, I used to steal corn from the cornfields and roast it right in a fire inside the husks. After the first time, I learned to go deep inside the field and not take the stuff right by the dirt road. WAY too much dust!
Soap spread on the outside of your pot will (mostly) keep it from getting blackened. I used to do that all the time. The result was a fascinating pattern of blackened marks as I missed little parts here and there every time. Makes my old Mirro aluminum pot look like a work of art, sort of. That and the dents from a long, useful life. It's certainly got character, and I'll never get rid of it, even though I've since "graduated" to a sexy new Titanium pot that's just way too pretty to put in a fire.
So as it's been said, sure, use a fire as much as you like. The possibilities are endless. But take a little stove as a backup. You'll thank yourself one cold wet night. great post hikes in rain your a fountain of info.when you were getting your trail name did soggy socks ever come to mind?grin...just thought id trade a smile for the info.
I'd hate to think I had to scrap up wood and build a fire, wait for it to get hot, cook, eat, clean pots after walking 20+ miles, not to mention the rain and wet, which there was plenty of this spring. I would try going stoveless before building a fire. For me it would not be worth the weight savings, my stove and cook pot weighed 3 oz, maximum fuel I would start with is 12 oz., used freezer bags to cook in so there's no clean up....you'll get lots of opinions but you'll need to experiment to determine what works best for you.
+1 Good advice! Maddog:D
Hairbear
09-21-2012, 07:44
Drybones there was water or moisture in the rock. I remember a boy scout getting a splinter of slate because slate had been used in the fire ring of rocks. He was airlifted out of camp.
There are lots of good posts here, but folks I love old school bushcraft and cooking dirty steak and fish on coals is a fun way to inspire others and I love doing it, I eat pretty good. I really recommend doing some home cooking out back and practice a lot. A six ounce frozen steak vac packed spice pack and hot coal fire (little flame) is an enjoyable moment on the trail, Half a corn on cob wrapped in butter and foil on the grate is a great side. A micro grate scavanged from a hibachi, a UL camp saw and sharp knife (not stainless) for making tinder and fuzz stick is important. Learning to gather wet wood and converting it into a useable fire is very important. I have seen a lot of boys do poorly in that area.
+plus 1 even in a rain there is still dry wood it is in the center of the limb
http://www.purcelltrench.com/
All I can do is shake my head at those who would discourage you from cooking on a fire. :-?
It doesn't have to be a big fire. In fact it doesn't have to be much bigger than what you would have in a wood stove.
Gather a few rocks, arrange them apart about the width of your pot. You can use 3 (or more) rocks to get a wind screen on 3 sides.
Use finger or thumb size sticks for a quick little ("Jiffy Fire" - Horace Kephart). Have your bigger, arm size sticks standing by adjacent to the cook fire. By the time you are finished cooking those bigger sticks are dried out and ready. Just move them into position and your campfire is ready to pop.
All those who look down their nose at you for cooking with wood will then gather round and join in the primal tradition of staring at the mesmerizing campfire.
Check out the link to Purcell Trench grill above. It is great for setting your pot on a stable surface rather than trying to balance on rocks or burning sticks that have a tendency to shift. My grill weighs one ounce LESS than my Emberlit UL titanium stove! It has a nylon pouch to keep soot off your gear. It fits perfectly in the water bladder sleeve in a pack, and helps give support to flimsy UL packs.
I have alcohol stoves, canister stoves, gas stoves, wood stoves,......and the grill on a fire is my favorite way to cook.
Keep practicing your bush craft! It's a dying art. ;)
Edited to add: In addition to the usual meal-in-a-pot type fare, the grill allows more variety in what you can cook. I usually grill steaks the first night out. Other meats such as Italian sausage or brats will keep for 2 or 3 days (unrefrigerated) if wrapped in ziplock bag.
Beats the heck out of boil-water-and-pour-in-a-pouch meals. Man can not live by ramen alone!
Pedaling Fool
09-21-2012, 10:27
http://www.purcelltrench.com/
All I can do is shake my head at those who would discourage you from cooking on a fire. :-?
It doesn't have to be a big fire. In fact it doesn't have to be much bigger than what you would have in a wood stove.
Gather a few rocks, arrange them apart about the width of your pot. You can use 3 (or more) rocks to get a wind screen on 3 sides.
Use finger or thumb size sticks for a quick little ("Jiffy Fire" - Horace Kephart). Have your bigger, arm size sticks standing by adjacent to the cook fire. By the time you are finished cooking those bigger sticks are dried out and ready. Just move them into position and your campfire is ready to pop.
All those who look down their nose at you for cooking with wood will then gather round and join in the primal tradition of staring at the mesmerizing campfire.
Check out the link to Purcell Trench grill above. It is great for setting your pot on a stable surface rather than trying to balance on rocks or burning sticks that have a tendency to shift. My grill weighs one ounce LESS than my Emberlit UL titanium stove! It has a nylon pouch to keep soot off your gear. It fits perfectly in the water bladder sleeve in a pack, and helps give support to flimsy UL packs.
I have alcohol stoves, canister stoves, gas stoves, wood stoves,......and the grill on a fire is my favorite way to cook.
Keep practicing your bush craft! It's a dying art. ;)
I agree. I does seem as though many look down on those that cook on fire. And to make the issue even more confusing, many of those that look down on fire used for cooking also complain about fracking. Just a bunch of freakin' whiners :D
pyroman53
09-21-2012, 11:47
Fire = good...I like fire!
Just got this stove but I haven't seen it yet. It got delivered but I'm still on a fire in Oregon...can't wait to give it a try.
Why is it they call me Pyro again?
pyroman53
09-21-2012, 11:48
oops: http://fourdog.com/bushcookerlt-mini-camp-stove/ (http://fourdog.com/bushcookerlt-mini-camp-stove/)
Zelph are you referring to yourself in the 3rd person? ;-) I like several of your designs. Keep up the good work.
Yes, I was just being weird...:D I just put the finisng touches on an Esbit burner. Can be used with one or two esbit cubes.
Hikes in Rain
09-22-2012, 08:34
great post hikes in rain your a fountain of info.when you were getting your trail name did soggy socks ever come to mind?grin...just thought id trade a smile for the info.
Glad you liked it. I hiked and camped for many, many years before buying my first stove. "Soggy socks"...I like it. Pretty descriptive, in fact. But that name was given to me by someone who curiously refuses to hike with me anymore. Not my fault (this time!) he broke himself....
rgardn12
09-23-2012, 13:02
I appreciate all the advice and for now I will probably use my Jet Boil until I get proficient with fire-cooking.
Cadenza... I agree I am not 100% sure why people look down on camp fires so much. I think it's the whole one bad apple spoils the bunch deal, a lot of people are completely irresponsible with fires and can cause a GREAT deal of damage with them. I personally understand the concept of cooking with small fires and coals and thats what I'd intend on doing. I love the link you posted beautiful equipment and a great ideas. I just wonder... for those of you that love cooking of fires and champion the idea, do you ignore fire bans?
Here is my question to all of you however, Why does a fire ban not include ALL stoves and forms of fire? and if it doesn't encompass all forms of stoves then a wood burning stove couldn't be stopped either correct?
Did quite alot of firepit cooking back in the day. Biggest issues are weather & they are messy. Would not do this unless camping only were there are existing firepits.
Here is my question to all of you however, Why does a fire ban not include ALL stoves and forms of fire? and if it doesn't encompass all forms of stoves then a wood burning stove couldn't be stopped either correct?
A stove is small and controlled, which is why many people probably don't consider the bans to apply to them, but I've always heard them described as "burn bans" which to me implies anything that burns, not just wood.
Rules are invented for people without common sense.
The Solemates
09-24-2012, 09:36
fire cookin is for car campin and after fishin
pyroman53
09-24-2012, 17:23
If there are fire restrictions, I think its best to just not start one - in a wood burning stove or not. Its usually a bad idea, and if it gets away, you'll pay for fighting the fire and there can be jail time as well. Its best not to look for loopholes.
I have ordered the backcountry boiler http://www.theboilerwerks.com/about/ which can use wood or alcohol for water boiling or set a pot on top. At 8 oz. very versatile. Here is a fun short video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Ztghrhkls
Wise Old Owl
09-24-2012, 22:02
Zelph if you do see this what is your favorite wood gas stove? UL at best...
This sounds great for car camping but I doubt I'd have the horsepower to tote a cast iron skillet very far...saw one sitting on a stump on the Pinhoti a while back in the middle of nowhere, guess it took the hiker a while to figure out that thing was heavy.
You'd be surprised how light the Banks Fry Bake is - I certainly wouldn't hike more than a week with it but I have toted it for a week - it's Outward Bound Standard Issue - about 1/4 the weight of a regular home style iron skillet - it probabably weighs 1 pound.
cabbagehead
09-25-2012, 21:11
Place the fuel on an inorganic substrate (when available). Bury coals.
Zelph if you do see this what is your favorite wood gas stove? UL at best...
My favorite DIY stove was the one that became known as the "Globe Stove" It was made of an after market lantern replacement globe that is made of stainless steel. It initially weighed in at 45 grams/1.5 ounces. Sgt. Rock really liked it and made one for himself. Since creating that stove back 2007 I have perfected the technique of verticle stacking my twigs and lighting the load at the top and having it burn top to bottom. If you read through the thread you'll see how little soot collects on the SS mesh. Makes for a cleaner stove to pack. One load of twigs boils 4 cups of water.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?25589-45-Gram-Wood-Stove-Stainless-Steel&highlight=globe+stove
.
That's as ultra light as I can make them:) It has good capacity for one load water boiling.
The availability of the replacement globes came to an abrubt halt and put an end to making them for sale.:(