Camp Cooking
You can cook a variety of foods without heat. What you end up with is
peanut butter or vegimite sandwiches, potato chips, carrots, donuts from the
local grocery store, a pack of cheese crackers... you get the idea. With
a little heat, and some imagination, you can cook anything your cooler or
backpack can hold.
Charcoal is the easiest method of outdoor cooking. Many campers
now use charcoal instead of wood because of strict regulations against open
fires in many parks and recreation areas. Charcoal is a good fuel for grilling,
dutch oven cooking, stick cooking, or foil packs to name a few. To shorten
the heating time, pile the briquets in a #10 can that has both ends cut
out and holes punched with a can opener every 2 inches around the lower
edge. Place a sheet or two of crumbled newspaper in the bottom of the can.
Place the briquets on top of the newspaper. Lift the can and light the paper.
Tilt the can so a draft is created in the bottom. Remove the can after the
coals are hot and spread the briquets out for a larger cooking surface.
This method takes 30 - 40 minutes to become hot. Normal time is 40 - 50
minutes. Word of caution: Never use in an enclosed area. Always make sure
the coals are no longer glowing. Sprinkle a small amount of water on the
briquets, and stir until completely cold. Another extinguishing method is
to place the coals in a can and cover with foil so that no oxygen can get
in. Heavy duty foil placed under the unlit briquets makes for easy cleanup
later.
Wood fires can be a great source of heat and
cooking for campers if used properly. Start by gathering wood that is already
on the ground. Do not cut a fresh tree for a wood fire. You will need three
types of wood: tinder, kindling and fuel. Tinder is small twigs, dry grass,
dry leaves, dry pine needles and bark. Kindling is usually a little larger
than tinder and no larger than two inches in diameter. Fuel should be larger
than kindling to the size of logs. Once you have gathered your wood, start
the fire in a fire ring (usually surrounded by small rocks) or protected
area. Loosely pile the tinder in the middle of the ring and ignite. Once
this catches, add a little more. Slowly add the kindling. When your fire
is off to a good start, add the fuel, one log at a time, being careful not
to extinguish the fire by cutting off the oxygen to the flames. If you choose
to use a wood fire as your cooking method, build in a fire ring or area
cleared of debris, tree roots and dry grass. Never leave the fire unattended.
Build a fire only as big as you need. When ready to extinguish a fire, break
up the ashes and scatter them out to cool. Dampen with water and stir with
a stick. Continue this process until the ashes are cold to the touch.
Types of Equipment for our discussion will cover the basics needed to
cook outdoors. Equipment could possibly include everything from a basic
water bucket to an elaborate swiss army knife.
If you need more information than what is provided here, visit a local
camping store or outdoor center. They have a wide variety of camping
equipment and could help you choose what is best for your type of trip.
The first piece of equipment every campsite needs is a water bucket.
If you are outdoors and have any type of fire, this is invaluable. Fill
it with water and keep near your fire. If your fire source is wood or charcoal,
you will also need a rake or stong stick for stirring the coals down. The rake or stick also helps to smother the fire with dirt if
it gets out of control. A small saw or ax helps to cut wood too large for
the fire. Fireproof oven mitts are also a necessary part of camp cooking.
Don't leave home without them.
Always take soap with you. Of course you can clean up with it, but it
is also useful for protecting your pans from smoke and fire damage. Before
you place your meal items in your cooking utensils, completely soap the
outside with liquid soap or soap lather. The black residue will wash off
a lot easier using this pre-cooking method. Of course you know not to soap
the inside, right?
Pots and pans can be anything. It is always best to leave your best
cooking equipment at home, just in case the soap thing fails to work. Take
pots and pans that fit your stove. Too big will cause too much heat to build
up around the stove. Make sure the utensil is fireproof. That would more
specifically relate to the handles on the pot or pan. Cookie sheets make
great griddles, but keep a safe distance from your heat source so that you
have a more even heat distribution and remember the air circulation factor.
A dutch oven is a good choice for car campers. You can cook, bake, fry or stew in the dutch oven. Most
people generally use the dutch oven over a wood fire or charcoal. Even if
you use a wood fire as a base, most recipes still call for hot charcoal
briquets to be placed on top of the oven lid to create even heat distribution.
Your meal will cook faster, too. If you line the oven with foil before baking,
cleanup will be faster. You may also want to use foil on top of the oven
lid before placing the hot charcoal briquets on top.
A nice piece of equipment, although not necessary, is a foldout grill
with legs that fits over your wood or charcoal fire. This gets food or pots
directly off the fire.
Tin cans may be used for cooking. Layer your meal such as hamburger
or chicken, vegetables, and seasoning in the can, meat first. Cover with
heavy-duty foil, place on your heat source and forget it until it is done.
Usually this method takes about 30 - 45 minutes to cook, but check before
eating. The temperature of your heat source will alter the cooking time.
Along the same lines of tin can cooking is foil cooking. Start with
a square of heavy duty aluminum foil. Layer your meal the same way as with
the tin can; meat, potatoes, corn on the cob, cabbage, seasoning - the list
of possibilities is endless. A small amount of any type of cream of something
soup poured over the top before cooking makes a nice gravy. Once you have
all the ingredients for your meal, securely wrap the package with the ends
folded or rolled up. This helps when it is time to flip the package which
is placed over hot coals to cook. Turn every 5 minutes for even cooking.
Cook 15 minutes per side.